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I'm not at all shocked by some of the anti-American comments on this thread, especially from Canadians and Europeans. Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Israel have a very good quality of life. Unfortunately, newspapers and TV in these countries often run reports (which I read/watch in 4 languages) on how awful America is: land of CRIME! (the crime rate is actually down to what it was in the early 1960s, when Kennedy was president), land of UNHAPPINESS AND MISERY! (though Americans are pretty optimistic and relatively happy), and land of ILLITERACY! (though American students have performed rather well on international evaluations). The last point is interesting: 15-year-olds in the U.S. did better than 15-year-olds in a number of European countries on language and science (but less well in math) on the int'l PISA exams. In the recent international PIRLS reading exam of 9-year-olds, American kids were number 6, just after number 5 Russia (Russian schools are noted for doing an excellent job teaching their kids to master the Russian language). A number of European nations come in below the U.S. in several measures.
Many people from rich countries like Canada, France, the UK, Germany and Israel have been conditioned to think that America is a hell hole: no safety net, poor Americans can't go to the hospital, and a lousy quality of life (except for the most affluent Americans). That is simply untrue. The IIDH (adjusted for inequality) is #16, and that is darn good for such a miserable country as the U.S.A.
Last edited by masonbauknight; 03-17-2013 at 07:45 PM..
I'm not at all shocked by some of the anti-American comments on this thread, especially from Canadians and Europeans. Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Israel have a very good quality of life. Unfortunately, newspapers and TV in these countries often run reports (which I read/watch in 4 languages) on how awful America is: land of CRIME! (the crime rate is actually down to what it was in the early 1960s, when Kennedy was president), land of UNHAPPINESS AND MISERY! (though Americans are pretty optimistic and relatively happy), and land of ILLITERACY! (though American students have preformed rather well on international evaluations). The last point is interesting: 15-year-olds in the U.S. did better than a number of European countries on language and science (but less well in math) on the PISA exams. In the recent international PIRLS reading exam of 9-year-olds, American kids were number 6, just after #5 Russia (Russian schools are noted for doing an excellent job teaching their kids to master the Russian language). A number of European nations come in below the U.S. in several measures.
Many people from rich countries like Canada, France, the UK, Germany and Israel have been conditioned to think that America is a hell hole: no safety net, poor Americans can't go to the hospital, and a lousy quality of life (except for the most affluent Americans). That is simply untrue. The IIDH (adjusted for inequality) is #16, and that is darn good for such a miserable country as the U.S.A.
This why posters like me and other American posters tell the truth like it really is.
What we have here is a classic case of the narcissism of small differences. The USA and Canada: one is a big country full of savages, the other is an even bigger country with fewer savages but more elk. One has a large road network upon which one may not drive faster than 60mph, the other is traversed by a single twisting cart-track.
I think that was the most accurate post in the whole thread.
If anyone is anti anything in here it is you - Anti-Canadian that is! You actually instigate the majority of the problems in any given thread and derail it by going away from the subject matter and engage in infantile attacks. If the attack is against Canada all the better! If the discussion is HDI you start going into how exceptional American culture is, how powerful the military is in relation to Canada and how much better of a highway system you have. When Canadian posters don't roll over you become even more infantile and irrational and the attacks come on stronger - then you have one of your cronies come in and talk about how Anti-American everyone is. Typical bully type behaviour is what you exude!
About US highways : I like it that they are made of concrete. In my country (France) most of them are still made of tar (a 19th century technology), because "the summers being not very hot, there is not risk of tar melt". This vey sentence is telling : France's and US highway technologies are world apart ! the difference between a world giant and a middle sized country which thinks itself "big" ...
Uuuh wouldn't Tar be a reference to the binder used in Ashpalt? A composite of many materials that can be used to establish a suitable surface for a variety of climates and conditions?
Just ask'n.
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im talking about a highway system like America, where it is a full functional highway system. Here is american highway 
