Ways the US Is Ahead:

Invention
Control of the Media

Ways the US Is Behind:

Environmental Policy
Criminal Policy
Measurement System

Measurement System


I lived in Europe most of my childhood and thus learnt the metric system.

I understand it, but hate it.

I'm sorry but it's not 32 Meters to the end of the street, it's 100 yards.

Stupid stupid stupid system!

Ways the US Is Ahead:

Invention
Control of the Media


Uhhh, we have "freedom of the press", there is no control over it.


Ways the US Is Behind:

Environmental Policy
Criminal Policy
Measurement System


Environmental, I have talked about it before.  No reason to rehash old nonsense.

Criminal Policy: Oh yes, let's abolish all jails, legalize all drugs.  Then we will all live in peace and love.  I will sit next to Charlie Manson and David Berkowitz and we can hit the bong together in brotherhood.

And for those of us old enough to remember the Metric System in the 70's, it was a failure because the US people did not want it.  However, the Government and the Military both tend to work more in metric then SAE.

CANADIANS HEALTHIER THAN AMERICANS

AP - Americans are 42% more likely than Canadians to have diabetes,
32% more likely to have high blood pressure, and 12% more likely to
have arthritis, Harvard Medical School researchers found. That is
according to a survey in which American and Canadian adults were asked
over the telephone about their health. The study comes less than a
month after other researchers reported that middle-aged, white
Americans are much sicker than their counterparts in England.

"We're really falling behind other nations," said Dr. Steffie
Woolhandler, a co-author of the Canadian study. Canada's national
health insurance program is at least part of the reason for the
differences found in the study, Woolhandler said. Universal coverage
makes it easier for more Canadians to get disease-preventing health
services, she said.

James Smith, a RAND Corp. researcher who co-authored the
American-English study, disagreed. His research found that England's
national health insurance program did not explain the difference in
disease rates, because even Americans with insurance were in worse
health.

"To me, that's unlikely," he said of the idea that universal coverage
explains international differences.

Woolhandler said her findings were different in at least one important
respect: In the Canadian study, insured Americans and Canadians had
about the same rates of disease. It was the uninsured Americans who
made the overall U.S. figures worse, she said.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2006-05-30-canadians-health_x.htm?csp=34

That's not true, we're not behind on "criminal policy"! We have more criminal policies than all of Europe combined. I mean, our policies are more criminal, uh, that is...oh, wait a minute...
http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/05/grommit.gif

I lived in Europe most of my childhood and thus learnt the metric system.

I understand it, but hate it.

I'm sorry but it's not 32 Meters to the end of the street, it's 100 yards.

Stupid stupid stupid system!


I hate the Imperial system with equal vehemence!  ;)

Americans should really get with the rest of the world...any system that relies on ounces, quarts.etc - non-determinant quantities, is arcane.

I hate the Imperial system with equal vehemence!  ;)

Americans should really get with the rest of the world...any system that relies on ounces, quarts.etc - non-determinant quantities, is arcane.

Hey, I'm drinking a 1 liter bottle of seltzer water right now, so we're getting there!

Hey, I'm drinking a 1 liter bottle of seltzer water right now, so we're getting there!



Don't expect it to happen soon...

Don't expect it to happen soon...

I figured they would start selling gas by the liter so they could lower the numbers on the signs. Hey, we're gullible!

I figured they would start selling gas by the liter so they could lower the numbers on the signs. Hey, we're gullible!


lol...If you come down here you pbly wouldn't notice the difference. 1 Litre of petrol here probably costs the same as a gallon of gas over there...

CANADIANS HEALTHIER THAN AMERICANS

AP - Americans are 42% more likely than Canadians to have diabetes,
32% more likely to have high blood pressure, and 12% more likely to
have arthritis, Harvard Medical School researchers found. That is
according to a survey in which American and Canadian adults were asked
over the telephone about their health. The study comes less than a
month after other researchers reported that middle-aged, white
Americans are much sicker than their counterparts in England.

"We're really falling behind other nations," said Dr. Steffie
Woolhandler, a co-author of the Canadian study. Canada's national
health insurance program is at least part of the reason for the
differences found in the study, Woolhandler said. Universal coverage
makes it easier for more Canadians to get disease-preventing health
services, she said.

James Smith, a RAND Corp. researcher who co-authored the
American-English study, disagreed. His research found that England's
national health insurance program did not explain the difference in
disease rates, because even Americans with insurance were in worse
health.

"To me, that's unlikely," he said of the idea that universal coverage
explains international differences.

Woolhandler said her findings were different in at least one important
respect: In the Canadian study, insured Americans and Canadians had
about the same rates of disease. It was the uninsured Americans who
made the overall U.S. figures worse, she said.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2006-05-30-canadians-health_x.htm?csp=34




See, these kind of surveys are all well and good, but here is where I have to say "Hold on a second."

Ok, so you might live a little longer in Canada or England. But Damn, with a whole lot less to live for.

I lived in England for years and trust me, it's an abysmal little country.
Sure, Canada's great and all, what with the cheap healthcare and what not, but please, you want to be 85 years old and pissing yourself when it's -40 outside?

No, I'm quite happy to get fat, sit on my ass and die at 65 'cus that's the American way.  :)

See, these kind of surveys are all well and good, but here is where I have to say "Hold on a second."

Ok, so you might live a little longer in Canada or England. But Damn, with a whole lot less to live for.

I lived in England for years and trust me, it's an abysmal little country.
Sure, Canada's great and all, what with the cheap healthcare and what not, but please, you want to be 85 years old and pissing yourself when it's -40 outside?

No, I'm quite happy to get fat, sit on my ass and die at 65 'cus that's the American way.  :)


Yeah! At least you're a Patriot!

Yeah! At least you're a Patriot!


;D

You don't know how good you have it down there in Oz you know mate.

You have all the conveniences that we have here in America, but without the virulent Christian filth and without the overbearing political intrusion in to everday life. Count your blessings.

As was also pointed out in Tia's post. The un-insured make up most of those who die of treatable diseases.
I'm not going to sit here and make my case for universal health care, but essentially your average American is insured in one way or another and therefor likely to be just as healthy as his or her counterpart in Canada or Europe.

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article621899.ece

this should get people's hackles up.

"Though the concept is recognised to be, according to the journal Foreign Affairs, "frustratingly imprecise", some of the primary characteristics of failed states can be identified. One is their inability or unwillingness to protect their citizens from violence and perhaps even destruction. Another is their tendency to regard themselves as beyond the reach of domestic or international law, and hence free to carry out aggression and violence. And if they have democratic forms, they suffer from a serious "democratic deficit" that deprives their formal democratic institutions of real substance."

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article621899.ece

this should get people's hackles up.

"Though the concept is recognised to be, according to the journal Foreign Affairs, "frustratingly imprecise", some of the primary characteristics of failed states can be identified. One is their inability or unwillingness to protect their citizens from violence and perhaps even destruction. Another is their tendency to regard themselves as beyond the reach of domestic or international law, and hence free to carry out aggression and violence. And if they have democratic forms, they suffer from a serious "democratic deficit" that deprives their formal democratic institutions of real substance."

Oh, that's just Noam, the commie America hater! He don't know nothin'!
:P

Oh, that's just Noam, the commie America hater! He don't know nothin'!
:P
noam's awesome. he and howard zinn are way better spokespeople for the american left than michael moore is.

i'm not real crazy about the headline for that article but my guess is the independent UK thought that up.

noam's awesome. he and howard zinn are way better spokespeople for the american left than michael moore is.

i'm not real crazy about the headline for that article but my guess is the independent UK thought that up.

The lesson in South America is that when poorer regions of the world unite and break free from the bonds of the U.S. and the IMF, they do much better for themselves. That's been the case in Cuba for nearly half a century, although U.S. propaganda vehemently denies it to this day!

BTW, I consider Michael Moore a satirist, not so much a serious political scientist or historian.

That's been the case in Cuba for nearly half a century, although U.S. propaganda vehemently denies it to this day!


You are so right.  That is why Elizabeth Brotons and 11 other people were willing to get in a small aluminum boat and try to sail across to Florida.  Things were so wonderful in Cuba that 11 of them were willing to die (and did die) in order to come to the fascist United States.  Of course, the only survivor was her son, Elian Gonzalez.  (BTW, I think President Clinton did the right thing by returning him to his father, I just wish he had not drug the decision out for 5 months)

I know that people are always trying to flee Cuba, taking rafts, sailboats, even cars haphazardly converted into makesheesh boats just to leave the wonders of Cuba and come to the United States.

And of course there was the Mariel Boatlift, where an estimated 125,000 people left Cuba.  I can't remember the last mass-migration to leave the US.

Who could have imagined there were that many people so willing to risk death, to leave the paradise of Cuba.

You are so right.  That is why Elizabeth Brotons and 11 other people were willing to get in a small aluminum boat and try to sail across to Florida.  Things were so wonderful in Cuba that 11 of them were willing to die (and did die) in order to come to the fascist United States.  Of course, the only survivor was her son, Elian Gonzalez.  (BTW, I think President Clinton did the right thing by returning him to his father, I just wish he had not drug the decision out for 5 months)

I know that people are always trying to flee Cuba, taking rafts, sailboats, even cars haphazardly converted into makesheesh boats just to leave the wonders of Cuba and come to the United States.

And of course there was the Mariel Boatlift, where an estimated 125,000 people left Cuba.  I can't remember the last mass-migration to leave the US.

Who could have imagined there were that many people so willing to risk death, to leave the paradise of Cuba.

I would not hitch my wagon to Fidel, and I would not trade U.S. citizenship for Cuban citizenship. No thanks! However, if I had to choose between Haiti and Cuba, I would go with the latter.  Yes, there are a lot of Cubans fed up with Fidel and Fidel has been quite vindictive to those dissenters who would bring imperialism back. The difference between Cuba and other Caribbean states is that America welcomes Cuban emigres with open arms.  Haitians, Jamaicans, and Dominicans have a much tougher time immigrating to the U.S. If Haitans succeed in making it to the U.S. coast after embarking on a much longer sea voyage than Cubans, they get sent right back. So you have a large Cuban community in Florida, and a U.S. policy that says if you get here, you can stay. Couple that with Cuba being a mere 90 miles from Florida, and you'll get people trying to make their wasy here on refridgerator doors. Ninety miles seems a lot closer than it is when you're sailing ins some makeshift craft in those shark-infested waters.

Yes, there are a lot of Cubans fed up with Fidel and Fidel has been quite vindictive to those dissenters who would bring imperialism back.


So people who want to bring a more open and fair form of Government to Cuba are really trying to bring back Imperialism?

Not so sound contrite, but where do you get these lines?  Do your statements come from some Marxist PR firm?  I have never heard of "freedom of speach" and "freedom to assemble" being refered to as Imperialism.  Well, other then from Marxist dictators.

Of course, we can always just throw away the trade embargo, and open up trade with Cuba.  Of course, then you will have yet another nation you can use to scream about, when we "exploit" the poor of the country, to make the goods that we rich imperialistic imperialistic capitolists need so bad.  Cuba can then fall under the cover of Mexico, Honduras, and every other Central-South American nation that we trade with.

And people can also then bitch about what is sure to be the major import from Cuba: Cigars.  I think I look forawrd to the day I can go to some massive left-wing march, and blow smoke in their face.  The smoke would be from a good Cuban cigar, so they would have no right to complain, right?  :D

(And yes, the best cigars I have ever had all came from Cuba.  Even their cheap $10 exports are far better then any $40 "import legal" cigar I have ever had.)

So people who want to bring a more open and fair form of Government to Cuba are really trying to bring back Imperialism?


Not all, but some, yes. I do wish Cuba could have a free and open society, however, that was not the imperial legacy when Castro's revolution succeeded. Castro did not have to go Communist. If America, the sugar barons, the tobacco barons, and the crime syndacates of Havana let Castro  return the wealth of Cuba to the Cubans, there would have been no need for Castro to sell Cuba's soul to the Kremlin. But...the imperialsts said no way, Jose!
America is STILL not interested in seeing Cuba for the Cubans post-Castro. The only countries we call "free" or "democratic" are those willing to cooperate wtih our corporate agenda.

One possibillity, after Fidel departs, is that Cuba will be "Puerto Ricanized", returning to the neocolonial status in "enjoyed" before 1959.  I hope not, but the odds are not in my favor.

As to western culture, I'm reminded of an exchange Ghandi had with someone.  He was asked what he thought of western culture and replied "It would be a good idea."

Thats a funny quote, but come on.  We have a very well developed culture in the West.

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