Post: #1

"The United States is my alcoholic brother. And although I will always love him, I don’t want to be near him at the moment."


http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-07-15...ut-america

What do you guys think of this article?

Post: #2

I'll add: We are not a democracy. Most Americans don't understand that. America is a constitutional republic. Big difference.

Post: #3

Where America is on a map.

Post: #4

This has been posted here already. Multiple times I think.

Post: #5

Quote:In dating, when I find a woman attractive, I almost always walk right up to her and tell her that a) I wanted to meet her, and b) she’s beautiful. In America, women usually get incredibly nervous and confused when I do this. They’ll make jokes to defuse the situation or sometimes ask me if I’m part of a TV show or something playing a prank. Even when they’re interested and go on dates with me, they get a bit disoriented when I’m so blunt with my interest. Whereas, in almost every other culture approaching women this way is met with a confident smile and a “Thank you.”

Bullshit detected...
Has this dude ever been laid in the US?

Open a chick by telling her she's beautiful and you "wanted to meet her" and you can look forward to a fulfilling night of masturbating alone.

Post: #6

This is probably not going to make me popular here but hey, free speech.

I agree with probably everything on the list and would like to add something. America is a first world country with second world, sometimes third world infrastructure. As many here know, I have traveled extensively around the world so it's fair to say I can see the difference. The US is light years behind in rail roads traffic compared to a (few) dozen countries.
Most of the sidewalks, bridges, underground subways here are busted up, something I expect in south east Asia, Southern Europe or South America but not here in the States.

Especially internet and mobile phone service is bad. It's ridiculous that I barely have a signal or have to go outside in the open to make a phone call.
I have a Samsung S3 with a unlimited T-mobile contract and live in the middle of LA and can almost see the antennas next to the Hollywood sign yet I'm not even able to make a decent phone call or even send a message without having to go in the open.
Sorry but even in the dozens of dirt poor third world countries I've been I have always been able to call and text anytime. Even in the Indonesian jungle.

I see billboards here promoting 4G but even 3G barely works here while in Holland 4G is already on full blast in a moving train at speeds of 100 or 200 miles an hour.

If the US spent half their military budget on infrastructure it would be the most advanced and modern country in the world.

Post: #7

(07-18-2013 01:43 PM)Teedub Wrote:  Where America is on a map.

Hahaha It is actually 55% of citizens can't locate the USA on a world map.

Post: #8

(07-18-2013 02:12 PM)Katatonic Wrote:  

(07-18-2013 01:43 PM)Teedub Wrote:  Where America is on a map.

Hahaha It is actually 55% of citizens can't locate the USA on a world map.

I've heard that, but it can't really be true can it? I mean, that would mean 55% of Americans are more stupid than anyone I've ever, ever encountered!

Post: #9

(07-18-2013 01:48 PM)speakeasy Wrote:  This has been posted here already. Multiple times I think.

Yeah.

/thread-14346.html

/thread-14347.html

Post: #10

(07-18-2013 02:15 PM)Teedub Wrote:  

(07-18-2013 02:12 PM)Katatonic Wrote:  

(07-18-2013 01:43 PM)Teedub Wrote:  Where America is on a map.

Hahaha It is actually 55% of citizens can't locate the USA on a world map.

I've heard that, but it can't really be true can it? I mean, that would mean 55% of Americans are more stupid than anyone I've ever, ever encountered!

I had someone ask me the other day if the sun or the moon was closer to earth. If you spent a month here making small talk, you'd accept any of those statistics without hesitation. When I first heard about the USA on a world map poll, my first thought was, "that many(45%) can point us out on a blank world map? Bullshit."

Post: #11

I agree about weak infrastructure in America.Airports, railways, metros, buses, phone lines are way behind Europe.Generally metros, buses are considered in USA for poor people who cannot afford a car while in Europe many super rich circulate with bicycles (in Germanic countries the culture is to hide your wealth).Generally in USA what has to do with public (public buses, public schools etc) sucks the reason are probably the low taxes.Private on the other hand is better than European private.US in general lacks standards (you can find any quality at any price,in Europe you cannot find the cheap low quality because there are legal standards).

The basic law of Germanic countries are the standards and the forbid of competition.(it is generally forbidden to sell similar products at lower prices next to other shop and it is forbidden to sell below cost).

Post: #12

^

Honestly? That is fucking abysmal. What an awful education system there must be? How does a First World nation produce so many morons?

Post: #13

The top American schools are top in the world.It is the average that falls behind but generally they do not care for the average they care for the top.In Europe they want to have a standardized competent average.

Post: #14

(07-18-2013 02:12 PM)Katatonic Wrote:  

(07-18-2013 01:43 PM)Teedub Wrote:  Where America is on a map.

Hahaha It is actually 55% of citizens can't locate the USA on a world map.

Watz a map?

Post: #15

You think it's about not "spending enough"? Hah.

Think again.

All those unions... it adds up...

Post: #16

We spend more money per student in the USA than all but a few countries, yet we keep churning out the most ignorant fucks in the western world. The left makes the ridiculous argument that if the teachers were to receive a salary hike, our scores would somehow sky rocket. A close look at India and China should dispel that bullshit. Thomas Sowell has identified one of the reasons:

"The problem isn't that Johnny can't read. The problem isn't even that Johnny can't think. The problem is that Johnny doesn't know what thinking is; he confuses it with feeling."

Look at the arguments of both the Zimmerman case and any thread dealing with a political topic in this forum. There are a ton of people feeling when they should be thinking.

Post: #17

Sorry Kamaki, my "^" thing was to Katatonik, not you.

Post: #18

(07-18-2013 02:50 PM)Katatonic Wrote:  We spend more money per student in the USA than all but a few countries, yet we keep churning out the most ignorant fucks in the western world. The left makes the ridiculous argument that if the teachers were to receive a salary hike, our scores would somehow sky rocket. A close look at India and China should dispel that bullshit. Thomas Sowell has identified one of the reasons:

"The problem isn't that Johnny can't read. The problem isn't even that Johnny can't think. The problem is that Johnny doesn't know what thinking is; he confuses it with feeling."

Look at the arguments of both the Zimmerman case and any thread dealing with a political topic in this forum. There are a ton of people feeling when they should be thinking.

Great points. +1

Post: #19

(07-18-2013 02:26 PM)Greek kamaki Wrote:  (in Germanic countries the culture is to hide your wealth).

It used to be much the same in the United States, believe it or not.

Post: #20

Post: #21

(07-18-2013 02:55 PM)Teedub Wrote:  

(07-18-2013 02:50 PM)Katatonic Wrote:  We spend more money per student in the USA than all but a few countries, yet we keep churning out the most ignorant fucks in the western world. The left makes the ridiculous argument that if the teachers were to receive a salary hike, our scores would somehow sky rocket. A close look at India and China should dispel that bullshit. Thomas Sowell has identified one of the reasons:

"The problem isn't that Johnny can't read. The problem isn't even that Johnny can't think. The problem is that Johnny doesn't know what thinking is; he confuses it with feeling."

Look at the arguments of both the Zimmerman case and any thread dealing with a political topic in this forum. There are a ton of people feeling when they should be thinking.

Great points. +1

Not just teachers though, we have tons of horrible parents who think school is daycare. The whole system is fucked up. Parents want to be little Johnny's friend rather than his parent.

I read a business article once and it said no everyone can be CEO (duh). But the point was not everyone of these people is meant to be a big contributor in the world. I would like everyone to be educated, but without the idiots how does big business sell them things they don't need?

Post: #22

Jeez, so much self hate and loathing.

Ok, so we have some boobie deficits.

But the other stuff?

Infrastructure? Rails are dead for anything other then trainloads of commodities (coal, steel etc). everyone else moves everything by road cheaply and efficiently. Public transport is meaningless in most parts of the country.

If you take out the ghettos from the equation, schools aren't that bad. In STEM fields we are actually way up there.

Class isn't a factor like in other countries, you can move around easily (physically and socially). Economy sucks if you are just wanting to sit on your ass in a cube. There is still lots of opportunity (most of the people sh*ting on that think we should be more like Europe with high taxes, healthcare, high fuel costs, crappy public transport).

Starting a business in russia? Look up what roofs are. I doubt its all that different in china.

Its not like the Europeans are all nobel prize winners, much less china or else where in SEA.

There is a reason why people want to come here.

Post: #23

(07-18-2013 04:16 PM)ms224 Wrote:  Its not like the Europeans are all nobel prize winners, much less china or else where in SEA.

There is a reason why people want to come here.

I have no problem criticizing what's wrong with the USA. On the other hand I feel beyond blessed to have been born here. No other developed country/culture I've been exposed to has had as much entrepreneurial spirit as we do here, even with the majority of citizens turning in to mindless entitled sheep with no sense of self-sufficiency.

Post: #24

(07-18-2013 02:32 PM)Greek kamaki Wrote:  The top American schools are top in the world.It is the average that falls behind but generally they do not care for the average they care for the top.In Europe they want to have a standardized competent average.

Grade inflation.

When partners with the top program in my field for school for a joint project the upper years barley knew stuff we learned in the first semester, first year.

Education elsewhere is superior. The USA curves and inflates grades to keep faulty prestige that lures International students to pay 80k a year to study there. 3.0 in America is barley a 2.0 in Canada, many Americans struggle if they come up here for school and wee aren't even that far ahead of them (still way behind Europe).

Post: #25

(07-18-2013 02:11 PM)Neil Skywalker Wrote:  This is probably not going to make me popular here but hey, free speech.

I agree with probably everything on the list and would like to add something. America is a first world country with second world, sometimes third world infrastructure. As many here know, I have traveled extensively around the world so it's fair to say I can see the difference. The US is light years behind in rail roads traffic compared to a (few) dozen countries.
If the US spent half their military budget on infrastructure it would be the most advanced and modern country in the world.

That is true but it's good to keep in mind that after World War II most European Nations did not spend over 2% of their GDP on the military. This isn't because they suddenly changed their priorities, although that did happen a bit, but it's because the US took over the responsibility of protecting that region through NATO. Therefore they could focus on improving their infrastructure and all that. With that said now that the cold war is over there is no reason for america to spend 20% of its GDP on military expenditure even if it is still taking the military burden from Europe.