Is the USA the Greatest Nation

[The Duke]

raggage,

1. If a nation is great, there must be a set of criteria that make it so.

2. If there are such criteria, there must be one nation that fits them better than any other.

3. The nation that fits them better than any other must be the greatest.

4. If no nation is the greatest, then there must not be a set of criteria that determine greatness, and therefore, there are no great nations.

Do you believe that there are no great nations at all?

[raggage]

raggage,

1. If a nation is great, there must be a set of criteria that make it so.

2. If there are such criteria, there must be one nation that fits them better than any other.

3. The nation that fits them better than any other must be the greatest.

4. If no nation is the greatest, then there must not be a set of criteria that determine greatness, and therefore, there are no great nations.

Do you believe that there are no great nations at all?

No. I do believe there are great nations and the U.S.A is among them for sure. However I don't like the use of an imperative, stating that we are the greatest, or inherently better than anyone else.

Some answers to your points

1: Agree

2: Disagree. Greatness is hugely subjective. If you asked a Russian, I guarantee they would say Russia is the greatest nation

3: Not applicable to due my answer to point two

4: Wrong. Great nations are nations that are inclusive and help lead the world by example.  

An analogy for point four, say there are two top chess players. Neither can beat the other, it ends in stalemate each time. Does this mean that they are not excellent players... No, does this mean there are no criteria to be good at chess: No.

[Lunar]

The thing is that the set of criteria often changes, or the criteria is something sentimental.  A muslim might value Iran because it is a devote Shiite nation, someone from the Netherlands might pride his country on its freedoms, etc.

[Platypus]

Yo me, the greatest nation is america.

But that doesn't mean the best nation. It's a god nation and a great nation, but its not the best nation. Russia is also a great nation, and australia really isn't all that great. But we are better then most, including both Russia and america.

[The Duke]

raggage,

1. If a nation is great, there must be a set of criteria that make it so.

2. If there are such criteria, there must be one nation that fits them better than any other.

3. The nation that fits them better than any other must be the greatest.

4. If no nation is the greatest, then there must not be a set of criteria that determine greatness, and therefore, there are no great nations.

Do you believe that there are no great nations at all?

No. I do believe there are great nations and the U.S.A is among them for sure. However I don't like the use of an imperative, stating that we are the greatest, or inherently better than anyone else.

Some answers to your points

1: Agree

2: Disagree. Greatness is hugely subjective. If you asked a Russian, I guarantee they would say Russia is the greatest nation

3: Not applicable to due my answer to point two

4: Wrong. Great nations are nations that are inclusive and help lead the world by example.  

An analogy for point four, say there are two top chess players. Neither can beat the other, it ends in stalemate each time. Does this mean that they are not excellent players... No, does this mean there are no criteria to be good at chess: No.

You said you agree that there is a set of criteria that can determine greatness in #1, you say that that criteria is "Great nations are nations that are inclusive and help lead the world by example." in #4, but then you turn around and say that judging greatness is a subjective thing in #2.

Please explain the inherent contradiction in saying that X is the criteria for a great nation and that some nation's may call themselves great, but that no nation is the greatest because there are no valid criteria for determining a great nation.

[specific_name]

America is my favorite country, I'm also a citizen of Canada (my second favorite). What I love about America, is our heterogenous population. Some see this as a downside, but its really our greatest asset. Even though I wish the gov was smaller sometimes, all in all I'd rather be here than a real socialized state. Sadly I feel that Canada is moving that way.

[English]

If I had to leave America, I my preferred places would be:

1- Vienna
2- Oslo
3- Sydney
4- Berlin
5- Vancouver

I like Vienna also, though I was brained with a beer bottle thrown by punks late one night.  I pretended nothing had happened, and just kept walking, probably saving myself a   beating.  There does seem to be a fair amount of anti-foreigner sentiment there.

Austria is notorious for it's dislike of foreigners, especially non-white ones. The far right Freedom party led by Jorg Haider was one of, if not the largest party in government a few years ago.

[raggage]

raggage,

1. If a nation is great, there must be a set of criteria that make it so.

2. If there are such criteria, there must be one nation that fits them better than any other.

3. The nation that fits them better than any other must be the greatest.

4. If no nation is the greatest, then there must not be a set of criteria that determine greatness, and therefore, there are no great nations.

Do you believe that there are no great nations at all?

No. I do believe there are great nations and the U.S.A is among them for sure. However I don't like the use of an imperative, stating that we are the greatest, or inherently better than anyone else.

Some answers to your points

1: Agree

2: Disagree. Greatness is hugely subjective. If you asked a Russian, I guarantee they would say Russia is the greatest nation

3: Not applicable to due my answer to point two

4: Wrong. Great nations are nations that are inclusive and help lead the world by example.  

An analogy for point four, say there are two top chess players. Neither can beat the other, it ends in stalemate each time. Does this mean that they are not excellent players... No, does this mean there are no criteria to be good at chess: No.

You said you agree that there is a set of criteria that can determine greatness in #1, you say that that criteria is "Great nations are nations that are inclusive and help lead the world by example." in #4, but then you turn around and say that judging greatness is a subjective thing in #2.

Please explain the inherent contradiction in saying that X is the criteria for a great nation and that some nation's may call themselves great, but that no nation is the greatest because there are no valid criteria for determining a great nation.

Ok. I'll condense my point. To say America is the greatEST can and will be always only an opinion and never fact. We have to keep our moral relativism, and not be ethnocentric. And in this case, I see that as impossible.

[Brambila]

AMERIKA IS TEH BETSIST NATION lOL HADHDHAHAHA I SLPELLD IT WORNG!!! LOL!KIKIK!OL!OL!!!!

[David S]

America is still the greatest country in terms of the freedoms we enjoy and the prosperty that the majority of us enjoy. My concern is that we are turning toward socialist policies and excessive government spending that may bring about out ruin.

[W in 2004]

America is still the greatest country in terms of the freedoms we enjoy and the prosperty that the majority of us enjoy. My concern is that we are turning toward socialist policies and excessive government spending that may bring about out ruin.

I agree.

[ijohn57s]

There should be no doubt that we are the greatest country on the face of the Earth.

Hear, Hear! I couldn't agree more! This is the greatest nation, hands down!

[freedomburns]

England is the greatest nation.  France second.  Hawaii third.


England because they have a conscience and lead the world in humanitarian efforts.

France because they know what life is about.  They are an old country with strength and wisdom.  And their language is sexy.  

Hawaii just rules.  And it should be given back the sovereignty it enjoyed as a real nation, with real laws and treaties with other countries before we invaded and took it over.

freedomburns

[The Duke]

I'm pretty sure Hawai'i likes being part of America.

[English]

England is the greatest nation.  France second.  Hawaii third.


England because they have a conscience and lead the world in humanitarian efforts.

France because they know what life is about.  They are an old country with strength and wisdom.  And their language is sexy.  

Hawaii just rules.  And it should be given back the sovereignty it enjoyed as a real nation, with real laws and treaties with other countries before we invaded and took it over.

freedomburns

Spot on! About England anyway!
England just goes about it's business without really bothering anyone else. I love Scotland, however the anglophobia there is insufferable. JUST GET OVER IT! William Wallace was hundreds of years ago! Same with the Welsh and Irish. They define themselves purely by their hatred of England. Gets very annoying.
Thing I like about the UK is the fact it has embraced a sort of compassionate capitalism. We're a capitalistic nation however people here still think things like free health-care and free education are good, even if they don't benefit from it themselves. Also we're perhaps the least racist country in Europe.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Spot on! About England anyway!
England just goes about it's business without really bothering anyone else. I love Scotland, however the anglophobia there is insufferable. JUST GET OVER IT! William Wallace was hundreds of years ago! Same with the Welsh and Irish. They define themselves purely by their hatred of England. Gets very annoying.

In Wales Anglophobia is only a problem in North and West Wales... along with certain middle class parts of Cardiff...
Anglophobia isn't a serious problem in the Valleys (largest population in Wales)... if anything there's a phobia against Cardiff and North and West Wales... and Tories.
Sadly Anglophobia in some parts of Wales is growing

Scottish Anglophobia is often *very* sinister (I hate the SNP even more than I hate Plaid)... and is totally irrational. Scotland did better out of union with England than England did... and Scotland did very, very well out of Imperialism...

[English]

I've been to Scotland several times and while I've never been subject to overt anglophobia, everytime without fail, the subject of conversation always comes down to England. It really wears very thin. As far as I know Scots encounter no such prejudice in England. Neither do the Welsh. The English always seem to be fair game as far as our celtic cousins are concerned. It's just blaytant xenophobia. Apparently us English are to blame for what our ancestors did in 1400. Makes me sick!

[English]

Actually on the subject of rampant xenophobia, I would say that Anglophobia in the celtic regions is probably similar to the degree of anti-americanism in Canada. I have lots of Canadian friends and everyone of them constantly castigates the US. They're obsessed with it.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Actually on the subject of rampant xenophobia, I would say that Anglophobia in the celtic regions is probably similar to the degree of anti-americanism in Canada. I have lots of Canadian friends and everyone of them constantly castigates the US. They're obsessed with it.

Again that's mostly historical... Anti-Americanism is very bad in most of mainland NS (especially the rural areas) because a lot of people there are decended from the United Empire Loyalists.

[Siege40]

Nope, according to the UN Rankings Scandinavian countries Australia, and Canada out rank America. There fore there are several countries which are 'greater'. Which is such a non-specific question it is rediculous to ask.

Siege

[cwelsch]

In my experience the English make jokes to mock you.  I've spoken with a few dozen separately, most are standoffish and like to insult you or demean you on first meeting - but they do it in a roundabout way, something they can deny if they want.  If you respond back with an equivalently small amount of aggression they back off.  Sometimes they mock you again, but if they like you then that first insult will be the last.  I'm shocked by how consistently this pattern is followed, although obviously tons of English people don't do this.

The Canadians, English, Irish and Australians tend to be funny, in roughly that order.

Anyway, the English may be funny but I find they're not kidding when they mock you.  Canadians and Americans often mock in jest.  English stand-ups don't do that so much, but English people have done this with me repeatedly, very few of them knowing each other and from all over England.

[cwelsch]

Yeah, the English lead the world in humanitarian efforts when they flirted with recognizing the Confederacy, slaughtered Indian protestors, engaged in the Suez fiasco, and generally screwed with their colonies.  Real humanitarians, there.  I think the Scots and Irish would disagree.

And the French are apparently split between communism and fascism.  They worship the state since Richelieu and Louis XIV.  They have a couple dozen Communist parties, enough to spoil Jospin in the last election and allow Le Pen to come in.

Forty percent of French in 1999 admitted to being racist in a countrywide poll (cite: The Economist).  Enough said.  Majorities and supermajorities of French think there are too many Arabs and too many Muslims in France.  Sorry, I'll side with the Anglos against the Francos.

[Platypus]

Australians are the most self-deprication comedians. I was once talking to an american who moved here (and have also heard this in many interviews) that for the first few days she was here, she was cracking up all the time at aussie jokes and after that shefound it really sad that we always moked ourselves and our country.

Of course, we might be mocking of our politicians, sportspeople, neighbours, and even country but we are fiercly proud of many things here-like the PBS (hands off, USA!), our sporting, acedemic and artistic sucess, and basically who we are. So don't be fooled by the jokes

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Yeah, the English lead the world in humanitarian efforts when they flirted with recognizing the Confederacy, slaughtered Indian protestors, engaged in the Suez fiasco, and generally screwed with their colonies.  Real humanitarians, there.  I think the Scots and Irish would disagree.

English does not=British. The Scots did *very* well out of Union with England and did *very* well out of Imperialism. Scottish nationalism only appeared in the '30's as a result of the Depression.

Everyone screwed with their colonies... generally the U.K wasn't as bad as the French, Germans, Dutch, Belgians (yes, Belgians...) and so on.

[angus]

all colonies should be run like the Belgian Congo  

I gotta jump in here.  As everyone knows, I'm certainly no anglophile, but I am a big Confederate sympathizer.  I'd only like to point out what a paradox it would have been, and the height of hypocrisy, if the English (British, Limey, whatever the  you like to call yourselves) had recognized the CSA, given that the CSA rebelled against my country for the same reasons that my country rebelled against the British Empire.  But, from the point of view of an English Imperialist, it makes since to recognize the CSA, since the enemy of my enemy is my friend.  Well, except that they aren't really the "enemy of my enemy" and all that, are they?  The brits, by way of their culture and language, still very much rule the world.  Like it or not.  Take a look, with the exception of Kennedy, all our presidents were WASPs.  (yeah, we can argue about Eisenhower and Van Buren)  

Not sure how you'd come up with "humanitarian" though.  Even if it's sardonism, it's a bit non-sequitur.