This is from the latest episode of Real Time, which aired 10/27/06.

Edited and submitted it myself, I did.

i like the vid (and voted for it), but isn't this technically a self-post? or did we get rid of that rule?

yep..great post but what happened to the no self linking rule?

*blog

It's hard to enforce our policy of no self-linking, if certain members are allowed to get away with it.

Sending this video to Sift Talk for discussion (sent by gold star member farhad2000)

I replaced it with an identical clip from another user on youtube.

*return

Returning this video from Sift Talk (Returned by gold star member James Roe)

we're still vastly superior in many other things. just 8 years ago ther ween't such talks of 'america isn't great'. Nation doesn't fall apart in just 8 years. This monologue is just the representation of disgruntled democrats who are listing every stats in the book to make it sound bad. But it really isn't.

But i suppose 'let's make it better' attitude wouldn't hurt.

So what are we doing right then, legacy0100?

I hate to rain on the americans parade (at least the ones who come to videosift), but you are NOT the best country in the world, by far.
You are not the nation with the best education
You are not the nation with most peace
You are not the most ecologically-aware nation
You are not the nation with the best social politics
You are not the nation with the best medicine
You are not the nation with the lowest crime rates
You are not the nation with less enemies
You are not the most democratic nation
You are not the wisest nation
In the human development Index, you come at number 10. That means that 9 other countries are better places to live, than yours.
I'll grant you, that in many of those points I said before, you come pretty close to the top, but that's not enough, and certainly not enough for bragging rights.
Work on it, and we'll talk in few years time.
And just as I've been saying for years now, the best country in the world is Norway (and no.. I'm not from Norway, but I can face the facts, unlike most)

But the Americans in Videosift are clearly the best.

Unless you count the Videosift Polska. Or all of the Canadians crowding up the top 15.

This thread reminds me of this (and I would post it if I had the damned room):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFH2ncp2MG8

Get out of the whole guilt trip. There's a reason why America is having trouble with too much food. It's because we've invested our time into the right technology. Yes, our politics is crap, and for some reason there are still hungry people in America while we produce enough food for the entire northern continent. But that's politics. America's political decisions are crap and we don't do a good job redistributing the things we have accomplished.

But there are so many technological things in America that's still no.1 in the world. We're the ones going to mars. We're the ones making the best genetically superior crops, computers, best quality education, engineering, construction, bio science, chemical science medical science, etc etc etc.

We have so many no.1 things in this country.

Organizing them and redistributing them in the right manner is another story. That's what Bill Maher chose to focus on, that's what you guys try to focus on. And you're right, we do need improvements on the 'management' side of our government. But whipping your own backside to say that America is not good at anything won't get you anywhere. And look how Bill Maher ends his piece, start acting like No.1. What does hell does that suppose to mean? That's like some fairy tale ending where you're too lazy to give any real conclusion. You say we're not no.1. So what's the specific reason that's causing this problem? Is it just one problem or many problems? How do we fix it? What can be done? Who can do it?

Quit the guilt trips. Complaining is the easiest thing to do. Coming up with the right answers is the toughest challenge. Bill Maher is pointing out the problems in this country virtually every week in his show. If you care about this country that much, if you really feel guilty about America not acting like no.1, then you should start coming up with answers as to how we can improve it, instead of just nodding and accepting whatever Maher says and boiling your own stew of disgrace.

Let me put it in layman's terms. If you want to win a sports game, then you should believe in your own ability. A team that doesn't believe in one's strong points and lack the confidence will never win games.

Now stop with this whole 'oh man we're such a bad country' attitude. Grow some balls for god sakes. You know why republicans keep getting jobs? Because while democrats have got the brains, you can't use'em when the republicans got you by the balls! Grow your own pair and start using'em.

best quality education?!?! uhrmm... no.
medical science? that's another no.
engineering? again, that's a no.

gimme some numbers to prove this, but i KNOW that we're not number 1 in educational quality.

i love this country, but i hate the politicians that run it.


Because while democrats have got the brains, you can't use'em when the republicans got you by the balls! Grow your own pair and start using'em.

I'm not red or blue, i'm american.

legacy, America is overfed yet undernourished. Obesity is not a triumph of technology. How do you know? Because it's unhealthy. It's not a problem with food technology. It's a problem with education. It's mostly poor American people who are overweight because there isn't enough education about nutrition. Teach people to stop eating McDonalds and white bread, and your country will be healthy again. The right technology is awareness.

Where do his rankings come from? Didn't he say 55th in the world in terms of Freedom of the Press?

wait, its a competition? I thought we were all humans here, and wishing our fellow man the best, independent of their citizenship.

I guess the point of comparing country's average quality of life reveals what they're most focused on. If we weren't so military nuts our underfunded public education system wouldn't be so lousy, and this shows with our education rank and our military expense rank.

... and the Mexico one didn't make sense to me, and doesn't agree with the CIA's public info from 2005 -https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/rankorder/2187rank.html

(other rankings here https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/docs/rankorderguide.html , including for 'external debt', which we are totally number 1 at! wooo!! )

What I don't understand is this whole country stuff, borders, checkpoints, competition, nuclear warfare.
It's just crazyness and frankly the desire to prove your country better than others just comes off as desperate and sad.
Patriotism... pah!

*nominate

This video has been nominated a top video of 2006 (nominate called by gold star member winkler1)

I love my country. I wouldnt live anywhere else but.. I'd like to comment on the following:

You are not the nation with the best education - Thats Japan. Also the highest stress amongst children.
You are not the nation with most peace - That's still Switzerland - Sig Heil! Erm.. There Neutral.
You are not the most ecologically-aware nation - Um.. what nation truly is? Statistically or not.. all nations are guilty of this in some fashion or another.
You are not the nation with the best social politics - Duh, Bush? But we did get to vote for him.
You are not the nation with the best medicine - But were not the nation with the worst either.
You are not the nation with the lowest crime rates - Yea.. that "Right to bear arms" is a bunch of crap.</sarcasm> But... the larger the population the higher the crime rate. Couple with the fact that Americans have to put more time on the clock at work, and the fact that the divorce rate is so high - kids have no role models, or even anyone at home to raise them. Its a downward spiral in which we can't seem to be rid of.
You are not the nation with less enemies - Well.. of course not our foreign policy management sucks. Plus - it seems were like the Roman Empire trying to 'help' other nations with their terrorist issues.
You are not the most democratic nation - Um what nation truly is? You put down ANY country and you can find fault with it.
You are not the wisest nation - Nope only 200 years old - wisdom comes with time and learning from our mistakes. Problem is right now were too busy making them to be able to learn from them yet. BUT - in 200 years we have done more to change the world then any other place on the planet. Which has been good - and bad.

I mostly agree with Maher but I differ on one point. "Soccer" is not bullshit! And it's called football by the way.

"BUT - in 200 years we have done more to change the world then any other place on the planet. Which has been good - and bad."
Really ?
All of this seems quite pointless but it was a nice peace of listening, at least from Europe

*latenight

Adding video to channels (Latenight) - requested by eric3579.

America Rules. All other countries are cheap blurry-faced watches at the flea market.

Piss off a liberal: work hard and be happy.

america is #1 in basketball for men and women!!!

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