U.S. greatest country in the world?!?

[Poseidon]

(hi, i guess this is my deboott topic)

I've found my self in situations in which people say that the U.S. is the capital of the world, the greates and stuff like that, do you belive that way? Consider all the factors too compare, from goverment to the way people is and history. I am Mexican American and i do get pissed when ppl say that the U.S. is better than mexico, i do feel more mexican than "american". I despise the fact that U.S. citizens call themselves americans, as in the U.S. being america. America is america not a single country. once again I get pissed when i see documentaries about Mexico U.S. war. Quote: (not exactly) the U.S. basically took advantage of a relative weeak, "new born" Republic". About razism, the mayoriti if not all of the stereotypes where born in the U.S. ppl think that mexico is made up of pueblos and every one wears big hats and eat beans all day. In quality of life the U.S. has nice standars but after that I am not so convinced............. nah... also about eligal imigration (idk if i spelled that ok) people usually think in imigrants as parasites.... those are some of the facts that make me mad and make me say "No i do not agree with "Americans" beliving the U.S. is the best"

.................... now what do I say?......ummm Bring it?......

[The Architect]

America isnt the capital of the world but is an extremely unique country. Illegal immigration is a problem, to me its a problem when an immagrant comes to this country refuses to learn english, gets involved in crime and dosent pay taxes. There out there. Like those protests a few months ago, ridiculous. We all know that immagrants do provide a part of the backbone of this country but they wanted recognition and they wanted spanish to be taught in every school(Im not that sure about that??). If illegal immagrants want to be noticed in a good way, apply for citizenship, learn englsih, the laws of the land and what it means to be an american.

[Poseidon]

one thing is that they refuse to learn inglish and other is that it takes time and the mathods are not so eficient. if any of you had studied spanish you should know that by 3 years of studing (at a school) you can bearly talk some sentences without having some kind of mistake. dosentg it make sence that it can be similar for people from Latin America?. are you saying that eligal imigrats are the ones that give some kind of dragg to the U.S.?! obiously if you are eligal some of the pribileges are cut down so it makes sence that eligal imigrants form the lower and middle lower class, that gives the "necesity" for comiting crimes....... then again do not generalize, for some people who commit crimes that are latinos, cacausian (whites) African american, Asian Latinos all of them comit crimes in this country. (refering too violent crimes or crimes realted to stealing) eligal imigrants have many of the works that white people dont want like hard lavor like agriculture and gardening and for a lot less pay, they do pay taxes, don you asume that when they get a check (by pay) taxes are reduced from there............. mexicaqns know what it is to be american mexicans are americans........ besides "americans" did the same thing inm a way that what mexicans are doing, remember "americans are not native from the U.S. the mayority of them are dead, (not the case with mexico in wich the mayority are meztisos) they came from other place looking for a better life.

[The Architect]

if any of you had studied spanish you should know that by 3 years of studing (at a school) you can bearly talk some sentences without having some kind of mistake. dosentg it make sence that it can be similar for people from Latin America?

That is very true i took Italian, but this is America, people speak english so that s something they have to do when they come here, no matter how hard it is.

are you saying that eligal imigrats are the ones that give some kind of dragg to the U.S.?!

No far from it

We all know that immagrants do provide a part of the backbone of this country

besides "americans" did the same thing inm a way that what mexicans are doing,

That is true that most Americans can trace there heritage back to Europe, but America was a colony not a forigen country, it may have belonged to the native americans but the Europeans said "you can go over, were not going to stop you" European controled the lands. Latin Americans are coming into this country even when we tell them no.

[Athena]

Quote by: The Architect America isnt the capital of the world but is an extremely unique country. Illegal immigration is a problem, to me its a problem when an immagrant comes to this country refuses to learn english, gets involved in crime and dosent pay taxes. There out there. Like those protests a few months ago, ridiculous. We all know that immagrants do provide a part of the backbone of this country but they wanted recognition and they wanted spanish to be taught in every school(Im not that sure about that??). If illegal immagrants want to be noticed in a good way, apply for citizenship, learn englsih, the laws of the land and what it means to be an american.

Not even Americans understand what it means to be Americans. They have been prepared to serve the Military Industrial Complex and know almost nothing of the principles and ideals of democracy, nor the history of civilizations that brings us to where are today.

There are two nations within the US. One is the citizens who think they be good judges of things, from their extremely limited personal perspective, who are like a pile of puppies. The other is the Military Industrial Complex that is really running the show.

I don't have a clue how we might judge Mexico better or even equal to the US. My opinion of Mexico is very low, because the time I spent with an illegal immigrant, when managing a resort where our employer knowingly assist him in being an illegal immigrant. He was afraid to send anything of value to his family in Mexico, because of the likely hood it would never reach his family. In his village, people did not have plumbing and electric, but he was able to give his family some advantages by putting stuff in himself! For lack of electricity the people are deforesting their area for fuel, and this is destroying their environment and they are doing nothing about it!!! No one is replanting trees. It is pathetic. This does not discribe the whole of Mexico, but the failure of Mexico to meet the needs of those who do not live in the big cities, and therefore the destruction of the Mexico in general. As long as poeple in the world destroy their environments, they are being self destructive.

One of the biggest problems is over population and the failure to effectively use birth control.

[Athena]

Quote by: The Architect That is very true i took Italian, but this is America, people speak english so that s something they have to do when they come here, no matter how hard it is. No far from it That is true that most Americans can trace there heritage back to Europe, but America was a colony not a forigen country, it may have belonged to the native americans but the Europeans said "you can go over, were not going to stop you" European controled the lands. Latin Americans are coming into this country even when we tell them no.

That didn't make a lot of sense. You write as though you are speaking of right and wrong, but you are speaking of conflicts of interest, not right and wrong. It was no more right, or wrong, for Europeans to immigrate to the US than it is right for Mexians to do so. The difference is not one of right or wrong, but power. The native Americans did not have the power to keep Europeans out. Those now claiming to be US citizens have considerable power to keep more people from coming here. Might makes right thinking is not moral righteousness.

However, I have always assumed if I travel to another country the burden of communication with those who speak another language is mine. I think it is preposterous to think the burden of the language barrier rest the people the countries I visit. That is like being an unannounced visitor and expecting the host to provide an excellent meal. No, when you go to Rome do as the Romans do. The burden falls on the new comer, not the other way around. This is even so in chimp troops, where new comers can be accepted, but only if they pleasing to the members of the troop they want to join. This is critical to maintaining order.

[The Architect]

One of the biggest problems is over population and the failure to effectively use birth control.

Any kind of overpopulation is due to immagration legal and illegal, not because women dont use birth control. In the last year about 1million people moved to this country, legally and illegally.

[iahag]

Define greatest. Then theres no need for a debate, only truth

[Poseidon]

Quote by: Athena I don't have a clue how we might judge Mexico better or even equal to the US. My opinion of Mexico is very low, because the time I spent with an illegal immigrant, when managing a resort where our employer knowingly assist him in being an illegal immigrant. He was afraid to send anything of value to his family in Mexico, because of the likely hood it would never reach his family. In his village, people did not have plumbing and electric, but he was able to give his family some advantages by putting stuff in himself! For lack of electricity the people are deforesting their area for fuel, and this is destroying their environment and they are doing nothing about it!!! No one is replanting trees. It is pathetic. This does not discribe the whole of Mexico, but the failure of Mexico to meet the needs of those who do not live in the big cities, and therefore the destruction of the Mexico in general. As long as poeple in the world destroy their environments, they are being self destructive.

Usually people who live in those kind of conditions are the ones that come to the U.S.

Burning forests? if the deforestate something that is really as important as a forest it is not going to go unseen or un taken care off, ofcoure they would take action on that. I did saw something LIKE this in the 34 News the people where deforesting the "selva la candona" ilegaly at nigth in remote areas when no one could see them, after a while they where caugth and put and to jail, vails and stuff. YES de do plant trees back, U.S, is not the only country in the would with asociations such as green peace. please do not think that Mexicans live in poorness, the mayority of us live good lifes, with the esentials.

about the post on top....... I am going to ignore that :rolleyes:

[Jagged]

"Best" is such an ignorant term. You can argue that the US is the capital of the world, perhaps more accurately putting a "military" or "economic" (although not really right now) in there somewhere, but i wouldn't say its the best country. There is a lot of corruption, and half of Americans are on antidepressants anyways. I would just stray from pointless statements as to whether the US is the capital of anything or not.

[Chris]

A similar thread regarding American Exceptionalism

Who Here Believes in American Exceptionalism?

[Vee]

That argument is often made because it is the most dominant Western Country in the Northern Hemisphere where the majority of the world population base lays.

[Matt W]

Another question to ask might be 'Is America the most Ego-Centric country of the World?'

[tivodan1116]

This thread is mostly a collection of ridiculous irony and idiotic non-facts, observe:

Quote by: The Architect America isnt the capital of the world but is an extremely unique country. Illegal immigration is a problem, to me its a problem when an immagrant comes to this country refuses to learn english, gets involved in crime and dosent pay taxes. There out there. Like those protests a few months ago, ridiculous. We all know that immagrants do provide a part of the backbone of this country but they wanted recognition and they wanted spanish to be taught in every school(Im not that sure about that??). If illegal immagrants want to be noticed in a good way, apply for citizenship, learn englsih, the laws of the land and what it means to be an american.

1) Obviously you don't practice what you preach, your own English being barely readable.
2) What makes you think anyone is "refusing" to learn English? You think people are being offered free lessons or something and are saying, "No way, man, I refuse to learn that skill that would allow me to make much more money and live as an active member of this country!"

Quote by: The Architect That is very true i took Italian, but this is America, people speak english so that s something they have to do when they come here, no matter how hard it is.

Well, if they do learn English, they will certainly be more successful. If they don't, they won't. How that concerns me I have no idea.

That is true that most Americans can trace there heritage back to Europe, but America was a colony not a forigen country, it may have belonged to the native americans but the Europeans said "you can go over, were not going to stop you" European controled the lands. Latin Americans are coming into this country even when we tell them no.

WRONG. The VAST majority of people living in America today have no ancestors in the western hemisphere prior to the Civil War, let alone the Revolution. Almost all Americans' ancestors came here when the United States was a country, not colonies. That throws that whole argument of yours right out. Try again.

Quote by: The Architect Any kind of overpopulation is due to immagration legal and illegal, not because women dont use birth control.

WRONG.
CIA World Factbook
United States:
Net migration rate: 3.18 migrants/1000 population.
Birth rate: 14.14 births/1000 population.

Almost 4.5 times as many Americans are created through birth as opposed to immigration.

Do you people even bother to look stuff up before you make an argument???

[Jack]

America was a colony not a forigen country, it may have belonged to the native americans but the Europeans said "you can go over, were not going to stop you"

I'm sorry, but I don't understand what you were trying to say here. I mean to say, I can not even twist the words around in any order to make them make sense.

Excuse me, but I feel a chortle coming on. A need to go over.

[Athena]

Quote by: The Architect Any kind of overpopulation is due to immagration legal and illegal, not because women dont use birth control. In the last year about 1million people moved to this country, legally and illegally.

When I spoke of overpopulation which is a problem around the world, I was specifically speaking of Catholic Mexico. When people produce more children than their environmental conditions can support, there is over population. Industry and technology can extend the amount of people an area can hold up to a point, and everywhere people are ignoring the limits of growth! In Mexico they ignore the limits of growth partly because of Catholism and partly because all they have is family and community in rural areas. In the US the limits of growth far ignored for economic reasons and short sighted city planning. Major cities are way over populated and our ability to govern the problems this causes is like a king trying to hold back the tides. We are being foolish for different reasons, but just the same foolish.

[Athena]

Ignoring what I say is not a good option. Of course you are free to do so if you please, but you would do better to acknowledge that there is a problem and some how it needs to be resolved. In fact considering we share this planet, and therefore all need the rain forest, and fish, and the land and products of Mexico, especially the food we enjoy when such foods are off season in the US, we should be sharing in the resolution of these very serious problems.

Deforestation in Mexico Mexican environmentalists and government authorities are expressing alarm over the rapid loss of forests in areas where impoverished peasants are invading ... greennature.com/article1298.html - 14k - Cached - Similar pages Underlying Causes of The most critical area is the Lacandon forest - the largest rain forest in North America. Alejandro Lopez, who works with the federal ecological reserve known as Montes Azules, says invasions by poor peasants present the biggest threat to the natural area. "These invasions are often in the most fragile areas of the jungle such as along rivers, and near springs and ponds," he said. "The clearings made by farmers are in some of the most biologically diverse zones, places that are rich in animal and plant life." Poor farmers accuse the government of being more interested in helping animals in the forest than in helping underprivileged human beings. Social workers also say that the government needs to do more to help the nearly 15 million Mexican peasants who have no alternative but to exploit forest land. Critics also blame confusing land-registry laws and land reform programs that have sometimes resulted in ugly disputes over forests and farming land. Last week, 26 peasants died in an ambush in the southern state of Oaxaca in what appears to have been a dispute between two communities over exploitation of a nearby forest. But environmentalists say the situation will only get worse if the forests are not protected. They say deforestation diminishes soil fertility as well as the soil's capacity to retain groundwater. In addition, they note, widespread deforestation reduces rainfall in the area and promotes soil erosion. All of this, they say, will eventually make the land worthless to the farmers who wish to exploit it.

[Athena]

This is one of the most serious problems faced by cities all over the world. There are very real limits to growth, and we have to get real about this! Failure to get real about the limits will lead to a mass die off in the not so distant future. This is a complex problem, including the screaming need to make rural living better so people stop pouring into the cities.

Nat' Academies Press, Mexico City's Water Supply: Improving the ... Mexico City's Water Supply: Improving the Outlook for Sustainability (1995) ... Openbook Linked Table of Contents, Front Matter, pp. i-xvi, 1 Overview, pp. ... www.nap.edu/books/0309052459/html/ - 24k - Cached - Similar pages Mexico City is the cultural, economic, and industrial center for the nation. With a population approaching 20 million, roughly equivalent to the entire state of Texas or New York, it has become a magnet of growth. There is a continuous migration of people from rural areas to the city in search of work and the general economic benefits generated from the centers of political power. Many of these immigrants settle illegally in the urban fringe with the hope that the government will eventually provide public services. The provision of water and wastewater service for the growing population of Mexico City presents a formidable challenge. Like the air pollution problem that received considerable attention 10 years ago, the water supply situation in Mexico City is now nearing a crisis. Continued urban growth along with poor system financing have limited the government's ability to expand the water supply network to under-served areas, repair leaks, and provide wastewater treatment. Almost seventy-two percent of the city's water supply comes from the Mexico City Aquifer, which underlies the metropolitan area and which is being substantially over-exploited. Ground water levels have been declining over the course of the past century, resulting in regional land subsidence. This subsidence which has lowered the city center area by an average of 7.5 meters, exacerbates the flood-prone conditions of the city and has damaged the infrastructure—including water and sewer lines. These difficulties, combined with inadequate hazardous waste management, leave the aquifer and the water distribution system vulnerable to contamination with consequent risks to public health.

[Athena]

I don't want to leave anyone with the impression that I see only problems with Mexico. I think the question invited a critical look at Mexico. Critical does not mean just negative. It means analytical. It an important way, Mexico is more civilized than the US. The US used to be more civilized, but its focus on education for technology has made it less civilized and less fit of human beings. A balance between what the two countries have advanced is desperately needed.

Mexico - Mexican Business Etiquette, Vital Manners, Cross Cultural ... Mexico, Mexican etiquette, business culture, manners, and Geert Hofstede ... wb01542_.gif (729 bytes) Good conversational topics are Mexican culture, ... Mexico - Mexican Business Etiquette, Vital Manners, Cross Cultural Communication, and Geert Hofstede Analysis - 44k - Cached - Similar pages One must know a person before doing business with him or her, and the only way to know a person in Mexico is to know the family. Personal relationships are the key to business success. In order to make this connection intermediaries are used. It is critical, especially for a high ranking meeting, to use a person who is known to the Mexican businessman or woman you are meeting. This is your "business family" connection, the person who will introduce you. This person is the bridge that builds the trust necessary to do business in Mexico. Mexicans are warm and gracious. They embrace the manana attitude, and do not embrace the time-is-money mentality of many other cultures. The old Mexican saying is that "North Americans live to work, but Mexicans work to live!" Respect their sense of time and traditions. If your natural tendency is to speak quickly or you have a forceful or sharp tone of voice, become aware of how you are coming across. Become sensitive to the pace and tone used in Mexico. Otherwise you will destroy a relationship with your caustic tone and behavior. Also, it goes without saying that jokes about "Montezuma’s revenge" are inappropriate.

[The Architect]

Let me clear this up.

say that the U.S. is better than mexico,

The US is not beter in terms of being american or mexican, but in terms of living conditions the US is ranked higher ( HDI)

people usually think in imigrants as parasites...

Yeah people do think that, I dont.

WRONG. CIA World Factbook United States: Net migration rate: 3.18 migrants/1000 population. Birth rate: 14.14 births/1000 population.

Does that include illegal immagration
Look LINK

Athena: When I spoke of overpopulation which is a problem around the world, I was specifically speaking of Catholic Mexico.

Sorry I didnt know that