Holy Cow.

How about looking at it this way - we have to be honest about our flaws if we're going to address them and continue to improve as a nation.

Sitting back and shouting that this is the GREATEST NATION ON EARTH just sets a bad example. If there's something wrong with your car, do you just ignore it and shout "THIS IS THE GREATEST CAR ON EARTH," and turn up the radio?

There's nothing wrong with admitting that our government, society and economy are flawed. I also see no need to tie that up with some kind of chest-thumping, "despite all of our problems, we're still THE GREATEST NATION ON EARTH!" Our country is great in many ways, but why try to whitewash our problems? The need to boast about how great one's affiliations are (nation, sports teams, school, place of employment) is always a sign of immaturity and insecurity.

Isn't there something in the Bible about pride, and something about humility?

If Captain America says it then it must be so. You were great in the Avengers, Steve.

"2) adults that believe in Angles are real"
While I don't know about angels, I DO believe in angles ;) hehe
Just giving you a hard time, Steve. Good post :)

my primary concern is that we look at our flaws... learn how to DIALOG without destroying one another - which is so horribly stupid cause we all pretty much want the same things anyway ...

so the thing is trying to get people to the table -
well, I think we'd all agree that is the heart of the issue ... we want to talk ... so that we can work together to fix stuff ...
right?

well, HBO or Mr. Daniels ... is not doing their best

My thoughts…
when the Church (Christianity in pretty much every form) started seeing the devil in everybody – everybody started acting like the devil …
it’s a misguided notion that we can somehow motivate real healing or a drive to do better by telling someone how WRONG that they are…

the child that is told he is dumb, or a screw-up, or that they are a mistake ..will probably start to believe they are what they are being told that they are…
the girl that is never told she is pretty by her dad becomes an easy target for the boy that’s willing to led her to his backseat by telling her what she wants/needs to hear…
she has a need to hear that she is pretty – that is not a weakness – it is woven into our DNA… one of humanities most fundamental drives is the need to feel important…

If a child is filled with self confidence or … better yet … if she is taught of her value by people that really care for her… she is NOT as easily led astray by false flattery –

This is so huge to me .. because this is why so many can’t stand Christians…
Because the church has fallen prey to the false notion of leading by GUILT –
Instead of seeing the DEVIL in everyone – (you know, you tend to see others in the same light that you see yourself) - it’d be so much better if we’d start to point to the GREATNESS that we see in people …

Teach people to VALUE themselves … and they will do a much better job at VALUING others …

So more to the point …
I’m not saying that we forget / or deny that America has trouble … REAL trouble …
I’m saying that we need to build from a platform of our GREATNESS … and also not from some arrogant idea of superiority …

But it’s gonna be real hard to get people to strive towards greatness after they’ve just been beaten with an ugly stick …

Don’t use the word LOSER in your motivational speech to win the super-bowl…
Don’t try psyching yourself up to win a race by telling yourself how slow you are…
Don’t expect to Drive your golf ball straight while in your back swing your talking about how you slice it all the time …
You can walk out to the pitchers mound and de-motivate your pitcher by saying “don’t pitch low & outside” & you’ll probably get exactly what you DO NOT WANT…

& I submit to you that we will NOT generate Americas greatness by telling her that she IS NOT GREAT…

Ecc7:10 (niv) Do not say, "Why were the old days better than these?" For it is not wise to ask such questions.

I agree with much of what you say, but the point is that he was answering the question: "Can you say why America is the greatest country in the world?" Well, in quite a few ways, we aren't. And we need to stop acting as though saying we are makes those issues go away.

Overall, I don't see many folks leaving, though.

“AMERICA IS THE GREATEST NATION IN THE WORLD.”

Of course we are!

Why?

Well, because we say we are!

Moreover, you know, if we say it often enough, people – in America – will BELIEVE it is TRUE.

These same people BELIEVE that ANGELS ARE REAL!

Will McAvoy speaking:

“We lead the world in only 3 categories… number of incarcerated citizens per capita, number of adults who believe angels are real, and defense spending, where we spend more than the next 26 countries, combined… 25 of whom are allies…”

All of this is TRUE…

Mr. Rogers, husband/dad/pastor and liar, has no qualms about misreporting what Will McAvoy said…

“He rips into a protracted, VERY real and disturbing list of weaknesses of the climate of our current culture by stating that AMERICA is NOT great.”

Sorry, my angel loving friend, what Will McAvoy really said was. ““It’s not the greatest country in the world, professor, and that’s my answer.”

“IT’S NOT THE GREATEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD.”

We are indeed a great country and most Americans believe that and know that… they also know our flaws…

At the end of Will McAvoy’s diatribe, he also states, with just so much promise and thoughtfulness for all of us…

“IT ISN’T, BUT IT CAN BE…”

[THE GREATEST NATION IN THE WORLD]

Wow - the lefties are really missing the boat on this one!

Calling something 'The Greatest,' is a wholly subjective measurement - an OPINION!

The lefties apparently want Americans to have a poor opinion of their country. And they do so under the guise of claiming that 'The Greatest' is an objective standard, and that they know for a fact that we are not it.

That's really sad!

Taken as an entire entity, the US is pretty simple-minded. We're always pounding our chests and yelling "we're number one!" At the turn of the twentieth century we sailed our navy (The Great White Fleet) around the world to "show the flag" and impress the rubes. People believe in angels? They also believe in ghosts, bigfoot and the chupacabra. They believe a lot of what Hollywood sends their way. They believe in "political correctness", consequently nothing can be discussed that needs to be discussed to ACTUALLY improve the country. They believe the bologna-filled political ads they are bombarded with, or the political handlers wouldn't spend millions on producing them. We're too content with image instead of substance. Our constitution makes it too easy to be self-destructive. I don't think the founding fathers intended for democracy to be the cause of its own demise. The "Golden Rule" is all we really need to get this country back up to where it should be. This isn't kumbaya, it is common sense. We all only have one life to live. Why shouldn't it be as pleasant as possible? To deny the less fortunate their chance at this is unconscionable. Their lives are no less valuable than any billionaire's or famous person's. The more kindnesses we can do for one another, the greater this country will become.

Most of us reading this story are deeply immersed in contemporary American society. As such, it's extremely hard for any of us to have an objective perspective with respect to our culture.

But we tend to view ourselves as "the chosen people," and Americans often feel that God is on our side. This is a dangerous psychological inflation, which contributes both to intolerance and to a projection of our faults upon others.

I'm wondering if anyone is brave enough to point out any of the ... "STILL" great things about America ...
I do think it is GREAT that we are (now) said to be leading the WORLD in adults that believe in Angels (&or Angles - thnx Adam)...
is there anything ELSE positive that America leads the WORLD in?

What about the FACT that WE lead the WORLD in CHARITABLE giving ...
I LOVE THAT ...

What about the reports that say the U.S. is Leading the World in CO2 Emission Decrease from Reduced Coal Use - (I'm thinking that is a pretty good thing)

while I'm not saying that this is cause for us to sit back rest on our laurels - thump our chest and scream arrogantly that we are the GREATEST...
but it does give us some positive ground to build off of...

again, you don't promote brilliance by telling someone how dumb they are ...
just as we will not be able to help others become great - if we don't recognize the greatness that is within US...

Well Steve, it's been an interesting conversation.

Something for you to ponder: One measure of the worth of a religious tradition is the degree to which it creates a strong distinction between the in-group (i.e., believers, or the chosen tribe) and the rest of humanity. My experience has been that religious fundamentalists of all stripes tend to draw a sharp distinction between "us" and "them". Since "we" are on a mission from God and "they" are not, the inference is that it is acceptable to use redemptive violence against "them" to set things right.

The truth is that a great nation is one which does not suppress the greatest message of all. That message is the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. When you allow your life to be immersed into it, you will be destined to live forever in the greatest place that exsists. That place is he Kingdom of God! God bless America for not suppressing this message!

Brother Todd, you might want to read "The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements" by Eric Hofer.

Hofer describes how individuals who feel overwhelmed by ambiguity latch on to a convenient "ism" (such as a fundamentalist religion, communism, or Nazism) like a bulldog. Such individuals do indeed achieve a degree of relief from existential angst through their affiliation with their chosen cause. However, the resultant fanaticism and parochialism inflicts a tremendous cost on society as a whole.

The United States is still the best country on earth to live in today if we all take our constitutional freedoms, citizenship and personal responsibilities seriously. Do I need to quote JFK's famous 1961 inaugural speech (and I don't care if you loved or hated him like doofa). “Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country".

If you want to beleive that American is not the greatest country in the world you can find our faults and magnify them and ignore our strengths. This is what liberals do. The liberal left hates what made this country great. That is why people like Obama want to "transform" this country and not restore it. Our public education system is failing in spite of the fact that we spend far more on it per student that any other country. Modern liberalism is what is killing our education system. Greg

‎"Let us not dissemble: If Americans wanted to rule the world, there would be only one government today, it would be seated in Washington DC, and there would be nothing else but conquered vassals and the ruins of those who resisted.

The re...ason this picture is not presently so, and has not even been attempted, is because true Americans value the freedom of others every bit as much as we value our own. We have refrained from conquering the world because we believe that conquering it would be wrong.

There are hordes of anti-Americans who, not having any grasp of moral restraint, believe that we are on a course of world conquest, or they believe that we are too weak to do so. By mouthing either error, they are really confessing that if they had the power, they would set about ruling others. To them, to have power and not use it is literally unthinkable. To Americans, it isn't, and that is why there is no American Empire."

In most of those countries that he lists as being free there are thousands of dead American soldiers that kept them free. "If you can read this; thank a teacher"? How about this, "If you are free to write, read, and say what you want; thank an American soldier". Those countries are free BECAUSE THE GREATEST NATION EVER IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD VALUES THEIR FREEEDOM.

One question that hasn't been asked: If America is not the greatest country on the face of the earth; which is??? Go ahead and name it; I'll be waiting........

Other than saving the world from Nazism, Japanese Imperialism, Communism and Radical Islam, what else has the USA done?

This thread doesn't have the room to list all that makes America great.

@Keith Best....We did not defeat those great threats alone. Between Great Britain, the Soviet Union and the U.S. was Nazism brought to heel. I agree that we carried much of the weight to defeat Japan. Communism defeated itself and radical Islam still presents a threat. We have to acknowledge that we are amongst others and that it is not just us and all others. For those of you who are Christians, remember your book promises a one world government that will last 1000 years. I don't think it ever mentioned that it would be the United States as the greatest of all others. One world, one government.

I believe we are the greatest nation on earth, despite the fact that we are bleeding out resources because of profiteering. That same profiteering keeps us technologically and socially behind a number of industrialized countries. At some point the American people will stop re/electing special interest puppets and embrace true campaign finance reform. Obviously that's a simplistic strategy, but it would go a long way toward reeling legislators' focus back from self-interest and back to the jobs we are expecting them to do.

Jay, sorry, I posted before seeing your comment. Offshoring jobs to save on labor costs, hiring illegal immigrants to avoid paying family-sustaining wages, are more examples. All these greedy little acts are adding up. The spikes in the economic growth of India, China, etc., are due to our lifeblood. Apple was exposed last year for contracting with FoxConn, a Taiwanese firm with factories around Asia. iPods and iPads are assembled in China. $ .31/hour, workers living with strangers in dorms, 24-32 hour workshifts, and nets around the buildings to catch workers who try to commit suicide from stress and overwork. Zbigniew Brzezinski has written about the need for humanitarian globalization, or what he terms "capitalism with a human face." I absolutely agree.

"Privately held companies have options when concessions to unions get too costly. Primarily, they can move all or part of their operations to another state/country.
Since public entities service their customers where there are, they do not have the option to move. The Milwaukee police can't do their job in Mexico"
Uh Saul, they could do their job from Mexico if outsourcing advocates like you had their way and privitized all public services. One naive individual. You are part of the reason why the US is dying economically. I can't until you are eliminated by your employer because your Mandarin wasn't up to speed. But your buddy/girlfriend Doofa has no issue with private sector unions. So, mandated union labor on state projects, like interstates and state highways, driving the cost of construction up is OK with you twits? You just love spending don't you? Does the Davis-Bacon act mean anything to you wannabe conservatives?
Saul-Doofa ticket. Vote ignorance and more taxes.

What the hell did Mr. Rogers say? I could read it all but I'm afraid that would be 30 minutes I won't get back.

Aaron Sorken is right. Ever since we've sold out to Reaganomics this country has slid down the tubes. The rich has sold us to foreign interests. It's Animal Farm -- two legs good, four legs bad.

No amount of fantasizing will change things. Fixing the problems will. It's time we wise up and stop worshipping he status quo.

I have a bad feeling that America will eventually experience a devastating race war. What will the Progressives think when large sections of America’s large cities crack like an egg and burn to a cinder because the federal government can no longer afford to hand out large EBT payments? To steal part of a line from the new Batman movie "a storm is coming, every responsible citizen had better batten down the hatches because when it does hit it will make post Katrina New Orleans look like a picnic". What is making black Americans so dangerous these days is the fact that they have nothing left to lose.

@Pastor Rogers....As a people we can take satisfaction in our technological accomplishments, both past and present. However, I don't think that we have much to be proud of in a vast array of other metrics. Your entire statement could be characterized as nothing more than an exercise in ethnocentrism. Where precisely do we measure up on social justice issues, the meeting of the needs of the least of us, our equal application of the law, our mindless obsession with wealth and power and the fascination with the famous and the infamous? These are the important measures of a civilized society. Clearly we have a conflict of base values that discount humanity and elevates achievement and power. Our state of being reminds me of the old example; "Sure he drinks, beats his wife and kids, but he is a hard worker!" An analysis reveals that all uncivilized behavior can be forgiven as long as he attends to the higher value of the Protestant Work Ethic. Is this not a faulty value system?

Our dealings with other nations requires us to have the strongest military the world has ever seen and we back up our self Interests with an aircraft carrier battle group showing up on someone's shores. Where is the morality in that?

We are no better than the Roman Empire and we saw what happened with that ancient society. They destroyed themselves from within through corruption and exploitation. Instead of banging the drum of U.S. superiority, it is time for you to address our failed values.

Most people are neither fully good nor fully bad. Similarly, America has much to be proud of, but it also can and should do much better. Denial of our faults leads to complacency, arrogance and intolerance. Both individuals and nations need to shine a bright light on their "shadow side" in order to understand and to improve themselves.