Exactly how did America become so powerful?

[RonPaul2008]

We are one of weaker nations now

China
Pakistan
India
North Korea
Israel
Russia
USA

North Korea?

[FreeFall]

Ask him how powerful he thinks America is in fifty years or even twenty.

[big0mar]

if you want a better distribution of wealth and an even playing field to have value on your hard earn money we should look into how private federal reserve favors few elites and fuk all the middle class.Also,American became so great because of free ideas and the republic is controlled by the people. People came here to have less intervention from govt and have the opportunity that they didnt have from most European tyranny

Why would Americans want an even playing field? Shouldn't Americans want to have an unfair advantage over other nations?

[Stocks]

Didn't the States become the worlds super power after WW2 and I guess there's a few reason for it.

1. First country to have a nuclear bomb and the only country to use it.

2. The US took out the other big power countrys of the time. ie Germany and Japan. And also Russia and Britian were detroyed in the war.

3. The US spent a shitload of money on the war and put the whole country to work and I'm guessing they also sold a lot of weapons and stuff to England and other countrys durning the war.

4. After the war the US got a lot of the top scientist and technology from Germany.

And thats 4 things that helped turn the US into a military and financial super power.

[betplom]

America became powerful because condom use was at an all time low back in those days.

Americans bred Americans, now they import non American people.

[GUMMO77]

Don't tell your son the REAL reason how America became more powerful, not at the age of 7, because it's littered with the disgustingness of almost wiping out the entire Native American population, forced slavery (Blacks, Chinese) to build our infrastructure, and the destruction of other people and nations that don't agree with how we think they should live.

It's ugly, boorish, and later on we're probably going to pay a high price for our stupidity.

Tell your son he is one of the lucky people in the world. That he was fortunate enough to be born in a place where drinking water is plentiful, and where he has a chance, if he works hard, to "be" something. Tell him those things, then go outside and throw the ball with him.

[AribaAriba]

Why would Americans want an even playing field? Shouldn't Americans want to have an unfair advantage over other nations?

im not talking about Americans against other nations but im talking about ordinary individuals Americans who wants to have even playing field here in America(that was it used to be before but now you have to give a fair share of the burden to those lazy unproductive that rely on welfare). In other words, people came here to have an opportunity to became rich and can own anything they have through hard work and dedication. While countries that they came from didnt have that enormous opportunity of having an even playing field.

[big0mar]

im not talking about Americans against other nations but im talking about ordinary individuals Americans who wants to have even playing field here in America(that was it used to be before but now you have to give a fair share of the burden to those lazy unproductive that rely on welfare). In other words, people came here to have an opportunity to became rich and can own anything they have through hard work and dedication. While countries that they came from didnt have that enormous opportunity of having an even playing field.

Hate to break it to you, but hard work is not a very valuable skill. There are plenty of people willing to work hard. In fact, almost half the world's population is willing to work 15 hours a day for less than $1 per day. How do you suggest we compete against that country?

[opie1988]

Nice thread to bring out all the anti-American sentiment by all the anti-American jerkoffs.

[NYSportsGuy210]

How did the United States get so powerful?

Two words.....Manhattan Project.

[Sam Odom]

Nice thread to bring out all the anti-American sentiment by all the anti-American jerkoffs.

Envy & jealousy aren't pretty... These small people hate the best regardless of the arena! Same reason some people hate SEC Football

[guitarjosh]

We were the freest.

[Naz18]

Don't tell your son the REAL reason how America became more powerful, not at the age of 7, because it's littered with the disgustingness of almost wiping out the entire Native American population, forced slavery (Blacks, Chinese) to build our infrastructure, and the destruction of other people and nations that don't agree with how we think they should live. It's ugly, boorish, and later on we're probably going to pay a high price for our stupidity. Tell your son he is one of the lucky people in the world. That he was fortunate enough to be born in a place where drinking water is plentiful, and where he has a chance, if he works hard, to "be" something. Tell him those things, then go outside and throw the ball with him.

It was genocide...

[Stelio Kontos]

Stolen land from the Native Americans + 4 Million unpaid Slaves from Africa = Economic prosperity

[SBR_John]

If the US was located next to France it too would have been destroyed in WWll. I don't think the importance of being between the Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean can be left out of this discussion.

[rkelly110]

Rich immigrants who had brave ideas and on the backs of it's citizens.

[brooks85]

If the US was located next to France it too would have been destroyed in WWll. I don't think the importance of being between the Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean can be left out of this discussion.

o wait never mind, i see what you are saying.

However, i dont think history would have been impacted nearly as much by Hitler, if we were closer to germany. We didn't care first because that was Europe and we were America. We sat back from afar and watched hitler rise to power, no way in hell we would have just watched if we were neighbors. If were located closer, france wouldn't have had to worry...

[gregm]

If the US was located next to France it too would have been destroyed in WWll. I don't think the importance of being between the Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean can be left out of this discussion.

Look at how Germany and Japan rebuilt their devastated nations into some of the world strongest economies after WW2, so much of a nations success or failure is rooted in the peoples work ethic and culture.

I can remember being very young in the 70s and the gas lines and recession, NYC was broke ,Jimmy Carter and supposedly it was a time of malaise, but it was also a time when Xerox and HP and people like Steve Jobs and Wozniak and Ed Roberts and all those hobbyists were launching of the most profound changes of our time, the personal computer. I dont think anybody could have foreseen the rise of silicon valley, California alone has a larger economy than most nations.

People have been talking about the decline of America for a long time and I am sure anyone who lived through the depression or who were alive during the US/USSR arms race and Berlin crisis in the 1960s or even the recession and gas lines of the 70s probably take alot of this whining about Americas decline and these tough times with a grain of salt.

[doublej95]

Look at how Germany and Japan rebuilt their devastated nations into some of the world strongest economies after WW2, so much of a nations success or failure is rooted in the peoples work ethic and culture.

I can remember being very young in the 70s and the gas lines and recession, NYC was broke ,Jimmy Carter and supposedly it was a time of malaise, but it was also a time when Xerox and HP and people like Steve Jobs and Wozniak and Ed Roberts and all those hobbyists were launching of the most profound changes of our time, the personal computer. I dont think anybody could have foreseen the rise of silicon valley, California alone has a larger economy than most nations.

People have been talking about the decline of America for a long time and I am sure anyone who lived through the depression or who were alive during the US/USSR arms race and Berlin crisis in the 1960s or even the recession and gas lines of the 70s probably take alot of this whining about Americas decline and these tough times with a grain of salt.

I think the United States can take claim to the rebuilding of Germany through the Marshall Plan.

[doublej95]

o wait never mind, i see what you are saying.

However, i dont think history would have been impacted nearly as much by Hitler, if we were closer to germany. We didn't care first because that was Europe and we were America. We sat back from afar and watched hitler rise to power, no way in hell we would have just watched if we were neighbors. If were located closer, france wouldn't have had to worry...

brooks if you study WWII, you will find out that even thought the United States had a strong military force before entering the War the US equipment was inferior compared to the German's. The Sherman tanks where no match against the Panther tanks of the German army. On the ground the saving grave for the US was numbers in force, more troops and more tanks and so on. To say if we was in the middle of Europe it we would have not watched and let it happen. It would have been a tough battle to survive the blitzbergs and to be caught off guard with inferior equipment. During the War the US had almost every major company making equipment for the war effort that would be hard to do in the middle of the war zone.

[NYSportsGuy210]

Again....two words....the Manhattan Project.

[Salvan]

Over the past 40 years Republicans have waged a class war against the middle class, one critical part of that war was their war on labor unions. As union membership declined the middle class' share of the income stream has also declined.

http://thinkprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/unionincome.jpg

As the middle class gets less and less, the wealthy get more and more. Today the richest 1% have 25 trillion dollars, which is 40% of all the wealth held by US households. The 1% has more money than the poorest 50% of Americans(150 million people).

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

http://www.vanityfair.com/society/features/2011/05/top-one-percent-201105

As the middle class has shrunk the number of those living in poverty and near poverty has swelled. Today, a full one-third of all Americans live in poverty or near poverty.

http://workersrights.twu.org/post/13155639340/100-million-americans-live-in-poverty

Despite all this, Republicans expect us to call the wealthy and privileged our "job creators", while they demand we not hurt their feelings by asking them to pay a little more in taxes. The richest 400 Americans pay an overall effective tax rate of 18%, while what's left of the middle class pays about 25%.

http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2011/08/millionaire_tax_rates.html

[dante1]

Didn't the States become the worlds super power after WW2 and I guess there's a few reason for it.

1. First country to have a nuclear bomb and the only country to use it.

2. The US took out the other big power countrys of the time. ie Germany and Japan. And also Russia and Britian were detroyed in the war.

3. The US spent a shitload of money on the war and put the whole country to work and I'm guessing they also sold a lot of weapons and stuff to England and other countrys durning the war.

4. After the war the US got a lot of the top scientist and technology from Germany.

And thats 4 things that helped turn the US into a military and financial super
power.

This is the basic answer. The above and progressive liberal policies that followed the war turned our country into a nation that everybody had a chance in. Great prosperity followed and remained until...well you can figure that out yourself. That btw was a time when the tax rates were the highest on the highest earned amounts. Business never ran away, business flourished. People got a fair wage, the difference in earnings between the highest paid and median earnings was not extreme like it is today.

[TheCentaur]

Stolen land from the Native Americans + 4 Million unpaid Slaves from Africa = Economic prosperity

Ok so stolen land + unpaid slaves = economic prosperity. So I guess every country in South America and Africa should become prosperous any time now.

[dante1]

Ok so stolen land + unpaid slaves = economic prosperity. So I guess every country in South America and Africa should become prosperous any time now.

Okay only one element, agreed. But it probably shouldn't be made fun of considering the slaves of the 19th century almost without any help completed the economics of the south. One reason they fought with such great passion, many felt it was their entire life at stake not only economically but in every other way also.

[Duff85]

Britain had been fading as a dominant sphere of influence in the Western World leading up to WWII. There was def a vacancy at the top of the food chain. American popular culture also has to be credited with some role in its growth as the leader of democratic English speaking countries.

[warriorfan707]

Killing, enslaving, lying, stealing.

Bullying.

[TheCentaur]

Don't tell your son the REAL reason how America became more powerful, not at the age of 7, because it's littered with the disgustingness of almost wiping out the entire Native American population, forced slavery (Blacks, Chinese) to build our infrastructure, and the destruction of other people and nations that don't agree with how we think they should live.

This is basically the story of every superpower that has ever graced the planet earth. However, America has since glorified and martyred the native american race even though in reality they weren't as pure and innocent as many would have you believe, and America has since abolished slavery and shown remorse for it. But you know, haters and self loathers are going to do what they do.

[aggieshawn]

America is powerful? Please explain why you think America is powerful?

The only thing "powerful" in this world is the falacies of man.

[No coincidences]

We built. We manufactured. We produced.

Notice I'm using past tense.

[andywend]

Over the past 40 years Republicans have waged a class war against the middle class, one critical part of that war was their war on labor unions. As union membership declined the middle class' share of the income stream has also declined. http://thinkprogress.org/wp-content/...nionincome.jpg As the middle class gets less and less, the wealthy get more and more. Today the richest 1% have 25 trillion dollars, which is 40% of all the wealth held by US households. The 1% has more money than the poorest 50% of Americans(150 million people). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wealth_..._United_States http://www.vanityfair.com/society/fe...percent-201105 As the middle class has shrunk the number of those living in poverty and near poverty has swelled. Today, a full one-third of all Americans live in poverty or near poverty. http://workersrights.twu.org/post/13...ive-in-poverty Despite all this, Republicans expect us to call the wealthy and privileged our "job creators", while they demand we not hurt their feelings by asking them to pay a little more in taxes. The richest 400 Americans pay an overall effective tax rate of 18%, while what's left of the middle class pays about 25%. http://www.americanprogress.org/issu...tax_rates.html

Translation = Raise taxes on everyone except Salvan.

Labor unions have DESTROYED 1000's and 1000's of businesses as no company can compete globally if they make the foolish mistake of hiring union labor. Salvan can NOT name one company that is primarily run by union labor which competes favorably with another company in the same sector that is NOT under the hammerlock of a labor union.

Thinkprogess.org/workersrights.org/americanprogress.org = 3 websites that would love to see the U.S. become a communist nation.

U.S. Income Tax Rates (for those who want to see how progressive our tax system already is):

Tax Rate Single Married Filing Joint Married Filing Separate Head of Household
10% Up to $8,500 Up to $17,000 Up to $8,500 Up to $12,150

15% $8,501 – $34,500 $17,001 – $69,000 $8,501 – $34,500 $12,151 – $46,250

25% $34,501 – $83,600 $69,001 – $139,350 $34,501 – $69,675 $46,251 – $119,400

28% $83,601 – $174,400 $139,351 – $212,300 $69,676 – $106,150 $119,401 – $193,350

33% $174,401 – $379,150 $212,301 – $379,150 $106,151 – $189,575 $193,351 – $379,150

35% Over $379,150 Over $379,150 Over $189,575 Over $379,150

Salvan, instead of WHINING about how much wealth the top 1% of our nation has, why don't you try and become one of the top 1% yourself instead of trying to leech money from those who have earned it?

[guitarjosh]

By 1890, America had the strongest economy on the planet, the formation of the middle class, the most prosperous time in the country's history, and had the nickname "The Land of Opportunity". We didn't do it through high taxes and social programs, we did it through freedom. It is true the top tax brackets were highest in the 1950s, but the bottom bracket was at 20%, while now it is at 10%. The other thing is that the tax code was radically different in the 1950s with many more loopholes, write-offs, deductions, etc available then that aren't available now. In fact, so numerous were the deductions in the 1950s & 1960s, that it was common for very wealthy individuals to pay almost nothing in income taxes, which is why they created the Alternative Minimum Tax (essentially a flat tax for wealthy people) in the 1960s - they wanted to get something out of the rich.

As far as the slavery argument goes, that is a big load of crap, and if you believe you need to redistribute the wealth for the prosperity of the community, you'll have to agree with me. First of all, the only reason anyone bought a slave was so they didn't have to share the wealth. If slavery created so much prosperity, the South would have been wealthier then the North, and over 90% of the slaves went to South America, the Caribbean, and Central America. About 5% went to the USA, and about 3% went to Europe. 35% of all slaves went to Brazil, yet Brazil has never been wealthier then the USA, and S. or C. America have never been wealthier then the USA, Canada, or Europe.

Again, what made America great was that they embraced freedom over someone's definition of fairness.

[darrell74]

Again....two words....the Manhattan Project.

USA!USA!USA!

[darrell74]

We are on our third consecutive, non-military experienced President and we are on our 3rd consecutive bad President.

It should be pretty simple when we get a military President back in the White House. We'll start fixing our own problems again.

Ron Paul 2012!!

[darrell74]

We built. We manufactured. We produced.

Notice I'm using past tense.

Very simple and sounds about right.