GRMACK wrote:
Don't think it is now based on a recent dashcam video of downtown Los Angeles.

http://video.dailymail.co.uk/video/mol/ … 627999.mp4

Based on the crappiest block they can find in a city that has more population than a lot of states?

Black Z Eddie wrote:

Based on the crappiest block they can find in a city that has more population than a lot of states?

It's around 54 blocks now and growing:  https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/ … ment-plan/

It's a lot more crowded than some cities now too.  LA Times had it around 50,000+ and I wouldn't doubt it.  We've had our share of homeless fires here where they move into an old house and it soon goes up in flames and same happens to another home nearby they move into, or along the river here similar to the homeless around Santa Ana River.

It's a mess and not getting any better, and they are getting more aggressive too like spitting chewing tobacco on your car if you don't give them money.  Drive through Skidrow and watch the story.  My Google Drive had me detour through there and it really is a blight.

GRMACK wrote:
Don't think it is now based on a recent dashcam video of downtown Los Angeles.

http://video.dailymail.co.uk/video/mol/ … 627999.mp4

Wow.  Where did they get all those tents?

(See also this).

A Thousand Words  wrote:
America is a great nation.
England is a great nation.
So are France, Spain, Greece, Russia, Israel, Brazil...and so on.

What one thing do these, and all other nations have in common that makes them great? They all have people who love their country and strive to improve things for their countrymen. Every country on the planet has problems, including America. But there is still greatness in each of them.

I'm a red-blooded, flag waving American. But I can see why some people in other countries despise us. It's not because of who we elect President. It's not which countries we support and which we don't. It's not the amount of aid we provide (or don't provide). They hate us for our arrogance; our sense of self-righteousness.

I'm proud of my country. I fought for my country. But I keep my pride fairly quiet.

Most of this is very well said.

It's not the arrogance. It's the ignorance.

billy badfinger wrote:
America is "great" at making trouble...sticking their nose into places they prob shouldn't
We sell guns and rockets and bombs and missiles and mortars to very,very bad people.
Quite often we even wind up fighting/warring with those same people...WTF!
Russia does the same...in fact there may be some unspoken pact between the 2 to keep the war machines going cuz it's good for business...
China hasn't been in a formal war since they left Vietnam in 1979...a few skirmishes but they never last very long.
They have wisely decided that Economics is power...Economics is politics...take a peek at their world standing over the last 30 years...havn't really fired a bullet at anyone yet they now have the worlds respect and the growth is phenomenal.

Make no mistake my patriot brothers and sisters...we R NOT angels...We R NOT shining,sparkling saviors of the less fortunate:/

"There's somethin' happenin' here...what it is ain't exactly clear..."
Steve Stills (1967)

God bless America!

billy badfinger wrote:
"There's somethin' happenin' here...what it is ain't exactly clear..."
Steve Stills (1967)

A southern man don't need him round anyhow.  Which still rings true.

rxz wrote:
However, being drafted and serving in as a member in a Huey crew in Vietnam hunting and killing people,  I have a hard time being a flag waving American patriot when 24 members of my company of 160 when home in boxes.

I don't want to ignore the rest of what you said, but since I have to start over, I want to address this first.

Thank you for doing a difficult and thankless job over there.  In recent decades, I have met the adult children of people who lived that war, or were born free because their parents made it here.  One woman escaped on a boat with her mother.  Her father didn't make it.  One woman lived the first 14 years of her life with her father in prison because her parents didn't make it out.  By some intervention, he was released and she got to bear and raise her son here.  Every single survivor of Vietnam, that I have met, appreciated what we tried to do.  What the public rhetoric was, if not what was being done behind the scenes.  Some inquired about my being there, because of my age.  I wasn't old enough, but close.  They thanked my family for the cousin who came home as your 24 company members did.

I don't hold it against those that chose to go a different route.  I know several guys that joined the Navy for four, rather than face one like you did.  Others fled.  Others went to school.  I can't fault them for questioning our leaders, even though it was still a time where we were to believe our leaders.  Others faked illness, or were well connected.  I don't feel so forgiving towards them.

For anyone else reading this, that has also served, then, before or since, thank you as well.

LightDreams wrote:
There were some suggestions made that the U.S. was regarded internationally as still being the "greatest", and a variety of reasons were given as to "why".

As was widely publicized in various major newspapers (USA Today, the Economist, etc, etc), the biggest international survey which regularly polls people about the "Best Country in the World", shows that the U.S. has dropped rather dramatically since the rankings two years ago.

This particular survey (U.S. News working with the Wharton School and others) is widely considered a solid measure of a country's overall "Brand / Image".

The U.S. is now ranked as having rapidly dropped all the way down to 7th place, as far as the international public's perception of "Best Country in the World".  It now follows behind (in order) Switzerland, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan and Sweden.

The countries mentioned do not pay their own way in this world. The heavy lifting still falls to the US.

What Fun Productions wrote:
The countries mentioned do not pay their own way in this world. The heavy lifting still falls to the US.

If so it’s by our government’s choice.

What Fun Productions wrote:
The countries mentioned do not pay their own way in this world. The heavy lifting still falls to the US.

Yup.

What Fun Productions wrote:

The countries mentioned do not pay their own way in this world. The heavy lifting still falls to the US.

????

Rather the opposite I think. The USA has never since 1900 taken action or spent money that left it at the poor end of the deal. Expenditure to buy hegemony is not largess and to pretend that it is is laughable.

What Fun Productions wrote:
The countries mentioned do not pay their own way in this world. The heavy lifting still falls to the US.

I don't know if what you say is true or not.  Do you have any solid facts that you can point to?

It's just that one thing that we've learned over the years is to completely disregard repeated claims by politicians (of all stripes).  When people claimed the U.S. had the best technologies, the best research and development programs, the best education systems, the best standard of living (and on and on), when you actually checked, the facts turned out to be all quite dramatically different.  Even though there were times, many decades ago, where most of these were actually true.

So I am curious as to the truth (and not repeated political claims of "this or that" as being "facts"), so I would be honestly interested in whatever the truth of this claim is.  And I am definitely open to whatever answer that any good solid facts may point to...

Let us know...

What Fun Productions wrote:
The countries mentioned do not pay their own way in this world. The heavy lifting still falls to the US.

I am curious about what standard you apply, as well.  Is this about NATO?  The UN?

USA GNP is about 27% of the total GNP for UN countries.  Our contribution is about 22% of the UN budget. 
The NATO contribution is 3.6 of our GNP, which is higher than other countries, but why is it so much higher?  Might it be because the US Military Industrial Complex lobbies Congress to enrich them?  How does the NATO contribution compare to the military spending of each of the countries?  How much has the US contribution to NATO fallen in recent years and how does that compare to the levels of contribution by other countries?  Are we great because we spend more on military spending than a significant number of countries combined?

Are those the only things to be considered?  Are the other countries more or less involved in humanitarian aid?  What other contributions are they making?  It is easy to whip out a chest thumping sound bite without providing any context or background. Or support.

Also, how does this heavy lifting contribute to this country being great?  How is that relative to how our justice system works, how our political corruption influences us, or what we are doing in other parts of the world and at home?

Context please.

Brooklyn Bridge Images wrote:
Why is America Greatest country in the world ?
(Jeff Daniels Newsroom speech)
https://youtu.be/zEyUWKJFER8?t=10s

That was interesting

Hunter  GWPB wrote:

I am curious about what standard you apply, as well.  Is this about NATO?  The UN?

USA GNP is about 27% of the total GNP for UN countries.  Our contribution is about 22% of the UN budget. 
The NATO contribution is 3.6 of our GNP, which is higher than other countries, but why is it so much higher?  Might it be because the US Military Industrial Complex lobbies Congress to enrich them?  How does the NATO contribution compare to the military spending of each of the countries?  How much has the US contribution to NATO fallen in recent years and how does that compare to the levels of contribution by other countries?  Are we great because we spend more on military spending than a significant number of countries combined?

Are those the only things to be considered?  Are the other countries more or less involved in humanitarian aid?  What other contributions are they making?  It is easy to whip out a chest thumping sound bite without providing any context or background. Or support.

Also, how does this heavy lifting contribute to this country being great?  How is that relative to how our justice system works, how our political corruption influences us, or what we are doing in other parts of the world and at home?

Context please.

http://www.oecd.org/dac/stats/documentu … Charts.pdf

https://www.theguardian.com/voluntary-s … n-pictures

https://www.state.gov/documents/organization/224071.pdf

What Fun Productions wrote:
The countries mentioned do not pay their own way in this world. The heavy lifting still falls to the US.

Yep.

And if little special fragile snowflake Uncle Sam Atlas can't bear the burden, then he should totally shrug, because that's totally an option.

Right?

Lisa Everhart wrote:
http://www.oecd.org/dac/stats/documentu … Charts.pdf

https://www.theguardian.com/voluntary-s … n-pictures

https://www.state.gov/documents/organization/224071.pdf

Still no context.  Just documents and articles.

Funny though, Myanmar, formerly Burma, tops the US.  So, you are saying, the US is leaving the heavy lifting to the people of a country currently conducting a genocide campaign, intolerant of other religions, with a history of military dictatorships and imprisoning political opposition, and who's current leader supports the genocide and religious intolerance, out of fear of further incarceration?  Look at who the other 8 countries on that list are.  What does that tell you?

What conclusions are you drawing from the oecd document, which shows that the US ratio of ODA/GNI is among the lowest?

Lisa Everhart wrote:
http://www.oecd.org/dac/stats/documentu … Charts.pdf

https://www.theguardian.com/voluntary-s … n-pictures

https://www.state.gov/documents/organization/224071.pdf

I actually was impressed with the second one.

It suggests that when you take politics and Gov't policies out of it, the average person on the street in the U.S., is strong in areas such as personally helping strangers, charitable donations and volunteerism.

That speaks well of the people, in my book...

billy badfinger wrote:
China hasn't been in a formal war since they left Vietnam in 1979...a few skirmishes but they never last very long.
They have wisely decided that Economics is power...Economics is politics...take a peek at their world standing over the last 30 years...havn't really fired a bullet at anyone yet they now have the worlds respect and the growth is phenomenal.

Make no mistake my patriot brothers and sisters...we R NOT angels...We R NOT shining,sparkling saviors of the less fortunate:/

Yes - if you’re looking for “shining,sparkling saviors of the less fortunate” - China is a far better candidate.

crx studios wrote:

Yes - if you’re looking for “shining,sparkling saviors of the less fortunate” - China is a far better candidate.

The Chairman approves this message.

LightDreams wrote:

I actually was impressed with the second one.

It suggests that when you take politics and Gov't policies out of it, the average person on the street in the U.S., is strong in areas such as personally helping strangers, charitable donations and volunteerism.

That speaks well of the people, in my book...

I agree.

Hunter  GWPB wrote:

Still no context.  Just documents and articles.

Funny though, Myanmar, formerly Burma, tops the US.  So, you are saying, the US is leaving the heavy lifting to the people of a country currently conducting a genocide campaign, intolerant of other religions, with a history of military dictatorships and imprisoning political opposition, and who's current leader supports the genocide and religious intolerance, out of fear of further incarceration?  Look at who the other 8 countries on that list are.  What does that tell you?

What conclusions are you drawing from the oecd document, which shows that the US ratio of ODA/GNI is among the lowest?

You asked for some structure to back up his statements so I found some. My conclusion is that thirty three billion in ones weighs about sixty six million pounds...pretty heavy I would say.

Lisa Everhart wrote:

You asked for some structure to back up his statements so I found some. My conclusion is that thirty three billion in ones weighs about sixty six million pounds...pretty heavy I would say.

Okay.  Good to know.

billy badfinger wrote:
Of the 3 primary "Superpowers"...China IS the best candidate:)
The most progressive...Infrastucture projects that put the US and Russia to shame!
The least aggressive...Don't really seem interested in forcing regime changes like the US and Russia!
Best understanding of Economics as a tool for power...less interested in blowing shit up than the US or Russia!
By 2030 China will essentially control the economic destiny of EVERYTHING between the Eastern Atlantic and Western Pacific....
And they prob won't kill/murder that many people in the process...
Please don't be nationalistic to the point where U become blind...that's just sad to me:((

Well it is amazing how efficient a government can be when they don’t have to worry about petty details like free speech, free elections, free press, free thought, free association, unrestricted access to the internet, public dissent, basic democratic institutions, women’s rights, minority rights, due process, religious freedom, intellectual property rights, pollution, environmental issues, the rights of Tibetans, etc.

crx studios wrote:

Well it is amazing how efficient a government can be when they don’t have to worry about petty details like free speech, free elections, free press, free thought, free association, unrestricted access to the internet, public dissent, basic democratic institutions, women’s rights, minority rights, due process, religious freedom, intellectual property rights, pollution, environmental issues, the rights of Tibetans, etc.

What you say isn't wrong, but the discussion was based on "who helps more", not "who has better policies." As mentioned, Myanmar (and a handful of others) give far more in aid and accept far more refugees proportionally than the US; China might do more proportional to their GDP than we do, but they do less per capita.

So if you want to look at it in terms of overall dollars, we're not the highest - but we are much more generous than most nations. If you want to look at it in terms of dollars per citizen, we're much lower ... But still above many.

If you want to bounce back and forth and find reasons to disqualify certain countries, then yeah - of course we're the greatest.

And then you have to question the reasoning behind the aid ... Are we really giving Pakistan aid money, or are we buying airspace rights and calling it an aid package?

I'm not saying those reports mean nothing - nobody is going to convince me that #5 should really be #92. But depending on how you want to parse that data, everybody's got some wiggle room.

Zack Zoll wrote:
What you say isn't wrong, but the discussion was based on "who helps more", not "who has better policies."

Actually the original topic was not limited to “who helps more”.

Zack Zoll wrote:
If you want to bounce back and forth and find reasons to disqualify certain countries . . .

I’m pretty sure insisting on including a country’s respect for basic human rights in any discussion on “greatness" is not bouncing "back and forth" to "find reasons to disqualify certain countries”.

Once you take fundamental human rights off the table, you getting into an “Other that that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?” level of absurdity.

"We can put you in prison for 10 years for speaking out against the government, but hey, how about that brand new state-of-the-art airport? Is this a great country or what?”

A Thousand Words  wrote:
America is a great nation.
England is a great nation.
So are France, Spain, Greece, Russia, Israel, Brazil...and so on.

What one thing do these, and all other nations have in common that makes them great? They all have people who love their country and strive to improve things for their countrymen. Every country on the planet has problems, including America. But there is still greatness in each of them.

I'm a red-blooded, flag waving American. But I can see why some people in other countries despise us. It's not because of who we elect President. It's not which countries we support and which we don't. It's not the amount of aid we provide (or don't provide). They hate us for our arrogance; our sense of self-righteousness.

I'm proud of my country. I fought for my country. But I keep my pride fairly quiet.

The response...to Americans being prideful and nationalistic of their country is more of an indictment of those outside the US then of Americans themselves. we are waaaaay to hard on ourselves.  dont kid yourself. they hate our arrogance not for arrogance sake, but because they are absolutely confounded that they arent in the position the US is. so, to them having a world view that doesn't match theirs is somehow arrogant. well,seeing how the UN continually votes on Israel, I'm glad we have a self confidence on world matters, or what they call arrogance.