What do you think are some of the greatest things about America?

[Mark of Zorro]

What do you think are some of the greatest things about America?


I miss the variety of available liesure activities. I used to do the foam sword fighting/ fantasy dress up thing. We would rent a campsite and some people would be players, others would be characters and monsters of the fantasy world, and others would be the ones who made the backrounds and plots for players to interact with. It was a lot of fun with a lot of creativity, both your own and that of others to enjoy. And also it was nice to have the campfires and just get outdoors. Nothing like that in my neck of the woods in Japan.

And I am quite proud of the history of most of our Founding Fathers. They were truly great men and are a great inspiration to anyone with any sense if you ask me. That said, I think they would be as disturbed about some things in modern America as I am.

I am sure other good things will come to mind as this thread plays out. But there are lots of things I love about America. I just see her going down the wrong road is all.

Oh, just thought of one. I miss being able to go to stores and see things like crossbows openly for sale. I want one! Here in Japan you cannot even get a decent knife any more. A lot of things are hard to find actually, especially raw materials if you want to make your own stuff. I miss the variety of America.

 

[RolandtheHeadless]

The Second Amendment.

 

[Tamayo]

Like you, Zoro, I am incredibly proud of the highlights in our history. Although "The American Spirit" doesn't seem to exist in many places here anymore, I really like that our society has always been such an intense one that focuses on pushing it's horizons to the limit. Throughout American history, a very common theme is the attitude where people will take action when they've had enough of something, but they can do so in a civil way. I like that America has an attitude that it can't be taken out -- One of the most inspiring things I've ever seen was walking around in my neighborhood one day and seeing hundreds of houses in a row, block to block, flying the American flag after 9/11.

Although I think the American people are petty in that they can only seem to set aside their differences in times of catastrophe, I still feel incredibly proud to be an American in times where all walks of society joins hand in hand, and stands as one against the threat of terrorism, and those who oppose hate our way of life. In a way, our freedom of speech and new-age thinking has costed us a quality generation, but I'm still proud that we can change our society and rally together to ensure that this country is the way we think it ought to be.

I also love the idea of "getting there first". The space race, the race to arms, and the technology race are all things that I think are beautifully exemplary of the American Spirit I so wish we all had as a country. If things were the way they used to be, I wouldn't be packing up and leaving for Japan in a couple years.

 

[BrianLewis]

Thinking long and hard... probably the FDA. There are plenty of countries that taking medicine would be risky or inconsistent. I don't see many Americans wondering about the quality of drugs, just the unknown side effects.

I also have foreigners ask me if the water is safe to drink sometimes. I can't help but think, "this is America, of course the water is safe to drink."

 

[alecgraham]

Our lack (mostly) of eminent domain- you can make a home for yourself and your family, and no corrupt government official, whether of high rank or low, whether federal or local, can take it away from you. (That's Bank of America's job-- just kidding).

Our national parks and environmental laws.

Girls are allowed to wear shorts and tiny skirts- I can't stress this enough.

Root beer.

'Clean up after your dog' laws -- I have a German friend who's jealous of this one.

Due process of law.

Of course, there are many flaws in the U.S, so the last thing on my list is that we have the freedom to complain.

 

[AquaLung]

The highways of America.....the proverbial road trip. Quite possibly cannot be equaled anywhere. And with that comes remarkable scenery. There's really no limitations (areas to avoid controlled by rebel forces, etc.). The only State with limitation in doing the limitless road trip is Alaska. One cannot drive to Alaska as far as I know (even if they successfully enter Canada), and there are portions of Alaska that cannot be reached by a conventional vehicle.

A decent car rental industry is a big plus. And foreigners can utilize the service fairly easily. There are some potential pit-falls for foreigners (and even Americans), but all in all America is an open book for the road traveler.

 

[RolandtheHeadless]

"One cannot drive to Alaska as far as I know (even if they successfully enter Canada), and there are portions of Alaska that cannot be reached by a conventional vehicle."

You can drive to Alaska via the Alaska-Canada Highway, "Al-Can" as most of us call it. This two-lane highway was built in WW II, in order to facilitate movement of troops and supplies, out of fear that the Japanese would invade Alaska. (The Japanese DID invade part of Alaska, in the Aleutian islands.)

The highway is still maintained with US funds. It's an interesting, but long drive. You're probably better off planning to camp and cook your own food, since the hotels and restaurants in Canada (upper British Columbia and the Yukon) are truly awful.

You're right that most of Alaska cannot be reached by vehicle. Some places not connected to the nation's road system can be reached by airplane, boats in summer, and snowmobiles in winter. There are only two roads running out of Anchorage, the state's biggest city, and one of them dead-ends 200 miles further in Homer. The other connects to the Al-Can, and eventually the rest of the US.

So you can drive from Florida to Alaska, if you have the time and inclination.

 

[SevenStarsHK2N]

Dapra - defence spend - and that it's a proxy for European power

Bilderberg meeting - Wikipedia

 

[AquaLung]

"One cannot drive to Alaska as far as I know (even if they successfully enter Canada), and there are portions of Alaska that cannot be reached by a conventional vehicle."
You can drive to Alaska via the Alaska-Canada Highway, "Al-Can" as most of us call it. This two-lane highway was built in WW II, in order to facilitate movement of troops and supplies, out of fear that the Japanese would invade Alaska. (The Japanese DID invade part of Alaska, in the Aleutian islands.)
The highway is still maintained with US funds. It's an interesting, but long drive. You're probably better off planning to camp and cook your own food, since the hotels and restaurants in Canada (upper British Columbia and the Yukon) are truly awful.
You're right that most of Alaska cannot be reached by vehicle. Some places not connected to the nation's road system can be reached by airplane, boats in summer, and snowmobiles in winter. There are only two roads running out of Anchorage, the state's biggest city, and one of them dead-ends 200 miles further in Homer. The other connects to the Al-Can, and eventually the rest of the US.
So you can drive from Florida to Alaska, if you have the time and inclination.

Thanks Roland. I actually thought of flying into Alaska and renting a car. I did the google map thing to get a general idea of what the highway routes are like, and I seem to remember one route (I think Anchorage to Juneau) required going into Canada first before entering back into Alaska to get to the destination.

You're probably better off planning to camp and cook your own food, since the hotels and restaurants in Canada (upper British Columbia and the Yukon) are truly awful.

As far as hotels, and services in general, Alaska-wise, a fellow employee was flown into Prudhoe Bay. He thought he would just hail a taxi, and be taken to a conventional hotel. As it turned out, he was just lucky that someone at the airport was heading to the only hotel (more like barracks) in the area, and gave him a ride.

 

[RolandtheHeadless]

You can't drive from Anchorage to Juneau, but you can drive from here to Haines, or to Skagway by going through Canada. Unless you have a few weeks for the trip, flying up here and renting a car is usually the best way to see some of the state.

 

[Mark of Zorro]

Thinking long and hard... probably the FDA. There are plenty of countries that taking medicine would be risky or inconsistent. I don't see many Americans wondering about the quality of drugs, just the unknown side effects.
I also have foreigners ask me if the water is safe to drink sometimes. I can't help but think, "this is America, of course the water is safe to drink."

Yes, if you like fluoride.

I hardly ever drank tap water as a kid. A lot of the water that made its way into my system was from a well which was the source of water at my grandparents house.

I always drank flavored drinks and milk and almost never water. But its hard to tell how much fluoride made it into those drinks.

But yeah, you probably won't get E. Coli or diarrhea from American tap water.

 

[casiocasio10]

for me i think the best thing is that it's 100% o.k just to lock your door and stay inside as long as you want and no one cares because there busy watching some TV show about teens singing.

 

[Hezam]

Freedom, Respect for people as humans ( inside the country ), NASA ( scientific development ), Industrial progress, The beauty of the land,Sense of humor in people... i probably missed somethings but this is at least what i have in mind right now