I applaud the nice un biased write up and I agree, But it depends where in society you live and in what area of any country, if you look at a country as a whole (GDP welfare weather healthcare schools taxes or etc) you can only apply that to 10-20% the rest is richer/poorer overcrowded/less crowded hotter/colder richer/poorer that figure is only a median.

There are loads of shortcomings with any country, no 1 country is perfect, but depending where you live and the means you have to live on you can have your own utopia :)

What are your goals for coming to the US? You are right about making it big in business but you have to have a good plan, good strategy, product Also the backing for it and a market. Or were you just going to come tour :) Lots of land, little to actually see :P

Compared to everywhere else there is not as much history as it is a relatively new country in comparison so less to actually "tour" in my opinion

This is a rather long post, and please don't comment unless you read the whole thing, thank you.
-----------------------------------------

If you really want to talk about which is the greatest country in the world, you'll have to define first. I won't do that, I'll just comment from my perspective.

USA is on so many levels a third world country. Yes I said it. There are so many things wrong with that country and it amazes me that they would support any official third world countries with development money - they should start by supporting themselves. 1 in 6 (16% or 49.1 million) in the USA is poor. [I had a link to an article with those numbers here, but was told it was too long, sorry] Greatest country in the world? Sure as hell ain't. What good is it to measure the GDP per capita in USA, if all that GDP is in the hands of those infamous 1%?

In my book there needs to be a state that collects taxes to make sure everyone has free health care and free education (maybe not necessarily for university levels) and both to an acceptable standard. I hear many public schools in USA are rubbish.

In the USA you're living on the edge, there's never long to the bottom. In the European welfare states there's a security net under the population. That is in many ways good I guess, but the European countries ain't all that good either. I'm Danish. We have the highest taxes in the world. When we buy a new car, the state puts a 180% tax on it. We're a safe country. We got free education and free health care. Low crime rates ("Poverty is the mother of crime" + We don't have a ridiculous gun law like in the USA). So what is in my eyes wrong with my own country? Well, I don't really like that security net. I don't feel like I have a huge incentive to work. The state will pick me up if I don't work, make sure I'm good. When I work the state will take about 50% of what I earn. It seems empty and stupid to become a worker bee for the state. Compared to many countries us Danes really are born with a silverspoon up our asses imo, but we still complain until we get out into the outside world and see how priviledged we are at home.

So with the obvious shortcomings of the USA and the alledged paradise I live in, why would I ever want to even consider moving to the USA? (Which I would like to at least try one day).

Well I think the USA is still unquestionable the country where you got the best opportunities to make it big in business for example. They have a homemarket of 300+ million, in Denmark we have 5+ million. A marginal market share wouldn't make you rich here, but it pbb would in the USA. You have lower taxes, so you actually get paid for your work. And then I like the idea of the more or less lacking security net. You have to take responsibility for your own life, sometimes I feel like that's unthinkable in Denmark. Many people don't even save up enough money to get by if they get fired, cause they just get money from the state instead. And then important for me: for example California is sunny and warm, Denmark got "London weather" :/

In my opinion neither USA or European welfare states are the best. For me it would be something in the middle of those.

And I don't consider myself a capitalist nor a socialist.

(PS. Glad to see the nutcase Rick Santorum dropped out of the election. Never mix politics and religion that's a no-go!)

Oh and I think this whole discussion started by talking about military power? There's no doubt USA is the #1 military power by far. However considering the money they spent, they have got to be #1 also. Just don't forget this money is spent at the expense of other important things like better public schools, healthcare etc.

Plus then redspeert would shoot me for riling him up ^^

You guys are playing right?

hahahaha _o_

I would gladly be the Sbanks family GF but why would you give the honor away! You are after all SBanks yourself XD

only if you will join and be Don!

Sbanks are you going to make an Sbanks family this version?

hahahaha Nice one, but you can't change the topic, this guy is too funny, it is constant jokes from him :)



You would know Redspeert you think and type exactly like the "rednecks" I have met from Ga.

Which is funny you pick that state to fail at stereotyping with your uneducated opinions since the "rednecks" are probably less than 1/8th of the population in Ga. and you have no idea :')

Back to google searching for you to try and show of that superior intelligence you possess :')

use the BB code --> [ url= "http...."> name [ /url ]

Two old pensioners are taking a trip down memory lane by going back to the place where they first met.

Sitting at a caf?, the little old man says, "Remember the first time I met you over 50 years ago? We left this cafe, went round the corner behind the gas works, and I gave you one from behind."

"Why, yes, I remember it well, dear," replies the little old lady with a grin.

"Well, for old time's sake, let's go there again. and I'll give you one from behind."

The two pensioners pay their bill and leave the cafe. A young man sitting next to them has overheard the conversation and smiles to himself, thinking it would be quite amusing to see two old pensioners at it. He gets up and follows them. Sure enough, he sees the two pensioners near the gas works. The little old lady pulls off her knickers and lifts up her dress.

The old man pulls down his pants and grabs the lady's hips, and the little old lady reaches for the fence. Well, what follows is 40 minutes of the most athletic sex the man has ever seen. The little old man is banging away at the little old woman at a pace that can only be described as phenomenal. Limbs are flying everywhere, the movement is a blur, and they do not stop for a single second. Finally, they collapse and don't move for an hour.

Well, the man is stunned. Never in his life has he ever seen anything that equates to this -- not in the movies, not from his friends, not from his own experiences.

Reflecting on what he has just seen, he says to himself, "I have to know his secret. If only I could shag like that now, let alone in 50 years' time!"

The two old pensioners have by this time recovered and dressed themselves. Plucking up courage, the man approaches the pensioner.

He says, "Sir, in all my life I have never seen anybody shag like that, particularly at your age. What's your secret? Could you shag like that 50 years ago?"

The pensioner replies, "Son, 50 years ago, that fucking fence wasn't electrified."

ITT: My stupidass country is better than your stupidass country.

inb4 Portugal sucks.

Just facts, flaming wont do any good...

"World education rankings: which country does best at reading, maths and science?"

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/
Guardian/Pix/pictures/2010/12/7/
1291740184391/PISA-rankings-within-OECD-001.jpg

http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/
datablog/2010/dec/07/
world-education-rankings-maths-science-reading

source: guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 7 December 2010


Greetings from Finland
:w


ps. had to put links like that because I got this "Error!
You have used too long words, and therefor your comment hasn't been added. The maximum amount of characters per word is 50."

You are full of shit too.

Fuck off hey.

The only thing wrong with our education system is people choose to not go. You cannot compare ours to other countries that have 1/10th the population and are run with a socialist government.

I'm east European, and trust me , at least till recently, people who finished uni here, had a hell lot of more knowledge then most west European ones.
Since we started to "copy" the west model everything went down hill

You are so stupid that even a redneck in Georgia would shake his head and claim the country is going to hell. I don't know your familys income, but looking at how you behave and write I'd say its a small amount - Unless the welfare is really good in the states of america. What you are right about is conquering, as we kinda stopped that around 1000 years ago and became civilized, somthing you and your likes yet have failed to become. I'd tell you about the warfare of Scandinavia from 700 to around 1050, but its a waste of typing as you are most likley too stupid to even understand the easiest parts.

And about education, don't make me laugh buddy. Your country education is a joke compared to most countries - maybe you beat some of the east european countries, but it will be a hard race.

Oh my God it scares the hell out of me. Half of the people in the USA are probably drop outs with 8 years of schooling or immigrants with less. Fortunately that is also based heavily on location, where I'm from if you don't have a 4 year degree from a credited college you can't even get a good job.

.910 and .910 are the same :')

Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of crap places here, see new orleans and everywhere within 100 miles, Missouri Mississippi and half of the immigrants here living in sheds. But that isn't where I'm from praise Allah o/

If I had a choice I would probably move, but not being fortunate enough to travel and see the world until probably 2 years from now I can't say where there are better living conditions :)

(and I hate the cold, you can keep the netherlands too) LOL

uh oh don't talk about education. I'm sure there are exceptions, but as a whole, USA's education scares me.

Human Development Index

oh shit. even my country is above the mighty united states... viva la netherlands

I love websites where the admins flame more than the players :')

I assure you my family income is 4 times what yours is without even asking, you are correct there are a lot of worthless people here, but if you compare our country to yours the only thing you have ever conquered is whale blubber and rotten shark meat, talking about military action is lost on deaf ears.

Congratulations at moving out of your family home at 43 years old \o/

I forgive you probably mostly due to the fact that you barely complete highschool before you are considered "educated" for a Norwegian based on your little fact list :')