America is the Best, Most Free, and Most Prosperous Country on Earth: Change My Mind

[rjs330]

America has more people locked up in jails, prisons, and mental hospitals than any other nation under the sun.....are we free.....nope.....

So we are basing freedom on criminal behavior and how many criminals we let go? I'm not sure that's a good metric.

 

[Sam Davis]

So we are basing freedom on criminal behavior and how many criminals we let go? I'm not sure that's a good metric.

America is locking people up like crazy and for no reason. A crime doesn’t even need to be committed to be locked up in this country.

 

[durangodawood]

So we are basing freedom on criminal behavior and how many criminals we let go? I'm not sure that's a good metric.

Yeah if a country has an outstanding number of criminals, then we can hardly call it great. I mean, something is really wrong there.

Or if we're just locking people up for no good reason, then there's also something really wrong.

 

[rjs330]

Yeah if a country has an outstanding number of criminals, then we can hardly call it great. I mean, something is really wrong there.

Or if we're just locking people up for no good reason, then there's also something really wrong.

Yeah we have a lot of freedom here. And societal issues that seem to allow or promote criminal behavior is a problem. Locking up criminals is not a measure of freedom unless you are being locked up for freedom issues, such as speech, religion or political affiliations etc. If you are being locked up for theft, assault, robbery etc. that had nothing to do with freedom.

 

[JackRT]

Why?

Because the USA by a great many metrics just does not rate as high as other countries mentioned.

 

[Pedra]

As I was told this was a debatable topic, I figured I'd post here to let the debate ensue.

Definitions:

Best: most productive of good : offering or producing the greatest advantage, utility, or satisfaction

Free: enjoying personal freedom : not subject to the control or domination of another

Prosperous: marked by success or economic well-being

Nope , sorry I cannot disprove this.
America has enjoyed great blessings from God as a nation. As we get closer to the rapture this will change, but imo, God singled out the United States. The topography itself & fertility and abundance displays God's glory. As a nation it has been blessed the most to prosper & thrive.

 

[rjs330]

I think freedom at some point becomes something that is impossible to quantify. I don't believe America is less free than anyone else. I'm not seeing the measurements on how these freedom sites and articles measure freedom. Surveys? At some point they are meaningless. Drugs is a great example. Some people would say they are less free cause they can't possess any kind of drug they want. Some people in America could say they are less free because they have to pay regisytations on their cars or large property taxes. I think it's too hard to nail down. For example, why is America less free than Canada? Are we less free because we don't have government healthcare? So government control of our healthcare makes us more free?

This is just too difficult to determine at some point. I don't believe the US is less free than Canada.

 

[rjs330]

Because the USA by a great many metrics just does not rate as high as other countries mentioned.

Why? What metrics and how do you quantify that? I'm not believing that the US is less free than Canada.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

Nope , sorry I cannot disprove this.
America has enjoyed great blessings from God as a nation. As we get closer to the rapture this will change, but imo, God singled out the United States. The topography itself & fertility and abundance displays God's glory. As a nation it has been blessed the most to prosper & thrive.

"Woe to the rich, for they have been comforted" might fit.

A lot of Americans agree with you,
a lot of Chinese believers, African believers, Russian believers, and so on , do not.

 

[JackRT]

Why? What metrics and how do you quantify that? I'm not believing that the US is less free than Canada.

Earlier in this thread some other posters mentioned specific studies that have rated the nations. Look up these studies for the metrics they used. As an example, the USA has some of the best medical facilities in the world and cutting edge medical research but accessing medical treatment is a real problem for many USAnians primarily because of cost.

A few years ago a friend was vacationing in Florida. He likes to bicycle but he took a bad fall and had his wife drive him to a hospital ER. He was there a couple of hours and recieved prompt and professional care. They gave him an x-ray, a tetanus shot, a half dozen stitches and cleaned up his road rash. The bill was $1800.00 !!! They returned to Canada and he went in to his own doctor to have the stitches removed. The doctor commented that if an American recieved the identical treatment in a Canadian hospital ER he would have been charged about $200.00

Comparative outcomes -------- Canada / US :
per capita medical spending --- $4500 / $8500
percent of GDP ---------------------11.2 / 17.7
public share –---------------------- 70% / 48%,
doctors per 1000 -------------------- 2.4 / 2.5
nurses per 1000 ----------------------9.3 / 11.1
life expectancy ----------------------- 81 / 79
smoking rate --------------------- 15.7% / 14.8%
obesity rate -----------------------25.4% / 36.5%.
As you can readily see, Canada achieves comparable or superior outcomes at close to half the expense and every citizen regardless of status or income has equal access.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

QUOTE="JackRT, post: 74468340, member: 381486"]A few years ago a friend was vacationing in Florida. He likes to bicycle but he took a bad fall and had his wife drive him to a hospital ER. He was there a couple of hours and recieved prompt and professional care. They gave him an x-ray, a tetanus shot, a half dozen stitches and cleaned up his road rash. The bill was $1800.00 !!! They returned to Canada and he went in to his own doctor to have the stitches removed. The doctor commented that if an American recieved the identical treatment in a Canadian hospital ER he would have been charged about $200.00[/QUOTE
-----------------------
"A few years ago", more than most can remember, healthy care in the untied states was relatively affordable and truly helpful.....

$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$ changed everything.

 

[rjs330]

"Woe to the rich, for they have been comforted" might fit.

A lot of Americans agree with you,
a lot of Chinese believers, African believers, Russian believers, and so on , do not.

It doesn't matter what they believe. Quite frankly it doesn't matter what we believe either. We have been blessed and it is entirely appropriate to thank God for our blessings. I thank God I wasn't born in China or N Korea.

 

[Tiberius Lee]

Freedom of speech.

It’s news to me that UK , Canada , Germany doesn’t have freedom of Speech!

 

[98cwitr]

It’s news to me that UK , Canada , Germany doesn’t have freedom of Speech!

None of them do. Speech is dictated to them by their government.

 

[wing2000]

What generation does not live under some threat or another? Actually the risk of a school kid being shot is far lower than almost any other mortality risk a kid faces, including traveling to and from school, catching a potentially deadly disease while in school or suffering a life-threatening injury playing interscholastic sports.

I agree the actual threat is greater from the factors you list. That doesn't lesson the anxiety caused to our children. No child living in America should need to worry about being shot at school.

 

[rjs330]

Earlier in this thread some other posters mentioned specific studies that have rated the nations. Look up these studies for the metrics they used. As an example, the USA has some of the best medical facilities in the world and cutting edge medical research but accessing medical treatment is a real problem for many USAnians primarily because of cost.

A few years ago a friend was vacationing in Florida. He likes to bicycle but he took a bad fall and had his wife drive him to a hospital ER. He was there a couple of hours and recieved prompt and professional care. They gave him an x-ray, a tetanus shot, a half dozen stitches and cleaned up his road rash. The bill was $1800.00 !!! They returned to Canada and he went in to his own doctor to have the stitches removed. The doctor commented that if an American recieved the identical treatment in a Canadian hospital ER he would have been charged about $200.00

Comparative outcomes -------- Canada / US :
per capita medical spending --- $4500 / $8500
percent of GDP ---------------------11.2 / 17.7
public share –---------------------- 70% / 48%,
doctors per 1000 -------------------- 2.4 / 2.5
nurses per 1000 ----------------------9.3 / 11.1
life expectancy ----------------------- 81 / 79
smoking rate --------------------- 15.7% / 14.8%
obesity rate -----------------------25.4% / 36.5%.
As you can readily see, Canada achieves comparable or superior outcomes at close to half the expense and every citizen regardless of status or income has equal access.

That doesn't make Canada more free. Many Americans are fine with spending more in order to go see the doctor for wherever the reason whenwver they want to and not have to wait for surgery or whatever. That's not to say that it couldn't be better. I think it could. But government control of your healthcare doesn't make you more free.

Like I said at some point the idea of what makes one country more free than another is entirely subjective.

 

[rjs330]

QUOTE="JackRT, post: 74468340, member: 381486"]A few years ago a friend was vacationing in Florida. He likes to bicycle but he took a bad fall and had his wife drive him to a hospital ER. He was there a couple of hours and recieved prompt and professional care. They gave him an x-ray, a tetanus shot, a half dozen stitches and cleaned up his road rash. The bill was $1800.00 !!! They returned to Canada and he went in to his own doctor to have the stitches removed. The doctor commented that if an American recieved the identical treatment in a Canadian hospital ER he would have been charged about $200.00[/QUOTE
-----------------------
"A few years ago", more than most can remember, healthy care in the untied states was relatively affordable and truly helpful.....

$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$ changed everything.

Yep our system needs some serious work. Unfortunately much of the left only sees one option. Many on the right have tried to get other ideas in, bit they are shot down.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

It doesn't matter what they believe. Quite frankly it doesn't matter what we believe either. We have been blessed and it is entirely appropriate to thank God for our blessings. I thank God I wasn't born in China or N Korea.

Since to those who don't care what they believe, even though they experience "prosperity",
Jesus says "WOE!" to them (a very severe judgment)...

Because of unbelief, some are already condemned, as written in Scripture.

In CHina and N Korea are the best examples of true faith, true Christian lives, and they know it, but Americans don't, apparently ...

It is who Yahuweh (God) says is blessed greatly.

 

[rjs330]

I agree the actual threat is greater from the factors you list. That doesn't lesson the anxiety caused to our children. No child living in America should need to worry about being shot at school.

I agree and one solution is to stop publicizing the shhotings, the shooter and death counts. Studies have shown that it drives many of these shootings. Many people who are agrieved want to be famous and notorious.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

Yep our system needs some serious work. Unfortunately much of the left only sees one option. Many on the right have tried to get other ideas in, bit they are shot down.

Right or left, all are wrong apparently. The truth is not welcome by all , at all, and by few, who get persecuted when they stand up for the truth. They still stand up for the truth, even if they are mocked, harassed, beaten, laughed at, arrested, imprisoned and jailed.... or if , through lack of knowledge (lack of available helpful care), they die...