Why is the U.S. the best country in the world?

Question

Please state if you are answering this and have never been outside the U.S..

Not a competition, but I would welcome a true competition of my home country and other countries to be the highest quality places to live, opposed to competition for control for scarce resources which are squandered.
I have been told this question by many people but never had it explained, I was just expected to know why. I think the free world has spread to enough places beyond our shores where many people can think freely. It is why the U.S. once had a great reputation, we were a moral leader. At one time that may have been a valid reason we were best, I think we need to move beyond that a go back to being moral.

Answer 1

America's neither too liberal nor too conservative, they're just right.
Freedom from government interference
The right to freedom of expression
The right to freedom of religion
The right to keep arms and defend yourself. The legal system's fair, in favor of the victim
The right to vote
The only democracy to still have capital punishment for the scum who murder and rape.
Local control
Acceptance of everyone
The belief all men are created equal
A strong currency
Large luxurious houses at cheap prices
Hollywood
Skyscrapers
Westerns
Coca Cola
Budweiser
Jack Daniel's
The most awesome cars in the world
The best military that can kick the *** of any country stupid enough to mess with us (in Iraq we completely obliterated Saddam's regime and in Afghanistan we liberated the opressed people from the Taliban, who are now in full retreat, hiding like the cowards they are)

Answer 2

The way I see it, some above have got it right. history is dictated by the victors. The fact that the U.S. is economically powerful does not make it great - China and Japan both have potential and gaining economic capacity. Morally, Japan has been ahead by several hundred years - The bushido code is considred one of the most moralistic ideologies. Quality of living? the wealth gap is more pronounced in the USA than Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and most other countries - you still have 'ghettos' - Brooklyn, Harlem etc. Civilization-wise? Iceland has no police force and yet crime is lowere there than anywhere else, meanwhile, in California year 2001 there were 11,000 gun-related deaths - more than the entire western world excepting armed conflicts. The only reason the US asserts its dominance is through political pressure, trade embargos, strategic opportunism (isn't Iraq full of OIL? do you have very low oil prices? - err,yes.) and technological superiority (only Japan and the UK can really rival the U.S. on any level). The fact that 90+% of films depicting America as the ideal country is one of the few reasons why the rest of the world retains any semblance of acknowledgment of the U.S. as a nation rather than a a bully.

Answer 3

I have traveled in the military, as a family member and for my own career, and lived in Turkey, Germany, Denmark, Phillipines, Thailand, and also visited many other places, on military missions.

This could be an essay, if I were to address the entire scope of our freedoms, and liberties, many of which were, for me, very restricted for almost 40 years, as a military dependant, and as an active duty American.

In short, in America, I have the least repression and restraint upon my freedom to move, speak, own property, of any place I have seen or heard about.

For the foreigner, whether an illegal border jumper felon, or an immigrant, you have more rights here, than I have in, say, Mexico, as a lawful immigrant or tourist! I can't burn any flag without going to jail, if I am in Mexico.

If I were to immigrate and naturalize in Mexico, I could never hold a job in their government, unless and until all native born Mexicans had rejected it.

I have personal Rights as an American that others in foreign nations can't even imagine!

Those are the reasons the Islamic Fascists are so scared of us. The Clerics lose their control over the people, when the people are permitted to choose their own schools.

You all need to look up the connection between the Islamic Fascists, and Adolf Hitler, search word "Grand Mufti" and "Hitler Islam".

Those are the anti-Christ, and dictators, who destroy the very Rights that America protects.

America is the best country in the world, for promoting individual Rights.

Answer 4

I knew some brits would come in and fight about it, but i'll tell you exactly why.

1. I've traveled to England, Canada, Mexico, and Australia.
2. The United States has a lower crime rate than England. In fact, only whales and New Zeland have a higher crime rate amongsts all the civilized countries
(proof for the nay sayers)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/798708/posts
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2002/12/01/ncrime01.xml&sSheet=/news/2002/12/01/ixhome.html

http://www.lostmyshirt.co.uk/crime_rate.htm

plus several more.

3. The united states has EIGHTEEN of the top 20 colleges in the world.
4. No other country on the planet has the purchasing power as the average American
5. Our military isn't weak like..."some peoples"
6. We own more automobiles per person than any other country. Good or bad, almost everyone here owns a vehicle of some sort.
7. In London they have 20 cameras per peson running on CCTV at any time, watching your every move.
8. The United States offers more opportunity for the average person to climb to the above average scale rapidly.
9. Our right to own weapons. this is why America will never be invaded. Over 70 MILLION americans own legal firearms, myself included. For those that think its "barberic" I'm sure they live in a country protected by the American military, I'd feel safe too. We'll see if another Nazi Germany rolls around how safe you feel as oppsed to how safe I feel with my 13 rifles, 22 pistols and 125,000 rounds.

For those of you who don't like my post, its ok. If I lived in an inferior country, I'd be upset about the facts too.

Answer 5

Two words: Cluster Bombs.

That, or maybe that since the U.S is the dominant nation it's views of what it means to be "the best country in the world" are, in turn, dominant over many other ideologies. Its just like how Roman civilization was considered, by the Romans, to be better than that of, say, Carthage. Since Rome eventually won the Punic Wars, everyone who came after would naturally think of Rome as better. Why is capitalism the dominant form of economic organization? The British considered it "best," and they had the best boats and guns. There's no inherent quality that makes the U.S the best country on Earth, just that since we're the strongest, what we think is best, is best.

Answer 6

I have spent two years in Brazil and a few days in Mexico. Other than that, I am a licensed attorney at law and my view of America is that we still have more individual freedom, self determination, than any other country in the world. That is why the whole world wants to immigrate to here because they have more of a chance to make something of themselves than they do in their native lands.
In fairness, you are right. With the establishment of a global economy and more democratic governments, the opportunity for people to control their own destinies is improving in other lands, but I still don't think they have equaled our opportunities.

Answer 7

I'm American and have lived outside the US. Everyone thinks home is the best place on earth if they're living well. A lot of people from a lot of different countries think they're living in the best place there is.

Is this a competition?

Answer 8

The US is the strongest military power at the moment.
That does not make it the best. Their social services have at best third world standard, their attitude towards guns can only be considered barbaric, and there is a general paranoia about which I found very hard to bear.
Switzerland, with no standing army, is in my view the best country to live in.
I spent several years each in Germany, Belgium, France, Switzerland, the US and Ireland and I do know what I'm talking about.

Answer 9

Free thought... US Navy 1979-1983... two (2) Middle Eastern, Persian Gulf, cruises

Answer 10

Why?...Is it? I'm not American and i was many countries in my life...i would never say that one of the country is the best country in the world... especially not America