The reason the US is no 1
 

It is often hard to understand for people outside the US, but following this board closely gives you a good picture of that.
In the US people are very competive and they work hard.
In rest of the world, people don't like taking risk, they want safety most of all and prefer to have more spare time rather than making more money.
Furthermore, in the US, someone who is succesfull is admired by other people. They work hard and want to achieved what he had achieved.
In the rest of the world, people who are succesfull are often perceived as thiefes and in some countries you even feel guilty if you make lots of money.

Just an observation - these are good known facts but this board proves them.

you're from poland?
then you know who works really hard!

american are the hardest workers? is this the reason why most of them are fat?

Alot of America's great scientists, etc that took the risks and catapualted the USA into world domination post-WWII where not American at all - but German.

HAHAHAHA!

We're fat cause we sit at our desks all day ordering take out!!

The most succesfull webmasters are fat, because they work all the time.
You can have different feelings about that, but it seems true.

The U.S. is seriously fucked.

I could go on for hours about why I truly believe this but I only have one day left before I need to return to that shallow shell of a country and I want to enjoy the rest of my time away as much as possible.

The U.S. is only number 1 to those who are too blind to see the full picture.

http://mairead.freeservers.com/gates.jpg

proof that you dont have to be fat to be succesful :1orglaugh

lol, is that you?
It's fact that US is the biggest world power.
You may prefer the life in Italy, Netherlands or Costa Rica but US rules the world.
Some ppl like it, some don' but what i stated before is rather true.

Talk about a load of BS. :321GFY

hey, look at my nick - i am not 12 clicks, i am stating the obvious - you like it or not

STOP IT POLISH ARISTOCRAT
wheres your proudly?

uh america is so cool.. i like licking americans assholes so much.

rename your thread to Poland is the true power or delete it :2 cents:

The reason US is number 1 is because they have corrupt leaders who bash smaller economies into submission.
End of story

i made a thread about Poland / EU yestarday, feel free to bump it.
I stated that i like it? No. Who knows, maybe I prefer working 4 hrs per day, making a little more than i need and i am happy...That does not matter, but fact is that such attitude is not common here, especially among the US people.

Of course it's me. Your initial post was commenting on the
"perceptions" of people, not on the facts.

What does "the biggest world power" have to do with anything you said when starting this thread?

i agree. i live in holland and ive found i have to somewhat hide my success, soemtimes i even lie and say im a student to keep from being resented.

money in america usually gains you respect, people see you with a nice car and appreciate the ambition and hard work it probably took you to get to that point, but in europe rich people are usually born into it.. so when the common folk see it they see a lazy asshole with an easy life.

part of the reason for this discrepency is labor mobility. in america its possible for a mail man to build a corporate empire and then lose the same empire and become a mailman in the same lifetime. whereas that is very very rare in europe, if you're a mailman at 25 you'll be a mailman at 65.

that being said, the economic freedom in america comes at the price of personal freedom. america is a very fascist place to live compared to holland or most of europe. (and i dont mean drugs) ideally you should run your business out of america but live in europe to take advantage of both systems.

For me personal freedom is much more important than economic and if i ever had to make a choice i'd stay in europe and become a mailman :)

- Seth

US is #1 for ego, thats for sure

is because we say we are and if you don't like it :321GFY

I meant hard work = rich ppl = rich country ( = best military ) => world power.

That is a generalisation, the US wasn't destroyed by WW II, but still the fact that ppl work hard, are flexible, take risks, are innovative has to do with US success and the fact that US is the "biggest world power".

I don't care who you are man but I'll bite:

1 USA is more competitive
This is true but that does not mean they work harder it means there is more pressure, not always the best enviroment to get the best results.

This also reflects on their work. While great at building Amaricans suck at maintaining their work. I've been to New York and seen the state the "older" buildings were in. Something you won't see in most other western countries.

2 The USA is a worldpower
No one of the worldpowers. And it is civil enough to get along with the others(for now you never know what will happen should Bush get another term)

3 In Europe they work just as hard and in some countries even harder.
Just because they have a better social security system in place does not say anything about productivity.

Need an example? I give you two The Hun and Worldsex the 2 biggest TGP's online both owned by Dutch people.

There ya go that's why I say it's a load of BS.

It strikes me too that in most EU countries, wealth is percieved as "he's got it from his daddy, he's lazy, he's so lucky look at him,lazy fuck!" therefor I live WAY below my means here (because I'm young and hang around with 25-30 something people). Wealth at young ages is almost laughed at here in my country (Belgium), strange but true. You will be laughed at and ridiculed when you drive a SL500 benz at the age of 25.

yeah, we can afford to eat more

looool

@polish: point one is not corregt (though I doubt the rest is ;)) the advantage in US is, that banks give you much more easy credits though facing big risks...over in Europe you won't get nothing for unsure projects...

It's pretty much the same here in Slovenia. But we're in the EU now .. things should get better i guess :glugglug

The US does spend .30 cents on the tax dollar in equipping itself with defenses that no country even can be bothered doing. Example - a load of metal that flies to allegedly oppose some "foe" who has another "state of the art" aircraft like this. The trouble is, no nation has this type of weapon - so what's the point?

The US people work harder and longer hours than any other western nation. I suppose they must to support the "defense expenditure" :-)

The US is also an extemely immature country. Actions of all kinds are started and no thought to the implications thereafter. The current Iraqi "war" is a typical example. "Where do you want to go today? Iraq? OK.. let's roll!" Then a declaration "OK.. we've done that - what's next?" This happens, not just related to "wars", but in many facets of decision making.

The US is also governed on the basis of "fear" - it has been like this with "demons" for decades. Tell the masses someone is an "enemy", pump up the "anti" up and people believe it. "Unpatriotic" is the allegation if they don't. (Simple example is "Freedom Fries" over that other enemy, the French *lol*) I've heard, "My country right or wrong" - I've never ever heard such a load of crap from anyone in any other nation. It's the doctrine that usually only comes from "real terrorists" and fanatics.

The purpose of the fear factor is "meaningful" in that it justifies a lot when the occasion arises and on the economic front is useful, since stuff like "wars" are good for a failing economy. In fact Brown Brothers/Bush family have known for decades "war business is good business" - they even helped "tool up" the Third Reich for the "war business".

Further examples of the immaturity or adolescent behavior is in "foreign policy". A fair number of other nations have screwed up with relationships - but none have managed to achieve the rate of the US. On Monday, X is an "ally" - by Thursday, X is the devil incarnate and on some "terrorist list" or due for "sanctions". That conduct gives the word "fickle" a bad name :-)

There is also a serious "communication" problem with the US and .. almost nada comprehension of *any* other nation. I've seen this *so* often while in the US - there is *no clue* about anything outside the state some people live in - nevermind knowing about any country - or even where it is.

Time will tell, but I have this nasty feeling there is a watershed being reached over the US and several other nations have started subtle "adjustments" already - clearly with the intention of "hand washing" and knowing there will be yet another "problem" in future with the adolescent kid on the block.

Finally *g*... There is another "problem" from the silly behavior in that the US as now created far more "real enemies" than ever existed before. There is a price for this and hell knows what path that may lead.

Otherwise... I kinda like the place!!! :winkwink: But I sure will avoid even "on route" flights there till there is some sense.

Are you really a retard or are you just trying hard to appear that way?

What does being a world power have to do with standard of living or quality of life?

The simple fact is, theres always going to be a world power. If you don't like the USA, then you better start liking communism, fascism. Because with the mindset Europe has, they will never be the dominant world power.

Life in Europe I'm sure is real cool in a lot of parts. But if it wasn't for the USA getting their hands dirty, that life would'nt exist.

Hey guess what sunshine, Americans don't work harder than everyone else:

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/asiapc...eut/index.html

SYDNEY, Australia (Reuters) -- Forget the image of the laid-back Aussie lifestyle, Australians now work more hours than Americans or Japanese and rank as the hardest-working people in the developed world, according to a new book.

:1orglaugh

What military power would you say is a threat to Europe?

You're citing TGPs as an example. LOL. Ok!!!

polish_aristocrat:

There is actually only one truth in that - the fact that the US is the biggest world power. The only element that is accurate in that statement is that the US is the world's biggest military power. In all other respects it is irrelevant and likely to get less relevant from this time forth.

The fact that a nation cares to squander a significant portion of it's revenue on a load of metal under the guise of "defending our nation" has got to give rise to the possibility of a mental disorder or a severe sense of insecurity.

You actually hit the nail on the head when you raised the issue about lifestyle. Much as I liked my time in the US and have many friends there, - it is not a country that I'd actually choose to live in. In fact, almost any other country has more basic freedoms than the US, especially at this time. It is also not a country I'd choose to live in and operate in the adult biz and live under US laws - there are more incarcerated people in the US than any other nation on earth.

Bottom line... who cares about the "world's biggest power"? As long as they don't mess with me or where I stay - I don't give a shit. Other countries seem too busy to bother and it is all about lifestyle than listening to garbage every day about "wars" and "how we need to defend ourselves".

I find it all very, very sad and with little to offer of real life...

I think you're right!

without doubt America is the hardest working country on the planet. take a look at this industry - make a list of the Top 20 companies/individuals in terms of money and power. How many non- Americans make that list?

Look up the average amount of vacation time the average adult takes a year around the world. In Italy it's 41 days of vacation, that's over 2 MONTHS, the rest of Western Europe is similar - average American vacation days per year - 14.

America has an underclass that can hold its own against the laziest countries on the planet. But when you get to the middle class and up no country comes close when it comes to the United States in terms of hard work.

In the words of Gordon Gecko - 'Greed is good'.

I think you missed this link:

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/asiapc...eut/index.html

benc:

Why are some folks so damned embarrasing and ignorant?? God help me!! :1orglaugh

Life in Europe may be "cool" eh? :-)

A simple lesson... Europe has no interest in the silly kid behavior of the US and is well-able to handle it's own issues - and in a much more mature manner.

Also.. it may come as a surprise, but neither Europe or the majority of the rest of the world is going to be thankful for the US "getting it's hands dirty". The general attitude is "Why the fuck can you not mind your own business and stay the fuck at home" :-)

Having said that - there have been odd occasions where some US support has been appreciated :-)

America is the best place in the world, I got to see quite a bit of it while in the Navy, but our country has more freedoms than any other!
http://pages.prodigy.net/rogerlori1/emoticons/usa03.gif

Things an Anti-U.S. GFY poster depends on daily:

GFY - American
Google - American
Yahoo - American
Visa - American
Mastercard - American
Paypal - American

If America's culture and way of life is so bad, why hasn't anybody in your country come up with something that I need on a daily basis?

:1orglaugh :1orglaugh :1orglaugh

BigFish:

Who said "America's culture or way of life is bad"??

It's up to each person if they want to actually live there and I can't see anything wrong with the "way of life" there apart from the issues of, often basic rights.

As for culture.. well.. what culture!! :1orglaugh Third world countries have more "culture" than the US.

On the "US success stories" - remember who has financed them and to whom the US remains in debt :winkwink: Even China owns a good lump of US assets. As for the rest of the world, the "constant loan" tendency is rapidly diminishing.. reality has this habit of catching up eventually.

What you just described does not make up the vast majority of America. So many middle-class Americans will openly tell you that they're content and happy to live a middle class existance - they'd like to be rich if it's given to them, but for the most part, most will not take the initiative to make things happen. They watch TV shows like "Who wants to be a millionaire" because they like to live vicariously through those who are successful rather than becoming successful. They play the lottery every day because they think they have to be "lucky" to get rich, and it could never happen to them otherwise. They think credit is free money, and when they finally get so far in debt they claim bankruptcy and ask the government to bail them out. They believe the road to happiness is through hard work, but then only complain about doing it. Middle america is largely competitive with sports, not work.

There are obvious exceptions, but this is largely the America I have observed, and I've lived here all my life.

Quit arguing "subjective" points and talk about "objective" facts. You always go on and on like a little housewife about points that can be argued EITHER way for years and years. Money makes the world go round. Whoever has the most money is always number one, period. With a little more than 3% of the world population, the U.S. makes up for more than 50% of the world income. United States breeds entrepreneurship. It is shown by your dependence and continued dependence on United States companies. Let me remind you again!!!

GFY - American
Google - American
Yahoo - American
Visa - American
Mastercard - American
Paypal - American

BTW, is your processor Intel or AMD? If it's an Apple computer, then that's ok too since they're all AMERICAN.

You'd be surprised how much of America is run by foreigners.

Even McDonalds is now run by an Australian!

http://www.mcdonalds.com/corp/about/...rlie_bell.html

:1orglaugh :1orglaugh :1orglaugh

I dont have anything against US, but the fatness(?) is definatley becomming a problem over there, same here in Sweden, but not in any way like the US......

http://www.httpcity.com/ronq/news/picts/fatfarm_ppl.jpg

AMERICA ROCKS!

God you're such an idiot. Seriously, go grab a business 101 book or something. I'm not going to even start.

Is that all you can come up with?

Owned again.

:1orglaugh

You're right. It does. Google Founders: Two graduate STUDENTS from Standford University.

http://i.cnn.net/cnn/2003/TECH/bizte....google.ap.jpg

One of them is a Russian!

:1orglaugh

Is THAT all you can come up with? A profile of a "CEO". What is America? It's a DIVERSE country moron. What's your definition of an American anyways? A WHITE guy??? Are you that narrow-minded? I'm of pure Asian decent and have American adrenaline running through my veins, raised in America, and taught by American schools.

So according to your logic, because MickyD's CEO is Australian, MickyDs is now Australian?? :1orglaugh

BigFish:

Let's get "objective" - it's all about money and who owns all your favorite "things that are useful to you". Not the US.

Also.. the US population - (forgive me being a "little housewife" again!) - is around 5% of the world's population.

The "objective fact" is the US is owned to a large degree by other nations and is indebted to them to the tune of $44,200 billion - or was up to last year and is definately much more now. The equation was that this amounted to 94% of all US homes and assets within them. By now, I'd reckon every homeowner in the US is technically bankrupt to the outide world.

I sure hope your claim to 50% of the world's income is remotely accurate, since it would need to be within that region
else some lenders will need to go to the toilet kinda quick!

On the companies you mention - they are not "US owned" - what gives you that idea?? Some were originated in the US. VISA is not a US owned entity - it is owned by the 6 or 8 global banking regions. Paypal is "owned" by their bankers - and who are they?? Guess!! Who is going to "own" the largest segment of Google?? Guess!!

Hell.. bottom line?? Who "owns" the US?? Guess!! And each day that passes they own more of it and often have a desire to own less of it! :1orglaugh

Just accept that you import all your talent and then claim it as your own.

Sad, but predictable.

Hehe