The British Empire is the greatest empire the world has ever known and once covered 25% of the world. When one moves to the USA, one learns to be patriotic especially when the American media sells America and gets it wrong. America may have been the richest country in the 20th century but it is not the greatest. After all, what is the greatest influence on American life? Why, the English language of course. One gets tired of all the American bullshit and the false bragging.
China is one of the greatest nations and has a bigger influence on life than America but China doesn’t brag like America does. China invented paper, ink, gunpowder, the list is endless. There are China towns in almost every country. Are there America towns in other countries? America’s influence on the world is the make believe, the fantasy moving pictures. This is wonderful of course but it is not essential to life. It is not the invention of ink on paper, of books, of language. They did not invent democracy and they are not the greatest nation since the Roman Empire. What they are are the biggest braggers and self-obsessed, paranoid nation on the planet. They write about themselves constantly. Talk radio, talks, talks, talks about themselves. Do you think Britain or France could give a crap if the world loves their nation or not? Every day in America the media worries about America not being liked abroad. They think that the whole world is watching and that the whole world gives a damn. I can’t tell you how many times an American has come up to me to bitch about not being liked abroad. As if they had a clue anyway because they’ve never been abroad. Europeans and Asians and Australasians couldn’t give a crap if other nations like them or not. Get over yourself. Pull your fat asses away from the TV and the radio, don’t listen to the manipulating, fear mongering media, and actually live life, travel to foreign lands. I had an American come up to me and say that the French don’t drive or own cars. This person had never been to France. Another American wondered if I was living in the USA because there was opportunity here and not in Britain, as if I’d come from a third world country. I’ve had americans react so violently at the thought that their country was not better than other countries, that the British, German, and French healthcare system was just propaganda made up by Michael Moore. These morons have never traveled to any of these countries yet they all knew more about it than the people who lived there because the American media fed them an American dream. They are so in love with themselves and this false notion that they are the greatest that they think foreigners can’t get through the day without thinking about America. Boy, do I have news for you. And we have to suffer scores of movies about how America is not loved or how America is no longer a great country. I got news for you. We got it good in Europe and Australia. We got free healthcare, cheap education, and more than 5 weeks holiday a year. We enjoy life and we don’t obsess about ourselves. America, get over yourself. Maybe the whole world hates you because like a spoilt child you bore everyone to tears with false vanity.
America I love your optimism. I love your fight. I love your friendly people and your welcoming arms. But get this straight, you are a great nation but you are not the greatest nation, you are one of many. Get over yourselves and travel. See the world and enjoy it.
Yes, yes, but do you really want to encourage Americans to go visit the rest of the world? I mean, does the rest of the world deserve that kind of abuse? 😉
They can pretend they are Canadians and they’ll do just fine.
Too funny! Never realized you were a Brit! You should know though that New York, Chicago , San Fransisco or LA are not the “real” America.
Come visit “fly-over” country sometime. Nashville is a great place to start.
Don’t overlook the historical reasons either for the US’s attitude. America was settled mostly by the oppressed from Europe who had little but a bitter distate for the old counrty. They came with the shirts on their backs. If you have ever known anyone who was someones subordinate and was abused by their boss? What happens when that person becomes the bosses equal or even their superior?
Aussies have no great love for England. They don’t seek the approval of the motherlandand neither do the Indians or Canadians. ( Especially French Canadians)
I really have no argument with what you posted. I just wanted to soften the edges a bit. I think every country is the best country… for certain things. It’s Histories job to determine if those “things” have any real value for posterity.
If America is so great than why can’t we conquer countries, educate our youth, provide universal health care, keep our economy afloat, take care of our people in times of natural disasters, value ones worth beyond celebrity status and the list goes on and on and on. I am not proud. I do not brag. I am ashamed.
Don’t be ashamed of your country, it’s a fantastic country with fantastic optimism and vision. I am English and I love American culture. Every country has their flaws and England and the rest of the world are no exceptions. But, I absolutely do not go round thinking ‘I wonder how America is doing today’ because there’s no reason to. America ‘puts on their best clothes’ to keep up ‘appearances’ to the rest of the world and is didactic in preaching the ‘American Dream’ through every outlet, media/entertainment or otherwise, but, I would think a good majority of everyday American people can see through that anyway. When a person is great, they just are great, and everyone knows it, no need to advertise. That’s being cool. Every country likes to raise their own profile, every country makes mistakes and America is yet young and has all the characteristics, as Ginger so rightly points out, of a beautiful, hedonistic but insecure teenager….