America is NOT the greatest country in the world anymore.... But we sure used to be..

19Herr_Rapp86 · 07-13-12, 12:46 PM

Caution Strong Language.

A new HBO miniseries called The Newsroom
This clip is from the first episode. It's 3 and a half minutes.
As an American this is the most powerful 3 and a half minutes I've ever watched... Because it's so true

Takeda Shingen · 07-13-12, 12:52 PM

I'll bet that every generation since time immemorial has thought that the next generation was the worst ever. I'll also bet each of those generations looked wistfully back at a golden age that likely never existed. The good old days; they weren't always so good.

vienna · 07-13-12, 12:54 PM

Quote:

I'll bet that every generation since time immemorial has thought that the next generation was the worst ever. I'll also bet each of those generations looked wistfully back at a golden age that likely never existed. The good old days; they weren't always so good.

Amen to that. Its always good to try to keep things in perspective...

...

Betonov · 07-13-12, 01:10 PM

Reminds me of another little nation that I know. That in 1991 belived it was more powerfull than the US and Russia combined.
Lost it all due to ideological bickering between left and right.

CaptainMattJ. · 07-13-12, 01:26 PM

Exactly.The a difference between being proud o f your country and believing your country is the greatest ever. People like to feeel like theyre a part of something great what what greatness are you talking about? The only advanced and top notch thing about our country is our military. we are so far behind in education and collective social growth that we no longer possess anything particularly spectacular when compared to the rest of the 6.7 billion people on earth except our corruption. The fact is that we cant seem to accept that socialism works. Incorporating a mix between socialism and capitalism that improves on the worthless system we have now benefits everyone. Its been proven everywhere else. We may have banned monopolies but ill be damned if we arent as close to them as possible. Wall street, for example, in both the great depression and recession, invested billions of dollars that they didnt have to spend and lost everything. the Food industry is now almost dominated by about 3 companies. If any of these businesses crash, so does a chunk of the population.

We have so much potential yet we squander it on the most ridiculous things...

Rockstar · 07-13-12, 01:32 PM

America never was the greatest.

Platapus · 07-13-12, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Takeda Shingen

I'll bet that every generation since time immemorial has thought that the next generation was the worst ever. I'll also bet each of those generations looked wistfully back at a golden age that likely never existed. The good old days; they weren't always so good.

My dad tells me stories about what his dad predicted about my dad's generation (end of civilization). My old man sure waxed pessimistically about ME and MY generation.

Of course they were both wrong. Each generation produced the good, the bad, and the ugly and the US survived quite nicely.

However, when I moan about the younger generation being the end of civilization, it is different.

Ah these kids with their crazy rock and roll, you call that music?

Get off my lawn!

And would it kill you to get a haircut?

JU_88 · 07-13-12, 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Platapus

And would it kill you to get a haircut?

Over here some of the trendy 'hipster' kids have about 3 haircuts in one.
Ill ask them to donate some to your area.

Ducimus · 07-13-12, 04:46 PM

Personally i think the proof is in the statistics like education, infrastructure, etc. So i think that clip is spot on. We always just assume we're the best because that's what we've been brought up to believe, and we ride on the coat tails of our forefathers success, while we have yet to make similar achievements ourselves.

STEED · 07-13-12, 04:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Platapus

Get off my lawn!

And would it kill you to get a haircut?

Here in the UK we would say..

Hey you kids get off the lawn!

Get your hair cut hippy!

Sailor Steve · 07-13-12, 04:52 PM

I thought the clip was trite and melodramatic. Good for a sound bite, but not worth anything. The ideal that America brought forth 200 years ago did indeed change the world, but the country and its people are no better, no worse and no different than they were then. The ideal of freedom is a great one, perhaps the greatest, but associating the ideal with the country itself is arrogance at its worst.

Yes, there are many things wrong with America, just as there are many things wrong with any country, group or person. Part of the problem is that people disagree about exactly what is wrong and exactly what should be done about it. America is no less great now than it was fifty or two hundred years ago. It's the ideal that is great. Lose sight of that and you lose sight of the only thing that counts.

Ducimus · 07-13-12, 04:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

. It's the ideal that is great. Lose sight of that and you lose sight of the only thing that counts.

Idea's are like dreams. Worthless without deeds.

Stealhead · 07-13-12, 06:24 PM

Sailor Steve said ideals which is the idea of something that is perfect; something that one hopes to attain or conforming to an ultimate standard of perfection or excellence; embodying an ideal which the US being founded on the idea of freedom being an inalienable right to all men and the Bill of Rights attempts to make this ideal protected.

Now what you say about ideas is true at the same time this nation has acted on what was thought to be important many times what was important was and is today varies from person to person and some people never put their ideas to action but many people in fact do.

I think we are all saying the same thing though.

Codz · 07-13-12, 06:41 PM

I'm going to assume he is reffering to the 40's/50's/60's. Even back then we weren't "greatest". Sure, there were good moments back then such as the victory of WWII, Moon landings, helping rebuild Europe, and some other inovations. However, back then we also had some very dark domestic issues as well. Just look at the civil rights issues. Segregation, widespread racism, McCarthyism, etc. I don't think that any nation in the world has ever deserved the title of "greatest". All nations have their positives and negatives, good history and dark history. Some are worse than others, but it is arrogant to claim any one nation as "best".

Stealhead · 07-13-12, 06:54 PM

Things are always changing and also staying the same nothing is perfect.

07-13-12, 12:46 PM	#1
19Herr_Rapp86 Lieutenant Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Ellinwood, Kansas Posts: 260 Downloads: 259 Uploads: 0	America is NOT the greatest country in the world anymore.... But we sure used to be.. Caution Strong Language. A new HBO miniseries called The Newsroom This clip is from the first episode. It's 3 and a half minutes. As an American this is the most powerful 3 and a half minutes I've ever watched... Because it's so true __________________ Kapitanleutnant Rapp, Kommandant U-45

07-13-12, 01:26 PM	#5
CaptainMattJ. The Old Man Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Sin City Posts: 1,364 Downloads: 55 Uploads: 0	Exactly.The a difference between being proud o f your country and believing your country is the greatest ever. People like to feeel like theyre a part of something great what what greatness are you talking about? The only advanced and top notch thing about our country is our military. we are so far behind in education and collective social growth that we no longer possess anything particularly spectacular when compared to the rest of the 6.7 billion people on earth except our corruption. The fact is that we cant seem to accept that socialism works. Incorporating a mix between socialism and capitalism that improves on the worthless system we have now benefits everyone. Its been proven everywhere else. We may have banned monopolies but ill be damned if we arent as close to them as possible. Wall street, for example, in both the great depression and recession, invested billions of dollars that they didnt have to spend and lost everything. the Food industry is now almost dominated by about 3 companies. If any of these businesses crash, so does a chunk of the population. We have so much potential yet we squander it on the most ridiculous things... __________________ A popular Government without popular information nor the means of acquiring it, is but a Prologue to a Farce or a Tragedy or perhaps both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance, and a people who mean to be their own Governors must arm themselves with the power knowledge gives - James Madison

07-13-12, 04:52 PM	#11
Sailor Steve Eternal Patrol Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: High in the mountains of Utah Posts: 50,369 Downloads: 745 Uploads: 249	I thought the clip was trite and melodramatic. Good for a sound bite, but not worth anything. The ideal that America brought forth 200 years ago did indeed change the world, but the country and its people are no better, no worse and no different than they were then. The ideal of freedom is a great one, perhaps the greatest, but associating the ideal with the country itself is arrogance at its worst. Yes, there are many things wrong with America, just as there are many things wrong with any country, group or person. Part of the problem is that people disagree about exactly what is wrong and exactly what should be done about it. America is no less great now than it was fifty or two hundred years ago. It's the ideal that is great. Lose sight of that and you lose sight of the only thing that counts. __________________ “Never do anything you can't take back.” —Rocky Russo

07-13-12, 06:41 PM	#14
Codz A-ganger Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 73 Downloads: 8 Uploads: 0	I'm going to assume he is reffering to the 40's/50's/60's. Even back then we weren't "greatest". Sure, there were good moments back then such as the victory of WWII, Moon landings, helping rebuild Europe, and some other inovations. However, back then we also had some very dark domestic issues as well. Just look at the civil rights issues. Segregation, widespread racism, McCarthyism, etc. I don't think that any nation in the world has ever deserved the title of "greatest". All nations have their positives and negatives, good history and dark history. Some are worse than others, but it is arrogant to claim any one nation as "best". __________________ "Magnificent desolation."-Buzz Aldrin

07-13-12, 12:52 PM	#2
Takeda Shingen Navy Seal Join Date: Mar 2000 Posts: 8,643 Downloads: 19 Uploads: 0	I'll bet that every generation since time immemorial has thought that the next generation was the worst ever. I'll also bet each of those generations looked wistfully back at a golden age that likely never existed. The good old days; they weren't always so good.

07-13-12, 01:10 PM	#4
Betonov Navy Seal Join Date: May 2009 Location: Slovenia Posts: 8,647 Downloads: 26 Uploads: 0	Reminds me of another little nation that I know. That in 1991 belived it was more powerfull than the US and Russia combined. Lost it all due to ideological bickering between left and right.

07-13-12, 01:32 PM	#6
Rockstar In the Brig Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Zendia Bar & Grill Posts: 12,614 Downloads: 10 Uploads: 0	America never was the greatest.

07-13-12, 04:46 PM	#9
Ducimus Rear Admiral Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 12,987 Downloads: 67 Uploads: 2	Personally i think the proof is in the statistics like education, infrastructure, etc. So i think that clip is spot on. We always just assume we're the best because that's what we've been brought up to believe, and we ride on the coat tails of our forefathers success, while we have yet to make similar achievements ourselves.

07-13-12, 06:24 PM	#13
Stealhead Navy Seal Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Kentucky Posts: 5,421 Downloads: 85 Uploads: 0	Sailor Steve said ideals which is the idea of something that is perfect; something that one hopes to attain or conforming to an ultimate standard of perfection or excellence; embodying an ideal which the US being founded on the idea of freedom being an inalienable right to all men and the Bill of Rights attempts to make this ideal protected. Now what you say about ideas is true at the same time this nation has acted on what was thought to be important many times what was important was and is today varies from person to person and some people never put their ideas to action but many people in fact do. I think we are all saying the same thing though.

07-13-12, 06:54 PM	#15
Stealhead Navy Seal Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Kentucky Posts: 5,421 Downloads: 85 Uploads: 0	Things are always changing and also staying the same nothing is perfect.