Originally Posted by AVGWarhawk

Churck Norris? Are you serious?

Originally Posted by Biggles

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/grap...1/09/bruce.jpg
(Okay, we owe you one for him)

Originally Posted by Skybird

The first three points are meant by what is written on paper, but if the political acting matches the intention in everyday life is something totally different. There is no country, as I see it, where the reality is matching what the constitution wants to see realised. And the US of let's say 70 years ago had a very dfifferent face than the US today - both are lightyears apart, imo. And if the "melting pot" is a successful thing or a monumental failure is something that is hotly debated until today: amongst politicians, sociologists, human rights activists, historians, ethnologists... so, I say on paper it was meant as a great place to live in, and was designed with the ideals and under influence of the lviving conditions of over 200 years ago. But paper is patient, and history and time change everything, and intentions are not the outcome at the end in reality. There is light, and there is shadow. There is potential that was formed into real things, and potential that was wasted.

The fourth point, Baseball, is profance in such a list, like the sixth one, muhammad Ali. ypou either like baseball, or you don'T. Me it bores to death, and it's subtelties are not worth a single cent to me. Muhammad Ali was a great (and initially very arrogant! :D ) boxer. let's name him like that, then.

Tjhe fifth point, on the marshal plan, there is nothing to argue. Itr was of great benefit for germany in the main, europe in the second, and the fact that it was launched by simple strategic calculations aimed against the Soviet union, and not so much with german's wellbeing on mind, does in principle not change that assessment. We took great benefit from it, and the West took benefit from the emerging, changed Germany as well during this confrontation that lasted almost half a century.

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A point that I like to mention about what is America, is it's most fundamental potential to show a constructive fighting spirit, an optimism that things can get done, a mentality - that is almost proverbial - of setting about doing something, a very basic and deep-rooting sense of optimism. Of course, like everything that is intense, the intensity can can become painful and turn into the opposite, this is where these qualities then do more bad than good, and lead to an almost arrogant self-perception, a stupid stubborness, a rejection of reality if it does not cooperate with what America wants it to be, a view that does not see that others are different and may not wish to be like america and that not all world is - or should be - like america, an attitude of where you cannot tell America anything. But where the before mentioned positive qualities are developing within reasonably adequate dimensions and avoid to turn into their pervertion - there you see the best example that America can point for the world, and usually that is when people are jubilating for it.

therefore, the best you can do is never forget to see america with a strong awareness for subtelties, and watch at it in a differentiating way. That way you can see the positive - and will not oversee the risks that this can also turn for the negative, and eventually this awareness is sufficient to avoid the latter and indeed realize the first, and stick to the golden middle path instead of falling for excessive bias and prejudice and by that spoiling the potential that could eventually turn out to show the best in what is called america.

And that is not so much a country only - it is an idea.

For weighing all this positive potential against the risk of turning it for the worse by excessive bias, i am a critical but in principle: substantial friend of the ideas that America was wished to be.

Originally Posted by Iceman

We just say Happy Thanksgiving here Skybird. :)

Originally Posted by joea

Very nice post for a change. :yep:

Originally Posted by DeepIron

Benjamin Franklin and the Founding Fathers.

Without these guys, I'd be paying a lot more taxes on my cup of Earl Grey and eating dishes named "Spotted Dick" or "Luxury Toad in the Hole"... ;)