Originally Posted by GAH

America isn't the greatest country in the world, never was, and probably never will be.

If looked at over history, Italy, Greece, China, France and Britain must lay claim to be the greatest country in the world, the influence they have all had. In terms of freedom, presently, New Zealand would be the winners, offering the highest level worldwide, with Australia and Canada not far behind. As for the idea that the United States is the envy of the world when it comes to free markets and business? No longer, they lag behind surprise leaders New Zealand, Germany, China, Japan, India, Canada, Britain and even Australia.

A Japanese study in the '80s concluded that 54% of the world?s most important inventions were British. And if you take into account things like immigration, culture, music, architecture, literature, aviation, railway, the steam engine and electric motor, chocolate bar, sewage systems, light bulb, vacuum cleaner, tank, communication (radar, computer, television, photography and colour photography, telephone, typewriter, SMS messaging, pencil, and the world-wide-web), sport, the hovercraft and submarine, the fridge, toothbrush, the tin can, the toilet, telescope, the lawnmower, plastic, the soft drink, silicone, and penicillin and medicine. Plus influences on so many other countries and continents, Britain, especially in the 16th century with the Industrial Revolution, had the most major role at shaping the world I would suggest. That's not to mention Viagra.

In recent history France's mopping up in Mali and Libya (with Britain) shows them still as a major military influence around the world, something they have been quite good at over two thousand years now.

I can't find many excuses for America to lay claim to being the greatest country there is. Half the time, it turns out they were Canadians who should get the credit.