Hi Denise, long time we have not talked!
I'm not Bill Ryan but i would like to comment on this a bit, if you don't mind
As a compass yes, but not in the way that it seems, most people who reference the American way, and are not aligned to it, reference it as 'not the way to go' so it does work as a compass, but to point in the opposite direction. There are lots of countries in the world, but only a few follow America. And the ones that don't are exposed as 'brutal regimes'. Look at what's about to happen in Africa. Most top level countries over there are soon to be displayed as 'anti-american' and therefore 'anti-democracy and freedom', but of those, the ones that change their mind and align to the US, will immediately be taken off the list of 'brutal regimes'. It's a very limited set of options for them, Either they become pro-american or they end up like Libya. See?Posted by Denise/Dizi (here)
I find it interesting that the world tends to use America as it's compass for everything.
The world that lives outside the bubble doesn't believe America is the most advanced nation in the world, take India for example, it provides a lot, and i mean 'A LOT' of the engineering that the US uses to move forward, so in a true way, it is India who is moving the world forward. The US is paying for the incredible minds that India has produces over the past decades. But even if the US says "Built in America" they miss to say "By Indian Engineers". There's the catchBecause I have not traveled to other countries, I wanted to ask you Bill, does the rest of the world believe that America is the most free, (if there is such a thing anymore) and most advanced nation in the world? And why do they believe this?
The US has a record of killing more civilians than most 'free' countries in the entire planet, they also have a record of most civilians being in jail than any other country on this planet. And you have a chance to get killed by a cop in the US that goes way beyond any other 'civilized' country once again, in the entire planet. So i don't know how you can be free to walk down the street as you can just check any news channel and there was a shooting at some random school or neighborhood at any time any day. I guess it depends, but in global, you have a greater chance to die in Chicago than in Mexico City, East LA or Shanghai at any timeI am just curious if the rest of the world truly is "behind America" when it comes to personal freedoms, and such. (Meaning they wish they were more like America)... I would hope other nations have similar abilities to walk freely down their streets, work and have a personal life as most Americans have.
All the rest of the world, like 80+ percent that doesn't belong to the 'international community' also called 'the west', does not think America is something better, they refuse to accept the meddling and often times they pay for it with a coup and blood of their own citizens. As it has been proven lately by the actions of corrupt governments around Latin America and so onOf course other things are also considered, but what are the catalysts that make others see America as something "Better"? It just seems to me that if everyone loves (Or hates) America, and what it stands for, then of course the first time they get something wrong, it would also then become the first criticized...
There is a lot more than America represents, but i can and will tell you this. It's been a long time since your ideals, which i respect much because they align a lot with mine as well, are represented or worked/pushed forward by your government
The US government does not represent the US citizens, since very very long ago
I'm sorry i reply to your comment, but i had to say something
I don't think that America, the one that i respect a lot and see as a kind of ideal place, and like you said, where you can walk down the street with full freedom., exists anymore
If you get stopped by a cop, and you refuse to get searched or ask why or get bothered by it, then you may die. Why? They were afraid for their lives even when they pushed you around, incited and provoked a reaction. But it's within the law so it's fine and your death is not a reason to change anything
Is that freedom? You can't park your broken car outside your home for long or it's against the law, is that freedom? I can park my car outside my home until it rots to hell, no one will ask. It is my home and it is my car. You can't, this is your freedom vs my version of freedom
I can have my home remodeled and add a second floor at any time i want, or completely tear down the house and build a new one inside my land, and i won't pay anyone for it, as i will do it on my own hiring private company or people and can you do that in your neighborhood?
What is 'freedom' then?
Let your garden grow potatoes and carrots and lemons and plant a tree with oranges and then gather rain water, can you disconnect from the electric line while having kids? Or you will get visited by the gov to check what's going on? Pay a ticket for that or risk getting your kids getting taken away if you disconnect from electric and water?
I can do all of that without any repercussions, and i don't have any debt to the gov because of it
What is freedom again?
ETA: Adding this, because this is what freedom means to me, in general
I can walk to any place around my town, and every block or so there is one of this
I can get a truck over there and fill tons of gallons of water and then take them home, and these are free. This is what 'freedom' means for me. I don't need to pay for clean water
People does check with a small test device is the water is not pure or clean enough for drinking, but otherwise you can fix that with some pills or other means. The thing is, the water was completely free and you take any amount you want and then go home
For me, that's what 'freedom' means. You still have water at home in the pipes, but if that goes out or if you go into the mountains or on a long trip and want to gather water into bottles or similar, then you get better pressure from those faucets than from the home ones, and then you go on to your trip. Also if you want to cut off the water from the water company just do it and then you can go every day or two and fill in water from those faucets for free and no one will bother to ask or complain, not even the cops. It's there for you to take as you need
I saw this about some towns in the US, how is this even reasonable? We live in very different worlds. I think i said that before, and i'm not being arrogant about it or anything like that, it's just how things are
Just watch this, how can this be acceptable? I get pure water from a random pipe "for free" (paid by everyone's taxes, as expected), but these people pay for water monthly and can't even get reasonable drinking water at home? What is this?