Wells Hall Off Topic Board

Great question!

Wouldn't you have to live in every country (or at least a bunch of countries) to make that determination?? Who here has lived in more than one or two countries?

I do know one thing though - there is only one national embassy I've seen in foreign countries that has a line out front, and that's the embassy of THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. So we must be doing something right over here.

BTW, why is it even important that we think of our nation as the greatest nation on earth (or not)?? Who gives a hoot?? I'm ok being second best to Norway or whatever the eff country wants to claim a better standard of living. I know I ain't moving there any time soon, even if they do have a better standard of living.

Excellent clip...should be a great series

I think you're pointing to idealized perceptions based on past accomplishments and cultural characteristics. Those perceptions are lagging indicators. This country has to wake-the-ef-up but there are no indications that that's happening - quite the contrary. We're still a great nation but the star has lost luster and we are currently on the down elevator. Those lines you speak of will fade.

Good clips, Mark.

Good post Vlad. I swear, you're starting to sound like a Tea Partier...

Debates about whether America is the 'greatest country on earth' make me laugh. How do you define great? I've already heard that 'Newsroom' clip referenced a couple of times, by radio show hosts who treat it as some sort of epiphany from on high

Ouch, that hurts man!

How can I be sounding like a Tea Partier when I'm not angry about anything, I'm not "taxed enough already", and I don't want my country back??

and I'm still here (much to some of you guy's dismay)

That being said, I'd argue that we may still be the greatest country by many definitions of the term, but the overall bar is being lowered globally, and the gap to second place is shrinking rapidly.

Yes, a good run but what's happening now is painful to watch. I'd still like to see the phoenix rising w/o having to live through the ashes. A major test of the Churchill's observation.

I haven't watched the clip for about an hour (I had to run to the store), but I believe he mentions those countries in a specific context: freedom. I believe the setting is supposed to be Northwestern (again, I'm working from memory), and a "coed" asks, "What makes America the greatest country in the world?" The NRA guy on the stage with the Jeff Green character gives a one-word answer, "freedom." The implication is that we are the only country on the planet with freedom. The Green character gives a list of countries, including Canada, Italy and Germany, that are also functioning democracies, by way of shooting down that little bit of jingoistic hubris.

I have no idea what this means. Is there a salary cap involved?

The USA is where I was born, the USA is where I live, the USA is where I play. So it's No. 1 for me. I suspect Italians, Norwegians, and Germans feel the same way about their countries.

Like MF and others, I laugh when people say we're the greatest nation in the history of the world. According to whom? And by what definitions? And, more important, who cares? We are what we are ... let's just be the best we can be.

It's super easy to get a permanent resident visa for Canada as an American. I got one a few years ago. Had to go to Buffalo for an interview but in most cases it's not required Vancouver is as solid a city as you'll find anywhere in the US ( less NYC of course )

and who do you think the working model is now?