I bet every country you listed have great websites (better than this one in terms of quality of members) where people post and discuss things (sometimes disturbed by occasional american intrusion just kidding). But do you realize that bulk of those websites would be in German? Dutch? Italian? Chinese? Japanese? French? Now how many of those languages did the freaking awesome American educatonal system teach you? Can you read in more than 2 of above listed languages? No surprise you didn't find any of them. Just because you couldn't understand them doesn't mean they don't exist.
That's what I thought. All hat and no cattle. That's an old Texas saying. By the way, given the overwhelming probability that most economists are wrong in their predictions, what makes you so confident that what you learned in "University" is correct? LOL. What country did you take this economics class that you're so confident in? OldTrader
I was NOT looking for them, jackass! Why don't you go to one of them and post about the great Canadian TSX... you can discuss the virtues of all those great high tech mining stocks.
If our education system is so bad, why do so many of you come down/over here for higher education? Go to any American university - even in the middle of nowhere and see how many Europeans, Canadians, etc... are in attendance. Go figure, eh! By the way, when you brilliant Canucks (which I'm assuming that is what you are) are speaking this lexicon of foreign languages, how does "eh" translate? Are you taught that in Kindergarten or does it just come naturally? Oh, don't get me wrong.. makes you sound very intelligent.
I have to admit that the higher education offered by elite U.S. universities is simply best in the world (Ivies, Stanford, MIT). -Best faculty who are top in their fields and come from all over the world -Large and beautiful campuses (all of them except maybe MIT) I think the world has alot to learn from the U.S. elite Universities. What I say is not so good is grade school education in the U.S.
Look why do you Americans keep forcing others to be jealous of your country!!! This is tyranny! WE ARE NOT JEALOUS OF YOUR COUNTRY, but please don't bomb my country to force me change my mind.
Things to to to better U.S. economy: 1. Correct the huge and unsustainable fiscal deficit. Like it or not it is corrently financed in large part by Japan and China who are feeling increasingly comfortable financing the U.S. profligate 2. The Fed should act according to its founding principle as an inflation fighting institution rather than a free-cash house to bail out wall street. 3. Invest in, promote and encourage entrepreneurship rather than promoting wall street and finance. Silicon Valley is the flagship of American innovation but for the last two decades that has been it. U.S. is lagging behind in almost everything else except production of military hardware and internet. To cut it short, U.S. needs more companies like Siemens, ABB, GE, Mitsubishi, Hitachi, and fewer (way fewer) hedge funds, private equity, and to some extent investment banks. Hedge funds, private equity, and Investment banks should not be pillars of U.S. economy, otherwise it would be extremely vulnerable. 4. Support the dollar EXPLICITLY and TRUELY. the U.S. has everything to gain from keeping the U.S. dollar the world's reserve currency. It would lose tons of indirect income if most international transactions are no longer settled in U.S. dollar. And, it has to act quickly now before the situation turns irreversibly in some other currencies' favor. Things to do to make U.S. more likeable (or at least not hated as much) in the world. Right now let's face it, the much of teh world don't like U.S. If you go to Italy (or some places in France such as Grenoble) and be very loudspeaking and pariotic American, you know what ppl would think of you 1. Fight wars that are popular and avoid unpopular wars (quite simple). What are popular wars? Liberation of Europe is one, the 1st gulf war is another. However fight a war under an excuse that few could understand is very diffcult to be popular. If possible, try avoid wars at all (wars are bad by its definition). Why can't the U.S. just be a peaceful country like Switzerland (everyone likes the Swiss by the way). If you are a scientist and conducting an experiment, you would have reached the conclusion that bombing a country hard enough and long enough does not transform it suddenly into democracy. It is more likely a spontaneous process with U.S. giving a helping hand through setting a good example and moral high ground. 2. Join international efforts to fight global warming, environmental issues and a whole lot of other things. come on the U.S. did not even sign the Kyoto protocal! and it is the largest CO2 emitter on the planet earth! Just because it can kick anyone who disagrees off teh planet does not mean it can pollute teh world whatever way it wants. Double standards just look bad... 3. Reduce military bases around the world. Do you think Japanese people would like U.S. when one of its marines just raped another 14 year old japanese school girl? By the way, i was under the assumption that U.S. has freedom of speech , but then again the FBI or CIA can easily tag you as a stupid "terrorist" and then you won't have free speech anymore lol That won't look good either
Good post, but: - Its not a good assumption that all people like the Swiss; they do have their detractors but not within an order of magnitude of the US. - There is an amazing amount of anti-US sentiment out there. Even people who are polite and pleasant to individual American's dislike what the US does in the world and what it is perceived to stand for as a Nation. I like America and the US (despite thinking that your current Govt is idiotic on so many levels) so, not being American, I meet the people who dislike USanians but are pleasant to your faces. - Its hard to pick good wars. The US has recently done a very poor job however and made itself even less popular. Even your allies Australia and England have seen the people who allied with Bush lose power as opinion has swung.
the4xczar As o US citizen just do not worry about the opinions of the rest of the world. You never have before so why start now. I and others like me have no intention of outlining where we think the the US and for that matter the world is heading in the form of a robust discussion. To do this would be to risk being called "horrible" by you and that would never do. I think that the best thing that you can do is to remain within the company and confines of like minded people and ignore as best you can the words and actions of the "horrible" people. The fact that this action will not save you from the reality of the growing mess that you are in is best ignored. I suspect however that there exists a glimmer of recognition in your mind already of your dilema. Sufficient to start lashing out at others who have no fault in your sad predicament. namely we the "horrible" people. You just cannot accept as yet how your country has let you down so badly and someone needs to be the recipient of your wrath. Well, welcome to the world, you are not the first, it is simply the first time that it has happened to you and you are angry, very very angry. Here again, you are not alone. On our regular trips to US to see friends we notice that the lack of servility, rudeness and angry is growing on each visit. Something is seriously wrong because US citizens were once very friendly and hospitable in their own country and this has been drastically eroded. If in anyway, anything that I have said offends your delicate nature, then simply discard it. One way or another the world will roll ahead, whether you agree with the direction or not. Will you ride on top of it as best you can or will you be crushed beneath it like so many others. The choice is yours.
'continually insist that we are a bunch of losers and they are the enlightened ones' In the European thinking, Americans are degenerates who have no historical culture. However Europeans can think what they want and bask in the glory of illussion but standards of living and progression are way superior in the US. This superiority can be maintained for another 25 years easy, if some responsible leader like Bill Clinton takes the rein of leadership.