# What is the most wonderful thing the USA has done for the world? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 1, 2014, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-wonderful-thing-the-usa-has-done-for-the-world/687440 "2014-05-01T14:51:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Sr\_Siete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@Sr\_Siete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sr_Siete)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-wonderful-thing-the-usa-has-done-for-the-world/687440/41 "2014-05-01T20:47:05Z")
> [@mandala](#): > > No - I am merely pointing out that democracy in a suitable form exists all around the world. Democracy is/has been an enabler to America’s rise, but no other democratic country has anything comparable to America’s influence in the world. No, but Democracy itself is a value that definitely improves the living standards of any group of people, getting rid of a giant pile of injustices, even if not making them as prosperous or technologically advanced. And as the first successful attempt at a Liberal Democracy, the Americans deserve the props. What can be more relevant or influential than that? ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-wonderful-thing-the-usa-has-done-for-the-world/687440/42 "2014-05-01T20:51:33Z")
> [@Sr\_Siete](#): > > Am I supposed to argue the benefits of widespread democracy here? I wouldn’t even know where to start. Hmm, come to think of it, we didn’t have even close to a fair democracy until the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Women weren’t given the right to vote until 1920. Voter fraud, intimidation, and disenfranchisement occurred throughout 1999-2008. ---
**Author:** ![wellanuff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/57b2e6/32.png) [@wellanuff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wellanuff)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-wonderful-thing-the-usa-has-done-for-the-world/687440/43 "2014-05-01T21:27:35Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > Are you arguing that they are not important contributions (including the light bulb and remote-control TV)? If so, list some non-USA contributions to the world of equal wonderfulness. I am struggling to find some way to read this other than you think it would be quite a challenge to list “wonderful contributions to the world” made by any country other than the U.S., but that can’t possibly be what you mean. Can it? … wait, remote control TV? This is a whoosh, right? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-wonderful-thing-the-usa-has-done-for-the-world/687440/44 "2014-05-01T22:07:33Z")
> [@wellanuff](#): > > I am struggling to find some way to read this other than you think it would be quite a challenge to list “wonderful contributions to the world” made by any country other than the U.S., but that can’t possibly be what you mean. Can it? > > … wait, remote control TV? This is a whoosh, right? What do you do? Get up and walk across the room to change the channel? ---
**Author:** ![Sr\_Siete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@Sr\_Siete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sr_Siete)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-wonderful-thing-the-usa-has-done-for-the-world/687440/45 "2014-05-01T22:14:17Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > What do you do? Get up and walk across the room to change the channel? You know what? I’m changing my answer: screw democracy, TV remotes are the real answer to this thread. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-wonderful-thing-the-usa-has-done-for-the-world/687440/46 "2014-05-01T23:02:02Z")
> [@wellanuff](#): > > I am struggling to find some way to read this other than you think it would be quite a challenge to list “wonderful contributions to the world” made by any country other than the U.S., but that can’t possibly be what you mean. Can it? > > … wait, remote control TV? This is a whoosh, right? Israel brought us the flash drive. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-wonderful-thing-the-usa-has-done-for-the-world/687440/47 "2014-05-01T23:07:31Z")
> [@](#): > > Had the decency to fight off the British (imagine a continent-sized imperialist England!) **mandala** , meet _Australia_. Or _Canada_. Or, if its population you are talking about rather than area, from not so long ago, _India_ (which then included Pakistan and Bangladesh). ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-wonderful-thing-the-usa-has-done-for-the-world/687440/48 "2014-05-01T23:09:21Z")
> [@wellanuff](#): > > I am struggling to find some way to read this other than you think it would be quite a challenge to list “wonderful contributions to the world” made by any country other than the U.S., but that can’t possibly be what you mean. Can it? > > … wait, remote control TV? This is a whoosh, right? No, that’s not what I meant. It seemed that the poster I was responding to was implying that we were clueless and thought that what we gave to the world was wonderful, when it wasn’t. Like us Americans all think we are God’s gift to the world, and they would be sitting in the dark without us. I disagree-while American’s do tend on average to assume everything we do is awesome and no one else can do it, there should be no denying that most if not all of the things in the poll are good, and (mostly) come from the USA. It seemed to me that Shakester’s comment was another knee-jerk anti-USA post. So, my question for Shakester was, if he thought we were clueless, could he list things he thought were comparable, or better, to those in the list. To see if we are deluding ourselves, and that our light bulbs, internet, NASA, are nothing compared to anything else the rest of the world does. That is, if he didn’t like the poll choices, list a few different ones. And TV remotes were mentioned in post 17, along with fake boobs. And don’t forget-we did stave off the alien invasion, and made July 4th the WORLD’s Independence Day!🙂 ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-wonderful-thing-the-usa-has-done-for-the-world/687440/49 "2014-05-01T23:52:33Z")
**What’s the most wonderful thing the USA has done?** Pioneered many space technologies. **What’s the least wonderful thing the USA has done?** Created NASA. ---
**Author:** ![mandala](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mandala/32/95_2.png) [@mandala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mandala)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-wonderful-thing-the-usa-has-done-for-the-world/687440/50 "2014-05-02T01:31:30Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > **mandala** , meet _Australia_. > > Or _Canada_. > > Or, if its population you are talking about rather than area, from not so long ago, _India_ (which then included Pakistan and Bangladesh). Australia? The country that sneezes when the British Queen catches a cold in London? Canada - the nation that celebrates the day the British created and named it. And that retained formal British political control until 1982? Sure! India - had a decent mass independence movement, but had little effect until WW2 happened and reduced Britain to a mere shadow of her former power. Nobody dealt with British imperialism better than the Americans did. With the exception of Hitler, maybe. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-wonderful-thing-the-usa-has-done-for-the-world/687440/51 "2014-05-02T01:43:51Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Winning World War Two. Helped win WWII. It couldn’t have been done with the US. Or the USSR with respect to the Nazis. The Soviets did the heavy lifting in Europe and the Western efforts were not nearly as impressive in comparison. The Western Front a fraction of the size of the Eastern Front. But the US can hog much of the glory for beating Imperial Japan like a rented mule in the Pacific. Number 2? Movies! ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-wonderful-thing-the-usa-has-done-for-the-world/687440/52 "2014-05-02T01:49:50Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Winning World War Two. This is the only answer. ---
**Author:** ![scratch\_llll](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@scratch\_llll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scratch_llll)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-wonderful-thing-the-usa-has-done-for-the-world/687440/53 "2014-05-02T02:10:59Z")
> [@Shakester](#): > > Raising clueless self-importance to an art form? Raising the ire of the bitterly pathetic. It’s at least the most amusing. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-wonderful-thing-the-usa-has-done-for-the-world/687440/54 "2014-05-02T02:19:34Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > It seemed to me that Shakester’s comment was another knee-jerk anti-USA post. > And TV remotes were mentioned in post 17, along with fake boobs. And you wonder why they dislike us despite winning two World Wars. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-wonderful-thing-the-usa-has-done-for-the-world/687440/55 "2014-05-02T04:18:23Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > And you wonder why they dislike us despite winning two World Wars. > :rolleyes: Because of TV remotes? Or the fake boobs? Who else is gonna invent that? Huh? The French? YOU-ESS-AY! ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-wonderful-thing-the-usa-has-done-for-the-world/687440/56 "2014-05-02T04:48:26Z")
Powered flight. I’m confused though. 2 Americans invented it. Is that the same thing as saying the USA invented it? Americans invented the dreadnought acoustic guitar, the acoustic guitar with the neck joining the body at the 14th fret, the Fender Telecaster and Stratocaster, and the Gibson Les Paul. And the Sousaphone. And the electric light bulb, telephone, and distributing electricity to the home. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-wonderful-thing-the-usa-has-done-for-the-world/687440/57 "2014-05-02T05:44:57Z")
> [@Superhal](#): > > I was thinking about that too but historically, Russians weakened them to the breaking point at the battle of the bulge, and both US and Russian forces arrived in Berlin at the same time. The US led a coalition force as well from the west, it wasn’t 100% US soldiers. I’d actually give the US less than half the credit for Germany’s defeat, but for WW2 overall, US takes the lead by beating Japan. Not to take away from their contribution to the war but the Russians received supplies and equipment from the US. They paid one hell of a price for being in closer proximity to Germany than the US. We just happened to stumble into the war at a time in history when we had massive amounts of manufacturing capacity and 2 oceans separating us from the fighting. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-wonderful-thing-the-usa-has-done-for-the-world/687440/58 "2014-05-02T05:46:40Z")
I’d cast a vote for the internet if it was available. It has probably been the single most influential contribution to history. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-wonderful-thing-the-usa-has-done-for-the-world/687440/59 "2014-05-02T06:00:29Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > The US didn’t think the British parliamentory system was democratic when we started. The American revolutionaries didn’t have an objection to the British system as a system. Their objection was that they weren’t part of it. The political principle at the time - in Great Britain - was that the legitimacy of the government was based on the consent of the people. So the parliamentary system in 1776 was simultaneously a legitimate government in Britain and an illegitimate government in America. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-wonderful-thing-the-usa-has-done-for-the-world/687440/60 "2014-05-02T07:04:33Z")
Air conditioning. Vote for women. Freedom of speech. Separation of church and state. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-wonderful-thing-the-usa-has-done-for-the-world/687440.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-wonderful-thing-the-usa-has-done-for-the-world/687440.md?page=4)