Oldminer|1404508068|3706875 said:Listen to this great American and then vote.
http://www.greatamericans.com/video/Portraits-of-Valor-Roy-Benavide
Oldminer|1404508068|3706875 said:Listen to this great American and then vote.
http://www.greatamericans.com/video/Portraits-of-Valor-Roy-Benavide
marymm|1404511069|3706924 said:Mine is the sole "9" vote - honestly I think the US is just about the best country in the world, but without fact-checking I can't vote "10" - I will say I feel lucky to have been born here in the US - no country can be perfect IMHO due to the human factor as well as geographic/economic/philosophical factors - but I do love and respect our country, warts and all.
Oldminer|1404508068|3706875 said:Listen to this great American and then vote.
http://www.greatamericans.com/video/Portraits-of-Valor-Roy-Benavide
That is our country's biggest problem now.redwood66|1404516737|3706964 said:Oldminer|1404508068|3706875 said:Listen to this great American and then vote.
http://www.greatamericans.com/video/Portraits-of-Valor-Roy-Benavide
Thank you for that. And I had already voted #10 before reading one response because that is exactly how I feel. There is no better place on earth than right here. Sure we have problems but so does everywhere else. We, DH and I, have made our own way and worked hard to be successful and thank God we can be or do whatever we strive to. Our sons can do the same once they decide they are finished serving our country. There are some things that give me pause - entitlement mentality and laziness on the part of many. Our government is not helping this at all. But that is for another thread.
And I absolutely believe in American Exceptionalism - the traditional belief that the United States is qualitatively different from other nation states.
redwood66 said:Oldminer|1404508068|3706875 said:Listen to this great American and then vote.
http://www.greatamericans.com/video/Portraits-of-Valor-Roy-Benavide
Thank you for that. And I had already voted #10 before reading one response because that is exactly how I feel. There is no better place on earth than right here. Sure we have problems but so does everywhere else. We, DH and I, have made our own way and worked hard to be successful and thank God we can be or do whatever we strive to. Our sons can do the same once they decide they are finished serving our country. There are some things that give me pause - entitlement mentality and laziness on the part of many. Our government is not helping this at all. But that is for another thread.
And I absolutely believe in American Exceptionalism - the traditional belief that the United States is qualitatively different from other nation states.
stracci2000|1404527083|3707039 said:I feel very fortunate to live in the USA. I am thankful everyday.
Maybe the 2 people who think this is the "worst country" would rather be in North Korea, Syria or maybe Sudan.
kenny|1404508191|3706878 said:Oldminer|1404508068|3706875 said:Listen to this great American and then vote.
http://www.greatamericans.com/video/Portraits-of-Valor-Roy-Benavide
Lots of influences can be posted, both pro and con.
I'd rather Americans vote before viewing anything.
That way the poll results reflect how they really feel, not how something influenced their vote.
It would be equally unfair to skew the poll results by asking people to vote after being reminded of America's dark side.
jillianfl|1404540820|3707125 said:kenny|1404508191|3706878 said:Oldminer|1404508068|3706875 said:Listen to this great American and then vote.
http://www.greatamericans.com/video/Portraits-of-Valor-Roy-Benavide
Lots of influences can be posted, both pro and con.
I'd rather Americans vote before viewing anything.
That way the poll results reflect how they really feel, not how something influenced their vote.
It would be equally unfair to skew the poll results by asking people to vote after being reminded of America's dark side.
Are you kidding me?? That is not "America's" darkside... So some soldiers who basically went rogue and did not follow military protocol decided to do some stuff and take pics (not good decisions) and you consider that to be owned by the whole military and the whole country?? The people behind were punished, and that is not in any way shape or form SOP for the US military. That example is .01% of 1% (as only 1% of people in the US serve in the military).
You also posted a pic, which is much different than an optional link that people can view separately if they'd like or not view if they wouldn't like, pic is visual and THAT will stay in the mind of anyone who looks at this thread. Just so beyond unnecessary to post that pic, that seems like it is trying to skew right there, you definitely know that anyone is going to see that pic without having to read through anything, they just scroll down and in your face there it is. You also could have posted a link, you chose not to, and posted the pic instead.
Meanwhile in Iraq right now, militants are cutting off heads and executing (in other ways) thousands who are not of their (the militants') background and who don't believe the same hardcore sh*t that they do. So let's see who is the better country, and which act is really worse... It is par for the course over there, they kill and torture thousands of their own people EVERY SINGLE DAY. Americans are better than that and that's why these soldiers were punished, but they and they alone went rogue and did some stuff they weren't supposed to and took pics of it, but again, it all pales in comparison to what they do to each other and innocent children everyday over there, which is far more disgusting than ANY of the pics from that prison.
Our military is the world's finest, they are sent away from their families for months, even years at a time, miss holidays, birthdays, even births, and of the ones who haven't lost their lives many have lost arms, legs, and their own independence to protect ours. So on this 4th of July when a poll is asked of how to rate the country you think somehow posting that pic "evens the score" b/c someone else posted a link positive video (which I haven't even viewed btw) you should think again about that pic being representative of our military, let alone our country. I highly doubt that any person is like "hmmm you know, that Abu Garaib scandal, I forgot about that, I was going to give it a 10 on the poll but now that I see that I think I need to change my vote to a 2". Just feel that pic post was so out of place and out of context.
So here is another one to put it into context... US soldiers who saved this boy's life after he was hit by an IED the terrorsts placed.
http://www.dvidshub.net/news/85768/us-soldiers-save-boys-life-kushamond-district#.U7eKuKhSLoB
Lest we forget our military builds schools, saves lives of not just our own but of others, and goes into areas after natural disasters like in Haiti (I'm sorry when was the last time the Chinese military was out helping after Haiti and Fukashima disaster, etc) I guess maybe the state of America is worse than we think, if that pic is the first thing our citizens go to reference when someone gives a poll about the US to try to skew it the other way just b/c someone posted a positive link that was not even able to be viewed directly on the thread.
I voted 9 in the poll. No place is ever perfect, therefore no place deserves a 10. I was originally thinking lower than 9 because I am beyond extremely disappointed with the way things are going in the country right now, but then I realized there is still no better place out there really, even with all of our problems, this is still a great place to live in and we should be thankful and I need to be more thankful. We just have to keep plugging on and trying to make it better and doing what American's do best, we are the kindest and most giving nation in the world. We are not even close to perfect, but there will never be such thing as a utopia anywhere. Super small countries with homogeneous populations may succeed better (as referenced by another poster as well), but our scale is so massive it is really not comparable, but no place is ever going to be perfect. But I am thankful for what we have here, as we have it really good compared to most others in the world.
kenny|1404502969|3706821 said:Non-US citizens, please don't vote.
Vote in the other one for Non-Americans.
jillianfl|1404542086|3707127 said:kenny|1404502969|3706821 said:Non-US citizens, please don't vote.
Vote in the other one for Non-Americans.
Then you should have followed these two statements with "no comments allowed below, this is strictly a poll only"
Dancing Fire|1404522134|3706998 said:That is our country's biggest problem now.redwood66|1404516737|3706964 said:Oldminer|1404508068|3706875 said:Listen to this great American and then vote.
http://www.greatamericans.com/video/Portraits-of-Valor-Roy-Benavide
Thank you for that. And I had already voted #10 before reading one response because that is exactly how I feel. There is no better place on earth than right here. Sure we have problems but so does everywhere else. We, DH and I, have made our own way and worked hard to be successful and thank God we can be or do whatever we strive to. Our sons can do the same once they decide they are finished serving our country. There are some things that give me pause - entitlement mentality and laziness on the part of many. Our government is not helping this at all. But that is for another thread.
And I absolutely believe in American Exceptionalism - the traditional belief that the United States is qualitatively different from other nation states.
stracci2000|1404527083|3707039 said:I feel very fortunate to live in the USA. I am thankful everyday.
Maybe the 2 people who think this is the "worst country" would rather be in North Korea, Syria or maybe Sudan.
monarch64 said:Born and bred USA citizen...I believe this country is no better, and no worse, than any other. Shocking, I know. Not sorry I never bought into all the propaganda.
And JillianFL: do you honestly think that every other country is comparing themselves to the USA? I rather doubt they even think about us. Know why I know that? Because I've visited other countries and have been told they couldn't care less. But please, enlighten us as to how every other country strives to be just like the U.S. I'm super intrigued.
monarch64|1404542896|3707130 said:Born and bred USA citizen...I believe this country is no better, and no worse, than any other. Shocking, I know. Not sorry I never bought into all the propaganda.
And JillianFL: do you honestly think that every other country is comparing themselves to the USA? I rather doubt they even think about us. Know why I know that? Because I've visited other countries and have been told they couldn't care less. But please, enlighten us as to how every other country strives to be just like the U.S. I'm super intrigued.