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AtheosEmanon — America is not number 1 by-nd

Published: 2012-06-07 16:01:57 +0000 UTC; Views: 23666; Favourites: 349; Downloads: 27
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Description Numbers are up to date as of June 7, 2012 when this was posted ..
[Disclaimer: These words herein are mine and shall only be attributed to me. I am a liberal, a progressive, and a democratic socialist ...yet I do not speak for anyone else other than myself so I ask that my words not be attributed to anyone but me.

With that, I do not expect everyone to agree with this piece [and expect it to ruffle some feathers, especially if they just read the stamp without reading the following piece and then just run with it having only read the stamp]

The numbers below are the most recent at the time of the original Post about the State of these United States of America and I am sure may change at a later time.




While when I say that we are not number 1 based on my views I generally get the usual, you hate America, you should move elsewhere… which makes me think one of my favorite H. L. Mencken quotes

"The notion that a radical is one who hates his country is naive and usually idiotic. He is, more likely, one who loves his country more than the rest of us, and is thus more disturbed than the rest of us when he sees it debauched. He is not a bad citizen turning to crime; he is a good citizen driven to despair."--- H.L. Mencken

This stamp came from my seeing two people arguing that their countries are number one and anyone who disagrees were stupid. So they were arguing in circles, and since I am an America, this country is great, but I am of the view no nation is number 1, but if you do believe that, then there are certainly things within our country that should be addressed if you believe that view.


I personally fail to see how saying your country is not number 1 shows a hatred for it, … and the notion that if you love a country, as I do that you should leave it rather than try to change it has been challenged here:
This is America, love it...or change it
atheosemanon.deviantart.com/ar…

“Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge: it is those who know little, not those who know much, who so positively assert that this or that problem will never be solved by science.”
Charles Darwin

America is a great country, I will never deny that, it has been through a lot in its short 230+ year history, but the idea that we are the “greatest” country in the world… makes me take reservation with such… or rather makes me question the validity of the people saying this.

Would the greatest country in the world have 150,000 people dying each and every year because of a lack of medical coverage?

… up 300% from the early 90s study of 45K Americans dying each year. This is bothersome because as the nation’s population has grown only 34% in this time you would expect a 34-40% increase in deaths to go with the population increase, but instead you have seen a 300% increase in deaths due to a lack of medical coverage.
monthlyreview.org/2003/09/01/t…
www.urban.org/uploadedpdf/4115…
www.pnhp.org/excessdeaths/heal…

now, some states are better at it than others and for that I do commend them
www.americashealthrankings.org…

Yet as a nation, we have 50.7 million Americans as of the 2010 census that have no health insurance at all…
That is 1/6 of our nation that is without health care…
To the optimist they will say, but.. it is great that 5/6 of our country has health insurance!!!

… but to me, the pragmatic realist, that is little comfort to the 50 million people without health insurance… it is little comfort to the sick to say those people have insurance and you do not; just as it is little comfort to the starving to point to someone with food.

To harp or rather step on the last sentence of the previous sentence, this week America learned some horrifying news, that America is now second in Child poverty rates, following only Romania, in developed countries… is this a mere blemish on our greatness that in such a rich nation we are second of all developed countries in child poverty rates? I say to you it is more than a mere blemish it is a great disgrace of the ages, because in our modern politics, any ounce of help has been marked as collectivist communism!!!
voices.yahoo.com/unicef-us-has… www.unicef.org/socialpolicy/in… www.upi.com/Top_News/World-New… www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05… www.communitychange.org/page/s…

With 50 million Americans currently living below the poverty rates, can we truly claim greatness, as previously stated, to the optimist they will harp on 5/6 not being in poverty, but that is little comfort to those in poverty.

www.census.gov/newsroom/releas… thinkprogress.org/economy/2011… www.nationofchange.org/50-mill… www.marketplace.org/topics/wea…

come on, surely we can do better than this, when did apathy become a governing strategy? When did compromise become an impossible position in our nation’s politics? When did the distasteful thing of greed become something to be modeled after?

… now on to how we treat our veterans.
As someone who comes from a large military family I feel it would be a disservice if I did not discuss this.

We also learned from Army Times a military newspaper
www.armytimes.com/news/2010/04…

That 18 soldiers commit suicide each and every day, what we also found out from DOD papers is that it can take months from when a soldier requests mental help, to when they actually do it. Really? They make that bold step to admit they need help… and you tell them that they must wait for months and this, is the nation I am supposed to grant greatness to the title of best in the world?

Like poverty, and the uninsured, and more importantly like soldiers.. to have people who have fought for this country now dying in greater numbers by their own hands than on the battlefield is a disgrace.

We can surely do better than this but as with all things… they have become so partisan that things that used to be a quick five minute SURE yes vote … now takes hours, days and weeks and then gets filibustered and generally does not pass because of that dumb fuck 60 vote rule which was not the intention of the filibuster to be used on every single bill. FOR THE RECORD: I am not speaking of just Republicans, it seems whichever party is in the minority calls it because they know they do not have a majority so trying to raise the bar from 51… to 60 makes it that much more harder… and the people wait…and wait… and wait hoping that their representatives represent their interest when in reality, with few exceptions on both sides, they are beholden to special interest groups who can give the most money…

.. now to hop onto my next subject of issue..
Prisons, .. America now houses more of its citizens than any country on earth, America spends more on its prisons than it does on its schools.

In California we learned that they spend nearly 50K per year per inmate … vs just around 9000 on each student in the public school system. … nationally America spends around 40K per inmate, and around 10K per year, per student [which is gathered when you look at the census of kids of school ages, then add federal and state spending on education and divided by kids of school ages…]

This is a great tragedy that what we spend on four Public school students per year… is equal to what we spend on ONE inmate on average per year [sadly and before anyone says my state spends this, this is an average, it takes what all states spend and then averages it out, so yes, the average will be higher than some smaller states]

We can reform our drug laws to decriminalize certain drugs, though I am for legalization of marijuana and decriminalization of all other drugs. Because as discussed in several pieces in my gallery, decriminalization, rather than sending someone to prison where they will more than likely still have access to their drug of choice it sends them to a drug treatment center which many studies have shown it costs less and has a higher success rate than prison..

But on the prison front, we should implement as many states have GED programs, trade classes etc because also many states have shown us that when you have these programs the recidivism rate goes down greatly. Many studies have shown us that if you get your GED in prison you are a lot less likely to return, if you pick up a trade in prison through a job program you almost never return to prison … and yet these programs are being cut why?

Not because they do not work, but because they claim it is not in the budget which experts says that is a lie because if these programs cut down recidivism rates, then they are in actuality saving you money… but the real reason is prison owners, … if you have less people coming to prison that is less money in their pockets which is why you have them donating millions of dollars to both sides of the isle to keep certain things illegal or to make penalties a bit stiffer.

Now I will discuss gay rights,
Would the greatest country in the world allow the rights of minority to be placed under the oppression of a majority vote? We tried this before… it failed. What if we allowed the rights of blacks to be voted on state by state… I would guess that half of the states would have not allowed desegregation, would not have allowed interracial marriage .. and gay rights are civil rights .


Finally I will discuss education,
When America invested heavily in education, as far as per student and overall, you saw lower cases of poverty, you saw less people on governmental programs, you saw the American job market booming, you saw a strong middle class,… as we cut education more and more you see rises in poverty, you see more people dependent on government programs, you see the jobs being shipped at faster rates overseas because of the cheap labor and inability of our force to do the jobs..

I am sure I will get the but we spend more on education which for the unenlightened person will go yeah but yea… um, OF COURSE we spend more on education than we did 20 years ago, there are about 20 million new students going to school so of course you will see an increase in spending.

Charter schools: While many are proponents of charter schools I am not.
Why are charter schools so good? BECAUSE they are doing what experts have been telling public schools to do for decades:
Small Class sizes, a wider array of subjects..

But whenever we., people ask state/federal funds to renovate every school to try and allow for smaller class sizes .. it has to be put up to a congressional vote and with politics since the 80s being so stagnated and partisan nothing gets done.

I personally am of the view that no nation is number 1, because we will have to look at individual things to see which nation does this or that better. Yet if a nation wishes to call it else the number 1 nation in the world, yet lacks or falls behind many nations on the social and economic front of its people then I am unsure how a nation can earnestly state such. Every nation or all people within nations like to say MY COUNTRY IS THE GREATEST, okay but by what measure of greatness are they measuring by? I say again, America is a great country, no one, or rather I do not discount that and its ability or the possibility at which it can be better - but I am just not one of the view of AMERICA NUMBER ONE!!!! .. because there are great social and economic issues at which this country must address before I ascribe it to that, but others, as with all things will have their view.

Everyone will have their view on this, that is fine by me. It is no skin off my back if someone wants to go around running WE'RE NUMBER ONE!!!!!! NUMBER ONE!!! Have at it, I am just asking how can we address things within our society, at which we have the ability to change but seemingly, either because our politicians do not want to, or the people have not been risen to care enough about this or that subject to try and change it. That is what I focus on to be honest, I have been around this beautiful world a number of times, so I just focus on what is ailing a society, and how best can we fix it and address that issue without the constant what I call "International dick swinging contests".

So, in closing, America has the ability to be the greatest country in the world if that is one's aim., I believe we do have the ability to address the issues within our society, and the means to do so but until we set aside the partisan bickering, the special interest, the secret political donations etc… then we will only go down a further and further road of what we have now…


==========---------=======
Random Quotes writing this made me think of:
"It is only by setting out on just principles that men are trained to be just to each other; and it will always be found, that when the rich protect the rights of the poor, the poor will protect the property of the rich."
-Thomas Paine

“'Tis the business of little minds to shrink; but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death.”
-Thomas Paine

“I view things as they are, without regard to place or person; my country is the world, and my religion is to do good.”
-Thomas Paine

"If you want to make enemies, try to change something."
-Woodrow Wilson

"Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort."
-Franklin D. Roosevelt

"Our American values are not luxuries but necessities—not the salt in our bread, but the bread itself. Our common vision of a free and just society is our greatest source of cohesion at home and strength abroad—greater than the bounty of our material blessings."
-Jimmy Carter

"Recognizing and confronting our history is important. Transcending our history is essential. We are not limited by what we have done, or what we have left undone. We are limited only by what we are willing to do."
-George W. Bush

"Whoever controls the volume of money in any country is absolute master of all industry and commerce.
-James Garfield

"You can fool all of the people some of the time, and some of the people all of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time."
-Abraham Lincoln

"One man with courage is a majority."
-Thomas Jefferson

"Above all, tell the truth."
-Grover Cleveland

"I offer nothing more than simple facts, plain arguments, and common sense."
-Thomas Paine
[My favorite founding father and one of the most underappreciated founders]

================--------------================
Credits and Additions:
Songs listened to while typing
Check out my hippie playlist atheosemanon.deviantart.com/ar…

Collection of Artists: We are the world: www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzDCBg…

Yusuf Islam: Peace Train: www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlHOV5…
^^one of my favorite songs… probably listen to it too much…

Bernice Johnson Reagon: Ella’s song: www.bernicejohnsonreagon.com/ number 7 on the playlist
Tracy Chapman: Talking about a revolution: www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rZbvi…
Nina Simone: I wish I knew how it would feel to be free: www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TarrS…

Lyle Lovett : If I had a boat: www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtHYzc…
^^Don’t ask me why this song, since I saw “The Interpreter” and Sean Penn kept playing it this song stays stuck in my head now..

While I am an atheist, this is my favorite “Christmas” song:
Stevie Wonder: Someday at Christmas: www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZ1-du…


Other pieces to check out:
Anti-American Me: atheosemanon.deviantart.com/ar…
Not fiscally conservative, fiscally pragmatic atheosemanon.deviantart.com/ar…
Leftist Pragmatism vs. Rightist Idealism atheosemanon.deviantart.com/ar…
My political ideologies: atheosemanon.deviantart.com/ar…
Liberals and gun ownership: atheosemanon.deviantart.com/ar…
Why socialism? atheosemanon.deviantart.com/ar…
Pure socialism vs democratic socialism atheosemanon.deviantart.com/ar…


Gay Rights:
Gay rights in America I: atheosemanon.deviantart.com/ar…
Gay rights in America II: atheosemanon.deviantart.com/ar…
Debate with an “ex gay” Christian convert: atheosemanon.deviantart.com/ar…
Gay is the New Black. my opinion: atheosemanon.deviantart.com/ar…

Influence map: atheosemanon.deviantart.com/ar…
An atheist on theism & atheism: atheosemanon.deviantart.com/ar…
Declaration of truth: atheosemanon.deviantart.com/ar…
What it means to be an atheist: atheosemanon.deviantart.com/ar…
Atheist leftist answers your questions...:
atheosemanon.deviantart.com/ar…
An atheist debates an atheist on theism: atheosemanon.deviantart.com/ar…

Abortion pieces:
[main piece] Abortion: atheosemanon.deviantart.com/ar…
Abortion stamp 1: atheosemanon.deviantart.com/ar…
Abortion stamp 2: atheosemanon.deviantart.com/ar…

Check my gallery for other pieces.

As always comrades,
Let knowledge be that truth, which portrays humanity, condemns malevolence; that respects the differences in others while abandoning the hatred and misconceptions of the past.
-Emanon

Related content
Comments: 1102

Dragonnerd445 In reply to ??? [2018-04-03 00:17:15 +0000 UTC]

Yeah....

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

DemonTaka In reply to Dragonnerd445 [2018-11-17 15:29:38 +0000 UTC]

Let me see. We always hear "WE ARE IN DEBT" "WE CANT DO THIS, WE HAVE TO LOWER THE DEBT FIRST" Umm. No you don't. You don't have to lower the debt to build new high-tech millitary tanks or something else you wanna do. Hello? YOU'RE THE GOVERNMENT. YOU MAKE THE MONEY. You play with negative money with other countries, 'cause they too are in debt. That's what you do.

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

CL0UDZZ In reply to ??? [2018-03-18 10:35:49 +0000 UTC]

No country is the "best". They all have problems..

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AtheosEmanon In reply to CL0UDZZ [2018-03-18 13:14:14 +0000 UTC]

I agree, some countries may be better on this or that. Though the point was the stamp was more, as the text under it says, was for those going RAH RAH AMERICA NUMBER 1...  and yet America being late 20-30s on education, 17th on healthcare,.. we are number 1 in prison population and defense spending so I guess that balances it out ..eh..no

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CL0UDZZ In reply to AtheosEmanon [2018-03-18 15:03:39 +0000 UTC]

I'm not surprised at the education. Its horrific. Also have you seen the healthcare? I'm sure there's good doctors and it might be a regional thing since I live in ""new"" mexico. But the doctors are just communistic idiots who give you basically poison so that way, you keep coming back and paying another 100$.
I'm an American myself. And honestly, I say this country is going to shit.

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DemonTaka In reply to CL0UDZZ [2018-11-17 15:30:31 +0000 UTC]

Nope. That's Everywhere.

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AtheosEmanon In reply to CL0UDZZ [2018-03-19 15:48:56 +0000 UTC]

America being one of, if not the only major industrial nation that does not provide healthcare as a right. Germany got its healthcare as a right in 1880s and here we are over 130 years late and still have not gotten it. So we pay more for what are comparable rates.

Our class sizes are too large, and given the low pay of teachers many are not going into that field.

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

coolcommiecats In reply to ??? [2018-03-01 00:12:46 +0000 UTC]

north korea is

👍: 0 ⏩: 2

kimjongangryplz In reply to coolcommiecats [2018-03-11 02:34:05 +0000 UTC]

You get a cookie  

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

coolcommiecats In reply to kimjongangryplz [2018-03-31 16:10:13 +0000 UTC]

scrumptious 

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

AtheosEmanon In reply to coolcommiecats [2018-03-01 17:22:28 +0000 UTC]

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

DIA-Operative In reply to ??? [2018-02-18 20:58:11 +0000 UTC]

And yet, every nation that claimed to be superior to our own has either collapsed (Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union) or is incredibly impoverished and poor (North Korea and Iran).

Oh, and try going to China or North Korea and saying their countries suck and see where that gets you, just try.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

AtheosEmanon In reply to DIA-Operative [2018-02-19 02:35:05 +0000 UTC]

... did you read the piece or just seen the stamp and ran?

The text of the piece tells specifically I am referring to economic mobility, education, healthcare, .. this was written in 2012 so the gay rights part, with respect to marriage no longer applies since it was made nationally legal in 2015

It speaks of doing away with the bullshit pumping of our chest of RAH RAH WE ARE NUMBER 1.. when 50 million Americans have food insecurity, when we are the only Western industrial nation at which people go bankrupt over medical bills, housing 25 %of all of the world's prisoners etc

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

DIA-Operative In reply to AtheosEmanon [2018-02-22 22:45:35 +0000 UTC]

Yes, I did, and I digress.

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maggie-louisa In reply to ??? [2018-01-28 04:18:55 +0000 UTC]

proUD TO BE AN AMERICAN
eats burger






shit im making fun of my own culture uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

maggie-louisa In reply to maggie-louisa [2018-01-28 04:20:18 +0000 UTC]

guys india and china are taking over!!!1!

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

TeslatheDog In reply to ??? [2017-11-16 02:33:20 +0000 UTC]

“Chyna” is now number one, and we’re number two (💩) Deal with it.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

AtheosEmanon In reply to TeslatheDog [2017-11-17 14:59:38 +0000 UTC]

I enjoyed the wrestler.

China is certainly on a good start to being a global empire when you look at their African interests and Middle East

Though the piece was more America addressing its shortcomings, at which we currently are not

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

InexorableWinter In reply to ??? [2017-10-05 19:04:19 +0000 UTC]

*Cough

 Best Military in Human History 

*Cough

 Highest Quality of Life 

*Cough 

No country is perfect

*Cough

But America will always be numeber 1

*Cough 

That's why we can sustain having 300+ Million population and not be a third world country

*Cough

This is an opinion

*Cough

More of a fact, but you get it

👍: 0 ⏩: 2

Kittcat99 In reply to InexorableWinter [2018-02-03 20:13:10 +0000 UTC]

*cough
highest number of people taken to jail per year
*cough
higher amount of money to pay for having a child
*cough
the most obesity in the world
*cough
The most patriotic ((i know i cant spell)) country in the world
*cough
this isn't an opinion these are actual facts look 'em up
*cough


so... uh...nice weather we're havin'!



(( this was a joke dont kill me ;-; ))

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

AtheosEmanon In reply to InexorableWinter [2017-10-06 14:43:17 +0000 UTC]

Yes, America has a strong military

America actually does not have the highest quality of life on Earth
www.usnews.com/news/best-count…
www.businessinsider.com/happie…

"This is an opinion

*Cough

More of a fact, but you get it"
The quality of life part was not a "fact", no country being perfect is a fact.. "America will always be number 1".. is also not a fact if you are not saying in the grand scheme in what exactly? Education? healthcare? prison population? etc..


Though the point of the piece, if one has actually read the text, was saying what I wish America would address within its borders

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

InexorableWinter In reply to AtheosEmanon [2017-10-06 14:53:23 +0000 UTC]

Okay well, when I said "America will always be number 1" That was my personal opinion.

And yes, I know that The United States is not ranked #1 in the world for HDI. I'm aware that another country has been ranked higher than us in quality of life, and I'm not going to be an extremist and throw out a bunch of ignorance and insults saying how that isn't true, because experts have researched into this and I understand. (Still though, The US's HDI is configured as "Very High")

Now- I know that The US's has many of issues, like I said, no country is perfect, I'm not saying we are absolutely perfect and I'm fully aware of these major issues plaguing her.

However, I will 100% disagree with you on something. Trust me on this, I'm not going to be radical or insult you or anything, I'm going to simply hope you'll understand me on this.

The United States of America has the single handily most powerful military ever to exist on this Earth. It is unrivaled and in Modern and past history. I've put many of many hours into research of my own time on Modern Military and Political researches, mostly because it interests me, and I know for a fact that we have the #1 military in the world.

Although, I will state, The US has many things that are good about it that overweigh the bad.

👍: 0 ⏩: 2

Skoomacat420 In reply to InexorableWinter [2017-12-25 04:17:08 +0000 UTC]

america has a fatfuck running your 
country full of obese fucks--

good decision lol

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

InexorableWinter In reply to Skoomacat420 [2018-03-20 16:10:09 +0000 UTC]

Good job

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

AtheosEmanon In reply to InexorableWinter [2017-10-06 15:41:10 +0000 UTC]

Yes, if you are judging the "number 1" of a country by simply their military which seemed to be the entire point of your comment then yes.. US would be number 1.

I would hope a nation expects more of itself than simply a strong military as it has dropped from the top 10 to 20s-30s rang on reading, writing and math, as it has dropped from top 10 to now like 17 in healthcare, where the  number 1 reason for bankruptcy in the richest nation on earth are medical bills.

I am not saying that the US is a bad country, the point of the text was not good or bad, it was wondering would the US address its education, its healthcare, its banking regs, its  attempting to perhaps not have the largest prison population on earth ... more than even China which has more than 4x our population.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

InexorableWinter In reply to AtheosEmanon [2017-10-06 15:51:22 +0000 UTC]

Well I guess we each have our own opinions.

I'll always think this is the best country in the world, she is my native home, and I'd die for The United States of America.

I guess other people think otherwise

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

AtheosEmanon In reply to InexorableWinter [2017-10-07 02:58:32 +0000 UTC]

Yes, they do.

good day to you.

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InexorableWinter In reply to AtheosEmanon [2017-10-07 03:08:38 +0000 UTC]

TRIGGERED

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

kimjongangryplz In reply to InexorableWinter [2018-05-12 19:58:57 +0000 UTC]

Triggered? How old are you?

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

DumuziTheMessiah In reply to ??? [2017-07-27 00:20:10 +0000 UTC]

Frankly Americans[[not all but many sadly]] these days tend to be over senstive crybabies who can't handle reality so they worship hate, violence, bullying, evil fictional hatebrat god who don't exist and use their evil book as an excuse to take others rights away while saying France deserves to die for not following their hate cult[[not even kidding like what the fuck people?!]] and also claim the gays who got shot deserved it[[fucking savage barbaric country deserves to rot I swear..]], evil, vaginas[[females favoured over men literally guys are often glared at like they are the bad guy over everything! If a woman hits me I'll fight back and claw and bite that bitch and everyone else can cry elsewhere if they can't handle guy's have rights to self defense!]] hypocrisy, lies, barbarism, wish death on anyone who hurts their easily offended feelings while treating love, emotions, peace happiness, and sex like works of evil and punish sex offenders with life in jail but give a female murderer a small 20 years while giving males worse sentences! 

Pretty sure Canada is far better then USA right now, while they still have a lot of problems atleast they don't have greedy shitheads who care more for money then people's health and atleast they don't have Trump! And frankly Canada seems safer during times of war.. cold areas tend to be not as populated thus not as war heavy simply due to not heavy populated areas are not targeted by other countries. Better cold and alive then dead in some hot nuclear desert that got bombed or something..

Trump is secretly Justin Bieber and Edward Cullen's dad with Hitler's soul in him! jkjk 

Except Hitler part cause I got psychic powers and I had nightmarish future visions of him being the major cause of WW3.. ;w; 

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AtheosEmanon In reply to DumuziTheMessiah [2017-07-27 17:46:43 +0000 UTC]

yup, many Americans have an issue with France.. seems to go back a few centuries since the revolutionary war at least ..

Yes, we sadly have some people who feel that way, with all you have named and it is a damn shame.

America, richest country on earth and  yet always claim poverty when it comes to helping people.. Hell, Germany got its universal healthcare back in the 19th century, 1880s .. and here we are in 2017 and do not even have a public option.

Some drug offenders get longer sentences than murderers, we have yet to admit our drug war has failed.



He may be a major cause in WW3.. but given both parties are on this RUSSIA hysteria.. I will blame Both parties since you had one Democrat a few days ago saying we should bomb Russia.. hmm but this is the state of this country.. sadly.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

DumuziTheMessiah In reply to AtheosEmanon [2017-07-27 22:19:10 +0000 UTC]

France and Prussia[[German]] were the only reasons Americunta became a damn country showing how fucking up and hateful Americunts are! They're a bunch of lying pigs who spread hate and misery while using their fake made up god[[The actual gods and goddesses, my family, we would never approve of humanity's genocide happy behavior! We're peace lovers and hate war and protect other species not harm them and give the same respect unless they break Universal Laws.. I only came to do my job..it sucks being on Earth.. We're victims if anything here on that matter... Humans are to blame for humanity's evil behavior, not my father or my family, my people, or our demon allies..we're all innocent.. except Ishtar is the only evil fallen angel..ironic how the deity of all things evil is female..]]

Wouldn't say may he will be! That and religious assholes obviously with this being a World War on Religion! It's already going on but idiots half the time don't admit it!

Democrat probably hated Russia because of how evil their goverment is...   

I have very strong psychic abilities so when I have a bad feeling about something I'm typically right although sometimes I wish I wasn't as I don't like those bad things at all... it may sound odd but there many things in this Universe and that humanity doesn't know as truth is stranger then fiction..    Humans need to wake up and realize just because the truth isn't what they wanted doesn't mean it's evil or a lie..   No offense or anything, just looking at how things are nowadays is depressing..  

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T04RK In reply to ??? [2017-07-14 12:54:32 +0000 UTC]

It seems like some people believe America is the only country with liberty. Most of the people arguing that America is, in fact, number one have probably never even been out of their own country! It's the same thing as going to North Korea and asking a child (who had no knowledge of the outside world) if they believed North Korea was number one. They probably will say it is! I believe the reasoning behind this is that most people want to believe they're number one, so naturally, they'll say they are. It's almost as if they believe if they say it enough times, it'll come true or atleast feel true. 

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AtheosEmanon In reply to T04RK [2017-07-15 02:23:10 +0000 UTC]

I agree with your comment, I have traveled around this world. My thing generally is if someone wants to go AMERICA NUMBER 1... I just go um okay .. I am more concerned with fixing the issues in this country but some are.. as a few of the comments below go NO! UNLESS YOU SAY WE ARE NUMBER 1 .. I WILL NOT WORRY ABOUT FIXING ANYTHING UNTIL YOU SAY THAT... shakes head..

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kappaprince In reply to ??? [2017-05-31 08:31:17 +0000 UTC]

no country is best country. end of story.

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AtheosEmanon In reply to kappaprince [2017-05-31 13:00:32 +0000 UTC]

Agreed, are there some countries that may do this or that better, sure. I am more concerned with addressing the issues in the country I reside than some global dick swinging contest between nations.

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AtheosEmanon In reply to Yomist [2017-05-26 22:20:41 +0000 UTC]

haha, I have been to Russia, I have never been to Kazakhstan .. googling it though it would be a nice place to visit

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Yomist In reply to AtheosEmanon [2017-05-27 01:01:31 +0000 UTC]

It's filtration systems are greatest in the world as advertised. 

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AtheosEmanon In reply to Yomist [2017-05-27 04:05:12 +0000 UTC]

Perhaps one day I will get to visit

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the-guy-you-hate In reply to ??? [2017-05-23 10:49:38 +0000 UTC]

And neither is any other fucking country!

When you live somewhere, you grow accustomed to and you support it.

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ryujinomega092095 In reply to the-guy-you-hate [2020-04-25 15:33:48 +0000 UTC]

I live in america and I don't support it. I actually burned an American flag once.

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AtheosEmanon In reply to the-guy-you-hate [2017-05-23 11:12:04 +0000 UTC]

Support is earned through individual actions in my view, .. as my favorite orator said


“I love America more than any other country in the world and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually.”

― James Baldwin

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the-guy-you-hate In reply to AtheosEmanon [2017-06-01 23:43:20 +0000 UTC]

Yes, we in America love our country. So fucking what? We've done a lot of good.

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AtheosEmanon In reply to the-guy-you-hate [2017-06-02 03:46:34 +0000 UTC]

We have also done a lot of bad, but the point of the quote and the piece, speaks to addressing the social ills within our country.

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Vader999 In reply to ??? [2017-05-22 01:41:58 +0000 UTC]

If not America, then who is?

America is still number one in my opinion. Sure, it's comparable to a broken down SUV, but it's in a garage full of destroyed cars. Compared to them, it almost looks immaculate.

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AtheosEmanon In reply to Vader999 [2017-05-22 13:47:37 +0000 UTC]

"If not America, then who is?"
Depends what are you judging it by.

If by largest prison population, then America is number one, spends most on defense, number 1..

if things like, healthcare ratings, education, social and economic stability as well as mobility they are not.

It has the ability to be a much greater country, but if the mantle of NUMBER 1 is yielded to a country with the world's largest prison population, that ranks late 20s - early 30s in reading, math and science, whose social mobility is one of the worst in the western world then that is a measure at which I am not familiar with.

"America is still number one"
..and everyone is entitled to such.

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Vader999 In reply to AtheosEmanon [2017-05-22 21:47:54 +0000 UTC]

Again, name me a country with a stronger military or economy. 

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AtheosEmanon In reply to Vader999 [2017-05-23 11:10:18 +0000 UTC]

Again, it is not about it being number 1 in this or that area, if any country is to take on the mantle of being number one..

But if you choose to only define a country being preeminent by its military and economy solely, then yes America would be that country .. but I look at the whole,  not just part of the pie.. and in my view, a country that boasts of number 1 while it ranks terribly in education, social mobility, economic mobility, healthcare, of its people.. is not something at which I can say rah rah go team number 1.



As the great founding father Thomas Paine said

"When it shall be said in any country in the world my poor are happy; neither ignorance nor distress is to be found among them; my jails are empty of prisoners, my streets of beggars; the aged are not in want; the taxes are not oppressive; the rational world is my friend, because I am a friend of its happiness: When these things can be said, there may that country boast its Constitution and its Government"

So I am of the view, and of course you and others are free to disagree with said view.. ., can America, take on the mantle of being NUMBER 1 in the world, when it ranks numbers later 20s to early 30s in Math, reading and science, when it ranks 17th I believe in healthcare, when it ranks towards the bottom of economic and social mobility of its middle class. When it has more prisoners than countries three and four times our size .with respect to India and China .. our small plot of beauty being on 5% of the world's population and housing 25% of its prisoners.

No one denies that America is a great country, but I would contest that if we claim to be number 1.. then there is a great deal that must be done to earn that title.

That is the point of the piece, if a country wishes to proclaim itself number 1 in the world... it has a long way to address the social ills of its nation.. at which, we are not yet there.

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Vader999 In reply to AtheosEmanon [2017-05-23 20:34:36 +0000 UTC]

Thomas Paine? Really? 

Also, much of those stats on education doesn't really affect anything. Nations with higher education rates than America are dying economically. That's why Germany is dominating the EU. They're the only ones who can pay everyone's bills. 

Again, give me a country that can claim to be number 1 aside from America. As I said, America is number 1 because it's the least broken car in a junkpile. It's still broken-by God, is it broken. But it still looks better than the rest of the cars on the lot.

So then, give me a country which has cured its social ills better than America. Oh, and by the way, economic ills are social ills, too. 

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