maverick4

1. We are not the richest. The EU has a significantly higher GDP than the US does. Our system of 'capitalism' is also essentially socialism for only the rich. In fact, China right now is more purely capitalist than the US is right now.

2. We do not have the best, nor the most efficient health/medical system. The EU spends 9% of GDP on health care, compared to 15% of US GDP. Europeans also live longer than Americans, despite spending significantly less of GDP.

3. We do not have the best educational systems. From elementary school, middle school, high school, and even college, our students lag behind our European and Asian counterparts. The only edge we have are the half dozen top research universities funded significantly by the government.

4. One truth, however, is that we do have the best military, and the most blood on our hands of anybody since WWII. Even going back before WWII, it could be made the the genocide of Native Americans was as worse if not worse than any other event in the past 500 years.

Mrs.PatsFanInVa

Actually, we spend the most on our military but that doesn't necessary mean we're the best.

It depends on how you mean the word "best," of course.

We're not the largest - not by a long shot. China's all over us on sheer numbers of military personnel. We're not even #2 on that list - India is....nor are we #s 3, 4 or 5.

World Top Ten Countries With Largest Armies

The British Armed Forces are often recognized as being the best trained military forces world-wide.

British Armed Forces - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Israel is the only country in the world with an operational anti-ballistic missile defense system on the national level. Their weapons are also among the most sophisticated in the world with many of them being developed right in Israel.

Israel Defense Forces - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

PatsFanInVa

Stand by for anti-Israeli ("I really really am not anti-semitic too") rant on behalf of Mav Gibson.

ljuneau

Many of your facts are innaccurate. No matter, maybe you ought to accompany BO and appologize to the rest of the world for America, since it's such a terrible country.

__________________
“If you have been voting for politicians who promise to give you goodies at someone else's expense, then you have no right to complain when they take your money and give it to someone else, including themselves.” ~ Thomas Sowell

Wolfpack

I think it is pretty amazing how so many people are risking their life and limb to move into the United States while some people who are already here have nothing but bad things to say about it (yet they refuse to leave).

Wolfpack

Well, his first "fact" is technically accurate but extremely misleading (although I disagree that a 5% higher GDP is considered "significant"). Setting aside the fact that he is comparing 1 nation to an organization that represents 27 nations, an interesting fact is the U.S. has a higher per-capita GDP over the EU by roughly 50%.

When an organization with 500 million citizens barely edges out the U.S. with our 300 million citizens, I do not see that as evidence of a systematic shortcoming in America.

Another interesting fact is our GDP is about 4 times that of China, and about 14 times per capita.

DarrylS

What we are good at is developing huge government, complete with many regulations and the accompanying large expenditures necessary to develop such..

We are also good at maintaining the military industrial complex with little oversight despite their continual fraud, misconduct and sometimes faulty products... would think that congress and the media would be as vigilant toward them demanding oversight and accountability as they are about ACORN... in Iraq Blackwater overcharged 55 million for security services they did not perform... ACORN has gotten 53 Million since 1993, yet we are vigilant over what amounts to an "entrapment' Video... Blackwater was given a contract to supply fuel in Iraq, so instead of being happy with the contract they overcharged the US for fuel... they have had scandal after scandal, now their founder Erik Prince, a native of hollland, is implicated in murder... yet there is no outrage, only peaceful acceptance of the crimes of those who steal from the government only to get more and more...

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle6740735.ece


Was thinking the other day about an ad for Boeing that I saw advocating for the air fuel tanker bids... who pays for the ad???, who pays for the lobbyists???... we do as the american taxpayer, seems very perverse to me, yet their is no outrage... as long as the military industrial complex continues to rule inside the beltway,we will be in serious trouble.. spend time worrrying about ACORN, all the while companies of Xe now have a standing army of 20,000 men...

__________________
"Being the best doesn't mean you always win. It just means you win more than anyone else".. tweet from Kurt Warner to Tom Brady.

ljuneau

If you're so upset about Blackwater and ACORN, why don't you start your own thread instead of hijacking someone elses? Although I am sorry to see you get your panties tied in a knot because all the ACORN corruption is finally being exposed - yes, a great reason to get all huffy.

__________________
“If you have been voting for politicians who promise to give you goodies at someone else's expense, then you have no right to complain when they take your money and give it to someone else, including themselves.” ~ Thomas Sowell

DarrylS

If you do not see the connection you are wearing the rightie blinders once again.. the duplicity and hypocrisy is obvious, there is a great push to do away with ACORN...all the while the defense contractors, defraud, kill and commit a myriad of crimes... get a free pass.. if that is not a misception on capitalism, not quite sure what is... the very basic values of our society are brought to light.. those with power will never let it go,all the while those will less power will get trampled over... equal application of the law is a misconception of all misconceptions.

I have no problem with ACORN, getting exposed... my problem is the selective effort while those in the military industrial complex get a pass.

__________________
"Being the best doesn't mean you always win. It just means you win more than anyone else".. tweet from Kurt Warner to Tom Brady.

alvinnf

It's simple we need the military industrial complex. We don't need organizations such as acorn.