# What nation do you consider the greatest on earth **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 15, 2009, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-nation-do-you-consider-the-greatest-on-earth/517623 "2009-11-15T02:29:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-nation-do-you-consider-the-greatest-on-earth/517623/1 "2009-11-15T02:29:20Z")
Greatest, being subjective, means there is technically no right or wrong answer since one person’s definition of greatest is the same as someone else. But I would say Britain is the greatest nation on earth. The reason is that the agricultural revolution and industrial revolution started there, and without them the world we live in wouldn’t be possible. The age of reason was also partially British. Great British thinkers include Darwin and Newton. Britain stood alone against the Nazis for a few years before Russia got involved in WW2. Plus many of the nations today who are pioneering science, technology and medicine were heavily influenced by Britain. Places like Canada, the US, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, Israel & India. Roughly 1/3 of all people who live in OECD nations either are British or live in nations heavily influenced by Britain. So I’d consider Britain the greatest nation on earth (I’m from the US). Many of the advances that made the world we live in today possible came from Britain or nations heavily influenced by Britain. ---
**Author:** ![Desert\_Nomad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desert_nomad/32/177_2.png) [@Desert\_Nomad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desert_Nomad)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-nation-do-you-consider-the-greatest-on-earth/517623/2 "2009-11-15T03:55:56Z")
Bhutan… any place that places such a high importance on Gross National Happiness is doing something right. ---
**Author:** ![Epimetheus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c4cdca/32.png) [@Epimetheus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Epimetheus)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-nation-do-you-consider-the-greatest-on-earth/517623/3 "2009-11-15T05:27:27Z")
Gross national surveillance anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-nation-do-you-consider-the-greatest-on-earth/517623/4 "2009-11-15T06:50:51Z")
The U.S. is the greatest nation on Earth. We’ve got decent size, natural resources, the world’s finest military, and a huge defensive advantage due to geography. We built The Bomb, we lead the world in space. All of that, plus we have the SEC and the NFL. ---
**Author:** ![Epimetheus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c4cdca/32.png) [@Epimetheus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Epimetheus)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-nation-do-you-consider-the-greatest-on-earth/517623/5 "2009-11-15T06:57:30Z")
Greatest except in Education or Healthcare anyway. Two of the things that probably matter most (unless you think military is the end all of “Great”) ---
**Author:** ![Skylark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Skylark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skylark)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-nation-do-you-consider-the-greatest-on-earth/517623/6 "2009-11-15T07:00:19Z")
US education is actually pretty good, if you don’t count all the poor kids. I think the greatest nation is Texas. 'Cuz we’re Texas. ---
**Author:** ![Epimetheus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c4cdca/32.png) [@Epimetheus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Epimetheus)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-nation-do-you-consider-the-greatest-on-earth/517623/7 "2009-11-15T07:02:39Z")
Uh, if you say so. I’d say a lot of qualified people disagree, unless you think 10th place or so is “relatively good.” Sure, we are better than all the 3rd world countries, but we suck in comparison to Japan, S. Korea and most of Europe. Same difference. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-nation-do-you-consider-the-greatest-on-earth/517623/8 "2009-11-15T07:06:28Z")
> [@Epimetheus](#): > > Uh, if you say so. I’d say a lot of qualified people disagree, unless you think 10th place or so is “relatively good.” Sure, we are better than all the 3rd world countries, but we suck in comparison to Japan, S. Korea and most of Europe. Same difference. Primary and secondary school are nothing special here compared to other OECD nations (we are around the middle), but our tertiary education system is probably the best on earth. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-nation-do-you-consider-the-greatest-on-earth/517623/9 "2009-11-15T07:07:04Z")
After about 6 beers - urination. ---
**Author:** ![Epimetheus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c4cdca/32.png) [@Epimetheus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Epimetheus)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-nation-do-you-consider-the-greatest-on-earth/517623/10 "2009-11-15T07:08:15Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > Primary and secondary school are nothing special here compared to other OECD nations (we are around the middle), but our tertiary education system is probably the best on earth. Yeah, not the worst, but I do agree that our Grad schools are in the elite world-wide. ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-nation-do-you-consider-the-greatest-on-earth/517623/11 "2009-11-15T08:18:06Z")
What **Wesley Clark** said, in spades ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-nation-do-you-consider-the-greatest-on-earth/517623/12 "2009-11-15T14:17:21Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > Britain stood alone against the Nazis for a few years before Russia got involved in WW2. Well, to be fair, they had a pretty effective moat. I’m going to say Canada. All the technological toys and most of the scenery of the US, but with a much lower population density. Better beer, too. Oh dear, I’m a US’er. Traitor! ---
**Author:** ![Wallenstein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b5a626/32.png) [@Wallenstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallenstein)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-nation-do-you-consider-the-greatest-on-earth/517623/13 "2009-11-15T14:28:54Z")
I checked with She Who Must Be Obeyed, and apparently the answer is (and always will be) the Welsh. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-nation-do-you-consider-the-greatest-on-earth/517623/14 "2009-11-15T14:29:29Z")
The OP is very kind, but I don’t think we deserve that epithet these days. We have many things going for us and a good standard of living still, but we’re also pretty crap in many ways, overly bureaucratic, intrusive government, terrible weather, and very crowded. I’d say one of the Scandawegian countries probably fits the bill. The one with the lowest taxes, whichever that is. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-nation-do-you-consider-the-greatest-on-earth/517623/15 "2009-11-15T14:36:37Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > The U.S. is the greatest nation on Earth. We’ve got decent size, natural resources, the world’s finest military, and a huge defensive advantage due to geography. We built The Bomb, we lead the world in space. All of that, plus we have the SEC and the NFL. Oh come on, the Securities and Exchange Commission isn’t _that_ big a deal. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-nation-do-you-consider-the-greatest-on-earth/517623/16 "2009-11-15T15:35:04Z")
The United States, because that’s where I was born. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-nation-do-you-consider-the-greatest-on-earth/517623/17 "2009-11-15T15:53:23Z")
America, fuck yeah! ---
**Author:** ![Cubsfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Cubsfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cubsfan)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-nation-do-you-consider-the-greatest-on-earth/517623/18 "2009-11-15T15:56:21Z")
Comin again to save the mothafuckinday yeah! ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-nation-do-you-consider-the-greatest-on-earth/517623/19 "2009-11-15T16:02:34Z")
Well besides the correct answer, hmm. Sealand. 😉 Obviously it’s America, but if we are gonna all historical and shit, then China is the longest lasting nation on Earth going through many iterations of government but maintaining a core identity for thousands of years. ---
**Author:** ![adhay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@adhay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adhay)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-nation-do-you-consider-the-greatest-on-earth/517623/20 "2009-11-15T16:07:05Z")
> [@Desert\_Nomad](#): > > Bhutan… any place that places such a high importance on Gross National Happiness is doing something right. Yep. No TV until 1999. They recently made the transition from enlightened kingship to democracy. Development is very closely regulated. eta They do have a refugee problem, however. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-nation-do-you-consider-the-greatest-on-earth/517623.md?page=2)