America is the home of potatoes. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t eat them at some time or another.
clayton_e… it’s not ‘my’ country. I’m an Englishman telling you what I like about America. Six Feet Under is extraordinary. And lots and lots of other things, including cheeseburgers!
However, I agree with your comment about eunoia’s post. It is tragic that such heroism had to happen, but it’s not exclusively American. And nor is okra.
plnnr when “The decline and fall…” is written, there’s going to be a chapter called “Bread and Circuses: The Las Vegas Phenomenon”.
Our culture is, IMHO, the most democratic in the world. It’s what drives elites, both here and abroad, absolutely bonkers: the broad mass of the American public really doesn’t give a dribble of diarrhea about their opinions. And because our politics are (despite the protestations of many and the lack of participation of even more) wildly democratic as well, elites have less room in this country to subsidize their own tastes. The National Endowment for the Arts is now largely refocused on inoffensive American folk art, and public television has collapsed into the Deepak Chopra Network.
Which means, of course, that there’s a lot of dreck. Thomas Kinkade, the Keanes, the Left Behind series, “Touched by an Angel” - sentimental pablum. There’s very little appetite for “challenging” works; even active rebellion against them. Those of us in our 30s and above may remember the controversy over “Tilted Arc,” a massive sheet of steel that once bisected a Federal courthouse plaza - before those who actually had to live with the damn thing managed to have it removed and destroyed.
As you can probably tell, despite my ambivalence I think this cultural democracy is to be envied. Certainly it’s copied, much to the horror of those who live to be horrified - who never acknowledge that their real horror is at the realization that at all that education bought them so little influence. I may loathe bad art, but I loathe even more the self-perpetuating, intellectually masturbatory cabal that would tell us which art is “bad.” Kinkade and co are a small and amply justified price to pay, I think.
I stand by this, maybe you’re taking too much for granted. Lots of people from other cultures might have panicked or prayed the Virgin of Guadeloupe or accepted their perceived fate or hoped someone else would do something.
Statesians take most of their flack for being implicated in world events but there’s also a positive angle to this. You need to have the courage of your convictions before you try to make any difference.
As for the aerosol cheese, you’d better be joking, buddy.
We saved everyone’s asses during World War II. Good enough for me. 
Sorry, I don’t want to cause a row in this particular thread, but eunoia, that really is a ridiculous stance.
But don’t forget, the British saved our asses in World War III.
Thanks for the link to the Canadian cigarette packs. I love 'em!
I like to spread the joy when I can…
I did not assert anything of the sort.
Again, you seem confused. I’ll refer you to the OP and the forum descriptions that appear at the board’s homepage.
We’re really, really rich. I mean, really rich. Even our poor are well-off when faced with standards from other countries.
It makes us fat, and happy, and lazy, but man, are we comfortable.
I’m not being sarcastic. The US is just a very comfortable and convenient place to live. Large grocery stores where you can buy just about anything (and it’s fresh), air conditioning, no lack of hot running water for nice long showers, really big and effective washer/dryers for use at public laundromats in just about every town, fantastic hotels with comfy beds, and on and on and on.
And a very fair judicial system. If you’re locked up in a local jail you can probably get out on bail, you get fed, and you won’t be tortured. You get a phone call, and you can hang out on your bench in the air conditioning. There are very few rats.
I think we take so much for granted that we forget the little things that make our lives in the US nice. Yea captialism!
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And we invented the blues; which begat rock and roll.
(No one need point out that the Brits then came along immediately and did it better. Thank you.)
I love that I can drive for days and days, across a vast, diverse, beautiful country, and meet friendly people with one of perhaps 50 different regional accents, and it’s still all us. Some Americans might be suprised to learn that the notion of hitting the open road isn’t all that prevalent in most countries.
I think American football, at its best, is one of the most exciting sports on Earth. I long for a day when it becomes internationalized, as soccer has. An international tournament in our football would develop fan fever that made the World Cup look like patty-cake.
To toot my own region’s horn, we have (well, share with our northern neighbors) the Great Lakes, the largest and most beautiful lakes of fresh water you will ever see.
And for about two weeks every late-September/early-October, during peak color of the leaves, I live in the prettiest spot on the planet. It’s hard not to think that a Creator does that by design, just for our aesthetic joy.
Eunoia --**
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Eunoia, don’t corrupt this perfectly good thread by being a moron. Suggesting that all-non Americans are completely spineless is just utterly ridiculous and racist. And given your reference to the “Virgin of Guadeloupe”, does that mean you’re thinking of Hispanics in particular?
Eunoia–**
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What are you saying, that you should be able to do whatever the hell you like as long as you have the “courage of your convictions?” 
All of my grandparents arrived in the USA in the 1880’s. If the same sets of people had married and produced the same children, I’d have been born in Poland in 1942. Think WAR! If I’d survived, I’d have grown up under communist rule. My family would probably have worked on a farm commune.
I don’t have adequate words to express how grateful I am for our wonderful nation. With all it’s flaws and warts, it’s a great place to be.
[Administrator Hat ON]
Rockford, direct personal insults are not allowed in any forum outside of the BBQ Pit. Please do not do this again.
[Administrator Hat OFF]
I’m not American, pit me and see how spineless I am.
Also, your hyphen is in the wrong place.
… and thus ended Eve’s grand experiment.
Actually the Andes are the home of potatoes, as they originated in that region. 
You’re talking about jail conditions there. Agreed, they are excellent in the US. But the actual judicial system? I can’t call any jury system (which means I don’t just refer to the US here) “very fair” while keeping a straight face. It’s proven too independable too any times. Sure, the US is no banana republic where a tribunal convicts you based on no evidence at all. But I dare say there are a lot of judicial systems in the world that blow America out of the water when it comes to accuracy of convictions, which in my opinion resembles “fairness”.
I personally don’t care a lot for American Football, but I also realise that’s because I was born in a country where it’s pretty much non-existant (well, there’s the EFL now). Had I been born in the US, I may have been the biggest fan out there - who knows?
Having said that, I think achieving a soccer-like status is something that’ll never happen to AF on a global scale. It’s all about exposure: 99% of all countries do not expose their youths to American Football. 99% of all countries don’t cover the professional games to any serious measure. Think of sports like cricket, field hockey, and volleyball. Wildly popular in many countries, and performed at high level internationally.
Do I cheer when my national team wins the Olympic volleyball or field hockey title? Why, sure. But there is nothing, nothing that compares to the sheer fan fever associated with (world) football. To be honest, I can’t see it happening to a sport that’s been relatively isolated as long as American Football has been.
Now, for my own addition to this thread: I have traveled quite a bit, and there is one thing in which the US leads the league tables by a mile: CUSTOMER SERVICE. I have not been to any other country where people will work that hard for you, go the extra mile, and then ask if you want more. Sure, the waitress’ smile may be fake, but it sure as hell is there. The power of Capitalism: if you don’t do a good job, your customer WILL take his business elsewhere. And it works flawessly. Bravo, America, for taking your customers more seriously than any other country in the world.
OW OW OW OW OW OW!!! You make my head hurt. Your final note is “your hyphen is in the wrong place.” That’s how you sum it up? That’s like going through a presidential debate and ending with “and my opponent’s tie isn’t straight.” And you didn’t even respond to the main point raised in that slightly incorectly typed post, you are acting as a racist by saying that if they weren’t American they’d break down and pray for help rather than doing anything to stop the terrorists. And also your point is WRONG because, if you’ll look at your religious remark singling out a specific group you are only showing that you don’t understand that the U.S. is a melting pot of many different nationalities. Now let me spell this out for you so I don’t have to watch you embarrass yourself again: In theory, someone who is from the United States who is also a believer in the religion you just bashed could, and I don’t think I’m going too far out on a limb here, get up out of their seat in the plane and help out in the effort to stop terrorists.
Maybe you like math terms better:
Given:
L = People from other beliefs than the Christian majorities live in the U.S.
P = People in the U.S. may travel to accomidate their religious needs
T = People traveling in the U.S. may encounter an act of terrorism
H = Those who encounter terrorism will often attempt to stop their captives
If L then P, If P then T, if T then H
L is true.
Therefore, “People from other beliefs than the christian majorities who are traveling in the U.S. may try to stop their captives.”
And also:
I’m afraid you’re confused.
Yes, the origional post refers to great things about the U.S., but what you say is a pretty universal fact about a group of people in danger, they’ll work together, no matter what religion.