What's Right With America?

[Bear Up North]

This is the adjacent thread to the What's Wrong With America? thread that I started about five (5) minutes ago. In the interest of being as fair and balanced as the rest of the so-called commentators, we need to offer a chance to sound-off on what's right with our land.

This Bear lives a good life. Nothing fancy. Have to get up and work like most others.

But everyday I get up, it is in one (1) of the best places to live in the history of the world. The air that I breathe, although sometimes polluted and sometimes censored, is "free". If I want to hang my American flag upside down in protest, I can do so. I get to vote, which is a right not enjoyed much in the history of man.

If I want to go to church, I can choose that church. If I don't want to, not a big deal.
And there is a lot of different flavors of beer to try!

I'm not a "Love It Or leave It" American. I say, "If You Love It, Fix It". In this here USA I can decide to do that.

Bear Balanced

[Michele Zone]

Bear Balanced

You are slipping. You missed the obvious: "Bear and Balanced".

[otterpop]

What is right with America: Toys For Tots. Every year the Marine Reserves collects new and unwrapped toys to distribute to children who otherwise would have less than joyful Christmas. Every year I spend $20 to buy a gift for a boy and one for a girl and put the gifts in the Toys For Tots barrel at my place of work. It makes me feel great. Bet it would make you feel good too.

[zman]

We do have a "Can-do" attitude and are willing to work hard for success. I like the fact that we can sound off in a "What's wrong with America Thread" and not worry about getting into trouble.
I would say having people with extreme viewpoints (especially today) could be bad, but having an argument with a conservative friend kind of makes me proud to be an American. Just the fact that we can discuss our viewpoints, bash the president or his causes, and yes even bash former presidents. We all have different thoughts about how the country should be, but differences also help the country to be great.


Did anyone understand that?

[The Irish One]

Many of our Developmentally Disabled population (severe mental retardation, people born with severe physical problems that stunt corgnitive dev., etc..) is taken care of . It's not perfect.

[Zoning Goddess]

We have Cyburbia. And libraries. And the freedom to apply for any job we want.

[el Guapo]

99% of everything. I'll list the individual Points of Light in detail soon.

[thinknik]

Damn good subject.

What's right about America?

Location, location, location.

We got the biggest piece of the bestest real estate on the planet ... and aim to use every square inch of it.

[martini]

Good thoughts. I like the fact that I don't have to think like everyone else, or that they don't have to think like me. Great minds don't think alike. That and the peeps are generally good folk.

[pete-rock]

Optimism and opportunity. We are a nation that believes it can do anything, and we still offer more people a chance to live their lives the way they choose than any place on the planet.

[PlannerGirl]

The best health care facilities in the world.
Diversity
Some of the best colleges and minds in the world.
Fantastic geography

[boilerplater]

The National Park System
NYC
Most of coastal California, Oregon and Washington
NASA
NOAA
EPA
The Smithsonian
National Geographic

Freedom of speech, at least in theory.

[Michele Zone]

We are exporters of post-secondary education. We must be doing something right in that area that foreigners come here to go to college. In some countries, if you don't get your degree right out of high school, there really is no going back. In that respect, America truly is the Land of Opportunity: we can decide to go back to college at any time, just because we want to. I think Americans on the whole do not fully appreciate how wonderful that is and how much that breaks down barriers and prevents an excessively entrenched class structure.

[Miles Ignatius]

Generally, I'd say it's our natural resources, the foresight and brilliance of our founding fathers, and the generous, open, and ingenious spirit of the American populus. I do think that we are in a strained period of history where we're strained but it will be those things which will enable us to endure.

[boiker]

• On occasion, the system does work
• We have incredible diversity in people, culture, geography, weather, etc.

[jresta]

The people and the culture.

A lot of people will say "ohh american culture is McDonalds, Britney Spears, and Hollywood." But this country has great, enduring folk traditions that manifest themselves in ways that people don't even notice. Everything commercial will always be crass but just think jazz, blues, folk, and country (not nashville pop).

The fact that i can walk into a town hall meeting and hear a man telling the mayor that he's "full of s***" and then lecture the council as an expert on the matter is a testament to our independent nature and our contempt for authority. We consider ourselves equal and demand to be treated as such.

It's probably every american's dream to be his own boss - and everyones' struggle to get there is what has produced some of the best innovations the world has seen.

I've always been proud of my roots and being american is a big part of it - but that pride doesn't come from flags or anthems and it certainly doesn't rest in leaders or conquerors. It comes from my families struggles (and everyone like them) and everything they did to get to the states from all corners of Europe and all the crap they put up with when they got here (slaving for the same people they were running from)- its what makes them american.

In short - what's great about this country is its unsung people and practices.

[BKM]

Broad homeownership opportunities (except in California, maybe )

American musical culture (except gangsta rap )

American literature

Independence. We complain about "NIMBYism" and narrow-minded citizen activism, but I prefer it to both blind obedience to officaldom (as easy as that would make our jobs, possibly ) or pure obstruction and ignoring rules, as occurs in some societies.

Lack of a hereditary monarchy or other such nonsence. Sure, they're a symbol of the country and all that, but the whole bowing and scraping and fawning over people like "Diana" and "the Queen" sticks in my republican craw. (On the other hand, why do so many in this society try to elevate pop stars and actors and sports stars to a similar role. Gag me!)

National Parks system

[Lee Nellis]

First and foremost, national parks and the wilderness system. Wilderness is where it all starts and the farther from it we get, the more things we will have to put on the Bear Up North's other list. More generally, our commitment to the environment, even though it is so fragile right now.

Second, voluntarism and the non-profit sector: with people expressing their beliefs through action, even if that action is often just a donation. This goes along with the generosity that others have noted. It is kind of uneven these days, but it is part of the heart.

Third, freedom of speech (and other types of expression), another threatened value as the religious right grows in power, but another part of the heart.

Fourth, how hard people will work. I think we work too much toward material ends, but Americans will make the commitment to get things done. The fact that it is sometimes the wrong thing doesn't really depress me too much because it is the energy that counts.

[Super Amputee Cat]

Number and variety of places to go camping unparalleled anywhere in the world.

Uniquely American architectural styles and house types built between the 1600s and the early 1900s.

Fascinatingly rich history of ethnic groups and immigration patterns

Rails to trails

The Blue States

National Seashores

NPR and local affiliates

Communities that fight back against Wal-Mart, Home Depot etc.

Jimmy Carter

The Great Lakes

The Smithsonian

[michaelskis]

One word,



















Opportunity...
We have the opportunity to worship as we wish, to be rich if we want, to be educated if we choose to be. Be have the opportunity to choose our leaders and our friends, and if we don’t like them, we have the opportunity do say so. We have the opportunity to make live our life any way that we want, as long as it does not limit the opportunities of others.

That, and great college hockey!

[chrisinmd]

Freedom of Speech -
Freedom of Religion
Freedom to travel through this great country
Freedom to think and create

[Michele Zone]

Bringing this back per requests in the opposite thread (What's wrong with america?).

America fostered the Internet (or World Wide Web), which couldn't have become what it is today without all that icky wealth and freetime we so take for granted and which is oft criticized as "evil".

[Wulf9]

Self evident truths in the Declaration of Independence.

A government structure that allows for self correction when politicians try to violate those self-evident truths.

[luckless pedestrian]

all of the self-contradictions I listed in the what's wrong with America thread is also what's right - the fact we can be so f-ed up at times and still be great is, well, pretty great!

it's what often drives other countries too which can be even more great, in the Clinton Years anyway...now it's embarassing but what's great is that it won't always be this way!

[Richmond Jake]

Both of my sons throw right. But, Alex (the oldest kid), bats left. That count? Am I in the right thread? I shouldn't post under the influence....


I just feel like posting a red card tonight...I don't know why.