Heath,
First of all, thank you for the civilized response.
My posting privileges have been restored, as I have tried to explain the rational behind my posts to the moderators, which I guess they have understood.
I never ever said that America wasn't a great country. Believe it or not, I am actually glad to have you guys as our neighbours. As some poster asked me about our military budget, which I know to be quite paltry, it is comforting to know that should we ever need military assistance, that the USA would be there for us.
Heath, you have every right to believe that your country is the greatest in the world, and you gave logical and intelligent reasoning behind your thinking. I also praise you for being able to admit the faults and shortcomings of your gov't.
I believe that there are many parameters to greatness. You may have mentioned some already, but the ones I consider most important are :
- freedom of citizens
- compassion citizens have for one another (racial harmony, religious tolerance, conscience of the people - not only for their fellow countrymen, but for their fellow human beings all over the world)
This is the basic premise behind the thread I had started earlier, which was that I wanted Bin Laden and his followers caught, but with reverance to the possible innocent lives that might be lost in the process. I know that many of you do not read the Toronto Star newspaper, but the heading on page A28, "Target the terrorists but spare the innocents", echoes my sentiments.
- gap between rich and poor
I know that we live in a capitalistic society, but I find it hard to stomach that there are so many living in poverty, while the rich only get richer
There are probably more things that I think make a country great, but to me the conscience of the people is most important.
I know that the USA has been the first to the moon, and has made countless technological advances, but that matters little to me when I consider what makes a country great. I do not mean to belittle these accomplishments nor the intelligence that was needed to accomplish these feats, but the USA has an immeasurable advantage in these areas because they are so financially rich as a nation. There are many brilliant people in all countries, and I'd like to think that given the same resources, these people would be able to make the same strides that the USA has made in revolutionizing the world.
To me greatness can be quite simple. An unknown and undiscovered tribe in a remote part of the world could be a paragon for greatness. This tribe might have little financial or military strength, but their ability to live in harmony might be unparalleled. Material things could be of little importance, with all tribe members sharing all possessions freely. They live life in contentment, without fear of any crimes being perpetrated by their members.
pmj18,
You can form your own opinions of me, and join with your other fellow posters in casting stones at me, but I can look in the mirror and be happy with the person that I am. I believe that you and the other posters have totally misinterpreted me, and the saddest thing is the cruelty of some of your responses. But I also believe that many posters can see rationale behind my posts, but as fellow Americans are afraid to be castigated should they respond in a kind and civil manner.  |