Americas Greatest Strength

[Strike For The South]

Is the ability to adapt and take on new ideas

[The_Doctor]

I agree, a part of that strength is its ability to actract loads of imergrants from loads of different countries and turn them all into flag waving Americans.

[Rhyfelwyr]

Well it depends if the'yre good ideas I suppose.

[PanzerJaeger]

America's greatest strength is (was?) free market capitalism.

Our market, comparatively unburdened with regulation and socialist tendencies, pays for the standard of living, the big military, the social programs... everything. Our GDP is the reason we are the most powerful nation on earth.. nothing else. China knows this, we seem to have forgotten about it in a mad dash for entitlements.

[Strike For The South]

America's greatest strength is (was?) free market capitalism.

Our market, comparatively unburdened with regulation and socialist tendencies, pays for the standard of living, the big military, the social programs... everything. Our GDP is the reason we are the most powerful nation on earth.. nothing else. China knows this, we seem to have forgotten about it in a mad dash for entitlements.

While I agree it is a big part I dont think its the biggest. America does not face the demographic time-bomb that Europe faces nor the Chinese aversion to change nor the debilitating caste system of India. All because of adaptation

[Uesugi Kenshin]

While I agree it is a big part I dont think its the biggest. America does not face the demographic time-bomb that Europe faces nor the Chinese aversion to change nor the debilitating caste system of India. All because of adaptation

I would have to disagree, though I partially agree. America has been one of the more willing to adapt nations, but a lot of Americans are not very willing to adapt and I think the upsurge in Crazy Conservatism is a symptom of that, though it is certainly due to a few other things too. It seems like the country may be getting over that to some degree, but if you ever go to a Palin rally you'll see it certainly hasn't died yet.

EDIT: Grammar

[Strike For The South]

I would have to disagree, though I partially agree. America has been one of the more willing to adapt nations, but a lot of Americans are not very willing to adapt and I think the upsurge in Crazy Conservatism is a symptom of that, though it is certainly due to a few other things to. It seems like the country may be getting over that to some degree, but if you ever go to a Palin rally you'll see it certainly hasn't died yet.

This is true. This kind of with us or against us threatens to undo 200 years of relatively good and sound decision making.

[Koga No Goshi]

This is true. This kind of with us or against us threatens to undo 200 years of relatively good and sound decision making.

Kinda going off what Uesugi said, I think there is a portion out there who thinks we're good enough as-if, have advanced and progressed enough, and further change is unwanted. Or "stepping down from perfection" as it were. I think America's long fixation with its own superiority has helped fuel this mindset and I think we've slipped from being the 'best' in so many ways because of it. There are too many people who think something inherent about being American is what makes us better, rather than what we do with being Americans.

[Strike For The South]

Kinda going off what Uesugi said, I think there is a portion out there who thinks we're good enough as-if, have advanced and progressed enough, and further change is unwanted. Or "stepping down from perfection" as it were. I think America's long fixation with its own superiority has helped fuel this mindset and I think we've slipped from being the 'best' in so many ways because of it. There are too many people who think something inherent about being American is what makes us better, rather than what we do with being Americans.

I believe the idea of America is the best.

[Koga No Goshi]

I believe the idea of America is the best.

But uh, there are things we rank behind Latvia in.

It's all fine and good to say America is best in a prideful, my country right or wrong sort of way. But I'm more interested in our quality of living and educational standards than just a slogan.

[Strike For The South]

But uh, there are things we rank behind Latvia in.

It's all fine and good to say America is best in a prideful, my country right or wrong sort of way. But I'm more interested in our quality of living and educational standards than just a slogan.

Well I said idea not practice. I never perpetuated a slogan.

[PanzerJaeger]

But uh, there are things we rank behind Latvia in.

It's all fine and good to say America is best in a prideful, my country right or wrong sort of way. But I'm more interested in our quality of living and educational standards than just a slogan.

Country rankings are often misleading. For example, the massive influx of mexican immigrants bring America's rankings down in many areas.

[CrossLOPER]

Country rankings are often misleading. For example, the massive influx of mexican immigrants bring America's rankings down in many areas.

Just Mexicans?

[Louis VI the Fat]

Yo'ure al commie ATHISTS!!

JESUS is Americas STRENHGT!!

[ICantSpellDawg]

I think it's defense of Judeo-Christian and Western values is its greatest strength. To be honest, I support America as long as America supports those values.

I think that everyone can have them, though. America is a tool to spread them and give them to all.

[KarlXII]

Just Mexicans?

Only Mexicans

[CrossLOPER]

I think it's defense of Judeo-Christian and Western values is its greatest strength. To be honest, I support America as long as America supports those values.

So..... what *exactly* are you implying?

[Gaius Scribonius Curio]

I disagree. While there are many Americans who do adapt and take on new ideas, there are equally many who do not. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, as a constantly shifting set of values would mean a loss of identity, which I think is what TuffStuffMcGruff is trying to say. That said to restrict ideology to a particular channel can also be dangerous.

I feel that part of this problem is America's idealisation of itself. It is hard to take other ideas into account when, as Koga mentioned above, America believes itslef to be the best. This can lead to the mentality that to take other ideas from 'lesser countries' on board is to lessen the idea of America. The rhetoric which has led to the US President being hailed as the 'Leader of the Free World' is a symptom of this. It has also led to the kind of arrogance which leads the US to try to force their ideology of democracy (the best form of governance, of course) on countries which do not necessarily have any great yearning to be 'freed'. Quite apart from the hypocrisy of the 'Free world' invading another country.

Please recognise that I'm not trying to attack the USA, merely demonstrate that I disagree with the OP.

[Strike For The South]

The United States identity is not Juedo-Christian granted it is led by people who think that and given current immigration and birth rate trends that will continue. The USA is based on "life liberty and a pursuit of happiness" A commitment to freedom no matter your race or creed. A belief that hard work and responsibility can conquer all

To take a page out of Tuffs book

I support America as long as she remains a beacon for the oppressed and downtrodden who wish nothing more than to come here work hard and make something of themselves. I could care less if we spread democracy.

[Gaius Scribonius Curio]

Now that's harmless idealisation. I can live with that.

[Strike For The South]

Now that's harmless idealisation. I can live with that.

We accept more immigrants than anywhere else and it has done nothing but make us the strongest nation on Earth.

[TevashSzat]

Well I said idea not practice. I never perpetuated a slogan.

Yep, IMO, the American ideal is perfectly fine only the manner its being implemented. Just look at the mess we're in right now....

What the US should never do is what Koga No Goshi mentioned earlier: maintain a mindset of superiority over the rest of the world that ends up breeding ignorance. Just look at Ming dynasty China. The chinese civilization was arguably the best in the world during the beginning of their reign so the Ming emperors just took a look around, burned down the world's biggest fleet, and shut down Chinese interaction with the rest of the world. Thus, China missed out on all of the European innovations and ended up in a huge mess that still partially accounts for China's relative instability right now.

[Koga No Goshi]

What the US should never do is what Koga No Goshi mentioned earlier: maintain a mindset of superiority over the rest of the world that ends up breeding ignorance.

We're so already there baby. ;)

[Seamus Fermanagh]

I think we readily adopt new ideas etc.

....and it only takes two or three whacks from a two-by-four to get our attention!

[Koga No Goshi]

I think we readily adopt new ideas etc.

....and it only takes two or three whacks from a two-by-four to get our attention!

Personally I'd say "readily" is a stretch. I would say that we have a legal framework much less friendly to encoding traditionalism into law and making traditions harder to change than many other countries, but I'd laugh at the idea that Americans embrace change quickly and eagerly.

Example of what I mean: the legal system works so slowly that some changes can slip through faster than the legal system can respond. A very obvious and readily recognized example would be the internet in general, or even more specifically, the trading of software and other intellectual property. How long were people doing classifieds and primitive versions of "Ebay" before laws caught up and said HEY you gotta report that! Or how long were people trading music before the music and record industries woke up to this business they were losing through their own failure to grab new opportunity in a timely manner? So it worked in our "favor", you could say, as far as bringing about change, that strict enough laws didn't exist to squeeze out the new directions that individuals would push the use of technology.

[Seamus Fermanagh]

Personally I'd say "readily" is a stretch. I would say that we have a legal framework much less friendly to encoding traditionalism into law and making traditions harder to change than many other countries, but I'd laugh at the idea that Americans embrace change quickly and eagerly.

Example of what I mean: the legal system works so slowly that some changes can slip through faster than the legal system can respond. A very obvious and readily recognized example would be the internet in general, or even more specifically, the trading of software and other intellectual property. How long were people doing classifieds and primitive versions of "Ebay" before laws caught up and said HEY you gotta report that! Or how long were people trading music before the music and record industries woke up to this business they were losing through their own failure to grab new opportunity in a timely manner? So it worked in our "favor", you could say, as far as bringing about change, that strict enough laws didn't exist to squeeze out the new directions that individuals would push the use of technology.

My post was largely for the humor value Koga, I'm feeling flippant tonight after having blown up at my 13-year-old (I swear His puberty is going to kill ME).

[Koga No Goshi]

My post was largely for the humor value Koga, I'm feeling flippant tonight after having blown up at my 13-year-old (I swear His puberty is going to kill ME).

British-delivered sarcasm is invisible online. :D

[Strike For The South]

My post was largely for the humor value Koga, I'm feeling flippant tonight after having blown up at my 13-year-old (I swear His puberty is going to kill ME).

My father said the same thing....It sucks because Im the oldest of six!

[JR-]

agreed, the land of yank will do fine.

[KukriKhan]

"You can always count on Americans to do the right thing—after they’ve tried everything else." -w.c.