Why American World Domination is good for you

[Wolf]

And this is all without even mentioning the cultural domination that America has created, not by any conscious act of will by the government, but simply by the forces of economics and style. American music, food, industries, and products are sold, made, and distrubted from everywhere to everywhere else. I recently read an article about an Iraqi Pepsi factory being rebuilt, for example. Islamic militants despised the US initially for the cultural domination being imposed on the world through the conscious will of corporations and the willingness of hte world's people to buy into "McWorld". Even if the economic stranglehold America has on the world can be broken, even if its military force can be shaken, there is still American culture, and American ideaology, which will last a thousand years -- just as Rome's has all these years. To put it in terms readers of this website should understand, America controls Arrakis, America has the Sardaukar, and America controls the Highliners -- It doesn't need the will, or the mandate of the people to rule, it simply controls the precise aspects of the world that it needs to control.

*EDIT: Mind you all that, at this point, what I'm saying is more hypothetical than anything else. What I am postulating may or not be fact, I am merely entertaining an idea and a possibility for fact.

[GUNWOUNDS]

Frodo has failed......

http://politicalhumor.about.com/library/graphics/bush_lordoftherings.jpg

  ;)

[Warskum]

Frodo has failed......

http://politicalhumor.about.com/library/graphics/bush_lordoftherings.jpg

[GUNWOUNDS]

lol thats pretty funny you know, the rings makes people bad..... :O

Aaah but it makes him King of Men now doesnt it?

[Anathema]

I wouldn't say that America actually controls the world. The fact is that in this day and age all economic blocs are dependent on eachother. The US could choose to cease all relations with the European Union for example, and it would hurt us badly, but the US wouldn't remain unscratched either.

Frankly this is a good thing IMO, because it's a major stabilising factor. The European Community was set up primarily to make countries economicly dependable on eachother so that it would be stupid for countries to act agressively against eachother, and Europe never has been this stable before.

About those military bases all across Europe, it's not a big thing IMO. The US used to have many bases in France after the war but many have been abandoned due to Du Gaulles somewhat unfriendly foreign policies. If Germany were to take a ferm diplomatical stance against the US they'd probably retreat from Germany as well.

[Wolf]

Yeah, that's a good point Anathema, and I think you're pretty much right. Hey, I said this was all hypothetical, didn't I?

[Anathema]

I understand Wolfwiz, no worries :)

[Warskum]

Aaah but it makes him King of Men now doesnt it?

Saddam was the king of Iraqis ;)

[Dunenewt]

Ok militarily you've got it all wrong.  I doubt USA could defeat Russia, and pretty soon China.  Plus USA is the most bankrupt country in the world.  The Mig 1.44 which has been around for 10 years only in prototype stage is more advanced than the JSF that the americans and us are working on.

[Wolf]

Are you joking?

[Acriku]

Ok militarily you've got it all wrong.  I doubt USA could defeat Russia, and pretty soon China.  Plus USA is the most bankrupt country in the world.  The Mig 1.44 which has been around for 10 years only in prototype stage is more advanced than the JSF that the americans and us are working on.

Conventionally, perhaps we couldn't. But then again, arguing which country can defeat which is pointless. Also, our country is not bankrupt - that is, if Bush doesn't make things worse by making our debt to 7 trillion as prospected by economists.

[filecore]

America has the best hospitals in the world, and before 9/11, Saudi Arabians would visit the US for the sole purpose of using these facilities.

Okay this is too big a topic for me to join into just now as I don't have the energy (and anyway I prefer science/philosophy/religion debates to political ones) but that statement got me - I don't think so.  Perhaps if you have enough money, then you get good care but surely the same is true for any other modern country too?

I think in this specific case you ought to look at countries like those in Scandinavia and the Nordic area... they have some of (and arguably THE) best social welfare systems in the world, which includes healthcare.  The hospitals have their problems but nowhere like the USA and certainly everybody has access regardless of their state of finances.  There's a difference between good hospitals and good hospital availability.

Anyway that's probably all I can contribute here :) I think most will agree that on social and welfare issues, USA is a long way behind many other countries.  And as for recycling and environment... I won't even start that one!

[Wolf]

That's all right, filecore, I get your point. After studying various economic and technological advances made by the US and other countries, I do believe that American medical knowledge and treatment is the best in the world. However, if you would like to know for sure, I will do some research on that score; I may be wrong. However, since America's chief export is, in fact, pharmeceuticals, I am under the impression that medical advancement is the United States' forte. Again, I will research this if it is incorrect. On a final note about Saudi Arabias, I recall reading somewhere that someone high up in the government visited the United States for medical treatment concerning some ailment that could not be well-treated in his homeland.

[Anathema]

Maybe the US has some of the most advanced medical facilities- for the happy few, that is. The general life expectancy is lower in the US then in most other western countries.

[emprworm]

Maybe the US has some of the most advanced medical facilities- for the happy few, that is. The general life expectancy is lower in the US then in most other western countries.

nearly all of the worlds medical equipment and drugs are invented in the United States.  Is is here that scientists have incentive to invent and research.  Socialist/communist countries use US technology in hospitals because under socialism there is no advancement of technology.  but this has been proven time and again, so it should be no surprise.

right now there is a crisis in canadian health care...a HUGE shortage of specialist surgeons and doctors.  WHY? 

Because they all come to the US.  The government sets their salaries, which is rediculously low, so they pack up and leave.

Just like Edric says.....'if you don't like it leave'.  Problem is, that the only people left are a bunch of young idealists like Edric.  Everyone else will be in the U.S.

[Anathema]

Strange, I never heard before that Canada was a socialist state...

But yeah, "brain drain" as they call it is a big problem for many countries. Many people from poorer countries come over to Europe to study medicine (or come over here after receiving their degree over there) simply because it pays better over here. Goes for other fields of study as well.

[EWS]

You hype up the USA as if it is the greatest place on earth.  Shame it isn't.  From attending a school there for a month and a bit, I can say that the British education system is much more better.  Let me ask you a question.

Where do all the major companies in America get all of their workers?

BRITAIN.  This is because we have a much better education system and degree scheme.  Now I know this for a fact as while I am currently going through the system of application for uni, I noticed that the highest percentage of graduates go to companies such as Microsoft and Apple.  Further, if USA has all these "amazing medical advances" howcome it has to get all of it's diabetes medication (inlcuding strips) from a company in the smallest city in Britain?  Diabetes is one of the largest growing problems in the states, so why can they not produce all of their own stuff?

[emprworm]

You hype up the USA as if it is the greatest place on earth.

[Mihail]

I'll let the smileys do it for me.No words are needed here.

[EWS]

Life is better in America? ROFLMFAO.

Get a life and look out of your country.

Why would anyone want to move to a country where they are at the risk of getting killed every second of everyday?  Why move to a country where they have to pay for hospitals?  Why move to a country where the expected age is fairly low?  Why move to a country where people are either really skinny or really fat?  Why move to a place where 16 yr olds can drive a car?  Why move to house that has amazingly bad gun laws?  Why move to a country where their kids are going to get a second rate education?

They move to America because they need to survive and because they make more money.  Now I know that sometimes more money = better quality of life, but when they are finished they usually move back over to their own country.

Further,  another reason to go to America.  Because the dollar is so weak against the pound.

[emprworm]

Life is better in America? ROFLMFAO.

Get a life and look out of your country.

name me one country that has a higher amount of immigrants than America.

go ahead.

[EWS]

Never once did i say that America didnt have the highest amount of immigrants.

[Warskum]

name me one country that has a higher amount of immigrants than America.

go ahead.

Many immigrants are beeing "invited"to the US, it seems that there are not much people in US who are really really smart, the US gets smart people from other countries, if it wasnt for the brain drain US wouldnt have the technology it has now. Those people that are invited call their families, they call friends etc etc and so one man brings in a shitloads of people, those people get a good life becuz that invited person gets rich becuz of his knowlegde, so wenn he tells people about US people think its its heaven....untill they actually arrive...

[Anathema]

Life in the US is pretty great for British graduates who get high salary jobs, yes.

Life's pretty bad in the US for those who live in it's streets because they were never given any chance for a better life from the beginning.

Likewise, life's pretty bad in the US for those thousends of immigrants with no college degree who come to the US in hope of a job and better life, while most of them end up like orange vendors and get no respect whatsoever from anyone.

[Dunenewt]

Well if we had a land border with Mexico we probably would.