Happy 4th

[freakyfreaky]

Re: Happy 4th

So let me get this straight Armenian, you were not even born in Armenia or lived there before your family emigrated to the the US from Lebanon.

I suggest you read a book like "Blue Highways" http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Highways-.../dp/0316353299 before making general blanket statements about America.

[Sip]

Re: Happy 4th

That's relative. It depends on what you mean by "best."

...

This is one of the more insightful, level-headed, personal, and honest posts I have seen you make so I definitely commend you for it.

Ignorant comments like "America is the greatest country in the world" gets laughed at in countries like German, Japan, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, France, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Spain, Austria, Britain, Russia, China, etc...

And it reinforces peoples opinion that Americans are indeed idiots.

I think it reinforces that EVERY culture has certain level of idiotic biased "self evaluation". For example, I certainly don't think we need to discuss Germany's or Japan's historically idiotic beliefs about themselves. So I definitely agree with you that it is stupid to say "America is the greatest country" but albeit idiotic, I do not agree with you that it is somehow a purely American notion to claim such a thing regarding one's country.

I love this country like I love my wife (let's face it, spousal love is a conditional love).

I love Armenia like I love my mother (good or bad I love my mother, it's a natural love).

This is an interesting distinction but something that can't necessarily be made by every Armenian in the world. Many, such as myself, really have no direct connection to the land of Armenia as the tie might have been severed many hundreds of years ago. This is still a definite connection to Armenianness to be felt (at least on my part) but to me, that is not tied to the physical country of Armenia. I know this is blasphemy in the "nationalist" circles but never the less, that's how it is.

Realize that many of the new generation of immigrants coming to the US (Middle Easters, eastern Europeans, Asians) are here because the US has, in one form or another, ruined the stability of their nations and forced them to look for employment elsewhere. So, they are here for 'work' they are not here to admire the land's sickly, ignorant, fat, foul-mannered natives.

In a country of this scale, you are sure to find the sickly, ignorant, foul-mannered etc etc much like you will find the same in ANY country (even Germany) though yah perhaps in those very specialized, small, rich western european countries the percentages may not match with respect to the educated and/or civilized crop here in the US. However, if you look at dense urban areas like Los Angeles or San Francisco perhaps, it is not hard to see that the newly immigrants make up a much larger portion of the types with the adjectives you threw around to describe "Americans" than the "Americans" themselves. Of course this is not counting the disproportionately screwed up black population but they have had their own set of social problems.

I think you might have a very different view of who "Americans" are if you look at a section of the population in a dense urban area, vs smaller cities, vs the Mid West, vs somewhere deep South ... making blanket statements about the entire population of the US is sure to be waaaaaay off no matter what one says.

[Armenian]

Re: Happy 4th

Happy 4th! Messed up or not, crappy or not, confused or not, this is still by far the BEST country in the world and I would much rather be here than anywhere else right now.

That's relative. It depends on what you mean by "best."

My family came to the US fleeing the war in Lebanon. So, I grew up here. I am an American in many ways, albeit many superficial ways. But my 'core' my 'spirit' is not, I am an Armenian. I gave the best years of my life to this land. And this land has reciprocated by allowing me to create a comfortable living here. As far as I'm concerned, it was a give and take. However, I sometimes wish my family had decided to move to western Europe instead. Nonetheless, I don't know about the "best" but America has been the 'greatest empire' the world has know thus far. And without doubt, America has been one of the most unique and one of the most imposing cultures on earth, perhaps even surpassing Latin (Roman) culture.

Is America the "best" country to live in?

Perhaps, if you are living in a third world nation (Bangladesh), or if you live in a developing nation going through growing pains (Armenia). However, when it comes to living standards and quality of life, America does not even show up in the list of top ten.

Ignorant comments like "America is the greatest country in the world" gets laughed at in countries like German, Japan, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, France, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Spain, Austria, Britain, Russia, China, etc...

And it reinforces peoples opinion that Americans are indeed idiots.

Ironically enough, most of the "haters" are posting from their comfy living rooms here in the US which makes them a bunch of ungrateful hypocrites.

I love this country like I love my wife (let's face it, spousal love is a conditional love).

I love Armenia like I love my mother (good or bad I love my mother, it's a natural love).

Americans may not have much history or too many great sayings but there is an excellent one that should never be forgotten: "If you don't like it here, go back to where ever the hell you came from."

Realize that many of the new generation of immigrants coming to the US (Middle Easters, eastern Europeans, Asians) are here because the US has, in one form or another, ruined the stability of their nations and forced them to look for employment elsewhere. So, they are here for 'work' they are not here to admire the land's sickly, ignorant, fat, foul-mannered natives.

[yerazhishda]

Re: Happy 4th

[Anonymouse]

Re: Happy 4th

There were some Mexicans I saw that were arrested for illegal fireworks.

Travesty.

[MrHyeSev]

Re: Happy 4th

Some people dont like America because Bush destroyed it, I loved it when Clinton was president. There were more job opportunites, gas prices were decent, society as a whole was doing much better. So in that sense it's a mess. But...Yes, America is a gr8 country hopefully our next president will not mess us up.

[Sip]

Re: Happy 4th

Happy 4th!

Messed up or not, crappy or not, confused or not, this is still by far the BEST country in the world and I would much rather be here than anywhere else right now.

Ironically enough, most of the "haters" are posting from their comfy living rooms here in the US which makes them a bunch of ungrateful hypocrites.

Americans may not have much history or too many great sayings but there is an excellent one that should never be forgotten:

"If you don't like it here, go back to where ever the hell you came from."

[MrHyeSev]

Re: Happy 4th

Most Americans are all idiots.

They have no idea what the 4th of July signified, what it meant, what it means, what it stood for, and how this country is just full of crap nowadays.

But like all things go for empires, lip service must be paid for the founding myths to continue to propagate the present lies.

Most Americans really dont know not only the 4th of July but other holidays also they just celebrate just for the sake of celebrating it, they should really sit down & research what it's all about.

[MrHyeSev]

Re: Happy 4th

It's not hatefulness PepsiAddict, it's rather unfortunate but it's also the truth. We have presidents who are following what Israelites directs them to do.

The America that President Washington created after the Revolutionary war out of sheer unsellfishness and of high honor as he gave up to rule this country as a king to create democracy which this country was founded upon. Further the America that was followed by the ruling of the great humanitarian and the grandeur of President Lincoln as he continued following Washington's path. But unfortunately as of late, this fine country has become the puppet of Israel. I loved this country when I came here a while back; but I am dismayed with the politics that is going on for the past couple of decades. I just wish that we'll have presidents like Kennedy again.

Happy 4th of July to you and to all!!!!!

I totally agree with you that America is a mess.

[MrHyeSev]

Re: Happy 4th

Did you go see any fireworks pepsi addict?

2min of it from my apartment window, it was pretty cool.