Have you actually read the article? Have you seen the discussion that followed in which several Americans agreed on those points. If you had read carefully, you could have concluded that I am not American. And I wouldn't give an arm to become one. I wouldn't want the citizenship if it had a cheque of a million dollars attached to it. Do you really listen to the Italians, Russians, Canadians and South Africans, or are you one of those Americans who blindly believe that their country is the best in the world? Are you a result of the system, which says often enough that red is blue, and therefore people believe it is blue. What I am actually saying is: have you thought about your country?
I don't mind anybody being proud of their country. Yours must have done something right in the past, to obtain the power it has nowadays. But do you honestly believe that it is the only country with freedom of speech? Keep dreaming! Do you think I made up those facts that were in my statement? Think again.
How many countries do you know well enough to judge? I have been travelling a lot lately, I have worked in quite a few countries over the last decade. Still I only think I can tell a lot about a dozen countries or so. And then there are a few dozen others of which I have an impression. Which still leaves me in the blank over hundred something countries I know nothing more about than the name and it's capital or language.
But out of those few dozen countries, there are very few I rate lower than the USA. Any Scandinavian country (I'd gladly pay 70% taxes and accept a few leaches in the system) have a great standard of living. Most western European countries have everything you like in the States. Plus they have abolished the Death penalty. And they've got culture that goes back to the time when the Indians still ruled North America. I'd rather live in Cuba, Honduras, Indonesia or Venezuela, however much I could write about these countries as well, at least I'd know I'd be getting on with most of the locals and I would live in atmosphere that was friendly, not driven by money and greed. The corruption would at least be open, you know what to expect. And it would be much safer in the meantime.
Don't try to defend what is wrong. I respect the right to like your native country and as I said previous: I love Major League Baseball. But your arguments still haven't done anything to my opinion that the USA is a third world country.
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Re: Listen...
Date: 2001-08-25 03:48 pm (UTC)I don't mind anybody being proud of their country. Yours must have done something right in the past, to obtain the power it has nowadays. But do you honestly believe that it is the only country with freedom of speech? Keep dreaming! Do you think I made up those facts that were in my statement? Think again.
How many countries do you know well enough to judge? I have been travelling a lot lately, I have worked in quite a few countries over the last decade. Still I only think I can tell a lot about a dozen countries or so. And then there are a few dozen others of which I have an impression. Which still leaves me in the blank over hundred something countries I know nothing more about than the name and it's capital or language.
But out of those few dozen countries, there are very few I rate lower than the USA. Any Scandinavian country (I'd gladly pay 70% taxes and accept a few leaches in the system) have a great standard of living. Most western European countries have everything you like in the States. Plus they have abolished the Death penalty. And they've got culture that goes back to the time when the Indians still ruled North America. I'd rather live in Cuba, Honduras, Indonesia or Venezuela, however much I could write about these countries as well, at least I'd know I'd be getting on with most of the locals and I would live in atmosphere that was friendly, not driven by money and greed. The corruption would at least be open, you know what to expect. And it would be much safer in the meantime.
Don't try to defend what is wrong. I respect the right to like your native country and as I said previous: I love Major League Baseball. But your arguments still haven't done anything to my opinion that the USA is a third world country.