Views on America

Ron paul for president......dont be an idiot and listen to the media......it is all controlled my the federal government, paul is our only hope, he will show us the destruction the government has been doing to us for years

Some of his policies are not very good though? Yes I agree he is alot better than the rest of the candidates.

yes it is not the wild west.

What? Texas is not the "wild west"???? Ha!

In one of my classes a girl said that before she came to America she thought all Americans were cowboys. She was not joking. I couldn't believe it lol

We are not perfect all you have to do is look at the government assisstance programs and how easy it is to get this assisstance in many states and to live off of it. All you have to do is walk into any grocery store at the beginning of the month where I live and watch people fill their carts pay with a benefit card then walk outside and load their groceries in a new vehicle. Or buy steaks for their dogs because dog food is not covered (True story I was behind this in line one time) . It just shows how easy governments can be manipulated.

Seen this too many times in line, I have my cart filled with generic food. The lady in front of me buys food with her money. Then does a separate purchase of name brand name juices and bread using her WIC card. Or, they buy their food with Food Stamps. Then a separate purchase by cigarettes with their own money. Or paying for their food with Food Stamp, meanwhile they and their kids have smart phones and I have a crap phone and I paying for all of my generic label food for my family of 8!!

Let me play devil's advocate. I'm not talking about government assistance lifer's. How do you know the person you see paying their food with food stamps has not just recently lost their job and are struggling at the present time. They already owned a nice car, the kids already had smart phones etc... They need temporary assistance to get them through a tough time period. We already know how terrible many Americans are in saving money. . Are they suppose to sell everything they own immediately? Let's say they got a another nice paying job within a couple of months, they still have the car, the phones etc.... You may be surprised how many people use government assistance in a the way that it was intended, for short term temporary relief.

I do not mind our government helping people out temporarily! In fact, as a wealthy and compassionate country, we should do this. And you are right, I do not know if this is a temporary situation.

But, when my kids were in the public school, there were kids at my sons' school that receive and have always received free breakfast and lunch and they had cell phones when my kids did not and they wore expensive clothes. I remember one of my sons asking how come I packed their lunch when other kids got the nicer food for free. (The school had a basic lunch, but you could pay more money for the yummier food). I said because their parents do not make enough money, and the boys told me that they have money for nice clothes and phones.

I understand that the person who started the thread asked for the opinions but as I go through the thread reading I just have to laugh at how ignorant some of the responses are. I am not trying to be mean but really all you have to do is see the high rate of people trying to get citizenship here and the fact that there are quite a few people here illegally. As for politics all countries have their own problems no matter where you live. If people were to go back and brush up on their US history they would understand why and how this country was settled. As for complaining about our school systems when you have never attended an American school...... Lets just say I would not complain about your school system.

Really? You are calling people ignorant for speaking poorly of our educational system? Have YOU ever attended school outside of America? Have you ever read a report on how POORLY our educational system is doing in regards to the rest of the world? Obviously not. I actually did attend school in the United States (in 9 different states) as well as in Argentina and in Spain. I can honestly say that the education I received outside of the USA was by far superior than any that I received in the USA. I even attended one of the top high schools in the country for about a year and a half (clearly, my family moved around a lot), and it didn't even come close in comparison to the studies I received outside of the US. Before you call someone ignorant for not attending a US school, you may want to step back and take a look at the bigger picture.

Good for you. Yes I attended school outside of the US. It is ignorant to discuss educational systems you know nothing about. I do not express my opinion unless I personally have experienced it. Most of these people are going on stereotypes and generalizations so before you attack people you should read what they write.

And exactly which educational system is it that I know nothing about? Refresh my memory please.

Your ridiculous trying to start an argument once again read the post did I call you ignorant? No if you want to blast the country you live in by all means go ahead but do not fault me for finding an issue with people who have no knowledge running off at the mouth because of something they heard or saw on t.v.

Unlike some countries in this world...you are free to leave anytime. Cuba might work for you...free healthcare as long as you mind standing in line for your groceries.

:flowerforyou: My son is studying in Rome this semester and went to Tunisia on a mission trip. He met some wonderful college students in Tunisia........who can never leave their own country. So, for those of you who loathe The United States of America, remember........you are FREE to leave!

Tell me which other countries has a policy in fill-out application forms indicating their ethnicity or race.....

Every country I've lived in. It's not because the government is racist, it's for social profiling and can be used for good instead of evil. FOR EXAMPLE: understanding that a particular ethnicity is more prone to / exempt from certain cancers or diseases leads to research which can potentially provide vaccines / cures etc. You have to learn to look at the glass half-full aspect of this!

OK if that is the case then why the inaccurate label? For example the label Hispanic/Latino, as I said a while ago its not an ethnicity & many Latin Americans don't have direct Spanish lineage to qualify for that Hispanic label. A Mexican of mostly Indigenous descent & a white Argentine who is of German descent are ethnicities apart & yet there in the US, both of them are called Hispanics :noway: Yes we speak Spanish but it doesn't make us Spaniards anymore than a German who is fluent in Japanese language be called Japanese.

And Asian race? C'mon its not a race nor ethnicity, it simply means anyone from the CONTINENT OF ASIA which happen to include Middle East & Central Asians & yet the US defines them as "White".

When you look at the dna of people there are always references to their cultural backgrounds. The white argentine of German decent isn't hispanic! They are caucasian, or should be for the purposes of social profiling and medical research. I think that whoever is making up these forms you describe has done so in ignorance. I understand your confusion and anger - if you're going to do something, do it properly. I was born in Papua New Guinea, and an ignorant schoolteacher once told me I was lying because I wasn't black! Idiots are everywhere in the world... Regardless of where I live, and where I was born, on a form my ethnic profiling is Caucasian - Other. And even though I am a minority group, I'm not angry about being asked to state my ethnicity. It doesn't define me.

America is my home. The older America where we were a proud people, honest, hard workers and didn't want handouts. I miss this America. It has been replaced with give me give me. I still believe that if you want to work and make your own choices you should be able to. I don't want a ruler or free health care. I think abortions are a private decision mine would be not to abort. I believe two people should be able to choose to live, love and work together which means if they choose to marry they should be able to. America didn't become one of the strongest contries in the world by being ruled. Our constitution is what makes us free. I don't want Obama as a King.My life has been hard lots of struggles but I don't blame America it's up to me what I make it. I will end by saying i love America and will always love America

Sing it sister! :flowerforyou:

I'm always hearing that other countries hate America. If they do, I'm not going to argue, because America does need to mind their own business sometimes. But, I live here, I love it, wouldn't live anywhere else.

Here's a rare opportunity for me to listen to other people's (from other countries) views on America.
So, what do you think?

No wrong answers here, ready to listen!
Americans can chime in too!!

Judge the individual! Not the country!
American here and I haven't had any of my friends who are non American or even people I meet who are non American have any ill feelings towards me because of that, at least that I'm aware of just as I wouldn't them either.

I understand that the person who started the thread asked for the opinions but as I go through the thread reading I just have to laugh at how ignorant some of the responses are. I am not trying to be mean but really all you have to do is see the high rate of people trying to get citizenship here and the fact that there are quite a few people here illegally. As for politics all countries have their own problems no matter where you live. If people were to go back and brush up on their US history they would understand why and how this country was settled. As for complaining about our school systems when you have never attended an American school...... Lets just say I would not complain about your school system.

Really? You are calling people ignorant for speaking poorly of our educational system? Have YOU ever attended school outside of America? Have you ever read a report on how POORLY our educational system is doing in regards to the rest of the world? Obviously not. I actually did attend school in the United States (in 9 different states) as well as in Argentina and in Spain. I can honestly say that the education I received outside of the USA was by far superior than any that I received in the USA. I even attended one of the top high schools in the country for about a year and a half (clearly, my family moved around a lot), and it didn't even come close in comparison to the studies I received outside of the US. Before you call someone ignorant for not attending a US school, you may want to step back and take a look at the bigger picture.

Good for you. Yes I attended school outside of the US. It is ignorant to discuss educational systems you know nothing about. I do not express my opinion unless I personally have experienced it. Most of these people are going on stereotypes and generalizations so before you attack people you should read what they write.

And exactly which educational system is it that I know nothing about? Refresh my memory please.

Your ridiculous trying to start an argument once again read the post did I call you ignorant? No if you want to blast the country you live in by all means go ahead but do not fault me for finding an issue with people who have no knowledge running off at the mouth because of something they heard or saw on t.v.

I asked which educational system I know nothing about, because you said I was speaking of a system I knew nothing about (it's in the quotes, see for yourself). I was just asking you to enlighten me on which system I am speaking of without knowledge. I'm not ridiculous, I'm curious. And I rarely turn on a television, and when I do, you can rest assured believe it wouldn't be to watch US news stations!

I live in America, and frankly I hate living here.

I work my butt off monday through friday for pay that barely covers my bills and groceries.
I go to college monday through thursday nights, for which I pay out of pocket for. (yes full time school and work leaves me tired all the time!)
I don't have any health insurance, so I just try to keep myself as healthy as possible.
I only get 1 week, yes 1 week of vacation a year - and it's not even paid vacation.
The political system scares the *kitten* out of me.
And the way people here view the gay community, and people of other cultures/skin color/etc is just horrific.

The boyfriend and I are just trying to get through college, and then we're looking to gain citizenship elsewhere and get out of here!

Unlike some countries in this world...you are free to leave anytime. Cuba might work for you...free healthcare as long as you mind standing in line for your groceries.

Or they could move to one of the many countries in Europe where the standard of living is much higher than it is in the United States and where they will also be free to leave when and if they please.

Americans need to get their head around the fact that, by all indicators, we do not live in the best country in the world. That doesn't mean it's not okay to like it here and to stay anyway, but telling people who want to leave that everywhere else is like a small, impoverished island nation suffering under decades of trade sanctions is a bit ridiculous, don't you think?

I have a lot of friends in America. I love them to bits. As individuals they're amazing women.

But, err... (damn it, I hope I don't offend anyone right now) monitoring your political situation scares me so bad. Religion has no place in politics and I'm fortunate to live in a country which has separated Church and State.

I just can't get over that you don't have Universal Healthcare.
I can't get over the abortion bill in Virginia.
I can't get over the fact that the bill to allow employers to pick and choose what healthcare to cover only marginally got kicked out (we're talking like 4 votes between them).
I can't get over the fact that someone like Rick Sanitorium could run for president and spread his hateful views on gays, coloured people and women, and name it all as a religious virtue.
And although I love Barack Obama, I can't get over the fact that your President acts more like a celebrity than he does as a ruler of a country.

But your people. I love your people. For the most part. Everywhere has bad eggs. Just your politics I cannot abide.

You are ignorant.

Agreed. Also, there is a state with Universal Healthcare. And gay marriage. Proud to call myself a resident of Massachusetts.

Too bad the food produced here is very dependent on the fuel. walking to the store is great if there is food there when you arrive , in quantities adequate to feed all , and at a price that can be afforded . I know what you mean in decrying the amount of fossil fuel consumed but the un necessary trips in the family car isn't all thats at stake here . We have by and large regulated ourselves into being a service and consumption economy . Let's at least retain the ability to feed ourselves and export food overseas too .



Yes,I agree it is too bad. The rail system is so underutilized, and the agriculture system is so messed up here that consuming most of the world fossil fuels is an unfortunate side effect. There should be more regulation, less BIG AG and more farmers markets and family farms. We would stand to do well too, with not polluting our water and foods with more regulations on the type of crap we spray with. Organic farms are sustainable and don't take massive amounts of pesticides or fuel to spray those pesticides.

I agree, there's more effed up here than just low gas prices.








it is amazing how few people realize what it takes to feed the nation and the world . How big for instance would the farmers market be to supply the needs of New York ? How many acres now fallow would have to be employed to grow organically enough grain to feed that same city ? As someone who works in Agriculture and once grew all that was necessary to feed two households for the entire year and give the small amount of surplus away I can tell you that to halt the agriculture that exists in the US because of the political b.s you hint at would result in the poor being eliminated by starvation . Regulation and blaming the rich are great slogans for an agenda that is not in any way shape or form sustainable . Following bumber stickered cars through the McDonalds drive thru with slogans of "green products only"and "stop animal husbandry" is funny until you wake up and find that while they didnt realy believe what they were saying enough to live it themselves they went and voted that way . I shop farmers markets myself and sometimes choose organic options but it is only the existance of agribusiness that makes those choices possible due to the abundance of food . Agribusiness has come about by the way because small operations cannot compete for the pennies on the dollar return of the regulated farming that has been legislated into existence in the US . Only by huge volume production can the costs be absorbed . Farmers market production has been exempted from much of the regulations that is a reality for most of agriculture but most of that is not the sole source of income for the seller . I can feed myu family with my land and my heirloom seeds but I can't feed yours too . Who has the bigger problem ?

I have a lot of friends in America. I love them to bits. As individuals they're amazing women.

But, err... (damn it, I hope I don't offend anyone right now) monitoring your political situation scares me so bad. Religion has no place in politics and I'm fortunate to live in a country which has separated Church and State.

I just can't get over that you don't have Universal Healthcare.
I can't get over the abortion bill in Virginia.
I can't get over the fact that the bill to allow employers to pick and choose what healthcare to cover only marginally got kicked out (we're talking like 4 votes between them).
I can't get over the fact that someone like Rick Sanitorium could run for president and spread his hateful views on gays, coloured people and women, and name it all as a religious virtue.
And although I love Barack Obama, I can't get over the fact that your President acts more like a celebrity than he does as a ruler of a country.

But your people. I love your people. For the most part. Everywhere has bad eggs. Just your politics I cannot abide.

Ummm most of us can't get over these things either. There are vocal minorities in our country. The problem is that most Americans, agree or disagree are more than happy to let these things be. It'snot worth their own personal effort to do anything about it or stand against it. There are those who are beginning to stand up (See Occupy Wall Street Movement) and those who have stood ideologically against religious extremism (See Unitarian Universalists and Liberal Christians which make up most Christians in the USA) and intolerance for decades.

It's hard to see some of these things going on from the outside, I'm sure. There is dissent from these divisive policies, I assure you.

Tell me which other countries has a policy in fill-out application forms indicating their ethnicity or race. Only in the US. Not to mention that they love to give out stupid useless labels to minorities such as "Hispanic/Latino", "Asian". FYI Hispanic belongs to the Spaniards & not all Latin Americans have direct Spanish lineage. Asia is a CONTINENT & saying one is of "Asian race" is such stupid. The funny thing is that the term "Asian" doesn't include Middle East, Central Asia or sometimes even India as part of "Asian" category whereas they are technically part of Asia.

Every country I've lived in. It's not because the government is racist, it's for social profiling and can be used for good instead of evil. FOR EXAMPLE: understanding that a particular ethnicity is more prone to / exempt from certain cancers or diseases leads to research which can potentially provide vaccines / cures etc. You have to learn to look at the glass half-full aspect of this!

OK if that is the case then why the inaccurate label? For example the label Hispanic/Latino, as I said a while ago its not an ethnicity & many Latin Americans don't have direct Spanish lineage to qualify for that Hispanic label. A Mexican of mostly Indigenous descent & a white Argentine who is of German descent are ethnicities apart & yet there in the US, both of them are called Hispanics :noway: Yes we speak Spanish but it doesn't make us Spaniards anymore than a German who is fluent in Japanese language be called Japanese.

And Asian race? C'mon its not a race nor ethnicity, it simply means anyone from the CONTINENT OF ASIA which happen to include Middle East & Central Asians & yet the US defines them as "White".

Seriously? I refer to people who are either Chinese, Japanese, Korean or whatnot as Asian simply because I cannot tell the difference. I refer to people in the middle east as middle eastern - I do not call them white.

In the US census, there are 5 races (White, Black, Asian, Some other race, 2 or more races) & they classify Middle Eastern & Central Asians under the "White" category. Honestly I also can't tell the difference between Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese or sometimes even some Filipinos & Thais apart from each other. I mistook two Chinese for a Filipino & some Filipinos as Chinese or Japanese. However I can tell the difference between a German and an Arab or a British and an Iranian.