[Mr 5 0]

Originally posted by Mach 1

Ok, I guess what I said and the point I was trying to make didnt come across as the same. Outside of the communist and third world countries you mention, there is plenty of freedom to be found outside of America.

There are socialist governments all over the world including Canada, Mexico and most of Europe but nowhere does any nations citizens have the rights and freedoms Americans have. England, for instance, while quite 'free' and in many ways similar to the United States, has no Bill of Rights, as America does. Few - if any - other nations do, in fact. France, Germany and Japan all have democratic governments but they are quite different democracies than what we practice in America and their socialist economies hold down their citizens abilities to prosper as much as they could, if they were unfettered by restrictive laws and exorbitant taxation on both business and individuals. In short: while a good portion of the world can be considered 'free', no nation affords it citizens the constitutional rights, legal protections and financial opportunities that America does.

I have been down lately and have developed a negative outlook, but our government certainly isnt perfect in a lot of areas, and Im not afraid to mention the negatives. Dont get me started on the legal system thats been screwing me around unjustly for the last year...

We all have our problems and I know that even a speeding ticket can send people off on an anti-police, anti-government rant. That doesn't necessarily reflect the reality. Of course our county has 'negatives'. It always has and always will. The difference is that America and it's people can - and have - evolved over time. We cast off slavery and that was a major hurdle. Then, racial discrimination had to be overcome, and it has, for the most part. That's America. We live and we DO learn.

Agreed. But I think our education system could be improved greatly, and I dont feel I made our govt. out to be a disaster, just mentioning some areas that need work

Our education system has problems, primarily in the public school system and the costs of college are getting ridiculous. That noted: I saw your comments as very negative toward a county that I see as the best place in the world to live and work and raise a family. Our freedoms and our opportunites to explore our personal possibilites are unlike that of any other country on earth. Beyond our very high standard of living we also have a govenment that is subject to change by the will of the people, as it has over the centuries. No human government will ever be perfect or please everyone all the time but the American form of representative democracy is the best yet seen and until something else comes along that can improve on it, I will always defend America to anyone, especially another American, even while stipulating that it has some faults and shortcomings.