Opinion on the US

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I don't like it.  I don't like any nation but America takes the cake for having the most corrupt, overreaching and powerful state with the most passive, sheepish (albeit paradoxically angry) people.  What they're putting in the water is working.  I'm on the first plane out once I can save enough ...

Irony poster child ^^
Why so glum, chum?  CHEER UP!

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[Fiyasko]

Police state 101, No thanks, they use strong arm terrorism covered up as a "fight against terrorism" to get what they want

[bitwit]

My significant other is from a country with a King. There's no asking questions, and your family may disappear if you say something like "He's an idiot".

Yeah, the USA is the worst country ever...

Maybe we need to be more like Gandhi and "be the change"  instead of sitting on a PC complaining about it. If there's anything bad about America, it's that we blame everybody else. Change some crap if you don't like it.

Corrupt politicians? Do you even know where the word lobbying comes from?
Starving kids? Easy fix.
Too much debt? Set the example first.
Too few services? GET INVOLVED.
Too many services? GET INVOLVED.
Don't like something? GET INVOLVED.

At least write a friggin' letter. It worked for America in 1776 and 1863.

I am rather dedicated. I'm better with words than with a placard in the streets (been there, done that), and I have been DEEPLY involved in politics.

What I found was that those who seek office should NEVER have any form of power over anyone but themselves, because they INTEND to use it for personal gain, or their personal vision of hell paradise. Being an anarchist at my age is not a reactionary or unreasoned position. It might be for the very young, a sort of diffuse teenage rebellion, but for those of us with some years under our belts, the philosophies of liberty are not abstracts or simply a topic for discussion amongst friends or internet fora.

Some basic truths about the United States of America. The corporation, not the nation of people.

One. The system cannot be reformed. Why? Because it works as it is intended. No, not the bullshit they sell you on the idiot box, the ACTUAL intent. Which is to gain as much power in the hands of a few "elites" as possible without fomenting a revolution. The "federalists" (imperialists, if we're to be honest and historically accurate) recalled very well the vast uncertainties and suffering caused by a full scale revolution. But unlike the "anti" federalists (who were ACTUALLY federalists rather than imperialists), the Federalists wanted a strong central government FOR THE PURPOSE of making the United States (plural, at the time) into one great empire. It took them a few decades and an otherwise unnecessary war, but they pulled it off. From 1865 onwards, nearly everything they have done has had the express purpose of expanding and consolidating the central authority. They have succeeded brilliantly. Alexander Hamilton would be immensely proud of the current government.

Two. Those who would rule want power like a drowning man wants air. I have personally met almost all of the current senate and about half of the current congress at earlier stages in their so-called careers. There is not one of them that I think this untrue of, except Dr. Ron Paul who I'm unsure of. That he is sincere in his beliefs, I have no doubt. But I'm not certain whether he has that lust for power. Unlike the whole rest of them, he was a gentleman to the staff. I give him points for that, and for much of his philosophy. But he sought power at the Imperial court, and he got it for many years. That makes him dangerous, even if his intentions are good. Which I am not certain of. The rest of them would throw their mother in front of a freight train for one more vote. And I AM certain of that.

Three. Voting is futile. You are given a very limited choice. You do not vote on law or regulation. You have no choice in that at all. The United States of America is not the Swiss Confederation. Citizens have privileges and duties, not rights. Nor real power. You can't even own the property you live on in any real sense. As Emma Goldman said, if voting could change anything, they would make it illegal. Contrary to the popular saw, voting TAKES AWAY your right to bitch, as you are supporting the system, regardless of the outcome.

I have much more, but that's enough to chew on for now.

Your viewpoint is interesting, though I don't know anything about you other than what you wrote in this post. I agree, to a lesser degree, with some parts of it. I was going to ask why you don't move to France or Russia or Zimbabwe or ________ but I think you alluded to something when you said you were not referring to the "nation of people". Does this mean you hold out hope for what it could be (i.e. what the actual people could make it), or that you've given up entirely on the US and you're just waiting for it to fall apart enough to reassemble the pieces?

[Biomech]

Your viewpoint is interesting, though I don't know anything about you other than what you wrote in this post. I agree, to a lesser degree, with some parts of it. I was going to ask why you don't move to France or Russia or Zimbabwe or ________ but I think you alluded to something when you said you were not referring to the "nation of people". Does this mean you hold out hope for what it could be (i.e. what the actual people could make it), or that you've given up entirely on the US and you're just waiting for it to fall apart enough to reassemble the pieces?

I'm divided on the issue. I've lived in and traveled through about 2/3rds of the country.

I definitely do not see the United States of America as America. The people and the government are completely at odds, though most of the people don't seem to see it. the USA is a charter corporation by any rational definition. America, well, the word is a description of a place, and also a set of sometimes contradictory ideals.

Over the course of 45 years, I've watched those ideals go from largely being lived by the people (but never the government) to just about complete abdication of individuality in some places (like Western Pennsylvania and Southern California). 10 years ago, I would have said that leaving was the only option. That the experiment was too corrupted to continue, the people at large too stupefied to do a damn thing about it.  Now I'm not so sure. I keep running into people, especially younger people, who are just plain fed up with the antics of mordor The District of Columbia. And they are everywhere. Not a majority, yet, nor even enough of a mass to tip the scales, but it's a growing tide. I have high hopes for the ideals and idealism of the american people. But I can't see it getting better without getting a lot worse. I would hope that when it falls down (and it must, at this point. They've gone too far on too many things to ever right the ship), that it goes down more like the old USSR rather than what I see as more likely.

Revolution. People like to talk about revolution, but nobody sane wants it to happen. There is no guarantee that what comes out the other side will be worth living in. There is no chance of a revolution without massive bloodshed. And to be perfectly honest, I think that the USA would use it's nukes on it's peasants if they revolted. It isn't collectively long sighted enough to realize that doing so would be the end of it's viable existence. Nobody would trade with it ever again, and the USA doesn't have a monopoly on weapons of mass destruction. But they want that power...

So, as a father, I feel it fairly incumbent on me to physically leave before it gets that far. I don't currently have the resources to do it. But my wife and I have both come to that conclusion. But I at least hold out some hope that those who choose to stay might turn it around. Not a lot, but still...

[Oldgamer]

I wish all american haters and talking with aplomb about corruption and so on leave the country for Russia, Cuba, North Korea where their socialist ideas already fulfilled. They don't even know what they talking about.
They just should remember that not one bloody revolution brought anything good anywhere. To destroy something is easy. To build something is hard.

[Mike Christ]

They just should remember that not one bloody revolution brought anything good anywhere.

Not even this one?

[Oldgamer]

i said not one

[Oldgamer]

I would like to know the general opinion of my country.
Nobody seems to like it, I don't really like it and it has this weird dollar thing.

Is it really your country?
You have Russian name. Also, what you mean under "weird dollar thing"?

[Biomech]

I wish all american haters and talking with aplomb about corruption and so on leave the country for Russia, Cuba, North Korea where their socialist ideas already fulfilled. They don't even know what they talking about.
They just should remember that not one bloody revolution brought anything good anywhere. To destroy something is easy. To build something is hard.

While I mostly agree with you, I'd have to say revolutions are a mixed bag. Usually a lot of good comes out of them, and a lot of suffering, and a lot of bad. They are NOT a good gamble, and should therefore be a last resort.

For the record I do not hate America. I hate the United States of America, a foreign power sitting in it's own nation called the District of Columbia. It IS NOT America, it's a ruling institution. By any rational definition, it is an empire. A rather egregious one, currently with more presence in the world than any previous including Rome and the British Empire.

If they were actually about the ideals they preach, they would not have a military presence in 3/4ths of the world, nor be dictating to other nations how they may live and what they may believe.

This parasite on the people of earth MUST be undone. Revolution is not a particularly good option, but the others take a long time, and we may not have that kind of time. I'll not be the first to pull the trigger. Education is a long game, and governments don't usually play long games, unless there is a king.

[DobZombie]

There's good people and bad people everywhere...

I voted "Fat people".

Did you know Australia overtaken the US in terms of fatties? It's now the Fattest country on earth.

It's also full of alcoholics now. Even the Irish look at us and think "those Aussies have an alcohol problem"

To top it off, cashed up bogans fill the streets because of the mining boom.

And still, Australians don't treat the rest of the world like the US does.

[j68r]

fwiw I tend to distinguish the USA from America. The government from the people.

America and everything it used to project is disappearing fast but it's always had a government in modern times that suffered a creeping paranoia and belligerence. Probably the worst problem facing America is the Zionist takeover of US foreign policy, creeping police state, fascism and seemingly endless illegal wars and rampant extra judicial killings on a whim, which all do nothing for its image abroad. They're nothing new of course but are becoming increasingly distasteful and blatant and perhaps a dress rehearsal for the coming collapse at home.

I live in the UK and have a similar attitude to the corporate stooges enriching themselves and running this corrupt shit hole of a country into the ground too.

[j68r]

To destroy something is easy. To build something is hard.

Now ask yourself which of those two things the false wars on some drugs and some terror, the patriot act, homeland security, surveillance state and the NSA is doing.

[Vod]

I'm going to be anal and say that America is a series of continents, not a country.   

[j68r]

I'm going to be anal and say that America is a series of continents, not a country.   

When I use the word America I'm not thinking about geography and arbitrary fences.

[crumbs]

I'm going to be anal and say that America is a series of continents, not a country.   

When I use the word America I'm not thinking about geography and arbitrary fences.

I'm even less US-centric.  When i use the word America, i'm thinking about America, Limburg, Netherlands.

*the "series of continents" is called Americas, according to the series of tubes.

[Vod]

I'm going to be anal and say that America is a series of continents, not a country.   

When I use the word America I'm not thinking about geography and arbitrary fences.

I'm even less US-centric.  When i use the word America, i'm thinking about America, Limburg, Netherlands.

*the "series of continents" is called Americas, according to the series of tubes.

Ok, now you're being super-anal.   

[pedrog]

I'm going to be anal and say that America is a series of continents, not a country.   

When I use the word America I'm not thinking about geography and arbitrary fences.

Murica!!!

[NewLiberty]

Having been all over the world, people are more similar than not, though the political structures and regimes are as different as can be.
Stereotypically there are some big differences, which are fine to use categorically, but generally wrong when applied individually.

The thing that Americans generally have in common is that they are either immigrants or descended from immigrants.  This means that they tend to be somewhat more venturesome than average.  Either they or their ancestors were explorers, or more motivated and less risk averse than their cohorts.

This is a slight skew to the population from this, often this is a good thing, sometimes it is not.

Yes, the US has implemented most of Marx's communist manifesto's and hasn't come to terms with it.   Yes, we deserve your sympathy and perhaps your pity.  We have a massively burdensome government that is becoming ever more intrusive into our lives and yours, using fear and "terror" to accomplish that, and we struggle to bring any sanity to our polity.  We thank you for your help and understanding with all of that, no one is perfect.  The miss steps will always be more obvious than any good that may be done.

Americans also often blame the people of other countries for that other country's government, this is usually a mistake.  It makes little sense to generalize, but we do it.  Sorry for that, and will try not to hold it against you when you do it to us.

[nimda]

One great thing about the USA: no soldiers are quartered in people's homes without consent.

[tvbcof]

...
The thing that Americans generally have in common is that they are either immigrants or descended from immigrants.  This means that they tend to be somewhat more venturesome than average.  Either they or their ancestors were explorers, or more motivated and less risk averse than their cohorts.
...

I think that the generations and the principle of 'regression to the mean' has pretty much nixed that for us old-timers.  We being recognized generally by having Caucasian features.

We have a strong contingent of more recent arrivals however, and this spark can be observed statistically in some of their behaviors.  Work ethic, propensity for education, etc.