The Summer of Love

[Plane]

Catching up on this thread, it seems the sirs-plane position is that despite "blips" that mar what would otherwise be a perfect record of exemplary conduct, the "good" done by the U.S., primarily in the form of aid packages outshines the little "blips" in the record, leaving the U.S. the greatest country not only on earth today but in all of recorded history. 

Blips?

I don't think I have minimised the atrocity of Slavery or the extremity of the unfairness of the Indian wars.I don't agree with your caricaturisation of my opinion.

But yes the USA is the greatest country in several respects , the most innocent may not be one of the awards that the USA deserves , but there are plenty of other considerations.

Costa Rica might be considered an especially nice country but  it is too small to be called the "greatest" coping with our own sheer size causes problems we are proud to have . Is it fair to contrast the innocence of one country with another and proclaim the more innocent the greater?

The empires of Egypt , Babbilon, Rome ,Byzantium, China and England were great and I don't expect much argument  on that. The USA is comprable in scale to the greatest empires and against them the comparison is more fair , of all the nations tht have ever been the dominant culture of the planet the USA is the most beneficient and the most enlightened.

[Michael Tee]

<<of all the nations tht have ever been the dominant culture of the planet the USA is the most beneficient and the most enlightened.>>

That's outrageous.  In the simplest terms possible, even by the standards you set, you're not even fit to shine the shoes of the British.

[Xavier_Onassis]

Costa Rica might be considered an especially nice country but  it is too small to be called the "greatest" coping with our own sheer size causes problems we are proud to have . Is it fair to contrast the innocence of one country with another and proclaim the more innocent the greater?

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This is like saying that Budweiser is the greatest beer in the world because they sell so much of it. (I mean the American Budweiser, not the little-known German one that the US brand took its name from).

Why does size have anything whatever to do with greatness?

I suppose the next criteria for you would be wealth. But then, Luxembourg, Qatar and the UAE have the US beat in per capita income.

And, yes it IS fair to discuss innocence. Costa Rica abolished its army when the army kept taking over the government. Costa Rica has never invaded anyone. Neither has Bhutan.

New Zealand seems pretty cool and well-run and prosperous as well. Canada is a cool country, but a tad too cool-downright frigid-for many.

I don't really think that comparing countries to the degree that there is a firm ranking. The US is perhaps th4e greatest country for someone who likes working on American military aircraft, living off checks from the government, and then voting for the party that thinks that the very government that pays him all those checks is the basis of most of the problems. So I will not dispute that the US is the greatest country for Plane.

I live in the US because I am an American, I own my own home, and I rather like where I live. My family and friends are here. Still, I have found Spain, Mexico,Argentina and Costa Rica to be much friendlier places.

The anti-intellectual aspect of US culture sucks quite deeply. It is really annoying to have some dolt who knows little more than sports data accuse anyone who actually reads and thinks of being an "elitist". This is, to my mind, as dumb as accusing rich people of having more disposable income, or mechanics of understanding engines better.

Costa Rica has very few military aircraft. I am not sure that Bhutan has any. I suppose that New Zealand's military is more like a coast guard.

[Amianthus]

This is like saying that Budweiser is the greatest beer in the world because they sell so much of it. (I mean the American Budweiser, not the little-known German one that the US brand took its name from).

My favorite part of the whole dispute was when a British judge tasted both beers in court and promptly dismissed the infringement case by Anheuser-Busch, saying that no one would ever confuse the two beers.

And a BTW - the US brand didn't "take it's name from the German brand" - like "pilsner", "budweiser" is a style of beer in Germany. The name of the German beer is "Budvar", but it prominently says "budweiser" on the label, because that's the style of beer.

[Xavier_Onassis]

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,1564,1588022,00.html

Actually, the original Budweiser is a Czech beer.

Our local Mercedes Club took part in the city of Oakland Park's annual Oktoberfest last October, and the city manager, who is German, had genuine Oktoberfest beer flown in from Deutschland.

It could only be described as both delicious and potent. The best beer I have ever tasted, anywhere. Some Belgian-American microbrewed beers in a restaurant with its own brewery N or Tampa came close, though. I am planning a trip to Paraguay in a month or so, and perhaps I will find something more authentically German there.

[Amianthus]

Actually, the original Budweiser is a Czech beer.

Yes, "budweiser" is a Czech-style beer from "Budweis", as is "pilsner" (from "Pilsen"). The suffix "-er" in German means "from". So, "budweiser" is "from Budweis", "pilsner" is "from Pilsen", "weiner" is "from Wein (Vienna)", etc.

Don't know what brand you tried, though Spaten has an "Oktoberfest" beer (my father likes this beer, one of his favorites). I prefer their "Dunkel" beer, I have always had a preference for darker beers.

Bitburger is also a real good German beer, available at most Aldi's markets in the US. My absolute favorites are Belgian "lambic" style beers, which are made with fruits. I had a good Framboise Lambic the other day with my Rouladen and Leberknoedelsuppe at a real good German restaurant in Milwaukee. I have recently discovered a more "traditional" beer that I truly like as well, made at a Dutch Trappist brewery called "Koningshoeven".

[Xavier_Onassis]

Beer on tap always seems tastier to me than beer in bottles or cans. The Oktoberfest Beer had a brand, but I don't think it was Spaten or Dunkel. I think the name began with the letter M. It was in kegs and drawn on tap.
The Czechoslovakian-American Club here in Miami has Urquel Pilsener on tap. They have not divided themselves into Czech Republicans and Slovakians. It is mostly an eating club, and they agree on food.

[Plane]

<<of all the nations tht have ever been the dominant culture of the planet the USA is the most beneficient and the most enlightened.>>

That's outrageous.  In the simplest terms possible, even by the standards you set, you're not even fit to shine the shoes of the British.

Go back to your post which includes the enumeration of American Crimes thru history, is it no9t the case that the British Empire is also guilty of each one of those?

Costa Rica might be considered an especially nice country but it is too small to be called the "greatest" coping with our own sheer size causes problems we are proud to have . Is it fair to contrast the innocence of one country with another and proclaim the more innocent the greater?

=================================================
This is like saying that Budweiser is the greatest beer in the world because they sell so much of it. (I mean the American Budweiser, not the little-known German one that the US brand took its name from).

Why does size have anything whatever to do with greatness?

I suppose the next criteria for you would be wealth. But then, Luxembourg, Qatar and the UAE have the US beat in per capita income.

And, yes it IS fair to discuss innocence. Costa Rica abolished its army when the army kept taking over the government. Costa Rica has never invaded anyone. Neither has Bhutan.

New Zealand seems pretty cool and well-run and prosperous as well. Canada is a cool country, but a tad too cool-downright frigid-for many.

I don't really think that comparing countries to the degree that there is a firm ranking. The US is perhaps th4e greatest country for someone who likes working on American military aircraft, living off checks from the government, and then voting for the party that thinks that the very government that pays him all those checks is the basis of most of the problems. So I will not dispute that the US is the greatest country for Plane.

I live in the US because I am an American, I own my own home, and I rather like where I live. My family and friends are here. Still, I have found Spain, Mexico,Argentina and Costa Rica to be much friendlier places.

The anti-intellectual aspect of US culture sucks quite deeply. It is really annoying to have some dolt who knows little more than sports data accuse anyone who actually reads and thinks of being an "elitist". This is, to my mind, as dumb as accusing rich people of having more disposable income, or mechanics of understanding engines better.

Costa Rica has very few military aircraft. I am not sure that Bhutan has any. I suppose that New Zealand's military is more like a coast guard.

I have been to several Countries and I really liked Spain,Canada, Kenya and Italy , it was easy to get around and easy to find friendly people I would visit again if I could I have heard that Costa Rica is wonderfull , but great does have something to do with size and influence , power and prestige.

Lets agree that severalnations are wonderfull and some are comfortable even more than the US , but "great" does not describe Costa Rica which has almost no military ,and needs none, because it is a friend of the USA.

[Xavier_Onassis]

Lets agree that severalnations are wonderfull and some are comfortable even more than the US , but "great" does not describe Costa Rica which has almost no military ,and needs none, because it is a friend of the USA.

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Costa Rica has no army because Costa Ricans got tired of having their own country's government overthrown by its own army. Their lack of an army pissed the hell out of William Casey and the rest of the Reaganuts, who tried to turn the National Police into a military, unsuccessfully. El Salvador, Nicaragua, Guatemala and Honduras have all at one time or another been ruled by savage military governments whose militaries have been financed and supported by the US. Te Costa Rican people like Americans, who bring money to their country, but fear US foreign policy, and a visit by particular ex-CIA henchmen have caused elections to be lost by governments that will talk with them.

I am going to say that the entire Earth would be a much greater and safer place to live if there were NO nations bigger than Costa Rica. The huge size of the US has caused our corporations, our military and many or our people to become disgusting imperialists.

Physical size is as related to greatness of a country as weight is to the greatness of a person. The Fat Bastard is a less great human being than Mahatma Gandhi.

[_JS]

My mom used to make wonderful Rouladen. The best Leberknodelsuppe I've had was in a Gasthaus in Northern Bavaria. It can be really amazing soup, where even folks who dislike the taste of liver won't mind it.

Favorite beer is a tough one. Surprisingly, in recent years I tend to go for the stouts and porters, which leads me to the Irish and English breweries. But, there is no better weissbier than that of the Germans. You can typically find Paulaner around here, which is a decent brew. I like a nice wheat beer after being out in the yard or with light food.

[_JS]

I have been to several Countries and I really liked Spain,Canada, Kenya and Italy , it was easy to get around and easy to find friendly people I would visit again if I could I have heard that Costa Rica is wonderfull , but great does have something to do with size and influence , power and prestige.

Lets agree that severalnations are wonderfull and some are comfortable even more than the US , but "great" does not describe Costa Rica which has almost no military ,and needs none, because it is a friend of the USA.

Why doesn't "great" describe Denmark?

In that country you'll find very few people starving, much fewer in percentage than here. You'll find no one without quality healthcare. You'll find a low crime rate, but a very high education level among the population. You'll note that their economic growth has been very good (exceeded the US for a few years). You'll note that the unemployment rate is lower than it is in the United States or the United Kingdom. As an added bonus you'll find that the state-owned energy company often produces more energy than Denmark uses through the wind-turbines, so it sells the excess to her neighbors.

Denmark hasn't made war on anyone in quite some time. It is rare to read stories of Danish secret agents toppling regimes, employing torture, using domestic spying, or supporting brutal dictatorships in the past thirty years. In Denmark, when someone is murdered, the entire country is horrified. In the U.S., it makes the local news - maybe.

What you describe is sad really. It is a replay of the British in the mid 20th century. It is like watching the Monday Club make grand speeches on how Britannia still rules the seas!

[Amianthus]

The best Leberknodelsuppe I've had was in a Gasthaus in Northern Bavaria. It can be really amazing soup, where even folks who dislike the taste of liver won't mind it.

The best I've had is in my mother's kitchen. But the one I had last week was really good, as well.

[_JS]

The best Leberknodelsuppe I've had was in a Gasthaus in Northern Bavaria. It can be really amazing soup, where even folks who dislike the taste of liver won't mind it.

The best I've had is in my mother's kitchen. But the one I had last week was really good, as well.

My mom would make excellent Semmelklosse and Kartoffelknudel with a nice gravy for them both. Man...I'd love to have some now!

I've not checked out the German restaurant's around this area. Talking about it is really making me want to find one.

[Plane]

I have been to several Countries and I really liked Spain,Canada, Kenya and Italy , it was easy to get around and easy to find friendly people I would visit again if I could I have heard that Costa Rica is wonderfull , but great does have something to do with size and influence , power and prestige.

Lets agree that severalnations are wonderfull and some are comfortable even more than the US , but "great" does not describe Costa Rica which has almost no military ,and needs none, because it is a friend of the USA.

Why doesn't "great" describe Denmark?

In that country you'll find very few people starving, much fewer in percentage than here. You'll find no one without quality healthcare. You'll find a low crime rate, but a very high education level among the population. You'll note that their economic growth has been very good (exceeded the US for a few years). You'll note that the unemployment rate is lower than it is in the United States or the United Kingdom. As an added bonus you'll find that the state-owned energy company often produces more energy than Denmark uses through the wind-turbines, so it sells the excess to her neighbors.

Denmark hasn't made war on anyone in quite some time. It is rare to read stories of Danish secret agents toppling regimes, employing torture, using domestic spying, or supporting brutal dictatorships in the past thirty years. In Denmark, when someone is murdered, the entire country is horrified. In the U.S., it makes the local news - maybe.

What you describe is sad really. It is a replay of the British in the mid 20th century. It is like watching the Monday Club make grand speeches on how Britannia still rules the seas!

Danes are members of NATO , pledged to help us if we are attacked.

We also are pledged to assist them if they are attacked , so in which direction is this pledge more meaningfull?

[_JS]

Danes are members of NATO , pledged to help us if we are attacked.

We also are pledged to assist them if they are attacked , so in which direction is this pledge more meaningfull?

*sigh*

Irrelevant to the discussion. NATO was never used for defense and only fought one war in which it was the aggressor (whether that was justified or not is again irrelevant to the discussion). Denmark would have been just as safe had it been in a pact with the Swedes.

Now, care to try for a more relevant approach?