Radical Depopulation Of The Earth - The Solution To Mankind's Problems?

[Lord Burdock]

Originally Posted by Windguy

YouTube - The Chaser's War on Everything - The Secret

LMAO.......Exactly!

[GreenGoblin]

Anyone who believes that America is "just fine" is completely blind.

[imp]

Originally Posted by GreenGoblin

Anyone who believes that America is "just fine" is completely blind.

America is the greatest country on earth. The US constitution is one of the greatest documents ever written. It is one of the main reasons that the US is, and will continue to be, the most powerful nation on earth.

America is just "fine". Although I would agree that an Obama victory would be a significant blow.

[wmiddlemas]

That the United States is the greatest country in the world is a myth perpetrated by Americans. It has the most formidable military, but it certainly not first in health, education, and standard of living. So America is not fine unless you are satisfied at being second rate.

[Richard]

So which country is "first" in those things then?

[August]

Originally Posted by Richard

So which country is "first" in those things then?

Iceland best place to live, Africa worst - UN | Reuters

Rich free-market countries dominate the top places, with Iceland, Norway, Australia, Canada and Ireland the first five but the United States slipping to 12th place from eighth last year in the U.N. Human Development Index.

But the index, blending 2005 figures for life expectancy, educational levels and real per capita income, finds that all 22 countries falling into its "low human development" category are in sub-Saharan Africa, with Sierra Leone last.

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[wmiddlemas]

Originally Posted by Richard

So which country is "first" in those things then?

No one country is "best" in all things, but in Health care: probably France or Japan

For best education systems: Probably Finlan

For overall best standard of living, Norway followed closely by Sweden

[imp]

Originally Posted by wmiddlemas

That the United States is the greatest country in the world is a myth perpetrated by Americans. It has the most formidable military, but it certainly not first in health, education, and standard of living. So America is not fine unless you are satisfied at being second rate.

I suppose countries get what they want. The entire American story of independance is based on the notion of liberty of the individual, with the purpose of government being to: 1. protect the people from foreign invaders, and 2. domestic policing so that these liberties are not lost. This is a different goal for government than many other nations have. So it is precisely because of the strong military and respect for liberties that I love the US. But objectively speaking, no nation dominates the world like the US. It is a testament to how free people will always outperform unfree people. And I include Canada and Western European nations in the unfree column as these countries lack many basic freedoms - freedom of speech (CFP: Opposing the Fairness Doctrine with a Real Fairness Doctrine), freedom to educate your children (no homeschooling in Germany, heavily restricted elsewhere in Europe), freedom of religion (many European nations have a "state-sponsored" religion, which essentially means other are taxed to pay for churches they do not go to).

Other nations measure success as the degree to which services like education and health care are socialized. Yet it is no wonder that people in Western Europe and Canada often go to the US for treatment, the health care provider of last resort when their socialized system does not treat them.

[wmiddlemas]

I was born in the United States and now live in Europe. I have never been denied a basic freedom in either place. I hope that the United States can regain its prestige and former greatness in the coming years.

[Richard]

Originally Posted by wmiddlemas

No one country is "best" in all things, but in Health care: probably France or Japan

For best education systems: Probably Finlan

For overall best standard of living, Norway followed closely by Sweden

Those countries might have good standards of living but I doubt they give good value for money for the services provided, given the high tax rates and tendancy for Governments to be socialist in nature. Personally I'd prefer the types of freedoms (and personal responsibility that this implies) that a country like the US has to state controlled socialist societies any day (which tend to undermine personal responsibility and cultivate a "let the government take care of everything" attitude).