Why America is NOT the greatest country in the world, any-more.

[Varanon 892]

There may be some pride considering how hugely this country boomed considering its very young age in contrast to the rest of the world, but I always thought that "I am the greatest" was something that just about everyone felt for their country...or maybe that is just military equipment.

America had it easy booming after WW2, being literally the only country that was not bombed to oblivion. Europe and Russia and most of China and Japan were the battlefields that got their industrial capacity bombed to shet. That is the reason for it's rise in the 20th century.

So yeah, the US were the dominant industrial power after the war, not because they were better than anyone else, but because they were the only one left. And yes, that's why western culture today is so much shaped by american culture.

[Varanon 892]

I agree with you NodUnit that everyone should believe their own country is the greatest, as you said, it's called pride.

Should ? Why ? Just because I was born in this country I should be proud of it ? I fail to see the logic behind that

[nodunit 397]

America had it easy booming after WW2, being literally the only country that was not bombed to oblivion. Europe and Russia and most of China and Japan were the battlefields that got their industrial capacity bombed to shet. That is the reason for it's rise in the 20th century.

So yeah, the US were the dominant industrial power after the war, not because they were better than anyone else, but because they were the only one left. And yes, that's why western culture today is so much shaped by american culture.

Yeah I'm familiar with how we made our fortune in rebuilding Europe and by that I mean selling our various sorts of equipment which also introduced our chosen currency into circulation which is likely what caused the dollar to have such a powerful grip on the world and to some extent and still does.

The pride thing is less about being born in that country and more about being proud of something it did, for one reason or another.

Edited November 28, 2014 by NodUnit

[Sub-Human 10]

If the Russian people are happy with their government, then who are you to say Russia isn't a good government? Maybe the Cold War isn't over in the US either, if you view them as such. Works both ways.

And who are you to say that the Russian people are happy with their government? Luzhkov (Moscow's mayor) had a 90% approval rating, then when he got kicked - suddenly it's only 10%. Don't be so gullible about Russian approval ratings.

[eddo36 16]

And who are you to say that the Russian people are happy with their government? Luzhkov (Moscow's mayor) had a 90% approval rating, then when he got kicked - suddenly it's only 10%. Don't be so gullible about Russian approval ratings.

Prove it and show your source for your claim. Being gullible about claims work both ways. Especially from those who have not lived in Russia and only sole knowledge about the country comes from the Western media, those should not be qualified to speak on the behalf of those who actually live there. Even if you have an agenda about that particular country like the OP of "Russia General" thread does for his own reasons, having integrity is to be fair and speaking the truth rather than trying to manipulate others with biased one-sided statements that takes no atrocities of any other countries into consideration. Not everyone is sheep.

I'll agree with you when people start sneaking out of the US, instead of sneaking in.

http://money.cnn.com/2014/12/10/pf/taxes/expat-passport-citizenship-renounce/index.html

It costs lots of money to turn in your passport.

Edited December 11, 2014 by Eddo36

[Heeeere's johnny! 51]

Yeah I'm familiar with how we made our fortune in rebuilding Europe and by that I mean selling our various sorts of equipment

Who was it again, who wrote the US paied for rebuilding the countries they bombed? Don't worry, it wasn't you, NodUnit. ;)

And who are you to say that the Russian people are happy with their government?

In 2011, 49% of russian voters voted for "United Russia" (Putin's party) and 19% for the communitst. In 2007, it even was 64% for "United Russia" and 11% for the communists. So, I do believe that a majority of Russians are happy with their government or at least do not care to change.

Btw, 95+% of US voters vote for the democratic-republican union (I know ... but you get the point) while not even 50% of US electorates vote at all. So US americans seem to be very happy with their government as well.

Luzhkov (Moscow's mayor) had a 90% approval rating, then when he got kicked - suddenly it's only 10%. Don't be so gullible about Russian approval ratings.

May be barely related, but US-Americans believe they elect the US president while in fact they don't. So on both sides of the earth, it's all about manipulating the masses to make them believe whatever they're needed to believe.

[sgtsev3n 12]

since i am born in a russian family (all my family was born in former soviet union, kazakhstan part) and i have family in russia (glazov) and was 2 times there, i know that most russians support the current russian government.

medias (mostly western media) are lying when it comes to russian government and that people are against them. ofcourse there are some protests in russia, but every country has them and those protests are MOSTLY left-wing, people who wants the USSR back or paid protesters by the rothschilds&rockefeller (like they did it with libya & syria)

the first president of the russian federation, he was bad and he was accepted by the western governments as legitime president. now someone who got elected & is better than the old one (who was drunken and a puppet) and fixes the mess that what the first president has done, the western media & government talk bad about the current government.

i say: do not believe everything what the western media & government tells you. if you want to see the truth, go to russia.

i was, 2 times, visiting my family there, i know what im talking about.

[Tonci87 163]

2 times is not an awfull lot......

Just this: Putin is still in power, how did he do that? He ignored Russias constitution. That alone should tell you enough about that man.

[sgtsev3n 12]

2 times is not an awfull lot......

Just this: Putin is still in power, how did he do that? He ignored Russias constitution. That alone should tell you enough about that man.

but that my grandpa&grandma lives there theyr live long is awfull lot

but enough talk, if you dont believe, buy a ticket and fly to russia

[Tonci87 163]

Dude all I´m saying is this. I go to Croatia for at least a month at least once a year. I have a big family and many friends there and still I wouldn´t dare to label all Croatians as indifferent to the government, just because my grandparents are. I can only stick to the facts. Fact is that Putin broke Russias constitution. Fact is that he is obviously not good for the country. Fact is that he has installed a state controled propaganda machine to brainwash his own population. Fact is that people who are against him have accidents or get imprisoned. Fact is that more and more young educated Russians are leaving the country. Fact is that he started a war to get Crimea under his control.

All that points to him beeing a pretty shit ruler, irregarless of what his propaganda influenced population thinks.

[sgtsev3n 12]

Dude all I´m saying is this. I go to Croatia for at least a month at least once a year. I have a big family and many friends there and still I wouldn´t dare to label all Croatians as indifferent to the government, just because my grandparents are. I can only stick to the facts. Fact is that Putin broke Russias constitution. Fact is that he is obviously not good for the country. Fact is that he has installed a state controled propaganda machine to brainwash his own population. Fact is that people who are against him have accidents or get imprisoned. Fact is that more and more young educated Russians are leaving the country. Fact is that he started a war to get Crimea under his control.

All that points to him beeing a pretty shit ruler, irregarless of what his propaganda influenced population thinks.

ofcourse not everyone in russia is pro-government, but the majority. you really think i just visited russia 2 times, talked with my family, came back and know everyone in russia is pro-government ? to find that out, you have to talk with the people who live in russia, which i did. ofcourse i didnt talk to all russians out there, but with enough. the majority is pro-government, thats a fact and you will find that out if you go to russia, no matter how hard you try to deny it. from your post, i can see that you was never in russia nor did u talked to russians in russia personally. i know that because i did it and i am 900% sure that if u did, the results wouldnt match with your opinion. anyway, you aswell as everyone are welcome in russia, you can go to russia everytime you want to see if you are right or not. go there, talk with the peoples.

i never mentioned in my post above that my family is pro-government (though they are pro-government like the majority of russians), i just mentioned that i have russian family, all born in former soviet union which some of my family lives in glazov, russia. so how can you make the claim that i say all russians are pro-government because my grandparents are, when i didnt said it before ? NOW i say that my grandparents are pro-government (aswell as my whole family is).

back to the minority who is anti-government in russia: yes there are some: there are left-wing, right-wing, from U.S and EU paid protesters (pussy riot), idiots who believe that putin is a puppet of israel & usa (very minority) and people who just give a fuck about politics and hate every politician leader of this world.

that are facts, which you will see if you go to russia yourself. i dunno if russian media manipulates, maybe yes, maybo no, maybe yes and no. but im sure that western media manipulates and western leaders and i prefer putin & russia media than our western media propaganda maschines and our brutal leaders who invade one country and another for opium, oil etc and excuse these intervention with lies.

oh and please:

Fact is that he is obviously not good for the country.

let the russians decide what is good for theyr country and what not.

now we should better back to topic, since this theard is about USA, not russia, before we both get a warning.

Edited December 21, 2014 by sgtsev3n

[Tonci87 163]

let the russians decide what is good for theyr country and what not.

I hope they will on the next election day.

[nodunit 397]

Question. Where is this "Western media" coming from and which part of the "west" would this be considered? If its here in the US then I don't know where you are getting the media stuff from because our news is far more focused on celebrities butt shots and twitter stuff, maybe the occasional accident and if you have a local news station then they talk about stuff in the area...otherwise international politics aren't generally addressed, much less Russian.

I guess you could count some of fox news but really...fox news is...fox news.

Edited December 21, 2014 by NodUnit

[negah 26]

our news is far more focused on celebrities butt shots and twitter stuff

Im glad its not only my country which media is totally focused on butt shots :D

Really it feels like 50% of Bild magazine (the most read magazine in Germany) is just about "Sex sells" articles.

[eddo36 16]

Question. Where is this "Western media" coming from and which part of the "west" would this be considered? If its here in the US then I don't know where you are getting the media stuff from because our news is far more focused on celebrities butt shots and twitter stuff, maybe the occasional accident and if you have a local news station then they talk about stuff in the area...otherwise international politics aren't generally addressed, much less Russian.

I guess you could count some of fox news but really...fox news is...fox news.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/sep/04/cnn-international-documentary-bahrain-arab-spring-repression

Edited December 22, 2014 by Eddo36