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I don’t think the USA is at the forefront of science, and I’m really disappointed to see discoveries like this originating from South Korea, China, and Russia b

I don’t think the USA is at the forefront of science, and I’m really disappointed to see discoveries like this originating from South Korea, China, and Russia before we saw results here. But even in light of that, I don’t think it’s very controversial to say that the USA is inarguably the greatest country on the planet. While it's true that the USA may not always be the first to every scientific discovery, what it is at the forefront of is global trends and driving forward progress in a multitude of arenas. Silicon Valley has single-handedly transformed the global tech landscape, with pioneering companies like Google, Apple, and Facebook leading the charge. American universities such as MIT, Harvard, and Stanford consistently rank among the top in the world, pushing the boundaries of research and innovation. The cultural sphere is heavily influenced by American trends as well. Hollywood and New York City define global standards in entertainment, fashion, and lifestyle. Also, America's economic is the largest globally, and has considerable influence in shaping global financial trends. And let's not forget the huge strides in space exploration, highlighted by NASA's momentous moon landing and Mars missions. I mean, even the Soviets got a man in space! And that was half a century ago! European astronauts have to hitch a ride on an American-made rocket to represent their nations. So yeah, while there's always room for improvement, America's influence as a pace-setter, innovator, and leader on the global stage sets it apart. This isn’t just a “USA! USA!” chant, I have a seemingly never-ending list of criticisms of my country, but, in terms of advancing the human species, I would take the USA over literally any other country every single day of the week.

zarzavat 3y ago
It’s simply because the US is the richest country on the planet[0]. A lot of money buys a lot of science. Many of those great discoveries are not made by Americans, if you look around at any of those American universities you’ll see people from all corners of the world. So yes, the US is quite good at research, but it’s not due to some intrinsic quality of the country any more than a billionaire’s ability to attract beautiful women is down to their good looks. The US is simply punching at its (very heavy) weight. [0] Why is the US the richest country? It has a lot of arable land to support a large population. Most of the original settlers came from the previous richest country, and it was never colonized (or more precisely it was never decolonized) meaning that the wealth was not diverted away from the people like it was in most of the worlds countries. The real story here is how China has completely mismanaged all the opportunities it’s had, you can thank Mao for that.
- cooper_ganglia 3y ago
  That's my point exactly. The USA is a melting pot of all other nations. We have some of the most genius minds from around the globe, and it's exactly the fact that it's the richest nation in the world that makes it the best at many things. "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, and I'll fund all of their research projects."

zarzavat 3y ago

It’s simply because the US is the richest country on the planet[0]. A lot of money buys a lot of science. Many of those great discoveries are not made by Americans, if you look around at any of those American universities you’ll see people from all corners of the world. So yes, the US is quite good at research, but it’s not due to some intrinsic quality of the country any more than a billionaire’s ability to attract beautiful women is down to their good looks. The US is simply punching at its (very heavy) weight. [0] Why is the US the richest country? It has a lot of arable land to support a large population. Most of the original settlers came from the previous richest country, and it was never colonized (or more precisely it was never decolonized) meaning that the wealth was not diverted away from the people like it was in most of the worlds countries. The real story here is how China has completely mismanaged all the opportunities it’s had, you can thank Mao for that.

cooper_ganglia 3y ago
That's my point exactly. The USA is a melting pot of all other nations. We have some of the most genius minds from around the globe, and it's exactly the fact that it's the richest nation in the world that makes it the best at many things. "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, and I'll fund all of their research projects."