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I know this could turn into another patriotic or antiamerican o my god, stars & stripes Thread. But - there is the Iraqwar and Hybris is over, so no reason for sliming or bashing on the US&A for today. So to be a real critic - and show good will in trouble Times.
How about everybody Posting something he really likes about the "GodsownedCountry" ?

To beginn with.
I like there risk culture, this will to invest Money into even very questionable ideas or projects, a real Will to Adventure. You don´t find that in other Countrys, for example in Germany they developed Mp3 - and then found no Bank willing to invest into Product Development - so this Culture of getting a New Idea going is really something i envy them for. If they would find a method to pack that Spirit in Boxes, they would sell the whole stock in Seconds...

Now it is your turn...

Spending a number of years in the northeast (New York, Connecticut etc...) of the States there are a number of positives in comparison to UK.

-Waffles
-Jolly ranchers (particularly the watermelon flavor)
-Fruit (juicier. yum)
-Pumpkin pie
-Pie in general
-Internal assessment rather than external exam boards at high school level.
-DONUTS!
-Video game release dates
-Generally very positive attitudes (can reach an extreme of delusional)
-Pancakes (Maple Syrup and Strawberries @_@)
-Peanut Butter
-Peanut Butter n Jelly
-Peanut Butter n Jelly on an everything bagel
-Bagels
-They have a *written* constitution that actually puts limits on government
-New York City (Damn I love that place)
-John Stewart
-Steven Colbert
-Ugly Betty
-Bill of Rights

-They have a *written* constitution that actually puts limits on government

Although it's ignored when convenient

Caydr wrote:

-They have a *written* constitution that actually puts limits on government

Although it's ignored when convenient

Yeah, but you have to admit that overall they have done pretty well.

Relative wrote:

Caydr wrote:

-They have a *written* constitution that actually puts limits on government

Although it's ignored when convenient

Yeah, but you have to admit that overall they have done pretty well.

o.O not really. google "guantanamo bay" for info.

iamacup wrote:

Relative wrote:

Caydr wrote: Although it's ignored when convenient

Yeah, but you have to admit that overall they have done pretty well.

o.O not really. google "guantanamo bay" for info.

Yeah, I know what Guantanamo bay is. However, one example of many from the Bush administration's infractions of does not discredit the Constitution IMO.

If one president can do it, any president can do it, which means the constitution has no real authority or meaning.

It once was a symbol of good governance, now it's just a collection of words that help people sleep at night feeling safe and secure in the knowledge that they can't be, for instance, spirited away by men in black without trial, since they have reason to believe based on the fact that you use the phrase "total annihilation" on your illegally tapped phone line and/or monitored internet connection, that you're a potential threat to national security -- Because that only happens in countries like Iraq, where they're ruled by the evil dictators of doom that need to be stopped at all costs, even if it means fabricating evidence and violating said consitution and altering records and ... no need to go on.

great colleges and universities.

they should be cheaper, though.

Caydr wrote:If one president can do it, any president can do it, which means the constitution has no real authority or meaning.

A bit of a sweeping generalization? Guantanamo Bay is not a direct assault on the Constitution as Bush used two loop holes, which were Guantanamo Bay and Geneva Convention. Guantanamo Bay is actually part of Cuba, which the American military has semi-legally has control over, thus, as argued by Bush, US law does not apply within that area. Secondly, using the Geneva Convention Bush labeled prisoners as POWs. However, both of these claims have failed against the Supreme Court.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guantanamo ... ted_States

Currently Bush either has to give up by either releasing or charging prisoners, or push for an act of congress to authorize the detainment (not likely with a democrat congress).

Edit: Anyway, lets try to get back on topic.

If one president can do it, any president can do it, which means the constitution has no real authority or meaning.

I think we need to be careful about oversimplifying the Guantanamo situation. It's disingenuous to say that Guantanamo violates the constitution and that therefore the constitution is being ignored. The reality of the situation is that Guantanamo (along with other Bush administration programs) is extremely controversial, but still being examined.

Honestly, if there was a clear consensus among U.S. lawmakers and the Supreme Court regarding the unconstitutionality of these programs then they would be shut down. There are plenty of powerful congressmen who would fight to do just that. Indeed, we frequently hear about investigations and hearings related to these programs.

But it's an ongoing process. There are also lawmakers who believe these programs to be constitutional. Until the controversy is decided then I don't think it's fair to say that the president is ignoring the constitution, because from his perspective he almsot certainly is not. If the Supreme Court passed a ruling that the program is unconsitutional, and the Bush administration refused to shut it down, then they would be ignoring the constitution.

illegally tapped phone line

The NSA wiretapping program is an excellent example of the process at work. Arguments can be made both for and against the program, and there have already been court rulings going in both directions. Although the process will undoubtedly be slow, eventually all the appeals will settle and we'll have a final ruling on the issue. At that point you can be pretty certain that the president will abide by the courts' decisions... or dissolve the senate prior to testing the Death Star on Alderaan as a show of power :)

jackalope wrote:great colleges and universities.

they should be cheaper, though.

+1

Although the government often fails to support it as they should, the academic community in the US is _great_ for scientific development.

rock and effing roll (extra special bonus points for Jim Dunlop, Bob Moog and Jimi Hendrix)
the blues
the almighty Gibson Les Paul (see a theme here? )
the world's leading space exploration programme
basketball
the "beat" movement (kerouac pwns hard)
Warren Ellis (comic book author: go read "Transmetropolitan")
Garth Ennis (as above: go read "Preacher")

Caydr wrote:. Secondly, using the Geneva Convention Bush labeled prisoners as POWs. However, both of these claims have failed against the Supreme Court.]

THE US denies the exsistance/authority of the jury there. And they can simply wait, nobody's really going to do anything about the "POW:s" there

It is not Australia.

The fact you can turn right on a red light is pretty cool, plus the women there are suckers for an English accent which means getting a date for a Brit invloves very little effort.
That's my two favourite things about America, well, those and the fact they invented Baywatch... god bless you America ^^

California and John Romero.

The fact that all in all, it's a nice place to live. Far from perfect, but on the whole, better than <insert third world dictatorship here>

You know, I had this funny thought. A lot of people like to critizise America, and second guess every single action they take. Why? It's becuase we're the worlds formost SUPERPOWER!

So I can't wait till China is the worlds Superpower. Then everyone can second guess, critizise and generaly not like to their hearts content.

But maybe I'm just crazy.



Oh one last thing I like about America, or at lest my part of Ameirca, is I can walk down the street and count the ethnicities and be out of fingers by the time I to Carls Junior.

Grape Nuts... that don't taste like cardboard.

Everything they did between the revolution and Vietnam was pretty keen too.

-An individualistic outlook
-Pecan pie
-Guns
-Grits
-Racial diversity
-Old American cars
-Sweet tea
-Cars in general
-Liberty, etc.

...as you may have guessed, I'm pretty much a Southerner.

Felix the Cat wrote: -Pecan pie

ummmmmmmm, yum