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decolyon
Joined: 24 Jul 2010
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 Posted: Fri Aug 27, 2010 11:01 pm Post subject: What kind of America do you want? |
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I have friends from all over the world. When it comes to talking about our home countries I love being able to tell them about what I like about their own countries. I sometimes here what they like about the U.S. but more often I'm subjected to what they dislike. That's alright though. I'm not one of these people that thinks my country is perfect. I recognize we have several flaws and there are things we can learn from other countries. I am also proud to admit there are some things we do better than everyone else.
But this always brought me around to something I thought might be too in depth to bring up during a few beers with friends. I've wanted to know, as a proud citizen of another country, what is it you'd like to see America become? What kind of America do you want? I like to believe that for all our faults and mistakes, we have a country that anyone can call home (current right wing, politically charged Islamophobia aside.) I like to believe that we have made great contributions to all of mankind. A lot of technological, scientific, and medical advances are made in the States. These spread around the world and help save or enrich the lives of hundreds of millions, if not billions alive today.
But I digress. What kind of example should America be setting? Presumably she will be the richest, strongest, and most influential country on the planet for the rest of this century at least and probably much longer. To win over your love, to end the blanket anti-Americanism that exists in every nation to an extent, what is that we have to change? What is it that we need to stop/start doing? Again I'll just ask, what kind of America do you want? |
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recessiontime
Joined: 21 Jun 2010
Location: Got avatar privileges nyahahaha
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| Posted: Fri Aug 27, 2010 11:21 pm Post subject: |
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simply, stop policing the world.
That'll do. |
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The Happy Warrior
Joined: 10 Feb 2010
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| Posted: Sat Aug 28, 2010 12:14 am Post subject: |
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| recessiontime wrote: |
simply, stop policing the world.
That'll do. |
Annoying. |
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caniff
Joined: 03 Feb 2004
Location: All over the map
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| Posted: Sat Aug 28, 2010 12:20 am Post subject: |
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| The Happy Warrior wrote: |
| recessiontime wrote: |
simply, stop policing the world.
That'll do. |
Annoying. |
And naive. |
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recessiontime
Joined: 21 Jun 2010
Location: Got avatar privileges nyahahaha
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Leon
Joined: 31 May 2010
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| Posted: Sat Aug 28, 2010 3:57 am Post subject: |
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| recessiontime wrote: |
| http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FG_HuFtP8w8&feature=fvst |
and again,
annoying and naive. |
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Louis VI
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
Location: In my Kingdom
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| Posted: Sat Aug 28, 2010 5:07 am Post subject: |
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| recessiontime wrote: |
Simply, stop policing the world.
That'll do. |
In a nutshell, that is it. Even if you don't want to hear it.
Support international institutions rather than perpetuate a strongest-country-rules-the-world empire ethic. |
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bacasper
Joined: 26 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Sat Aug 28, 2010 7:10 am Post subject: Re: What kind of America do you want? |
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| decolyon wrote: |
| Presumably she will be the richest, strongest, and most influential country on the planet for the rest of this century at least and probably much longer. |
Are you serious? We are bankrupt, the dollar is about to lose its place as the international reserve currency, and then we are really oging to be screwed. We are lucky if we make it another decade. |
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Leon
Joined: 31 May 2010
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| Posted: Sat Aug 28, 2010 7:14 am Post subject: Re: What kind of America do you want? |
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| bacasper wrote: |
| decolyon wrote: |
| Presumably she will be the richest, strongest, and most influential country on the planet for the rest of this century at least and probably much longer. |
Are you serious? We are bankrupt, the dollar is about to lose its place as the international reserve currency, and then we are really oging to be screwed. We are lucky if we make it another decade. |
What country is close to us in any of those areas. A century is much to far into the future to predict accurately, but I would say at least the next thirty years. |
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bacasper
Joined: 26 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Sat Aug 28, 2010 7:25 am Post subject: Re: What kind of America do you want? |
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| Leon wrote: |
| bacasper wrote: |
| decolyon wrote: |
| Presumably she will be the richest, strongest, and most influential country on the planet for the rest of this century at least and probably much longer. |
Are you serious? We are bankrupt, the dollar is about to lose its place as the international reserve currency, and then we are really oging to be screwed. We are lucky if we make it another decade. |
What country is close to us in any of those areas. A century is much to far into the future to predict accurately, but I would say at least the next thirty years. |
30 years is a maximum. By 2040, the entire federal budget will be consumed by Social Security and Medicare alone. |
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Leon
Joined: 31 May 2010
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| Posted: Sat Aug 28, 2010 7:30 am Post subject: Re: What kind of America do you want? |
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| bacasper wrote: |
| Leon wrote: |
| bacasper wrote: |
| decolyon wrote: |
| Presumably she will be the richest, strongest, and most influential country on the planet for the rest of this century at least and probably much longer. |
Are you serious? We are bankrupt, the dollar is about to lose its place as the international reserve currency, and then we are really oging to be screwed. We are lucky if we make it another decade. |
What country is close to us in any of those areas. A century is much to far into the future to predict accurately, but I would say at least the next thirty years. |
30 years is a maximum. By 2040, the entire federal budget will be consumed by Social Security and Medicare alone. |
Any prediction that far off into the future about the budget will be wrong. Again what country would take our place, there is no logical country to come up after us in terms of military power, cultural influence, and economic influence. |
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mises
Joined: 05 Nov 2007
Location: retired
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| Posted: Sat Aug 28, 2010 7:39 am Post subject: Re: What kind of America do you want? |
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| Leon wrote: |
| bacasper wrote: |
| Leon wrote: |
| bacasper wrote: |
| decolyon wrote: |
| Presumably she will be the richest, strongest, and most influential country on the planet for the rest of this century at least and probably much longer. |
Are you serious? We are bankrupt, the dollar is about to lose its place as the international reserve currency, and then we are really oging to be screwed. We are lucky if we make it another decade. |
What country is close to us in any of those areas. A century is much to far into the future to predict accurately, but I would say at least the next thirty years. |
30 years is a maximum. By 2040, the entire federal budget will be consumed by Social Security and Medicare alone. |
Any prediction that far off into the future about the budget will be wrong. Again what country would take our place, there is no logical country to come up after us in terms of military power, cultural influence, and economic influence. |
Two points of objection to the part in bold:
1) China
2) Other nations don't need to catch up or build to a natural overtake. America can fall. The most wealthy man in a room can lose that status by either blowing all the money OR by someone earning more than him.
I'd like to see a United States that respects civil liberties, does not fight unending wars both domestically and internationally, and has a well functioning private sector. America does not need to be special or a light on the hill (or any other platitude). It is a home to 300 million people and should aspire to nothing more than being the best home it can be. |
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mm
Joined: 01 Jul 2010
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| Posted: Sat Aug 28, 2010 7:42 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| Again what country would take our place, there is no logical country to come up after us in terms of military power, cultural influence, and economic influence. |
the dutch, watch out for those sneaky clog wearing bastards.
And I know someone will respond to this question with "China." And by saying "China" it is an indication that you have clearly never set foot in the country, else you would know how far they have to go and how many problems they still face. |
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mises
Joined: 05 Nov 2007
Location: retired
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| Posted: Sat Aug 28, 2010 7:44 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| And I know someone will respond to this question with "China." |
Look up?
| Quote: |
| And by saying "China" it is an indication that you have clearly never set foot in the country |
Been many times.
| Quote: |
| else you would know how far they have to go and how many problems they still face. |
Problems that will be solved. It is merely a question of time.
When the United States became the largest economy she replaced China. The present is a deviation from the norm. |
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Seoulio
Joined: 02 Jan 2010
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| Posted: Sat Aug 28, 2010 8:40 am Post subject: Re: What kind of America do you want? |
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| decolyon wrote: |
believe that we have made great contributions to all of mankind. A lot of technological, scientific, and medical advances are made in the States. These spread around the world and help save or enrich the lives of hundreds of millions, if not billions alive today.
Presumably she will be the richest, strongest, and most influential country on the planet for the rest of this century at least and probably much longer. |
I'd love this American Arrogance to change for one
1) Yeah youve made all these advancements, and then you make BILLIONS off of them. ENrich the lives of HUndreds of millions? YEah usually of the rich ones. Go to Africa and ask pretty much any random person what they think of your advancements. Or the fact that the American government ( along with select other countries) basically prevents them from developing thier own economy.
2) If your country rides out the rest of the century as the richest and most powerful it needs a DRASTIC overhaul of virtually every major policy ( foreign policy, spening, saving, manufacturing, taxes etc etc etc Not to mention a realistic change to some kind of alterabtive fuel source NOW or China/Saudi Arabia will be on top of you within 50 years at the most
So to sum up, Id love an intelligent America that realises it's not going to be the fat kid at the buffet forever. Eventually its going to actualy havw to work out. BUt by the time you guys figure that out, its not likely you will be able to pull yourself out of the bed, and you're gonna beed a crane just to move you
OK that metaphor got a little wierd, but still oddly accurate. |
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