Yeah. I'm just waiting for some Spanish or Italian guy to show up and say: "If it weren't for us, you Americans wouldn't have a place to live!"
C'mon, linus72, why do you have to play Captain America every time?

I think that the international community should create a separate international holiday, celebrating independence in general. All countries have a time in their history where they shed oppression....

Why not celebrate that together... with each to bring their national song, customs for celebrating independence, and stories. Right now there are countries fighting oppression,civil war,aggressive nations. We should respect each, and every for their fight.

I do agree that U.S. is the greatest nation on earth, but I also think that every nation is the greatest nation on earth. I think that if we feel ourselves, our city, or our nation to be "better" then other people, cities, or nations, we automatically shut ourselves off of the very people we could learn the most from.

It is equally bad for people to think they or their country is "better". While I was born and raised here (Colorado) I listen to international music exclusively , seek other cultures and languages to learn how to express myself and better to live my life.

Celebrating Independance suggests the fight against the very ethnocentric views I have seen, and that makes me sad.

FINALLY! A smart post!

One thing I have to kind of disagree with...

While I agree that "better" is a bad choice of words...but I think that it's ok to be proud of who/what you are...whether you be from Europe, China, Russia, or the US...

The problem is respect...everyone demands it...but no one gives it (even the US)!

I could say that, but that wouldn't be very appropriate. "I did this, so I'm better' and 'If it weren't for us you...' discussions aren't real discussions.

Couldn't agree more.

I made the distinction about "better". I'm commenting on the difference between national pride, and the feeling of superiority. without the US would would not have....without (name the country) you would not have (name your thing). If any certain country did not exist, the whole human race would be lacking in some important way!

Indeed! And that's we all should realise.

100% agree.

Ah, one of these...

Poster A: Me and my mates are the best at everything, and everyone else pretty much sucks.
Poster B: Nope, you and your mates can't be the best at everything, 'cause me and my mates beat you at that thing that time.
Poster C: Take it easy, guys, we're all awesome.
Moderators: You're all idiots. Thread closed.

O! say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
O! say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,
A home and a country should leave us no more!
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

O! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: 'In God is our trust.'
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

No doubt!
Rock on America!

The difference between America and all others?

http://www.chronwatch-america.com/ar...ica/Page1.html

hmmmm.... it'd be a different movie without us huh?

Again, spare us!

What, are you gonna debate that?
Nope, it's just the simple truth
no internet....no pc's.....no linux.....on the good side no Microsoft.

Your whole ability to communicate and rag on my post is due to America saving your country's
ass with our Blood, and yes I fought in Desert Storm1 and my forefather's fought and died too.
All countries who can claim freedom can just step up and give due, cause we Maintain it
whether we fight or no.

This is our Holiday, not everybody's holiday.

Obama is respected by what you call "outsiders" because he, at the very least, seems to have a brain in his head.

I don't think you realize just how unnerving (and even frightening) your former president was, linus72. The man had absolutely no tact, he projected the image of a bumbling idiot, and at the same time was in control of the world's largest military.

People tend not to trust the gun-wielding nut job in the room, who shoots first and asks questions later. That's the picture that YOUR president projected to the world, its nobody's fault but his own and of his administration.

Oh... the "if it weren't for us" game.
Well, lets go a little further back then:

If it weren't for us Portuguese kicking off the start of serious maritime exploration, who knows how long it would have been until other countries started exploring the globe?
Perhaps the USA as you know it would not even exist, our timeline might be very different.

Nobody is trying to deny that you have helped other nations, but you make it sound like its a one way street. Your country, no matter how powerful and "awesome", is NOT an island!

Happy 4th of July then

You did many things, but that doesn't make you better than the rest.

Many other countries fought for freedom and gave their blood for other countries. Do you forget French support on the American Revolution?

At least we agree. And as I said before, I have no problems with the US and I wish you an Happy Forth of July.

Lets split some hairs here, shall we?

So what is because of the USA we have PCs? What about that Englishman, oh, what was his name, Mr. Charles Babbage, who was responsible for the 'analytical machine', that was a predecessor to the known modern day computer, and yea lets go back further. All the scientists, and mathematicians responsible for the very foundation of what later would be computer science, (Isaac Newton, Blaise Pascal, Ada, all non-American) and even go further that that, the ancient Greeks, Mesopotamians, and others, who is even more responsible for the very basics in scientific and mathematical thinking. Don't mean to be splitting hairs either, but I think you get the point, and easuter has a good point too.

Happy 4th of July, but unlike some people, lets not get ahead of ourselves here.