Poll: What's so good about America?

[2012 Wont Happen]

I'm an American citizen, and people try to tell me I should be patriotic and all that crap. In school they play the pledge of allegiance over the loud speaker as everyone else stands chanting it in a cult-like manner as I stand in confusion at their actions.

What is so good about this country? We were founded by men who, although having good ideals for the rights of man, still advocated slavery. In fact, we were the LAST western country to get rid of slavery.

Before that, the continent was "discovered" (a good 400 years after it was found by the vikings and thousands of years after settlement of it by the Indians) by a murdering, enslaving, twat (Christopher Columbus) who had no qualms about killing for greed.

Other than our initial founding as a nation, which, although including slavery, was progressive for the time- we've consistently fallen behind of other western nations in level of freedom granted to their citizens, and the level of economic cooperation facilitated between our citizens.

So, I ask you, the people of the Escapist:

What's so good about America, if there is anything?

edit-

I actually am quite fond of American culture. I just dislike our government and its opperations.

edit-

someone demanded that I own up to being a socialist, because apparently that's a really important detail

 

[mokes310]

Exceptional because of our endless appeals system.

 

[Amnestic]

Exceptional because of our endless appeals system.

Thoroughly approves of this message.

 

[ZombieGenesis]

As individuals I've met some splendid ones.
As an empire [you heard me] I'd class them as... below the level. If their government showed a little appreciation for their own limitations I might actually be able to look on them more favourably.

 

[Worgen]

ehh the more I find out about other nations the less bad america looks so I suppose Ill give it a good

 

[Joeshie]

we've consistently fallen behind of other western nations in level of freedom granted to their citizens

You're so right! We are so far behind other Western countries! After all, we are stupid enough to think that privacy is a good thing. Why can't we be more like Britain and monitor our citizens every move?

Or perhaps we could be more like Germany or Australia, each of which uses excessive censorship and banning in video games. And if ONLY we had that 50%+ tax that all Swedish citizens have to pay.

 

[Lord George]

I just always find it strange America proclaims itself land of the free where you can say and do anything but seems so racist, homophobic, conservative and xenophobic compared to other western countries.

Still I want to go and travel round America so you do have some appeal.

 

[Snotnarok]

Why must we fight and compare? :|

All nations are neat, except Mars, they're all stuck up assholes. Something about years of space invaders and they're all mad about it

 

[shotgunbob]

As much as people complain id rather live in the US than most other places

 

[GreyWolf257]

When you say "we've consistently fallen behind of other western nations in ... the level of economic cooperation facilitated between our citizens" I assume you are a socialist, and that would be the opposite of freedom, considering that it takes away the freedom of how you can spend YOUR money. These political ideas aren't shared by everyone, or even most Americans, for that matter.

 

[JenXXXJen]

I'm gonna say bad purely because of the high murder rate and still having the death penalty. Sowwy.

 

[Joeshie]

I just always find it strange America proclaims itself land of the free where you can say and do anything but seems so racist, homophobic, conservative and xenophobic compared to other western countries.

How ignorant are you? The fact that we allow people to be racist, homophobic, conservative, and xenophobic just means that we allow people to say what they want. Isn't that the definition of freedom of speech?

 

[Bladecatcher]

Cheeseburgers. That alone make up for all out crap.

Well, maybe half of it.

Ok, probably just 1970-1989....

 

[AkJay]

Exceptional because of our endless appeals system.

Thoroughly approves of this message.

I thought I was the only one who noticed this, nice!

 

[chronobreak]

Reported, you either like or dislike America, and nobody really cares what you think, or at least if they do, I can't see anyone's personal opinion about America really being worth a damn, especially on an internet forum. Also, this has been done to death, if you care about the community's collective opinion on the matter you can take the time to find one of the hundreds of other threads with the same content.

 

[DrDeath3191]

I happen to like my home country a lot. Our technology is some of the best on Earth, even in its current state our economy kicks the ass of a lot of the world, we've got one of the largest republics on Earth... yeah, I think the US is pretty great. Of course I could be biased, what with me being an American and all.

 

[skywalkerlion]

I'm an American citizen, and people try to tell me I should be patriotic and all that crap. In school they play the pledge of allegiance over the loud speaker as everyone else stands chanting it in a cult-like manner as I stand in confusion at their actions.

What is so good about this country? We were founded by men who, although having good ideals for the rights of man, still advocated slavery. In fact, we were the LAST western country to get rid of slavery.

Before that, the continent was "discovered" (a good 400 years after it was found by the vikings and thousands of years after settlement of it by the Indians) by a murdering, enslaving, twat (Christopher Columbus) who had no qualms about killing for greed.

Other than our initial founding as a nation, which, although including slavery, was progressive for the time- we've consistently fallen behind of other western nations in level of freedom granted to their citizens, and the level of economic cooperation facilitated between our citizens.

So, I ask you, the people of the Escapist:

What's so good about America, if there is anything?

Like I say to most people who talk about how shitty America is, justified by how we had slavery (120 years ago..): Get out of the 1900s (to the 50s, and I apologize for saying that super retarded phrase: get outta the___) when it actually somewhat mattered (not saying we should erase anything about slavery, I mean that it's something alot of people point out, and it's normally for ignorant reasons -.-) It's also kinda ironic, because people ***** about how Americans should 'move on' from 9/11, but everyones sooo eager to point out we were the last country to abolish slavery. Which was 120 years ago. If not more.

[/end rant]

I like what we stand for, and how badass the Marines are.

Even though I think Spetsnaz are badass as well.

 

[ae86gamer]

This video explains it well.