Name one reason you are proud of your country.
 

I'll start.

The space program. I think one our greatest achievements have been the exploration of our solar system. We currently have 3 functioning probes on Mars. Our ability to consistently launch satellites has made the GPS system possible, an amazing boon for both the public and industry. The trips to the moon....

Your turn.

Chuck Norris.

Watching all of these shows about WWII on TV lately, as well as the biography on Truman running on PBS last night and tonight, it reminded that, after WWII, we were the only country probably in the history of the world that instead of taking over and looting the people we defeated, we let them run their own governments, elect their own leaders, and run their countries as they saw fit. We also provided aid via the Marshall Plan to all of the defeated territories in Europe, which many consider to be the greatest humanitarian triumph in history.

We did it in Germany partly to shore up Europe against the Russians, but the really interesting one was Japan. Every American hated the Japanese during the war, yet afterwards, we didn't punish them, we didn't loot their country. Instead, we set them up with a democracy and let them run their own show.

I'm proud of my country for plenty of other reasons, but I thought this was a unique one, as I'm not sure anyone else, had they been in the position we were in at the end of WWII (including having the bomb), would have acted as humanely as we did.

The only thing our politicians haven't messed around in yet

Freedom of Speech.

Winner, winner, chicken dinner:)

All the other, "freedoms" rely on this simple, elegant expression of what every man and woman desires, a voice.

Thanks for the reminder, Justin:)

We are the most giving, charitable nation in the history of the world.

Th right to have free commerce. I complain about taxes as much as the next guy but I thank America everyday that I dont live in a communist country that takes my paycheck and wont let me prosper.

Ah, but when the second amendment falls? My guess is that the first won't be far behind...

I'm proudest of our entire constitution. I wish more would actually read it. It's based on individual rights, not the rights of the collective.

My country has the best cheese and wine, 1,000 years of culture, awesome castels, the best high speed railoroad network, 80% of its electricity is nuclear, and a president who married a top model that looks a lot better than Laura Busch. Yep, I am french SmileWavy.

Aurel

Bryan Adams....oil......fresh water.....

Rail road and the top model....Is it because it just the train that has not passed on her....;)

Zef you forgot beaver . . .

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Ian

liberty!

In spite of all the self-loathing that occurs, we are still the shining beacon of opportunity to the rest of the world. Every day there are success stories of penniless LEGAL immigrants who come here to make their fortune and succeed. People are still willing to die to get here; so, we must be doing something right.

As for the Frog who posted earlier, he should be happy that people like my great uncle (who gave his life at Normandy) were willing to do what the French were not so that the French could carry on with their great wine and cheese making. :D

And by the way...your president's wife is hot!

Well put.

A wee bit of elitism here? Which of your relatives chopped off Marie's head?

Enjoy your cake...but consider yourself lucky that German isn't your nation's primary language. Who waded ashore to prevent that? Who helped the USA repel the British, back in the 1770's? For a professor, it seems to me you know little of history...I thank the French for backing our revolutionary soldiers. What do you thank the USA for?

Not much, evidently...but you sure enjoy the paycheck while you are here, right????

How so? It's all true. I just experienced all of the above last week. Except I only saw models on the street, and the restaurants and . . .

And there were a lot of American tourists everywhere enjoying it too.

This French bashing is seriously childish, lads.

Ian

I wasn't bashing...merely trying to give a history lesson...since a certain professor seems to forget.

Fair enough. I guess it was the bigot above that I was reacting to.

Ian

Pwd72sold, your rancor is uncalled for and misplaced. The thread was not about what country we are thankful for, but why we are proud of our country. I am french, not american. Hence, my answer applies to my country. Geeesh, you should take a chill pill sometimes. Or get another Porsche :rolleyes:.

Aurel

Liberals and Democrats on Memorial Day. You should be ashamed......

You people are the first ones that run to Canada when there's a war and the when the wars over are the first ones to start yelling 'that's not fair'!

True story, I was talking with a co-worker the other day and he was totally against the military and the current war we are in. I said what would you do if I walked up to you and punched you in the eye. He said he would kick your azz. So I said what would you do when the Middle East took down the twin towers. He just looked at me with a blank stare. Talk all the crap you need to but when it comes time to DEFEND YOUR COUNTRY AND STAND TALL, DO IT!

To which bigot are you referring? The Frog reference was joke....

Sort of....when the top 40% of wage earners pay over 93% of all income taxes, I'm not so sure.

But, freedom of religion, or not, your choice! Free speech, not including McCain-Feingold which limits certain advertising for candidates near elections, freedom to live anywhere in the country that you can afford.

Freedom to do anything you want for a living, or not, your choice.

Freedom to succeed or fail, your choice. SmileWavy

You know that "liberal elitism" thing that a lot of people complain about? I think you've very succinctly illustrated why some if it is justified...

surely you can find another thread to troll in...

Well, now that Barack Obama is running, I am finally....:rolleyes:


Seriously, Our culture of innovation... always striving and sacrificing for improvement.

Rejoining the orginal question, if limited to one, I would say the way the political system accomodates so many different points of view. In many places, things that get said, printed and heard in the US would be considered sedition or treason, with jail time or worse. Hey, its a free country. And its big enough to accomodate all(well, maybe not Warren Jeffs and that group. But still, they will get their day in court).

Opportunity, hope I spelled that rite.

Have you served in the US military?

There are so many things, where to start. More than anything else, our ability, once we decide, to tackle any challenge that comes.

It is easy to be negative, it is a whole different matter to have faith that with hard work, any tough situation can be turned around.

That simple optimistic and hope filled view on tomorrow, is for me, what makes America different from other countries, not better, different.

I don't think Iraq has anything to do with 9/11.
I also think that the US was the person who punched the guy in the eye. Have you looked at all the crap we did before 9/11 to the Middle East? I bet you if we followed the Constitution and didn't screw around in other countries affairs we would be fine and not nation building.

Btw: I am not a Liberal, and I would gladly serve in the military to fight for our freedom however I am not of the age to serve yet.

Serve first then post you ridiculous reply.

So we asked for it?

You should bury your head in the sand before the 'Middle East' does it. This is the kind of crap that makes me want to walk away from PP forever. I hope Wayne is watching.....

I NORMALLY do not post on political threads until there's a reason too....

Believe it or not a bumper sticker said it best: If you can't Stand BEHIND your troops YOU Should Stand IN FRONT of them. I bet you'd be the first person to run away.....

GPS sat system is badaasss. we have the best farmland. i bet we could feed the world.

i also like american ingenuity. we create alot of cool stuff. our follow through may suck, but we are idea people!!! :)

and we make awesome weapons.

I don't think we as American Citizens asked for any of it. I think the CIA overthrowing governments and medaling in the Middle East pushed them to do something about it. I highly doubt they attacked us because we are 'free and prosper'. Again this all ties into Freedom of Speech. Everyone has their own views and that is really what makes this country great.

Jesus, someone tries to start a really good, positive thread, and once again, it turns into a left-vs-right ***** throwing contest. Give it a f^%king break already!

You guys who mentioned recent US inventions like the GPS system are forgetting one major thing, the most revolutionary invention since the telephone or automobile - the internet. For those unaware, it was invented by the US military in the late 60s.

As for my own country, I think what I love most about this place is the people. I've said many times that we're a great country *despite* our gov't, which, regardless of party, seems to get worse and worse for everyone. But despite that, we still have extremely bright minds, ingenuity, and culture that few other countries on the planet could come close to.

Recently I sat on a jury for the Canada Council for the Arts, judging applications for music commissioning grants (my second job is a composer). In a nutshell, musical organizations (symphonies, chamber ensembles, etc) apply to the Council for funding to commission a new piece of music (among other possible funders, including private). Our job was to sift through hundreds of proposals and decide who would receive funding, to a total of about $200K. What I learned from this is that this country is full of incredibly creative, forward-thinking, talented people and organizations - far more than I ever thought possible. It really gave me a renewed pride for the arts in Canada. It's a shame it's not more known, appreciated and of course funded.

How hard would it be for people to drag themselves out of their jaded partisan shells and for one day, ONE DAY, speak the truth without allowing the petty divisions in our world dividing us?

Makes me f*cking sick.

I am proud of all the day-to-day, unseen, unheard of people in this country whose job is to make someone else's life better, who go beyond normal expectations in making a real difference in their community, their country, from preachers to servicemen to teachers and everyone in between. there are so many heroes in our country that we never know are even there.

The beginings of DC electricity and the electric chair(Edison), AC and radio and radar and microwaves and florescent bulbs and...(Tesla), first aircraft (although there is some debate to that), first automobiles, first morse code, first telephone, first tv's, first computers, first cellular devices(?), first 100year shelf life "food" product(twinkie) etc..etc...

I'm proud we can freely have opinions, like many of those voiced in this thread.

Great cars, philosophy, poetry, music, sausages and beer.

(I'm German)