### Author:  [@BeepKillBeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeepKillBeep)
#### Post date: [August 27, 2018, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-would-the-world-complain-about-if-america-didnt-exist/820348/27 "2018-08-27T23:55:20Z")
> [@Asuka](#):
>
> Canada has no room to talk, their entire countries gimmick is that they’re totally not in any way related to the United States. Every single Canadian starts every conversation they have with “Hey I’m \ from Canada”.
Funny, I’ve never once started any conversation that way. That must just be how certain simpleminded Americans think Canadians start conversation.
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### Author:  [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)
#### Post date: [August 28, 2018, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-would-the-world-complain-about-if-america-didnt-exist/820348/28 "2018-08-28T00:20:04Z")
> [@elbows](#):
>
> It’s always the guy at the top of the heap that the world is going to throw dirt clods at. If it wasn’t America, it’d be some other nation.
>
> Consider it part of the price of being #1, the position naturally attracts lots of criticism.
We will see how the world responds when China is number one in a decade.
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### Author:  [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)
#### Post date: [August 28, 2018, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-would-the-world-complain-about-if-america-didnt-exist/820348/29 "2018-08-28T00:48:16Z")
The Middle East. I seem to remember complaints about them that have never ceased in the last 50 years.
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### Author:  [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)
#### Post date: [August 28, 2018, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-would-the-world-complain-about-if-america-didnt-exist/820348/30 "2018-08-28T00:58:41Z")
They’d complain about not having enough fast food restaurants and not enough trash TV.
Well, that and not having billions of dollars in aid.
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### Author:  [@Apollyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollyon)
#### Post date: [August 28, 2018, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-would-the-world-complain-about-if-america-didnt-exist/820348/31 "2018-08-28T01:21:41Z")
> [@asahi](#):
>
> They’d complain about not having enough fast food restaurants and not enough trash TV.
>
> Well, that and not having billions of dollars in aid.
Hmmm… we don’t get US foreign aid, and we make our own trash TV, but I’d be happy to complain about a lack of really good series like we see from HBO, Netflix, and Amazon if you like.
And Carl’s Jr. I don’t know what it’s like in the States, but the local version is pretty decent.
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### Author:  [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)
#### Post date: [August 28, 2018, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-would-the-world-complain-about-if-america-didnt-exist/820348/32 "2018-08-28T01:24:03Z")
> [@Apollyon](#):
>
> Hmmm… we don’t get US foreign aid, and we make our own trash TV, but I’d be happy to complain about a lack of really good series like we see from HBO, Netflix, and Amazon if you like.
>
> And Carl’s Jr. I don’t know what it’s like in the States, but the local version is pretty decent.
On another topic, if I read it correctly, we’re no longer allowed to buy property in NZ? Trying to keep out the Big Mac Munchers, are ye?😛
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### Author:  [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)
#### Post date: [August 28, 2018, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-would-the-world-complain-about-if-america-didnt-exist/820348/33 "2018-08-28T02:13:48Z")
> [@Asuka](#):
>
> …their entire countries gimmick is that they’re totally not in any way related to the United States.
I dare say, in the current climate, it surely seems time well invested indeed.
Bordering on prescient.
On the ragged fringes of sheer sparkling brilliance even!
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### Author:  [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)
#### Post date: [August 28, 2018, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-would-the-world-complain-about-if-america-didnt-exist/820348/34 "2018-08-28T02:30:10Z")
> [@Asuka](#):
>
> Honestly very curious, and this isn’t motivated by current events because I remember the Internet of the mid-90’s back when “Everything Is Fine!” Europeans mainly were still talking a shitstorm about the United States.
Cite that “the world” spends any significant time complaining about the US? I don’t doubt this is a fantasy held dear by many hyper-conservative Bircher types who are likely drawn to President Trump, but what evidence is there this is in fact true?
Seems like a perfect illustration of the extreme self centered and narcissistic mindset possessed by many nationalistic, isolationist citizens of the US these days.
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### Author:  [@Sloe\_Moe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sloe_Moe)
#### Post date: [August 28, 2018, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-would-the-world-complain-about-if-america-didnt-exist/820348/35 "2018-08-28T02:52:23Z")
I’ll go with the premise that there would be no country with the economic and military power the US had between 1918 and present.
If the communists haven’t overrun Europe, there’ll still be too many crowned heads. The UK will remain the dominant force world-wide, assuming it recovers financially from the great war. How conflagrations in the far east (say Japan, China and Korea) will be handled, that I don’t know.
All in all, it will be a war between socialism, emerging global mercantilism, and the old constitutional monarchies.
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### Author:  [@Apollyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollyon)
#### Post date: [August 28, 2018, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-would-the-world-complain-about-if-america-didnt-exist/820348/36 "2018-08-28T04:41:20Z")
> [@asahi](#):
>
> On another topic, if I read it correctly, we’re no longer allowed to buy property in NZ? Trying to keep out the Big Mac Munchers, are ye?😛
As I understand it the recent law stops non-residents (except for Australians and Singaporeans, due to some existing free trade agreements) from purchasing most existing homes in NZ.
Non-residents are I believe permitted to purchase land, and to build houses (I think they can also buy apartments off plans); the intent appears to be increasing the amount of housing available rather than having non-residents competing with locals for already built houses.
I don’t know what impact it will \*actually \*have on the housing market, but it was in part precipitated by unhappiness about foreign buyers who didn’t intend to live here.
As to Big Macs - McDonalds has been in NZ for 40 years (as of June this year). It could be a bit late. 😃
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### Author:  [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)
#### Post date: [August 28, 2018, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-would-the-world-complain-about-if-america-didnt-exist/820348/37 "2018-08-28T04:49:42Z")
> [@Asuka](#):
>
> Canada has no room to talk, their entire countries gimmick is that they’re totally not in any way related to the United States. Every single Canadian starts every conversation they have with “Hey I’m \ from Canada”.
Those are all Americans saying that.
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### Author:  [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)
#### Post date: [August 28, 2018, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-would-the-world-complain-about-if-america-didnt-exist/820348/38 "2018-08-28T05:51:21Z")
> [@Miller](#):
>
> Those are all Americans saying that.
Ooooh, burn. 😃
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### Author:  [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)
#### Post date: [August 28, 2018, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-would-the-world-complain-about-if-america-didnt-exist/820348/39 "2018-08-28T06:06:28Z")
> [@Sloe\_Moe](#):
>
> I’ll go with the premise that there would be no country with the economic and military power the US had between 1918 and present.
You’re off by 30 years.
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### Author:  [@Sloe\_Moe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sloe_Moe)
#### Post date: [August 28, 2018, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-would-the-world-complain-about-if-america-didnt-exist/820348/40 "2018-08-28T06:47:48Z")
What, I can’t define my own time frame? And it’s a nice round 100 years. :rolleyes:
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