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Yes, some countries do certain things better than the US, but heck, for most things, we are the greatest. We're the No. 1 economy, the most powerful military the world has ever seen, and we have so much influence over the world culturally. No other country can really compare to these things.
We spend more on military than the next ten strongest militaries behind us. We waste billions on military spending, but that is non-negotiable with the flag waving uber conservative crowd in this country.
It is out of hand how much we spend. We need to shift spending from military to infrastructure.
My point is that the European Union has a larger economy then the US. Many other countries exceed the US in all kinds of things. Yet you still see typical Americans, jumping up and down, waving an American flag in everybody else's face, yelling "We're the greatest, we're the greatest". We don't know why we're greatest, but we're the greatest. And of course staying clueless as to why this type of behavior is a turn off to the rest of the world.
The other issue is how dis-unified and ungovernable the US has become with these culturally different 50 states. We never agree on anything, even the most common sense ideas. Half the country doesn't believe in the power of govt to do good and basically view it as evil, while the other half have the opposite viewpoint. I'm generalizing of course, but on a macro sense that is the case.
Is there any single govt initiative or regulation that Ted Cruz would support? I doubt it.
I think this article ought to be heeded. He touches on some very serious issues our culture has, and we should change it for the better.
The lack of honesty in this country is something I despise.
Exactly-- beating around the bush--- round about ways of saying the truth, fake smiles, fake politeness for a tip, etc....
Thats all so annoying.
As an American I agree with a lot of what the article talks about. Especially when he mentioned that things seem so rushed. Even eating out-- I order a glass of wine and place my order with waiter/waitress-- Restaurant is busy, so about 6 or 7 mins later my glass of wine comes out--ok Fine.....2 mins later my food is brought out----uhhhh wtf?! I just got my glass of wine 2 mins ago!
Anyway, I love America and all, but some things here annoy me to no end.
Exactly-- beating around the bush--- round about ways of saying the truth, fake smiles, fake politeness for a tip, etc....
Thats all so annoying. As an American I agree with a lot of what the article talks about. Especially when he mentioned that things seem so rushed. Even eating out-- I order a glass of wine and place my order with waiter/waitress-- Restaurant is busy, so about 6 or 7 mins later my glass of wine comes out--ok Fine.....2 mins later my food is brought out----uhhhh wtf?! I just got my glass of wine 2 mins ago!
Anyway, I love America and all, but some things here annoy me to no end.
I wanted to enjoy my glass of wine for a few mins and just relax---- but I feel rushed because my food is sitting there in front me of--getting cold, so I'm forced to begin eating right away. My point is things DO seem rushed all the time. Like, hurry hurry hurry!!!
I think he is oversensitive and the only valid complaints are #11 Religious americans #12 corporations win, #13 a country designed for cars #16 Unhealthy portions and #17 "thinking America they are the best" can be a problem with some Americans. The rest are absurd and reflects he is a very negative close minded person.
I think he is oversensitive and the only valid complaints are #11 Religious americans #12 corporations win, #13 a country designed for cars #16 Unhealthy portions and #17 "thinking America they are the best" can be a problem with some Americans. The rest are absurd and reflects he is a very negative close minded person.
Yeah, but I like how he says that americans think there number 1. Were never going to go forward as a country with all this "were number 1" shouting nonsense.
Wow! That dude taught me something about my own country and solved the riddle to a problem that always puzzled me: Why the h__ is this place called a dollar store when everything costs over a dollar?
For real, I never knew the answer to that.
But that constant deception, the constant lie, the constant half truths is one of the things I mostly hate about this country. Everything is a lie, a sales pitch, a hustle. On one hand I accept that as part of bushiness and competition. As I said in a another thread about romance, according to the Social Brain theory we humans are basically wired to deceive others.
But it's like with Las Vegas as a city. I never put that town down when I was there--unlike plenty of people I met there that came from L.A., New York, and all over the Midwest, because they were unable to carve out a life of luxury for themselves in Vegas they could only talk about Vegas being the worse city on earth. But there were and are aspects of Vegas I did not like. Bearing in mind I was living down there making $6.00 tearing down diesel engine. Meaning I didn't make much money. You couldn't do much of anything in Vegas with no money! And as a "walkable city"? As the New Yorkers say, Forget about it! And I'm a walking m___ f___. I doubt most Europeans could out walk me.
But if I post that criticism of Las Vegas on this website there are sure to be Americans that would attack me for blaspheming one of their sacred dogmas/cities.
This guy even went further and critiqued Holy Chicago as being desolate downtown at night. And empty wasteland between enormous distances to grab good grub at a price someone making minimum wage in the United States can afford.
But I'll warn you I know my countrymen. The working poor is zero concern of theirs in this context. What they want is Hollywood images of men and women with big bank rolls driving to a restaurant in Chicago or L.A., car being parked by valet, and their need for some secret handshake or some juvenile s___ to get into a restaurant only the brilliant and rich can afford. Everyone else is a loser.
If this guy was walking down much of downtown Milwaukee he would find it similar. And the car culture, for good or ill, here in the United States prefers it that way. I don't know how Europe is but the U.S. likes economic segregation--preferably by great distances. My preference would be a downtown more for everyone. It's not going to happen though. Maybe Manhattan is the closest one can get to that in the United States. I dunno.
But there are areas, neighborhoods, of Chicago I'm sure, where inexpensive, good, cooked food can be had. They exist in Milwaukee I know. Not so much on the North Side where I live, but on the Near South Side those Latinos are doing the d___ thing let me tell ya. They walk around with carts, they've got food trucks parked, and there's a fair number of small restaurants up and down streets.
A few of his critiques I don't agree with entirely but almost all of them I do.
And let me add that when I went to Vegas I imagined it was going to be like what I saw on the movies coming out of Hollywood. A city of tourists mainly of young, single, attractive adults, and city brimming over with opportunity and money. One that was super liberal too. What I found instead was a semi-red-neck run town, lots of growth, mixed with lots of poverty, sorrow, and hopelessness. The tourist weren't usually young and beautiful but older people dragging along small children. The casinos were filled with old women on slot machines. Not that there weren't the young, rich, and beautiful down their living "fast." Just far fewer of them than I imagined. I was surprised to find that Milwaukee was in some ways more liberal than Vegas. For example, it's far more difficult to pick up street prostitutes in Vegas than in Milwaukee. The police in Vegas are seriously policing that thing. I wouldn't even talk to women that tried to solicit me because 9 times out of 10 they were undercover cops. In Milwaukee it's really not policed that hard and consequently more women walking down neighborhood streets soliciting you. H___, I think 27th a Wells in Milwaukee probably has more "whores" on it than than combined stretch of all the blocks in Vegas. At least of what I saw. higher end escorting is bigger in Vegas though. But my point is the movie and TV image is different from the real life.
If you're ever in Milwaukee, Wisconsin go to the Near South Side during the summertime. I think you'll find it a walkable area where you can by inexpensive food along your strolls. It's mainly Latino and it might remind you more of Europe. Or maybe not. You'll have to decide that for yourself.
Or here is a Mexican restaurant--I guess--throwing this music thing on a night of Cinco de Mayo I guess. I'm not sure where it's located but one of the buildings looks like it's on Lincoln Street.
But this is a kind of restaurant many of the Americans on this website would probably regard as "low class" because it's not going to cost you $200 a plate to eat and no need for you to arrive in a limousine. Rap Moguls, CEO's, and Obama won't be eating there put it that way.
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And of course staying clueless as to why this type of behavior is a turn off to the rest of the world.
That dude taught me something about my own country and solved the riddle to a problem that always puzzled me: Why the h__ is this place called a dollar store when everything costs over a dollar? 