Is America Great?

[malaise]

If not discuss what is not great about America and, the reasons why and what it would take to make it great again.


That Trump call should have been taken seriously. You see the answers show clearly how great is defined - in other words -one's world view or ideological position. Great what???


What is the meaning of great. In political science terms, it is a really stupid subjective amorphous adjective because the word that follows is what matters. Great what????

[tazkcmo]

1. great big! n/t

[malaise]

3. No make that a noun not another adjective

[el_bryanto]

2. I think that when people use it in the context of America they mean "Morally Good and Powerful"

Obviously there's a lot to unpack there.

Bryant

[malaise]

4. all adjectives

Let's have some nouns

Great society (society has real meaning)?

What are the tangible criteria being used to determine great?

[el_bryanto]

12. Well ok - but "Great" is an adjective

In the context of "America is Great" or "Lets Make America Great again" - it's being used as an adjective. So in order to define it you are going to use other adjectives.

If you want to talk about what a "Great America" looks like I suppose that might include nouns. I guess my real question is do you want an understanding of what that phrase means or what "Great" means in that context? Or do you want to kind of work out your annoyance at that phrase?

Because it is very inexact and politicized (particularly in the context of the current campaign). It's become a bit of a rhetorical landmine - if you acknowledge America as great, than you can be seen on some level buying into the immigrant bashing, foreign policy belligerence of the Republicanoids. If you deny that America is great than you are accused of not loving or caring about America; of being out of touch.

Bryant

[malaise]

13. It is inexact and politicized

because it is ideologically driven. No one has asked Trump what he meant - no one has asked any other candidate either. Only Sanders and that right wing loony Cruz have addressed it.

You are correct re adjectives but what are the criteria that we can use to evaluate great regardless of world view. Is there enough evidence out there for us to shoot down the BS on the subject.

If for example strengthening the military (Obama made it weak) argument is made - there is enough evidence to how the military eating up most of the national budget and the increase in American bases everywhere on the planet so it is a BS argument. America already has the most vast military in history.

[B Calm]

5. Make America Great Again hats are made in China, how sad is that!

[malaise]

6. Not sad - appropriate

It's just another useless slogan

[elias49]

7. I was going to say that America is bipolar,

but that's not it. America is schizophrenic. And that's not a great place to be.

[Act_of_Reparation]

8. Yes, America is great.

It is large in size and dimension.

[The2ndWheel]

9. Hope and change are meaningless words as well

Every politician does that. They're all trying to sell you something, and the more vague the message, the more the people can use their own imagination to fill in the gaps and make that politician into what they want them to be, even though they're not going to be that.

It's a country of 320-ish million people. A President cannot, in any meaningful way, represent that many people. People in Congress cannot, in any meaningful way, represent hundreds of thousands, or millions of people either.

Great is whatever you want it to mean. If you agree with the person saying it, then great will mean something good, and you'll vote for them. If you disagree with the person saying the word, then great will be the opposite of what you think great should be, and you'll vote for someone else.

All words and definitions are subjective, as they exist nowhere but in the abstract human imagination.

[malaise]

10. Many discuss change in policy terms

change what!!

[malaise]

11. No - if I say a country is democratic

there must be criteria for evaluation and empirical evidence to show pass or fail marks for those criteria. If the country passes on 50% or above we can say it is or is not, partially, fully, whatever.

The same is true for great - great what??? great at what???.

[7wo7rees]

14. OK. Military might and the manufacture of weapons.

Mass incarceration. Wal-Mart. Creation of Celebrity.
"Affluenza".....

Loads of sarcasm here......without the emoticon..

Genocide comes to mind as well, across the planet.

Monsanto, Exxon, DuPont, The Kochs....

The list is endless,.............

[malaise]

15. But there is another side

Last edited Wed Feb 3, 2016, 02:42 PM - Edit history (1)

the fight against diseases, technology for the advancement of humanity in quantitative and qualitative terms and many other measurable criteria.

[7wo7rees]

19. I believe you meant to write quantitative once not qualitative twice.

I'll give, however I would look to Cuba for advancements in health care round the globe. Michael Moore and "Sicko".
You are one of DU's treasures, we hold you in high regard!

[malaise]

20. Thank you

Corrected it.
No doubt Cuba represents the most for the cheapest on health care - but there are some criteria which show that aspects of America are great.

For all the problems, there is more opportunity based on merit in America than in many parts of our planet.

[7wo7rees]

21. Agreed. We could just do so much more.

Just cut the MIC budget by 1/2, even 1/4.

[Wounded Bear]

16. Well, Voldemort was great....

right?

[Iggo]

17. It's huge!!!

[B Calm]

18. Wall Street use to be great when it set the pace for world markets. Now days China,

and even a downfall in Greece sets the pace. No we're not great anymore, all thanks to unfare free trade deals that sent American jobs overseas.

[JEB]

22. We make a shit load of bombs and kill lots of people. eom