Sarcasm or not? I can't tell =(

And I have visited a few times. 

I think every country has their idiots and nice people.

You shouldn't hate Americans (Or Australians or British for this reason) because their governments sending troops to iraq, and their past.

Well rest of the world Europeans in particular think of the Americans as being arrogant.

I would have to say, on average, we (Americans) are just as bad as any other place in the world. I mean, come on. Every country has ridiculous people, every country has good people, every country has stupid people, etc. It bothers me, however, that as Americans, starting with the government, we feel we need to police the world. We butt in when it is none of our business, and we pressure others to do things we want, no matter how much we've thought of the consequences. We tout and spread democracy elsewhere when we don't even have a real democracy, and we're very arrogant, because we have the luxury of being arrogant due to our armed forces and our standard of living.

Of course, the problem is, I'm not sure what can be done about it.

I, personally, will live my life not being like that. I, personally, will try to be a good person, will teach my children to be good people, will try to show others that you can be a good person and think and help society without being a bigot or an idiot or xenophobic or anything bad in this world.

I will write to my senator when I feel decisions being made are not in the best view of the country, which is my right as an American. I can go down the block if I feel that a certain store is screwing me over. I can buy DSL if I hate my Cable company. I can get up on the street corner and speak my mind about Atheism, or I can turn on NBC on Saturdays and see a popular show making fun of the President.

Sure, there are many many things that are wrong with this country, and there are a few other places that might be slightly better, but I'm not going anywhere, because I believe I can make this country better by being here.

Anyway, sorry to mini-rant, just my 2 cents.

Canada >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>USA.

NO doubt at all.

If I was born in U.S.A I would have killed myself or moved to Canada.

konnichiwa-

What is your basis for this assumption? Poorly-constructed universal health care which makes many intelligent Canadians come to the states to get a good doctor? High tax rates which do not allow for free-market economics to prevail? Is it due to the fact that as neighbors, despite the fact that I hate our defense spending, we do, in fact, protect Canada moreso than you protect yourself? Is it because the vast majority of Nobel-prize wining scientists come from America, as well as some of the finest institutions of learning? Is it because you are "more free"? 'Cause last I checked things like Fox News, no matter how crappy it may be, were banned from your airwaves because the goverment wanted control over it, it being a "righter" network, while funding CBC governmentally.

What is your basis for this trolling?

Trolling would be:


Mexicans are all **** and ******..

...About health care if I have to follow your words you only mention that Canadians go to US , you know that US citizens are also going for Canada? Especially Cancer patients who can get medical marijuana treatments.

- High tax rates? Move to Africa for very low tax rates if you hate taxes.

- Sigh, Canada will be happy especially after they saw how good USA protected their citizens in New Orleans and helped them.

- Nobel prize winners.....You will hate USA when next week they unveil that the new nobel prize winners are all from Luxembourg?

- Instutions....What is good about having the best instutions in the world if you can't give your citizens a good education.  Maybe this will documentary says enough http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=Bx4pN-aiofw

- Fox NEWS should also be banned in the U.S.A. :).

I find it interesting that the only place that hurricane apparently hit was New Orleans. Oh wait, it didn't. It also hit pretty much every other state around the area, and they didn't need to demand federal aid because they didn't want to spend state money on the issue, only to refuse to give authorization FOR that federal assistance.

Sorry, but no. there was a petty political game that only reflects badly on the politicians in New Orleans. If you think that somehow represents America, then maybe you should first look at ALL the places hit by Katrina and see how tehy managed.

As for Fox News, sure, you may just be joking, but would it be as funny if Canada decided to listen to NeoGaf or whatever the hell site it is that says VGChartz is nothing but lies? If you're actually supporting Fox News being banned is basically the same thing.

And if you think that other news companies are somehow more truthful and accurate than fox news, then just go back to your whole assumption about New Orleans and ask why those news sources you think are so much better just "happened" to not mention those other areas hit by Katrina and why if this was a problem on a federal level, why there weren't any news stories about those areas having problems too.

Honestly, you need to chill out...maybe take some of that medical marijuana.

To refute your arguments, I wholeheartedly agree that marijuana should be legal. I, personally, have never smoked, however, the Government should not limit personal freedoms. That being said, it should also not limit economic freedoms. So, all in all, if it came down to, oh, should I work a little harder to be able to pay for great cancer treatments that could quite possibly _cure_ me, or get free medical marijuana to help me _cope_ with the cancer I have? Yeah, I'll take the treatment.

The old "move somewhere with low tax rates if you hate taxes" argument does not follow. I was talking apples to apples. The standard of living in African nations is lower than what I find acceptable to raise a family in. I prefer to live in a developed country. That being said, I do not think socialism is in the best interest of the people, which is why I believe taxes should be kept to a minimum. Yes, my streets need to be fixed, adn yes, I need a military. Di I agree that the $ spent on teh US military is enourmous? Yes. Too big? Yes. That being said, if we were not spending an inexcusab;e amount on each piece of machenery, we might not be spending so much. Taxes are oppressive in Canada for what the do for you. Hell, they're oppressive in the US for what we get for them. I'd rather be able to choose what I spend my own money on. Medicare isn't working. Social Security isn't working. Many citizens would rather send their kids to a private school becasue public schooling is poor in america. Look at how many dumb people we have! If we paid less taxes, maybe people would take more responsibility for their lives.

See the other response refuting the uneducated remark about the Katrina victims in New Orleans.

As for the nobel prizes, like I mentioned, I meant historically. Of course we don't win them every year. But you can not tell me that the best minds in the USA do nothing to progress society in a good way. I never said no other countries do, but we sure seem to, historically, have a large number.

As for the education thing, I will definitely look at that video, i will be honest and say I have not yet. Like I said, most public schools are a joke. Especially those thinking about teaching intelligent design...what a joke. But I, and many others, are making our voices heard to make those changes.

Edit: I am currently watching the video on my lunch break. It truly sickens me. My school and the neighboring schools rank near the highest in the nation, and we went there because my parents sought out the district. We succeded not only due to the teachers and district itself, but also due to the hard work of my parents. My Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, they all instilled a sense of intellectual righeousness since day 1. I believe that not only do we need to make the schools better, but also put most of the early responsibility in the hands of the parents. How to do that? I have no idea. All-in-all, it is impressive that Canada is ranked 3rd in the world and USA is 25th. It is very sad. That being said, moving away or killing myself, as you had suggested, does not help anything. I'd rather help the system from within. Also, it, as I have shown, does not mean everywhere in the country is bad. So there is definitely hope. I will most assuredly concede that the K-12 schools in the USA are horrible as a whole, and I should have been more succinct when I stated having the best institutions. I merely was making reference to the world-renowned colleges and universities that people from across the globe come to study and find opportunity.

Edit x 2: My wife, by the way, is a teacher. She is very intelligent. We both hate "No Child Left Behind" and we both know she could have been any number of things. That being said, despite the fact that I'd consider her to be a better teacher than most, she is always trying to learn more and get better. There are others like her. That being said, many of her co-workers are dumbasses, and it bothers me.  

Okay, this thread has finally descended into pointless nation-attacking.

If you can't keep it civil, I'll be more than happy to lock the thread and start handing out bans.