# What have the U.S. ever done for us ... **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 6, 2003, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-have-the-u-s-ever-done-for-us/153160 "2003-02-06T06:37:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Panji\_Kidul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ab992/32.png) [@Panji\_Kidul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Panji_Kidul)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-have-the-u-s-ever-done-for-us/153160/1 "2003-02-06T06:37:10Z")
… not counting the aquaduct … ---
**Author:** ![Beagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Beagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beagle)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-have-the-u-s-ever-done-for-us/153160/2 "2003-02-06T06:39:48Z")
MSPIMS The roads? ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-have-the-u-s-ever-done-for-us/153160/3 "2003-02-06T06:48:10Z")
Who is “us” ? ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-have-the-u-s-ever-done-for-us/153160/4 "2003-02-06T06:55:32Z")
Who are you? The Judean People’s Front? The People’s Front of Judea? The Popular Front? ---
**Author:** ![Boo\_Boo\_Foo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@Boo\_Boo\_Foo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boo_Boo_Foo)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-have-the-u-s-ever-done-for-us/153160/5 "2003-02-06T06:57:04Z")
Alright then… besides the aquaduct… and the Saturday fights at the Coliseum… what have they ever done for us? ---
**Author:** ![Panji\_Kidul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ab992/32.png) [@Panji\_Kidul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Panji_Kidul)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-have-the-u-s-ever-done-for-us/153160/6 "2003-02-06T06:59:45Z")
“The Peoples Front for Non-Proliferation of U.S. Attempts to Influence Decisions Outside of North America Movement” … not to be confused with the “Front for Non-Proliferation of U.S. Attempts to Influence Decisions Outside of North America Peoples Movement” … the shysters! ---
**Author:** ![butter\_pie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aca169/32.png) [@butter\_pie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butter_pie)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-have-the-u-s-ever-done-for-us/153160/7 "2003-02-06T09:00:13Z")
They gave the world me, didn’t they? ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-have-the-u-s-ever-done-for-us/153160/8 "2003-02-06T09:15:34Z")
They kicked the crap out of the British in 1776, over 150 years before you managed to. ---
**Author:** ![DaddyMack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dc4da7/32.png) [@DaddyMack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaddyMack)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-have-the-u-s-ever-done-for-us/153160/9 "2003-02-06T11:27:24Z")
Ask not what your country has done for you… Ask what you have done for you country. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-have-the-u-s-ever-done-for-us/153160/10 "2003-02-06T11:31:28Z")
Terrific race, the Americans . . . terrific. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-have-the-u-s-ever-done-for-us/153160/11 "2003-02-06T15:28:03Z")
Why not start by telling us all what your illustrious country, whichever one it is, has done for “us”. I’m not sure what you’re getting at here other a rant against the US. If that’s what you want, why not start a thread in the BBQP and rant to your heart’s delight… ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-have-the-u-s-ever-done-for-us/153160/12 "2003-02-06T15:32:53Z")
Indonesia? Java? [http://indahnesia.com/frame.php?link=/Indonesia/Jawa/Jawa.php&lang=&code=JAVDAN](http://indahnesia.com/frame.php?link=/Indonesia/Jawa/Jawa.php&lang=&code=JAVDAN) > [@](#): > > The stories are taken from stories of heroes like Ramayana and Mahabharata and to the story of \*\*Panji. \*\* > > \< snip \> > > The bedoyo, which is seen as the highest ideal of refinement, is the sacred dance, dedicated to the royal highness. In fact all bedoyo-dancers are a part of the royal dinity, like shakti or the women respect of the royal ruler. This is associated with Loro **Kidul** , the invisible, mythical goddess of the South Sea and ‘quiet power’ behind the throne. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-have-the-u-s-ever-done-for-us/153160/13 "2003-02-06T15:33:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by John Mace \* > \*\*Why not start by telling us all what your illustrious country, whichever one it is, has done for “us”. I’m not sure what you’re getting at here other a rant against the US. If that’s what you want, why not start a thread in the BBQP and rant to your heart’s delight… \*\* Stwike him, Centuwion, vewy woughly! ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-have-the-u-s-ever-done-for-us/153160/14 "2003-02-06T15:36:04Z")
You _are_ a compulsive Googler, **DDG** –I hadn’t even had a chance to make my biting sarcastic comment about Indonesia in this thread yet, blast you! ---
**Author:** ![Latro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a87d85/32.png) [@Latro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Latro)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-have-the-u-s-ever-done-for-us/153160/15 "2003-02-06T15:36:35Z")
Blix returning from Iraq: ‘I found this spoon, Sir!’ The Mahabarata is Indian, innit? ---
**Author:** ![Beagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Beagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beagle)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-have-the-u-s-ever-done-for-us/153160/16 "2003-02-06T15:36:54Z")
A system of laws? Are you making fun of our emperor, Biggus Dickus? ---
**Author:** ![SentientMeat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@SentientMeat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SentientMeat)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-have-the-u-s-ever-done-for-us/153160/17 "2003-02-06T15:43:18Z")
Where else was the foetus of an alternative to parliamentary democracy going to gestate? You gonna put it in a box? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-have-the-u-s-ever-done-for-us/153160/18 "2003-02-06T15:44:06Z")
Lattro: Yes, Indian. You can tell that Panji is British educated, though. Note “have” instead of “has” in the OP. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-have-the-u-s-ever-done-for-us/153160/19 "2003-02-06T15:53:32Z")
Hmmm. Lessee… how about the realm of inventions? light bulbs, telephones, automobiles, television, movies, airplanes… You don’t like the U.S., then drop all those nasty satanic things. Then there’s the realm of medicine and vaccinations. You shouldn’t take any medications that might have been discovered, improved or manufactured in the U.S. Then there’s stuff like helping win World War I and World War II. Not sure how that impacted your country, **Panji** , because you still haven’t told us where you are, but there are lots of nations that are very happy not to be ruled by Nazi Germany or imperialist Japan. Then there’s some ideological exports, like the notion of free speech, which has allowed news media to expose violations of human rights, both within North America and outside North America. And the U.S. was certainly a leader in the notion of public-election of officials (recognizing that many of the ideas were borrowed and adapted from countries like the U.K.) Again, I don’t know where you live, but if you have anything resembling elections, you owe at least a small debt of gratitude to li’l Tommy Jefferson and his contemporaries. Then there’s the UN and World Health Organization and UNESCO and similar… to which the U.S. has contributed a great deal of money and support over the last 50-ish years. And, I don’t know if you think that the emergence of a worldwide “common” language is important, but certainly the export of U.S. products and technology that has made English the most common second-language. I personally think the emergency of a “common” language worldwide has been a great boon (not without some loss). And, again, I don’t know what country you come from, but U.S. foreign aid has been not insignificant over the last 50 years. Including U.S. money that helped rebuild Europe and Asia after WWII, for instance. I wonder how much money your country has taken from U.S. taxpayers? Don’t misunderstand, I’m not trying to pretend that the U.S. is perfect, nor to pretend that the U.S. has the right to dictate how other countries should make their own decisions. But the notion that the U.S. has never done anything for anybody is equally extremist. And trying to influence the decisions of others is called “politics.” Trying to influence the decisions of other countries is called “international politics.” Every single country does it, and lots of peoples who don’t form countries do it. Why single out the U.S.? Why not join the "“The Peoples Front for Non-Proliferation of Iraqi Attempts to Influence Decisions Outside of Iraq Movement” or “The Peoples Front for Non-Proliferation of Russian Attempts to Influence Decisions Outside of Russia Movement” or “The Peoples Front for Non-Proliferation of French Attempts to Influence Decisions Outside of France Movement” or… Bah. ---
**Author:** ![brainfizz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/da6949/32.png) [@brainfizz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brainfizz)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-have-the-u-s-ever-done-for-us/153160/20 "2003-02-06T16:13:59Z")
> [@](#): > > Hmmm. Lessee… how about the realm of inventions? light bulbs, telephones, automobiles, television, movies, airplanes… You don’t like the U.S., then drop all those nasty satanic things. Ok, I’ll grant light bulbs and airplanes were invented by americans, but… Telephones : Bell was Scottish, and there’s some debate as to whether Meucci, Italian, got there first. Automobiles : Karl Benz, Germany 1885 Television : John Logie Baird, Scottish, 1925 Movies: Lumiere, French, 1895 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-have-the-u-s-ever-done-for-us/153160.md?page=2)