my olive branch - what is the best things about the usa?

[Osiris]

actually Gen. Leslie Groves led the Manhattan Project and the scientific leadership was from Robert Oppenheimer

HFS

Gee, I said 10 things and HFS only tried to poke holes in one of them. It's a good day!

 

[FuZzYknUckLeS]

Actually, the question was what is the best thing about the USA....not exactly the same as asking what is the best thing about Americans.

As an American, currently living in Canada with the expressed goal of becoming a Canadian citizen, this is a difficult question for me as well. I guess the best thing about the USA is that there does exist a small core of liberally minded people that have the understanding that America has taken the wrong direction in its relationship with the rest of the world.

There are those that see America`s conspicuous consumption of the majority of the worlds materials as an evil thing and does not serve as a role model for the rest of the world to emulate.

Many understand that we have actually created many of the problems that exist in the world today.

Some Americans understand that, as the world`s only superpower, the USA should play the role of the world`s leader by truly serving the world community, and not by coercing it as the world`s cop or bully.

America has a proud history of social activists and reformers, too many to list. But, there have not been enough. The image and importance of these reformers is slowly fading from our collective consciousness. This is our greatest shame.

We forget.

Between this reply and your reply to georgebushmoron`s ridiculous thread here: https://perb.cc/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=31500&highlight=stupidest
You have my utmost respect. I`m proud to have you as a fellow Canadian.
Too bad that the people still living there that think like you aren`t the ones in the position of power to force some changes.

 

[Osiris]

oh for christ sakes, relax......I wasn't poking holes in anything just stating a fact......I thought it was great you mentioned the Manhattan Project as it was IMO the greatest scientific endeavor of our time

HFS

It's hard to determine what the facts are here. Of the 86 individuals normally listed as key contributors to the Manhattan Project, only 4 are listed as consultants including Albert E. and Neils Bohr. Without their theoretical input, there may have been nothing for the rest of the team to do, despite the organizational leadership of Oppy.

 

[chiefwiggum]

Things I like about the USA...

5. Great entertainers like Rich Little, Dan Aykroyd, and Pam Anderson.

All three of these people are Canadian.

Little and Aykroyd are from Ottawa, Anderson is from the Vancouver area.

 

[buddha2]

Big Time sports! Especially the religious fervor that only NCAA hoops and football can generate. I've been to 6 Final 4's and hope to go to many more..

Secondarily to that, in a poll on CNNSI's "Scorecard Daily" yesterday, 32% of the respondents said that they thought it would be best if hockey never came back, and another 19% said they thought it was too late to undue the damage. Only 23% said they'd be waiting anxiously...

I was among the 32%...

 

[Kev]

smackyo...

for the record kev (its Kev...with a K, thats not so difficult?) your the moron and an asshole. (Unless things have changed here on PERB rude or insulting remarks can get you banned.) i try to make a positive thread .(Theres nothing positive with your thread that i can see. Its rude and insulting.) and maybe just explain some of my past rants so as to shed some light on things, ask a positive question and contribute positively to it and you act like an ass.(ASS............now thats not nice.) instead of just answering the question.(I did answer the question. And here it is and i quote...

Now to answer you question.

I have travelled, and some of the nicest people i've met are Americans. And these ones are without AGENDA. i really doubt that many americans are offended by this thread..(Maybe not, but i am.)

 

[smackyo]

Superman is the defender of truth, justice and the AMERICAN way. (And a product of an American company...for comic book characters, we will have to stick with Wolverine for a Canadian tie-in).

for real man, check you canadian history. superman is a canadian concocktion.

 

[chiefwiggum]

for real man, check you canadian history. superman is a canadian concocktion.

Smack, you're only 1/2 right....

While Joe Shuster, the artist who drew Superman, was born in Toronto, Jerry Siegel, who wrote the first Superman was born and raised in Cleveland. Shuster moved to Ohio when he was a child, and wound up meeting Siegel. Together, they produced some Sci-Fi magazines, and of course, the blue and red caped wonder.

So in the end, if you want to be REALLY sticky, Superman is slightly more American than Canadian - but not by much.

 

[smackyo]

smackyo...

hey kev your still an asshole, and i think the reason why the mods haven't banned me is cause they see it to you fucking loser. i make a positive thread about the u.s. and you turn it into something its not.

let all the americans that are offended by this thread please voice it here. or you can also tell kev what a jerk he is for shitting on me trying to do something positive. lets not forget kev you called me the moron first. i didn't specifically call you a moron in my first post.

 

[mick_eight]

I love usa because ......redwood walls in bar of four seasons clift in san fran.....trolling for rainbow in ross lake WA......the big sky in montana.........corn corn and more corn in north dakoda.......roadside bars in watertown NY......driving I 5 at nite,love all the reflectors........and number 1 reason......my first 3some ffm in tacoma WA

 

[Herb_The_Perb]

Smack, you're only 1/2 right....

While Joe Shuster, the artist who drew Superman, was born in Toronto, Jerry Siegel, who wrote the first Superman was born and raised in Cleveland. Shuster moved to Ohio when he was a child, and wound up meeting Siegel. Together, they produced some Sci-Fi magazines, and of course, the blue and red caped wonder.

So in the end, if you want to be REALLY sticky, Superman is slightly more American than Canadian - but not by much.

I would say that Superman was about 80% to 90% American. One creator was 100% American, while the other had lived in America for most of his life, and they did the work in America.

 

[russel4339]

I'm an American... just to let you know, I am not offended by this thread - some of it is damn funny. America has problems - but we typically do find ways to overcome them.

10 of my favorite things:

1. Newport, RI - what a beautiful city

2. Playing baseball - terrible to watch, great to play

3. It is really the land of opportunity

4. The emptiness of the great plains

5. Pizza & Mountain Dew

6. The Internet - see what military spending can achieve?

7. Cheap gas, SUVs

8. Small town, friendly people

9. Openess of friendly political discourse

10. Musical types as varied John Phillips Sousa and Elvis

By no means an all inclusive list.

 

[BC visitor]

I love the USA for several reasons:

The beauty of the land is only rivaled by its variety. Examples:

The coast of Maine

The Smoky Mountains (let's forget about Dollywood & Pigeon Forge for the moment)

The black water swamps of Georgia

The miles and miles of corn & beans that grow across the rust belt

The UP of Michigan

The fields and fields of sunflowers that grow in Nebraska (the seeds got to come from somewere)

The crown jewels of the National Park System: Yellowstone, Brice, the Grand Canyon, Yosemite & Death Valley (my opinion)

Napa & Sonoma valleys

The people:

Small town America where people sit on porch swings on hot summer nights, socializing with the neighbors

Little kids playing with sparklers on the 4th of July

The dualities or dichotomies of America:

The fact that we have both a huge porn industry and fundamental Christianity.

The great opportunities for great success and hopeless failure at the same time.

The world basically hates us, unless they need us, and then they attack us for not doing enough

Other things:

We have existed as a democracy for over 200 years and weathered many constitutional crises along the way but our government adapted and flourished.

At least every 6 years everyone (except the Judicial branch) goes up for election

The Marshall Plan (said before, but a good one)

We survived civil war, and grew as a result.

Finally in closing...

Even though I truly dislike the current administration intensely and am seeking a job transfer to Canada, I will always be an American and proud of that fact and also proud of the fact that when asked, I fought for her.

 

[georgebushmoron]

1. Stupid college girls during Spring Break, taking off their tops and panties in front of the camera! I love it!!!!!

2. Lots of mickey-mouse colleges granting worthless Masters and PhDs because there are no educational standards. For example, a "C" average (undergraduate) University of Saskatchewan buddy of mine kicked out of Computer Science Co-op program going to University of North Dakota and instantly put into the MBA program (even without a GMAT exam), and another buddy same grade average going to some college in Cali and instantly getting into Aeronautics program! If I didn't have any sense of self-worth, would've done it myself!

3. Highly competitive Americans. This is actually a very good thing. Sure, there's lots and lots and lots of trash, but the very few who rise to the top are truly some of the best of the world. By the way, count my Canadian buddies in point #2 among the trash.

 

[Fudd]

George

"2. Lots of mickey-mouse colleges granting worthless Masters and PhDs because there are no educational standards. For example, a "C" average (undergraduate) University of Saskatchewan buddy of mine kicked out of Computer Science Co-op program going to University of North Dakota and instantly put into the MBA program (even without a GMAT exam), and another buddy same grade average going to some college in Cali and instantly getting into Aeronautics program! If I didn't have any sense of self-worth, would've done it myself!"

I thought all major universities had to be accredited and met certain standards? Or are some just meeting minimum standards?

 

[georgebushmoron]

I thought all major universities had to be accredited and met certain standards? Or are some just meeting minimum standards?

Let me put it this way.... there's so much competition in the US (for funding either from corporations or students or even local governments), and the gov has standards that are largely unenforced, that the colleges/universities will lower their entrance requirements to get the bodies/money and show successful programs. Also, the more graduates and the higher grades, the better they look. What a pressure for educators to give as high grades as possible! So I ask, is the market model for financing appropriate for educational institutions?

 

[Herb_The_Perb]

I'm an American... just to let you know, I am not offended by this thread - some 10 of my favorite things:
7. Cheap gas, SUVs

To calculate the real price of gas, you have to include the costs of middle-eastern wars, the cost of our non-war military presence in the region, aid to Israel (historically our biggest foreign-aid beneficiary), etc. The Iraq war alone is approaching a $100 billion price tag. All these hidden subsidies for the oil companies have to be taken into account. Added to that is the cost in human life -- theirs and ours.
Isn't that right, georgebushmoron?


And, if you drive an SUV, you are supporting terrorism by using gas unneccessarily.
Besides, most of those things are butt-ugly.

 

[Herb_The_Perb]

The Grand Canyon --another great American icon that I missed from my list.....the first time I visited I was absolutely awestruck with its shear magnitude and beauty

Hey, in the Why I Love Canada thread, the ground rules were to ignore natural attractions. After all, Canadians did not create Niagara Falls, and Americans did not create the Grand Canyon.
We should only be talking about the products of the respective civilizations / cultures / economies, right?

 

[Herb_The_Perb]

^^^^
IMO that was a silly "rule" in the Canada thread.....why shouldn't we recognize the geographic beauty of our respective countries?

Because that has nothing much to do with the people / society / culture of the respective nations. It's just something wonderful that fell into their lap.
It's like admiring someone for their inherited money.

Isn't that right, georgebushmoron?

 

[chiefwiggum]

I'd agree with you but you're wrong.

Saying that the geography has nothing much to do with a society or culture is probably one of the most obtuse comments I've read/heard in a long time. The culture of people living in the Sahara are going to be completely different then people in the Amazon! Even closer to home Albertans living near the Rocky's have a different lifestyle and culture then people living on PEI.

HFS

Or even simpler yet....people living in Banff have a much different lifestyle and culture than people living in, say, Coronation.

It's one of the first things you learn in social studies in elementary school - that where people live has a profound effect on how they live.