[Knight Templar]

You guys couldn't be more wrong. Cyprus is teh shizat!!111

[Flipside]

I think you'll find that was partly to do with the 'cash-in now, pay later' technique of the Tories at the time, it was their privatisation of the Rail Service and Energy/Phone services that led to the current money-grabbing poor services we get now.

[Turnsky]

Australia

[Gank]

Originally posted by SadisticSid
And Major doesn't count since he's a twat.

Aye but he was a tory twat. Cant just pick the ones you like.

[an0n]

Can you guys name one area in which the US is the 'best in the world'?

[Dark_4ce]

Bah! Even though I'm Finnish, Norway 0wns! Self sufficient, beautiful landscape, kickass history, low crime rate, great health care, job security, major good job income, fishing, mountains, and a pritty solid foreign policy. You just cant go wrong with it.

[Ghostavo]

Ego?

[an0n]

Nope. France beats them.

[Ghostavo]

Largest amount of "Bush" compounds... can't beat that!

[Knight Templar]

Originally posted by an0n
Can you guys name one area in which the US is the 'best in the world'?

Pwning.

[KS_Al]

Originally posted by an0n
Can you guys name one area in which the US is the 'best in the world'?

the US armed Forces are #1 in the world.  Remember without the US if the government didn't break up the isolationist policy.  Germany in the 1st World War would have won.  And you'll be speaking German.  Also after WWII you have been Russian if we didn;t involve in world affairs after losing 300,000 lives in WWII.  Think about it  Thank president Truman and a cabinet member Marshall of his dealings with Stalin and keeping him in Eastern Europe and helping the Berliners by sending help because the Germans were blockading them for 4 years.   Germany would have been a potato patch without America's help. We have sent 35.5 billion dollars to the European countries to recover after the war.  That is of money.  Remember what america has done for the world.  To help.

[jdjtcagle]

Originally posted by Dark_4ce
Bah! Even though I'm Finnish, Norway 0wns! Self sufficient, beautiful landscape, kickass history, low crime rate, great health care, job security, major good job income, fishing, mountains, and a pritty solid foreign policy. You just cant go wrong with it.

I'm covinced:D

[Ghostavo]

Originally posted by KS_Al
We have sent 35.5 billion dollars to the European countries to recover after the war. That is of money. Remember what america has done for the world. To help.

Except some idiot in my country not only refused to accept this offer, but also donated a lot of money that could have been used much better if it was used in here.

I find it funny the US didn't invade Portugal when it was a dictatorship that "gave" the US an air base in the Açores, but when they decide to invade another country they always use the excuse of being "liberating that country from an oppressive regime"!!

[Gank]

Actually the German navy mutining brought about the end of the first world war, US troops arrived too late to play any significent role on the battlefield.

As for the Russians, the USSR never had any serious desires to conquer all of europe. The Marshall plan was fairly decent of you though.

[Ace]

Originally posted by KS_Al


the US armed Forces are #1 in the world.  Remember without the US if the government didn't break up the isolationist policy.  Germany in the 1st World War would have won.  And you'll be speaking German.  Also after WWII you have been Russian if we didn;t involve in world affairs after losing 300,000 lives in WWII.  Think about it  Thank president Truman and a cabinet member Marshall of his dealings with Stalin and keeping him in Eastern Europe and helping the Berliners by sending help because the Germans were blockading them for 4 years.   Germany would have been a potato patch without America's help. We have sent 35.5 billion dollars to the European countries to recover after the war.  That is of money.  Remember what america has done for the world.  To help.

Both points are debatable.

Considering the devastation of the Great War, it's doubtful Germany would have held on to any land gained if the war continued and they had an advantage. Of course, Germany was loosing so this is a moot point.

Similarly, Russia historically likes to maintain a buffer from potential threats. Trying to hold on to western Europe would be costly and risky compared to simply holding on to eastern Europe as a buffer for invasions.

I will say though that the Marshall plan is probably one of the best things that happened in the 20th century warfare, and if it or something like it was instituted in Iraq and Afghanistan that'd be a good way of stabilizing the region.

[aldo_14]

Originally posted by KS_Al


the US armed Forces are #1 in the world.  Remember without the US if the government didn't break up the isolationist policy.  Germany in the 1st World War would have won.  And you'll be speaking German.  Also after WWII you have been Russian if we didn;t involve in world affairs after losing 300,000 lives in WWII.  Think about it  Thank president Truman and a cabinet member Marshall of his dealings with Stalin and keeping him in Eastern Europe and helping the Berliners by sending help because the Germans were blockading them for 4 years.   Germany would have been a potato patch without America's help. We have sent 35.5 billion dollars to the European countries to recover after the war.  That is of money.  Remember what america has done for the world.  To help.

America is not a universal beneficiery, though.... and sometimes rests on it's laurels far too much.

NB: Germany in WW1 was losing - the British blockade of German shipping had reduced to troops to eating what amounted to wheat.  The US intervention  - whilst helpful - almost certainly did not alter the course of the war, but possibly did speed it up.

The US isolationist policy - withdrawing from the League of Nations - was a direct contributory factor in the failure of that organisation.  Particualrly as it had been the idea of the US in the first place.

America also made a massive amount of money by selling arms to the UK - at one point sending a warship to collect the last gold Britain had, from a colony in Africa.

So don;t think that the US should be hailed as a messiah by the rest of the world for doing the right thing and eventually joining WW2.  Gratitude - yes.  Unquestioning loyalty - no.

[Stealth]

Originally posted by an0n
Can you guys name one area in which the US is the 'best in the world'?

yeah, as was said by KT, other than the US pushing its authority around, nowadays it's not really the 'best in the world' at anything.  in fact, from what i can tell it's slipping

[Thorn]

Originally posted by an0n
Come to think of it, if Canada could sort it's act out, I'd consider them to be the best (though not the 'greatest') country in the world.

Low crime rates, decent enough health-care, reasonable economy and they're one of those countries that's so neutral they make Switzerland look like 1940's Germany.

Well, we did just get rid of Dictator.. er I mean Prime Minister Chretien, so I guess thats a start...

[Rictor]

Oh Thorn, quit your crying about Chretien. He was a great PM in my opinion, and I was sad to see him go.

What have you got against the man?

[Thorn]

Originally posted by Rictor
Oh Thorn, quit your crying about Chretien. He was a great PM in my opinion, and I was sad to see him go.

What have you got against the man?

Think about how long he was in power....
I'll give you the short answer and say the only thing I agreed with him on was his stance on the war in Iraq.....