2

5/8/2008 1:54:22 PM

in my experience, in asian countries it varies HUGE between the big cities and rural ares (speaking of China and Japan here mainly from what I know, I dont know as much personally about the other counrties). Their big cities are on par with ours (hard to compare 1 to 1, but in general considering a different culture id say they are pretty much equal). But our rural areas are much farther advanced as far as living rather comfortably and with similar/same amenities as our big cities. Same goes for a lot of the middle eastern areas with extravagant big cities and extreme poverty everywhere else in the country.

Id say most of the "major" countries on Europe are pretty on par with us too. Thinking about it more, it is hard to compare and say we are "#1" but we're definitely in the very top tier, and certainly not behind anyone which is the most important.

5/8/2008 2:05:58 PM

yeah i think it is really hard to definitively argue that european major cities are backwards to US major cities. While paris may not have A/C in every building or have as much "modern" computing technology; I can pretty much walk into a clinic to receive treatment if i break my arm (not that i agree with universal health care) or get to any other urban city without using a car or incurring any major cost.

5/8/2008 2:11:04 PM

Human Development Index Ranks

1. Iceland 0.968 (? 1)
2. Norway 0.968 (? 1)
3. Australia 0.962 (?)
4. Canada 0.961 (? 2)
5. Ireland 0.959 (? 1)
6. Sweden 0.956 (? 1)
7. Switzerland 0.955 (? 2)
8. Japan 0.953 (? 1)
9. Netherlands 0.953 (? 1)
10. France 0.952 (? 6)
11. Finland 0.952 (?)
12. United States 0.951 (? 4)
13. Spain 0.949 (? 6)
14. Denmark 0.949 (? 1)
15. Austria 0.948 (? 1)
16. United Kingdom 0.946 (? 1)
17. Belgium 0.946 (? 4)
18. Luxembourg 0.944 (? 6)
19. New Zealand 0.943 (? 1)
20. Italy 0.941 (? 3)

If our rank continues its trend, we'll be out of the top twenty within four years.

I forgot why I mentioned China and India. That was really retarded, but at least the trolls are fed.

Screw all the materialistic BS in America, I wanna go somewhere that improves intellectual pursuits and adds to the global discourse.

I honestly wish I could get out of here, but I don't know anybody in Europe. All of my connections are out here. And I am out of cash. And I don't have a job. And America is in a recession.

5/8/2008 2:14:56 PM

Quote :

"I wanna go somewhere that improves intellectual pursuits and adds to the global discourse. "

Nearly all of that can be done with your own will if you seek it out. If you haven't been able to find it here, it means you havent looked hard enough. This probably means that you wont find it any better in whatever country you move to, especially already being out of school.

And, there is hardly any difference between us at 12th and Iceland at 1st if you see how they measure that index and then look at our scores. Very much a negligible difference amongst the majority of the "top" countries on their list. Certainly nothing that would cause you to step into iceland and all of a sudden have your life changed.

[Edited on May 8, 2008 at 2:21 PM. Reason : ]

5/8/2008 2:17:06 PM

5/8/2008 2:28:03 PM

^n00b.

"no linking from this host"

[Edited on May 8, 2008 at 2:41 PM. Reason : hotlinking FTW.]

5/8/2008 2:41:14 PM

I love America but I have to say that in my travel Switzerland is comparable. It was actually amazing to me to cross the border from Germany and see such a difference.

The rest of Western Europe is great if you are completely loaded as you could buy American style living in cities with a great urban core. However, if you have to work for a living things are not nearly as good.

One amazing thing about Europe, which probably tilts some academics, journalists, etc, is that being smart in Europe is like being rich in the US in terms of social admiration. Particularly in Germany and Eastern Europe where it seemed that being an intellectual was like being a pro athlete.

5/8/2008 3:21:08 PM

or a rapper

5/8/2008 3:22:12 PM

^^That's what I want.

I grew up in Prince George's County, Maryland (The new host site for MS-13) where it was all about brawn over brains.

Then I moved to fucking Wake County, North Carolina where it's all about superficiality over brains. And college was disappointingly an extension of that.

Fuck it, I'm just an angry person. I'll complain about anything.

[Edited on May 8, 2008 at 3:25 PM. Reason : I need to learn to type faster]

5/8/2008 3:25:01 PM

Quote :

"I wanna go somewhere that improves intellectual pursuits and adds to the global discourse."

That's available in the United States, you just need to find the right places. Prince George's County is hardly the place for that.

Quote :

"One amazing thing about Europe, which probably tilts some academics, journalists, etc, is that being smart in Europe is like being rich in the US in terms of social admiration. Particularly in Germany and Eastern Europe where it seemed that being an intellectual was like being a pro athlete."

I think this is a bit more nuanced. On one hand, most countries, not just in Europe but in Asia as well, place a very high status on academics, but that's not necessarily a good thing because it limits the ways to "succeed" to a very narrow definition. If anything, that's one of the strengths of the United States in that you don't have to fit a particular mold to be considered successful.

It's not like intellectuals in the United States are disrespected, chased by mobs with torches and pitchforks, or such. If anything, they're paid well compared to the general population and have near guaranteed job security once they are established.

5/8/2008 5:06:50 PM

Quote :

"good thing because it limits the ways to "succeed" to a very narrow definition."

how so?

if you are good at math you can make big $ being an engineer or banker

if you have really good people sales you can make big $$ being a salesman

if you have good logical reasoning skills and speaking skills you can make $$ being a lawyer

if you are really good at soccer you can become play for Manchester United and make $texas

5/8/2008 5:21:12 PM

Quote :

"The US is the best country in the world because of our endless appeals system"

Winner, winner, chicken dinner.

5/8/2008 5:28:24 PM

Quote :

"1. Iceland 0.968 (? 1) 2. Norway 0.968 (? 1) 3. Australia 0.962 (?) 4. Canada 0.961 (? 2) 5. Ireland 0.959 (? 1) 6. Sweden 0.956 (? 1) 7. Switzerland 0.955 (? 2) 8. Japan 0.953 (? 1) 9. Netherlands 0.953 (? 1) 10. France 0.952 (? 6) 11. Finland 0.952 (?) 12. United States 0.951 (? 4) 13. Spain 0.949 (? 6) 14. Denmark 0.949 (? 1) 15. Austria 0.948 (? 1) 16. United Kingdom 0.946 (? 1) 17. Belgium 0.946 (? 4) 18. Luxembourg 0.944 (? 6) 19. New Zealand 0.943 (? 1) 20. Italy 0.941 (? 3)"

i gotta admit, to some people, and from certain point of views, that's the most racist list you'll ever make.

you're saying ONLY WHITE PEOPLE HAVE GOOD DEVELOPMENT!!!??!? lol

5/8/2008 5:58:14 PM

Americans are overworked compared to most Western European Countries.

However thats how you get to the top and stay there. Take your pick.

5/8/2008 5:59:11 PM

^ If liberals had their way; americans would not have to work hard. We could sit on the couch getting free healthcare, as much food stamps as we want, a welfare check in the mail every week, and get gov't subsidized housing indefinitely with no encouragement to get a job.

5/8/2008 6:00:45 PM

^well that's a little extreme, but more than likely government programs would def be encouraged over private solutions

5/8/2008 6:04:34 PM

Quote :

"And I am out of cash. And I don't have a job. And America is in a recession. "

Maybe that's why you don't like America, because you have to work here to maintain a decent living. And no, it's not in a recession.

5/8/2008 6:08:04 PM

^ that is what i beleive programs like welfare are here for. Economy is doing shitty and Person A got laid off with kids at home needing support. However, your ass better be out handing resume's and spending your time during the day getting a job. Not watching ricky lake and drinking beer.



[Edited on May 8, 2008 at 6:16 PM. Reason : a]

5/8/2008 6:15:36 PM

Yall have made some good points but no one addressed America's Achilles heel, its Debt

its in debt up to its eyeballs and there are some things that could cripple our country, namely the middle east
so with respect to stability right now we are very vulnerable

also life is america consists of work work work, spend spend spend
i dont think that is the real american dream, so i have to say it is not the #1 country right now
but its only one reformation away from being #1 again

5/8/2008 8:19:38 PM

Quote :

" because clearly spending 25% of the budget on defense to give the military cool gadgets is reflective of the condition of the whole country. "

check your stats, retard


and I maintain that USA=#1 by a wide margin as a total package. there are other countries that are better at certain things, and some people with certain needs or desires would surely fare better elsewhere, but I think that the U.S. is the #1 stunna by a long shot, viewed as a total package.

5/8/2008 8:31:29 PM

america is like that commercial where the guy is on his riding law mower
bragging about his big house, fancy car, golf club membership, etc
then say, you wanna know how i did it?

im in debt up to my eyeballs....

that is how i see this country right now, and an event like 9/11 can bring us to the brink of having to face that fact, and if an event in the futre does, then we're all screwed

5/8/2008 8:37:20 PM

speaking of debt, i bought a lot of gold back in the day and i was pleased to recently find out that its up to like $900 an ounce and when i bought most of mine it was like $400 an ounce...i'm no gold standard proponent but i enjoyed that little investment hike!

5/8/2008 9:20:45 PM

I don't know about you, but my debt is completely manageable. So is my governments:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_public_debt

5/8/2008 9:22:04 PM

Quote :

"I remember when the US was the #1 country"

*sigh*

5/8/2008 9:55:36 PM

Quote :

"Then I moved to fucking Wake County, North Carolina where it's all about superficiality over brains"

what?

5/8/2008 10:10:35 PM

^Cary, NC

Most materialistic town ever. It's like being in LA only it sucks worse because there are no celebrities and no beach.

5/8/2008 11:07:11 PM

Quote :

"check your stats, retard"

Depending on how you count it, military spending amounts to 20-54% of the federal budget.

http://www.warresisters.org/pages/piechart.htm

5/8/2008 11:48:45 PM

Quote :

"Human Development Index Ranks"

Spontaneous

Could you post a link to the source of this index, which I hope includes the methodology used to develop the index? If I missed the link somewhere, my mistake.

5/9/2008 1:01:34 AM

^^^not as many mexicans though

5/9/2008 1:06:58 AM

After looking at the link on dept by nations I have one question:

Who the fuck is all that dept owed to? lol

5/9/2008 2:00:22 PM

You know, Cary, Raleigh, and Durham could all be said to be revolting, disgusting piles of shallow, materialistic yuppies whose only concern is themselves and their latest fad and their consumer mentality.

Of course, every city in the area has a part of town like that. There are a lot of neighborhoods like that. If you go around north raleigh, or cary, or some of the new districts around durham, you'll see a ton of crap like this.

Who gives a shit how those people live their lives? You can live in the same area and live according to a different standard. There are all kinds of people here, and you'll encounter all of them at different points in your life.

I used to be overly obsessed about how other people lived their lives, too. Now I only care if it affects how I live my life. My quality of life is quite excellent, all things considered. We have our problems like any other country, and I don't think that's really bumped us from the proper #1 spot yet.

5/9/2008 2:40:42 PM

dept?

or

Debt

5/9/2008 3:24:11 PM

Quote :

"Who the fuck is all that dept owed to? lol"

The spelling nazi's. they called and they want their 'p' back that you stole in exchange for a free 'b'.

5/9/2008 5:52:58 PM

Quote :

"Depending on how you count it, military spending amounts to 20-54% of the federal budget"

Whoops, my bad.

I had spending as a percentage of GPD on the brain, which is nowhere near 20%, and is pretty reasonable and comparable to other countries.

[Edited on May 9, 2008 at 6:54 PM. Reason : fasdf]

5/9/2008 6:54:18 PM

I do find it somewhat amusing when people get up in arms over military spending as a percentage of the federal budget. National defense is one of the few things re federal government is explicitly charged with, of course it will be a significant percentage.

5/9/2008 7:32:19 PM

yeah, i wasn't even going to start down that road. most people just don't give a shit about constitutionality, and the point hardly needs to be reinforced to those who do.

but yeah, you're right.

5/9/2008 7:42:00 PM

what else is the federal government in charge of?

5/9/2008 7:47:19 PM

google: enumerated powers; 10th Amendment

I know someone like nutsmackr is going to bring the creative reading comprehension and logic in here. To me, 90% of it is pretty clear cut, and we're really fucking the dog (and have been for a loooong time).

Shit, I think that we probably SHOULD expand the role of the fed gov't somewhat (nothing like what we have at the moment, though)--but damn, do it through the proper constitutional channels. Don't just say "this sucks--it's way too much of a pain in the ass!", and flat-out ignore the Constitution. It's a sucky asspain very much by design.

[Edited on May 9, 2008 at 8:02 PM. Reason : asfd]

5/9/2008 8:02:20 PM

Correct. It's supposed to be damn near impossible for the federal gov. to do things beyond the scope of it's designed powers, that's why things like the broad expansion of the interstate commerce clause is utter and complete bullshit.

5/9/2008 8:26:50 PM

Quote :

"could all be said to be revolting, disgusting piles of shallow, materialistic yuppies whose only concern is themselves and their latest fad and their consumer mentality."

Better than the parts of town i can not park my car w/o it getting broken into; walk down the street w/o getting mugged or bumping into a crack head.

5/9/2008 8:36:47 PM

^ Which I absolutely agree with. Just elaborating on the complaints about Cary being so consumer-oriented.

5/10/2008 2:44:55 PM

Correct, national defense isone of the few things that congress is charged with.

I honestly think though, that for our system to continue to function properly, state's are going to have to be given more leeway and authority to regulate some of the bigger issues.

California and Alabama don't see eye to eye on abortion and marijuana, so why exactly are both regulated by Federal laws?

The flexibility of a Federal democracy is the ability for local state's to adapt their laws to the values of their own people.

5/10/2008 3:21:01 PM

5/10/2008 3:46:05 PM

For the anti-American shitheads here and everywhere:

United Nations' World Food Programme Donors
Contributions to WFP in 2008 (in US$) as of 4 May

1 USA 362,728,240
2 Canada 103,770,270
3 United Nations 84,446,788
4 Japan 69,653,009
5 Sweden 61,290,322
6 Netherlands 54,231,878
7 Denmark 50,479,875
8 Italy 41,544,151
9 United Kingdom 36,014,081
10 European Commission 32,451,039

26 China 2,500,000



http://www.wfp.org/appeals/Wfp_donors/index.asp?section=3&sub_section=4

http://youtube.com/watch?v=73uHLQDSBYo

[Edited on May 10, 2008 at 5:15 PM. Reason : .]

5/10/2008 5:08:56 PM

Corrections of hooksaw's stupidity

1 United Nations 2.0154365%
2 Denmark 0.0161844%
3 Sweden 0.0134610%
4 Canada 0.0072458%
5 Netherlands 0.0070550%
6 USA 0.0026201%
7 Italy 0.0019739%
8 Japan 0.0015889%
9 United Kingdom 0.0012989%
10 European Commission 0.0001928%

(percentages are based off of GDP or (in the case of the UN, budget).

MY NAME IS HOOKSAW AND I'M A TOOL, DURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

[Edited on May 10, 2008 at 6:23 PM. Reason : .]

5/10/2008 6:20:20 PM

^ I simply posted what's on the UN Web site, you motherfucking bleeding-heart cunt--the figure was obviously in real dollars. I guess the United States' position of number one in WFP donations doesn't fit with your hate-America narrative, huh? Awww. If you don't like it, (1) contact the UN or (2) shove it up your undoubtedly well-traveled asshole.

Please die in a fucking house fire. I hope you'll be visiting LostClues at the time and we'll get a two-fer.

JUST FOR YOU. . . . . .you fucking piece of shit.

[Edited on May 10, 2008 at 6:33 PM. Reason : .]

5/10/2008 6:31:42 PM

whoa there big guy

i post the realness, and you lose your shit

get a fucking clue

5/10/2008 6:32:31 PM

oh and



dosapfjadspoifjasdopijfd, DURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

lol

5/10/2008 6:33:04 PM