[Shaun]

I don't see anything wrong with Belgium and Holland, apart from the former's politics [with the EU].

[Verloren]

I’d like to pick you up on a couple of points usa4eva:

Suicide rates are actually higher in the US than here in the UK. People think the reason for this is the availability of guns and that shooting is a common method of suicide in the States because it is “easy“.

Another thing: China is set to become the worlds largest economy, will this mean it will suddenly become the best place to live? I think judging countries purely on statistical information to come up with which is “best” is very one dimensional. One size certainly does not fit all.

Overall it’s probably best not to judge a country too much until you have actually lived there for a significant amount of time and that even still this only reflects your own personal tastes and may not apply to everyone. What is boring and what is not is subjective.

I’d also disagree that the US is any more accepting of black people. Racism against blacks in the UK is low, however it is higher towards muslims and immigrants (I believe) but I also think it is the same in the US between Mexicans and other immigrants and these suffer racism in a similar way.

Now to answer the original question, do I think the UK is the 51st state? I’d say we share one or two similarities, we both had a similar view towards Iraq and are often allies during conflicts and of course, we have the same language. Other than that, I don’t think we have much else in common so I don’t think the UK is the 51st state.

[JeanP!]

I love the U.S

I've been to Florida, NY, LA and Houston

[BB_Eye]

This poster is hilarious.

If I remember correctly, Holland and Belgium have a higher GDP per capita than the UK. More wealth per head = better quality of life.

And just lol @ the idea of an American calling the Brits depressed. The States is the birthplace of self-help groups and antidepressants. Hardly a nation of happy bunnies.

[lostalex]

Yes shame on us. The most prosperous and powerful nation in the history of the world. We're obviously doing something wrong. lol

[Omah]

Originally Posted by lostalex

Yes shame on us. The most prosperous and powerful nation in the history of the world. We're obviously doing something wrong. lol

Well, some of your citizens are :

The United States has the highest documented incarceration rate in the world. The U.S. incarceration rate on June 30, 2009 was 748 inmates per 100,000 U.S. residents, or 0.75%. The USA also has the highest total documented prison and jail population in the world.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) 7,225,800 people at yearend 2009 were on probation, in jail or prison, or on parole — about 3.1% of adults in the U.S. resident population, or 1 in every 32 adults.

As of June 2009[update], 2,297,400 were incarcerated in U.S. prisons and jails. In addition, there were 92,854 held in juvenile facilities as of the 2006 Census of Juveniles in Residential Placement (CJRP), conducted by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._prison

[lostalex]

Originally Posted by Omah

Well, some of your citizens are :





http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._prison

don't do the crime if you can't do the time. (you know how us American's love our cliches )

You know what's funny about that, it turns out, the counties with the highest prison populations, also have the lowest crime in America.

Funny how that works out. Putting criminals in prison reduces crime, who would have thought? lol

[Omah]

Originally Posted by lostalex

don't do the crime if you can't do the time. (you know how us American's love our cliches )

You know what's funny about that, it turns out, the counties with the highest prison populations, also have the lowest crime in America.

Funny how that works out. Putting criminals in prison reduces crime, who would have thought? lol

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_i...raphy_of_crime

Location has a very significant impact on crime in the United States. While some responding jurisdictions are nearly free of serious crime, others are plagued by some of the highest serious crime rates in the industrialized world. The homicide rate exemplifies the stark differences between communities.

I'll guess that the "stark difference" is between 'rich white' and 'poor black' .....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._prison

The United States has less than 5% of the world's population and 23.4% of the world's prison population.

[BB_Eye]

Originally Posted by lostalex

Yes shame on us. The most prosperous and powerful nation in the history of the world. We're obviously doing something wrong. lol

Enjoy it while it lasts. It won't be long before you guys are licking China's arse. Oh wait, you already are.

Britain ruled over one quarter of the earth's dry land for 200 years under the world's wealthiest empire and created the legal systems of countless countries from the South Pacific, to sub-saharan Africa which still stand today. Compared to that, your legacy will pale into insignificance in a matter of decades.

[Omah]

Originally Posted by BB_Eye

Enjoy it while it lasts. It won't be long before you guys are licking China's arse. Oh wait, you already are.

Britain ruled over one quarter of the earth's dry land for 200 years under the world's wealthiest empire and created the legal systems of countless countries from the South Pacific, to sub-saharan Africa which still stand today. Compared to that, your legacy will pale into insignificance in a matter of decades.

Rule Britannia .....

[lostalex]

Originally Posted by Omah

< GIGANTIC F-ING MAP >

Rule Britannia .....

hmmmm, the biggest red spots on that map seem to be Canada (mostly frigid uninhabitable tundra) and Australia (mostly arid uninhabitable desert).

Not impressed.

[Omah]

Originally Posted by lostalex

hmmmm, the biggest red spots on that map seem to be Canada (mostly frigid uninhabitable tundra) and Australia (mostly arid uninhabitable desert).

Not impressed.

Until the 18th century, India was the only supplier of diamonds in the world. Diamonds were discovered in Africa in the early 19th century and subsequently became the largest producer worldwide, relying on Zaire for industrial diamonds and South Africa for gem quality diamonds. Since the early 80's, Australia has been producing the most diamonds worldwide.

Surpeise, surprise - they're red spots, too .....

[MTVN]

Originally Posted by lostalex

Yes shame on us. The most prosperous and powerful nation in the history of the world. We're obviously doing something wrong. lol

Most powerful nation in the history of the world? I think not, you're not even close

[lostalex]

Originally Posted by MTVN

Most powerful nation in the history of the world? I think not, you're not even close

it's a fact. google it.

[MTVN]

Originally Posted by lostalex

it's a fact. google it.

So the USA is more powerful than the Roman Empire was is it? Or the British Empire?

It may be the most powerful country at the moment - though not for much longer - but not of all time, nowhere near

[lostalex]

Originally Posted by MTVN

So the USA is more powerful than the Roman Empire was is it? Or the British Empire?

It may be the most powerful country at the moment - though not for much longer - but not of all time, nowhere near

umm, yes, do you honestly believe the Roman army with it's catapults and 2 ton suits of armor could compare to the USA and it's army of 500 arial Predator drones. The USA could defeat Rome without even leaving the North American continent.

...and the British empire? we could destroy the entire colonial british navy with just 2 nuclear subs.

Get real.

Name a historical power that was more powerful than the current US military. You can't.

I havn't even had to mention atomic weapons yet. lol

[Omah]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_the_United_States

Ira M. Leonard has calculated that during the 20th century, more Americans were murdered by fellow Americans than soldiers died on active duty during the First World War, Second World War, Korean War and the Vietnam War combined.

[lostalex]

Originally Posted by Omah

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_the_United_States

now break those statistics down by race, and it gets even more disturbing.

Stop the black on black crime!

[Fetch The Bolt Cutters]

i love that show

[lostalex]

okay, now i'm confused.

i thought we were talking about the most powerful country in the history of the world...

what are you talking about?

you've lost me.

[MTVN]

Originally Posted by lostalex

okay, now i'm confused.

i thought we were talking about the most powerful country in the history of the world...

what are you talking about?

you've lost me.

Yes we are, and that is not measured simply by how devastating your weaponry is. Just because the British Empire did not have the techonology to produce a nuke doesnt suddenly mean the US holds more power than they ever did.

[lostalex]

Originally Posted by MTVN

Yes we are, and that is not measured simply by how devastating your weaponry is. Just because the British Empire did not have the techonology to produce a nuke doesnt suddenly mean the US holds more power than they ever did.

Yes, actually it does mean that. It means that we are more powerful than you ever were.

[MTVN]

Originally Posted by lostalex

I'
m sorry but yur just wrong. I know britain likes to claim America's success for it's own, but America is successful DESPITE Britain, not because of it. Are the other british colonies as successful as USA? why isn't canada or australia the post prosperous and powerful country on earth? America's very first enemy was Britain, we fought against you, and rebelled against you, we have made ourselves on our own terms, Britain gets no credit for it.

Britain also likes to claim some responsibility for English being the global language, sorry, that's cause of the USA. USA is the biggest economy in the world, that's why english is the global language, not cause of Britain. If you want to have an international you learn english so you can talk to American companies.

Stop tryna steal credit for America's accomplishments plz.

What are you talking about? I never said we were to thank for your success.

[Patrick]

I think this member just shows you all why I'm not America's biggest fan.
Up their own arses to be frank.


I'm going to talk to myself just like Tina Malone did back in CBB6:

Down Blow, Don't Kick Off.. 'Cause if you do, You'll kick off more than anybody else, Okay, Keep quiet and Shut your mouth! Okay, I will.

[MTVN]

Originally Posted by lostalex

Yes, actually it does mean that. It means that we are more powerful than you ever were.

No. You. Are. Not.

Look at the huge imprint Britain left on the world, look at your justice system, your parliamentery system etc. Britain's Army wasnt the biggest, it wasnt especially necessary and was seen as somewhat "Unbritish" to have a huge Army, but it was a highly skilled one. And in spite of that Britain's had complete Naval dominance, no other country came close to achieveing a navy on the same scale with perhaps the exception of Germany in the run up to WWI. Britain controlled a quarter of the world for God's sake and they were essentially unmatched economically and industrially.

To dismiss all of that because the US now has the capabilities to produce better weaponry is just ridiculous I'm afraid. By your logic any country in the world today is more powerful than the British Empire was. Stop being guided purely by your blind patriotism and look at something objectively for a change