question to Americans

[Nemesis77]

I think there are ingorant people in every country. But I guess we just hear more about the ignorant americans.

I remember when finnish tv-news asked some americans where Finland was located. None of them knew. Closest guess what that it's located somewhere near Murmansk. One guy even placed Finland between Canada and USA near the Great Lakes! I mean... sheesh! The people they asked were random people in downtown NYC.

But, like I said, there are ignorant people in every country. Some of them just get more attention that others.

 

[Warblad13]

i know what happens what u talking about?

 

[Ryan]

<<

<< "your comment of saying US is most successful country in the world is just frightening, if you look at how much the US owes in terms of debt compared to Canada and the yearly budget turnout of the country you can actually see that US owes MORE than Canada does and the past 5 years Canada has come up with a BETTER yearly budget than the US has, the US is actually LOSING MONEY and going farther into debt but Canada is coming OUT of debt.
strange how you can relate going into debt with success."

Strange how you relate debt of the government to a Country's success.

U.S.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $9.963 trillion (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 5% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $36,200 (2000 est.)


Canaduh

GDP: purchasing power parity - $774.7 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 4.3% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $24,800 (2000 est.)

How good is that canadian dollar been lately? Hockey equipment sales must be down. >>


that is the most arrogant argument you can make. haven't you learned ANYTHING from the AMD/Intel CPU war to know price has nothing to do with performance? if US doesn't get some form of sane government to start paying off that huge debt of like a few trillion dollars from that whole cold war thing yer gonna be totaly screwed. >>



Yep, I'm still waiting for those FACTS.........

 

[Miramonti]

Who really gives a hoot about the need to explore the world? Thats not the issue. The issue is respect for others in the world and compassion for others in the world. That can be done from the living room. I've traveled a pretty good amount and found us Americans to be the most obnoxious tourists ever. Americans go around with money condescending others who are much more poor and in addition, expectations for everything are so high and arrogant. I hate going to places where lots of Americans will be.

If you travel the world all your life and don't come away with more respect for other peoples you're better off staying at home in your recliner with remote control for the rest of your life.

 

[NonTechGuy]

HERE is the link for the UN ranking of Canada best in the world

 

[Arschloch]

<< it is TRUE that Canada makes money and US is losing money >>


If you're basing this on balancing the budget, then maybe you're right. Of course, the US actually had a NEGATIVE deficit in '99 in 2000 IIRC (that is, the budget WAS balanced). Not the case in 2001, obviously. But basing an economy on whether or not the budget is balanced is a really, really dumb idea. Incidentally, I'm an economist, so I'm speaking from my economics expertise, not from a US-biased standpoint.


<< it is TRUE that Canada was ranked best country to live in about 5 consecutive times and US never >>


I have heard about this. I believe it was a UN ranking. Of course, many people would argue that the UN isn't particularly fond of the US. But as far as I know, there are some kind of categories used (with statistics), so it should be legitimate. I mean, as long as it isn't based on opinion, then this one might mean something.


<< it is TRUE that US has higher crime rate per capita >>


Seems probable to me, although I haven't seen any official stats to confirm it.


<< it is TRUE that US medical system screws you around >>


Relative to Canada, yes. If the United States wanted to have "free medical coverage for all", as Canada puts it, then they could do what Canada does -- make people pay more taxes to the government. I'd rather have the medical system "screw me around" so I could spend money the way I wanted to.


<< it is TRUE that US has repeatadly ranked lower on standardized testing than Canada, Europe and Asia >>


Also reasonable from what I've heard. On the other hand, the European and Asian school systems are completely different. In Germany, for example, only the best students go to the Gymnasium, and THOSE are the ones who are tested against ALL US high schoolers. Doesn't seem like a fair comparison to me. I have no idea what the Canadian school system is like, so I can't comment on that.

 

[DougyDanger]

<< btw, why do Americans think they are the best country in the world?...

the medical system is more screwed up in the US than Canada, Europe and many parts of Asia...

the US is MOST LIKELY country to be attack by any sort of terrorist activity or war started in the world. Americans are hated in many places throughout the world because of imperialism (Britain too actually). >>




Why do we think so? Well we aren't alone. Last time I checked people aren't streaming into Canada or any other nation at the same rate as here in the US. There is a saying in sociology...people vote with their feet. Since many more NON-US citizens are coming here and not there (pick any other country) there must be something they like. So the world seems to think pretty highly of us. I think that speaks louder than any reason I could give as to why I think we are the best.

As for health care...why do people come HERE to get treatment? Sure people stream over the border for perscription drugs, but Canadians stream over here for medical procedures. Need an MRI? How long would that take in Canada? My friend had to wait 6 months. Here my brother-in-law got 2 in 2 weeks. Not to mention advanced procedures and treatments that aren't available anywhere else. Sure HMOs and the like have made a mess of things. Despite that out health care seems to be so good that people leave other countries and come HERE for treatment if they can.

9/11 sure does prove your point about us being a target. Why is that? We happen to believe in freedom. We'll even take a bullet for your freedom. Some people who prefer oppression don't like that. So they hijack planes and fly them into office buildings. Other countries don't seem to be such a threat to their oppressive ideas. What does that tell you about the contries not considered worthy targets? Think about that for a second.


Why is it people love to piss on the US? Sure there are moron's here who don't represent the whole US population. Why are they used at the representative 'average american'? Yes we are a proud people. Do we have anything to be proud of? If you value cars, planes, computers, light bulbs, telephones, and your freedom then you may have an understanding why.

When there is trouble they all turn to us and say "well, aren't you going to do anything?". In WWII we did not get involved and took heat for that. Now when we take steps to avoid Nazi-likes from getting power we are critisized for being 'imperialistic'.


Oh, and I'll just mention that your assumption of "Most Americans" thinking the way you do is completely false. Unless you have some objective empirical data to support it. If not your just making your self look like a foolish troll.


Are all Japanesse ignorant idiots because I met a couple who were planning on visiting to NYC after their stop at the Grand Canyon...the next day...by CAR! Are all German's suckers because the girls I met thought wresting was real? Are all Italians spoiled brats because the girls I met cried home to mommy every time their host family asked them to help with anything (like clean your dishes after eating)?


So if you don't like the U.S., well fine then. You don't have to. Despite that we'll still send thousands of our men and women to die on your shores so you can protect your freedom to piss on us. We bail France out twice and the people there treat us like dirt just because we are americans? Yeah, we are a target. It'll be a sad day here in the US when some other nation takes the title of #1 enemy of oppression, terror and all else who oppose freedom.

Yeah, this subject gets me worked up.

 

[NonTechGuy]

HERE is the Canadian budget, sorry for it being a crappy non-straight forward site, it's basically a huge advertisement for the liberal party bragging about how great they are

 

[Nefrodite]

gah it was jaywalking. anyways, i lived in canada, 3 provinces, i think i know where it is.

Give an American a non labelled globe and the majority will not be able to point out which coutry is Great Britain.


eh? i was born in england, i think i know where it is.

The majority of Americans believe they should just control the world through military force which always leads to US medling in other country's business such as military operation in other countries for seemingly no reason at all


we've done good and bad, nothings as simple as you'd like.

ask any Canadian or Brit or German to name 3 cities in the US i bet most could do it. conversely i don't think the average American could name even 2 cities in Canada, Britain or Germany


ugh, thats not even a fair comparison. its like asking someone to name 3 different disney characters and then wonder why they don't know characters from some obscure french cartoon or something. even then, many americans could still probably name a few.

i bet i know a lot more about US global policies and actions than most americans do to tell the truth.

maybe you should use a little logic since your name is the tech guy. since your a techguy typing in a forum you probably would know more then your average countrymen. it applies anywhere.

Why do we think so? Well we aren't alone. Last time I checked people aren't streaming into Canada or any other nation at the same rate as here in the US.

well apparently terrorists are though

 

[Ryan]

<< HERE is the link for the UN ranking of Canada best in the world >>



And the US is number 3. Wow - that's a damaging statistic.

 

[DougyDanger]

<<
if US doesn't get some form of sane government to start paying off that huge debt of like a few trillion dollars from that whole cold war thing yer gonna be totaly screwed. >>



You're welcome. Don't remember Canada doing much to prevent the Soviets from getting too imperialistic. Care to help us pay that off? Oh, and you may be interested to know that some of that debt is from forgiving the debt other countries owe us.

 

[NonTechGuy]

doug, your statement of saying "we get called imperialistic for trying to stop nazi-like regimes" or something to that affect is inacurate:

putting Pinochet in power was actually over some money issue, i don't know the details but the US overthrew the government and put Pinochet in as dictator (no worse than your average dictator)

US helped that guy Quadafi stay in power by backing him with weapons and money, that was just so they could keep up the war with Iraq though, had nothing to do with money.

US gave weapons and money to Husane so he could also keep up with war with Iran i think it was.

the Taliban was assisted into power indirectly by the US so i retract that statement. Indirectly i mean they had US weapons but those were given to fight the Russians and not to become leaders of the country (sh*t happens).

 

[djs1w]

<< And the US is number 3. Wow - that's a damaging statistic. >>



I was thinking the same thing

 

[NonTechGuy]

<<

<<
if US doesn't get some form of sane government to start paying off that huge debt of like a few trillion dollars from that whole cold war thing yer gonna be totaly screwed. >>



You're welcome. Don't remember Canada doing much to prevent the Soviets from getting too imperialistic. Care to help us pay that off? Oh, and you may be interested to know that some of that debt is from forgiving the debt other countries owe us. >>



actually Canada had a HUGE stock of missiles too, you mind helping us pay that one off? i didn't think so.

 

[NonTechGuy]

HERE is the CLOSEST i could find for a US budget plan, it's all in pdf files and it's very vague reguarding numbers. maybe you guys will find something better.

 

[NonTechGuy]

THIS is what i could find for Canadian crime stats, it's just pure numbers and not per capita or rate of time or anything so i don't know how valid this is

 

[DougyDanger]

<< actually Canada had a HUGE stock of missiles too, you mind helping us pay that one off? i didn't think so. >>



You think that Canada's costs are anything CLOSE to the what the US spent? You thing that Canda contributed to the fall of comunism in any significant way? Take Canada out of the equation, does communism fail? Take the US out, does communism fail. I think I'll look around to see just how much Canada did spend/stock up. Something tells me it'll be piddly.

 

[NonTechGuy]

HERE are some pretty good crime stats, US seems to not hide stats with a ton of red tape and try to lose you in a maze of meaningless words.......hmmm

 

[NonTechGuy]

<<

<< actually Canada had a HUGE stock of missiles too, you mind helping us pay that one off? i didn't think so. >>



You think that Canada's costs are anything CLOSE to the what the US spent? You thing that Canda contributed to the fall of comunism in any significant way? Take Canada out of the equation, does communism fail? Take the US out, does communism fail. I think I'll look around to see just how much Canada did spend/stock up. Something tells me it'll be piddly. >>


Canada developed the first plane to go faster than mack 3 in the 50s as a result of the cold war but the project was destroyed because of cost and replaced with a plan Canada negotiated with the US to stock up missiles to blow up Russian missiles above the north pole in case something happened.

 

[jjones]

NonTechGuy, surely the US has its faults but they do try to make the world a better place. Since you're so adept at naming US faults, please name a few instances in which Canada has tried to make the world a better place and has not been so self-absorbed, allowing others such as the US to bear the brunt of world politics while hiding in the skirts of US strength and diplomacy.

 

[Cosmo]

For the US to pay off all its debt would not be such a good idea. First of all there is nothing wrong with having debt, just look at a company's balance sheet, if you can put the borrowed money to work earning above what you pay in interest you are better off by that difference. Problems start when you have so much debt that you cannot afford interest from the money the government take in as taxes. Haven't heard that happening in the US. Also it would be very unfortunate for the whole world if the US payed off all debt since the treasury notes and bonds are the base of the global money market. If US and the rest of the world had nowhere safe to place funds that would be a big problem for both the money markets and the stock markets.

To see Sweden at number six and Norway at number two on that list is a blow to it's credibility, should be reversed, I mean who's in the World Cup and who's not?

I've been to the US and I think the people seem reasonably smart I was kind of amazed though that during the length of my stay no one asked me any questions about my country or anything, not interested at all it seemed. I think part of the reason could be that the US is such a big country that it's more than plenty for most to just keep up with what's going on inside it's borders.

 

[NonTechGuy]

<< NonTechGuy, surely the US has its faults but they do try to make the world a better place. Since you're so adept at naming US faults, please name a few instances in which Canada has tried to make the world a better place and has not been so self-absorbed, allowing others such as the US to bear the brunt of world politics while hiding in the skirts of US strength and diplomacy. >>


Canada was part of WW1 about 2 years longer than the US and supplied more men in total than Britain did

Canada has not tampered in other country's business. (doesn't improve the world but doesn't make everybody hate us)

Canada is a HUGE part of the UN piece keeping force and has more men as a % of the country than the US in that bosnia crap area where there is always a war.

Canada has bailed out a few of those South American countries for seemingly no reason at all (sorta like that don't feed the bears thing, why the hell did we have to feed the bears on that one?)

Canada isn't focused on stopping bad stuff in the world, Canada is focused on not doing crap which will cause bad stuff in the future.

 

[glenn1]

I get the impression that NonTechGuy has a personal beef with the U.S., likely because his smug, arrogant Canuck ass was kicked by good old American boys one two many times while on shopping daytrips to Detroit to avoid sky-high Canadian taxes.

 

[jjones]

<< Canada isn't focused on stopping bad stuff in the world >>


exactly, Canada is focused on Canada so quit your holier than thou BS.

 

[AnthraX101]

<< Canada was part of WW1 about 2 years longer than the US and supplied more men in total than Britain did

Canada has not tampered in other country's business. (doesn't improve the world but doesn't make everybody hate us)

Canada is a HUGE part of the UN piece keeping force and has more men as a % of the country than the US in that bosnia crap area where there is always a war.

Canada has bailed out a few of those South American countries for seemingly no reason at all (sorta like that don't feed the bears thing, why the hell did we have to feed the bears on that one?)

Canada isn't focused on stopping bad stuff in the world, Canada is focused on not doing crap which will cause bad stuff in the future. >>



Is it just me or does that second statement kinda preclude those other statements? Hmm?

And Canada still has a higher theft, arson, and other property crimes rate then the US.

Armani