Is America still the "greatest nation" (Iran, interview, middle east)
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It does indeed depend on what you use as a measure of "great". Unfortunately people measuring such things tend to tailor the measure to what they themselves perceive themselves to be. Intelligent weak people will value intelligence. Strong idiots will value strength. People with money will value money. People with love will value love. Humans think they are the best animal because they judge "best" by intelligence. If you could ask a bird though it would likely claim to be the "best" because it can fly and you can not.
So you need a standard unbiased measure and I am not sure one exists. If you look at crime rates for example then the US clearly is not the "best". It is not all that high up the scale on charity per capital compared to some countries. It's education and literacy standards are a lot less than secular countries like Sweden and The Netherlands. And it's place in the science world has been slipping slowly but with some consistency down the scale. Religious lunacy appears to be on the rise too. It is well down the list, near Turkey, for acceptance of Scientific Theories like Evolution for example. So by many measures it is anything but the "best" or "greatest".
However I am sure many other people could roll into this thread with different measures of "greatest" and prove by those measures that the US is indeed the "greatest".
So it would be useful OP if you were to define a little clearer exactly what standard of measurement you are using and what you mean exactly by "greatest". You do appear to have one given your use of the word "still" in your OP. By what measure are you claiming it ever was the greatest, let alone "still" the greatest?
And another question worth asking is what does it even matter? I think comparing countries is like apples and oranges in many respects. Asking which nation is the greatest makes as much sense to me personally as asking what is the color of jealousy. It is a non question, likely with a non answer.
Asking this from a Philosophical view point. Is the US still the greatest nation? What other country has us beat?
A very difficult if no impossible to answer to total agreement. Once ask for philosophical opinions you will not get a consensus.
To get somewhat of a major consensus you first need to come up with a criteria to rate countries. There are a few out there but if can first ask to agree on one of our own. The from there people can come up with their own ratings.
All I can tell you is that the U.S. does rate in general terms as one of the top countries in the world. Also, this is very difficult because I venture to guess the the great majority of people in groups like this are Americans and based on surveys many have not even gone out of their own city, much much less to other countries so it is possible they are biased, missinformed, ignorant about other countries. I had the priviledge of being 25 countries and about 25 states but even then I think I am also limited in my opinions.
One example of what can happen. My middle daughter was attending college in NC. On one class the professor made a comment about germans. My daugther lived in Germany when I was stationed there in Heidelberg. She told me she asked the professor if he had even been in Germany. He said no. She said she needed to tell him she did not agree with him because she live 3 years among Germans and his assessment does not match what she saw.
Another example of how people are circumscribed by rational boundaries. Our oldest daugther in high school arrived at home upset with one of her teachers. She said the teacher was talking about the Parthenon. She told him we visited one replica to size in Nashville as if it was brand new. The teacher told her that he does not know of that one it is not possible it exists. We gave her photos and postcard we got when we visited the place.
My point, is that people tend to close their minds and have a very limited view of the world and fall for having a closed mind on issues and opinion, just human nature. So when you ask this question I honestly you do not think you will get accurate ratings on your question. Nothing wrong with your question but I think it is a very subjective topic. Take care.
we are a declining nation. Think about it this way. If your personal finances if you have too much debt but not enough money coming in, it weakens you personally. The same with the economy, we have too much debt and too many people on the dole and this is weakening us as a country just like it would it wouldn't weaken you financially. Many do not understand this nor do they care.
I watched an interview with a man who specialized in the middle east. He said the Iranian government is not afraid of Obama but would have feared Romney. A week before the election the Iranians fired at a US predator drone over international waters but we didn't know about it because it was kept quiet.
We are a weakened country and it's not looking good for us.
thsi is a huge anation and other than wealth society wise it depedns on where you live. i some places its downright dangerous to live there. Others its not that much different from 50 year ago.Even individual experience differs.
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