MovieChat Forums > The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008) Discussion > Am I a bad person?

Am I a bad person?

posted 11 years ago by WyteRabit
8 replies | jump to latest

As I watched this train wreck, the only thing I could think was that the U.S. deserves to be annihilated for being both arrogant and paranoid. And Kathy Bates' character should have died.

This seems to be the problem with the U.S. in general. Americans think we are the greatest country in the world. And as Will McAvoy (Jeff Daniels) stated in "The Newsroom":

"There is absolutely no evidence to support the statement that we're the greatest country in the world. We're seventh in literacy, twenty-seventh in math, twenty-second in science, forty-ninth in life expectancy, 178th in infant mortality, third in median household income, number four in labor force, and number four in exports. We lead the world in only three categories: number of incarcerated citizens per capita, number of adults who believe angels are real, and defense spending, where we spend more than the next twenty-six countries combined, twenty-five of whom are allies. None of this is the fault of a 20-year-old college student, but you, nonetheless, are without a doubt a member of the WORST-period-GENERATION-period-EVER-period, so when you ask what makes us the greatest country in the world, I don't know what the *beep* you're talking about! Yosemite?"

The film would have been much better if Klaatu had allowed the robot to wipe out a large percentage of the planet. Especially if the world was told that its destruction was solely the fault of the U.S.

[–] Pdx_Gold 11 years ago

No you are misguided. The USA is the best nation on Earth by far. Our scores would be as high as any nation on earth if you subtracted the inner cities. This greatly skews the results.

Most of every great company is American from Boeing to Google to Apple to Microsoft. Most technology comes from America. No country has our diversity on Earth. Look at the bulk of inventions that last 100 yrs and majority come from America.

Who else helped to crush Hitler Germany and Imperial Japan. Along with winning the Cold War. Who else has stood up to dictators from Iraq to North Korea. Who else single handling stop the Serbian Holocaust. Not Europe that is for sure.

USA has done wrong but overall the nation has been a beacon of hope and properity for many. Not to mention a nation that will not give in to terror and dictators.

USA is still the best nation on Earth by far.

[–] Behelit 11 years ago

Hahahahahahahahahahahaha I know you didn't mean it as a joke, but it was still an excellent one. Thank you!

[–] PghSportsNation 11 years ago

Excuse me? The Serbian Holocaust? What are you smoking?

[–] AtheistRevolution 11 years ago

A large number of those inventions and companies were started by foreigners.He's not talking about the past with space programs and such but the future third world ruin US is becoming. There was a time when US valued intelligence,science,etc but now its going to hell and most going offshore.

WW2 was the last justifiable war and it created US into a superpower. Since then its been wars of profit. Fighting dictators after they were brought into power by the US and only after they cut the puppet strings. US didn't do *beep* when Saddam gassed his own people and Iran. And where did he even get his chemical weapons?

US was a beacon of hope and those ideas were great even among hypocrisy but that is changing fast.

- Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by rulers as useful.

[–] whammersbach2009 11 years ago

We won the cold war? What have we done to stand up to Kim Jung un? The little fattie still starves his people, what about the nasty dictatorships in Africa? And if your going to discount the inner cities you should do the same to the stuck in 1950's south. Keep waving that Wal-Mart made-in-china American flag buddy,it looks like it gives you hope

[–] starwolf 11 years ago

We won the cold war? What have we done to stand up to Kim Jung un? The little fattie still starves his people, what about the nasty dictatorships in Africa?

The Cold War didn't have anything to do with Korea. It was specifically the US and the USSR, but if you want to generalize it was NATO versus the Warsaw Pact.

SEATO didn't come into it.

Not to discount North Korea now - it is an ongoing problem but it is not the Cold War. What exactly would you suggest?

There will always be petty tyrants in Africa (and other places.) The US has stood up to a lot of them - remember Idi Amin or Muammar Gaddafi? If you're young chances are you've never heard of these guys who were the boogiemen of their time. But the US can't and shouldn't be the world's policeman. Sadly, that's a "damned if you do, damned if you don't proposition.

you should do the same to the stuck in 1950's south

Where exactly is this 1950s south of which you speak? What country are we talking about now?

And despite all the hypocritical hate it gathers from uninformed people, Wal-Mart isn't that bad a corporation.

But yeah, a lot of the flags, and other crap, sold at Wal-Mart, Target, Best Buy, Foley's, Bloomingdales, Nordstrom, etc. is/are "made in China." That's a problem.

[–] kevinsean-185-7961 10 years ago

We aren't number one in all those catagories. However I think the "greatest country in the world statement" needs to be put in context. There are many smartphone companies...there is only one that leads sales all over the world. Doesnt mean it's flawless or that in every catagory it's the best, but overall if you have the wherewithal your going to get that phone. Canada is beautiful with wonderful people...like other countries...but no one tops the USA.

[–] spencerthetracy 10 years ago

If our test scores were the only criteria to allow us to survive as a species or as a nation then yes, we would deserve to be wiped out. But what makes us a great nation is our absolute freedom as detailed in our Bill of Right. 10 wonderful freedoms that cannot be expunged or forgotten. Few countries enjoy such wonderful, life affirming freedoms.