Things you like about America

Dr.Tom

The thing I like about the USA, especially California, is it so visually highlights everything that is right and wrong with the world.

Grayson

I'll always have fond memories of the US when i was a kid. Mainly because of TV shows. The A Team, Magnum PI, Airwolf, Simon and Simon, MacGyver etc….

thereiver

I think tcm are the most advanced at making processors that can be used in phones and tablets .Intel started off making chips and cpus processors that power PCs and laptops America has an advantage eg the internet was invented as part of military research eg it still works if some part of the network is destroyed by Russian bombs .America spends billions of military research which includes drones and computer technology . The sitcom. And rock and roll were invented in America . At least before trump the fight for women's rights and LGBT rights was born in America . The first mainframes the equivalent of modern servers were invented in America. The film industry started in America in Hollywood .

yagan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123322559#Comment_123322559

I have the greatest hits album but the new stuff is just wacky.

seantom12331

to be honest im not really a fan of america!

Francis McM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123322785#Comment_123322785

Neither is this lad, he prefers Cuba and Venezuala, and the Muslim countries of the middle east.

However nobody can deny most of our Corporation tax receipts, employment in foreign multi-nationals etc comes from American companies.

Ah, the American dream has been missing for some decades, Trump last night is trying to make America great again.

8-10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123323123#Comment_123323123

is that what you like most about America? Tax receipts?

Francis McM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123323166#Comment_123323166

I like many things about America: the geography, the people, the music, its film, entertainment, inventions, tech etc, its can do positive attitude and the American Dream etc. However for us in this country the main thing we can thank America for is its contribution to our economy - 211,000 directly employed in well paid jobs and hundreds of thousands more in support / supply jobs. Not to mention all the taxes they pay here, most of our corporation tax receipts. Imagine the Irish economy without America. Would be like 1950s Ireland. It is not European companies who have invested here / pay our corporation taxes.

Also, there is some freedom of speech and democracy in America, although not perfect. Certainly better than Cuba, Venezuala and the middle Eastern Muslim countries.

8-10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123323274#Comment_123323274

But you said there has been no American Dream for decades? So how can that be something you like about it?

Francis McM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123323282#Comment_123323282

It had an American dream decades ago, many Irish people even emigrated there until the past 3 decades or so. Some Irish achieved the American dream. In fact when Trump had our Taoiseach over a few days before St. Patricks day, he named some people who made notable contributions to America, and even more than a few of the current Trump administration have Irish ancestory. Their aim is to bring back the American Dream, make America great again.

8-10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123323321#Comment_123323321

That's the President not the Taoiseach

Francis McM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123323333#Comment_123323333

I know. Do you think Trump would waste his time inviting our leftie President ( after Higgin's statements on Cuba, Venezuala, the Middle East etc) to the White House?

8-10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123323350#Comment_123323350

No I'm saying that your post was about An Taoiseach but you posted a picture of the President - seemed like an error

dinorebel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123323356#Comment_123323356

Think he has a lot more than that wrong tbh.

Rocket_GD

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123323356#Comment_123323356

Poster seems to have a bit of an obsession with the Irish president.

I had no real interest in heading to America anyway due to the obscene price of everything, tipping culture, gun regulation (or more lack of regulation). Now with a sex offender as it's President that sentiment has only strengthened.

I did enjoy Universal Studios when I went as a child but can go to plenty of other countries with decent them parks these days.

8-10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123323424#Comment_123323424

I went to Universal last year and it was excellent, particularly Harry Potter. But I think London has that now too?

It was much better than when I'd gone in the 90's

But I'm with you on tipping. Also lack of contactless though it's getting better since pandemic and adoption of Apple Pay

Still handing over credit card to get taken away to be swiped and then a bill brought back for you to sign is mental. And everybody still gets chequebooks when opening an account and transferring money from/to here is weird as there's no IBAN's and the way the need to clear intermediary banks etc etc. Seems unnecessarily archaic for such an advanced country. At least now they're adopting fin tech stuff more but still seems 10 years behind at times

thereiver

I think the American dream has been in decline since trump came into power appointed conservative judges to the supreme court . Roe vs Wade is gone , Texas wants to arrest doctors in new York who gave abortion pills to a texas woman .students who protest are being arrested and deported. .they have free speech as long as you do nt criticize Israel for killing 1000s of women children in Gaza or criticize trump. The American dream is free speech freedom of religion freedom to protest women's rights America is close to becoming an autocracy hence doge is erasing federal agencys to stop regulations on corporations or consumer protection against scams . Will America recover and get better when trump is gone. Will federal agencys be revived who knows

By the people are being arrested for protesting against Israel

yagan

I'm making an honest effort to think of positives and most of what I liked in the past was relative to where I was coming from in the past, a religious unconfident Irish society that berated any personal success.

When I went there first in the late 80s they still strongly believed in the melting pot of immigration, some of the most patriotic types I worked with were immigrants from Latam, and weirdly even then they thought Donald Trump was a great guy, a poor immigrants notion of what a successful US business man sounds and looks like.

It seemed like it remained that way until the 2008 financial implosion, when years of easy money went in reverse. Then the bitterness creeped in, Trump's casual racist birther nonsense took hold and now we're ridiculously at the point where he put a guy who was actually born in Africa in charge of shredding state institutions.

Of the material things I can't think of anything that there isn't a better version available elsewhere, so really the only thing I think fondly of is the few times I drove route 1 in California, visited death valley, and saw the giant sequoia trees.

Esel

^ 'Latam' a typo?

Bogey Lowenstein

The variety of landscapes I suppose. You have beaches, mountains, snowy areas for skiing, deserts, plains and huge forest parks. Lots of cool wildlife too.

Glaceon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123317602#Comment_123317602

I had a Nokia 6680 back in 2005 or so. Ran Symbian OS and was able to install and run apps on it. Crude yes, but still a smartphone.

Glaceon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123323985#Comment_123323985

Latin America I assume.

yagan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123323985#Comment_123323985

Latin american. I was landscaping and most of the crew were illegals from Columbia, Peru and Salvador.

Being illegal really wasn't an issue then, even Trump was open about his hotels relying on latin american staff then which is another reason they really liked him.

Esel

First time I encountered the term Latam. I won't be using it though... 😀

Maybe when writing, camelcase LatAm would be (a little bit) clearer.

thereiver

I.think smartphones became popular when there were hd hires screens and apple and Android app stores with 1000s of apps and free games and an easy to use browser and YouTube was on the new phones.eg they were bought by techies or business executive,s Of course there were blackberry phones and other phones that had email and a few apps for business uses in low resolution screens

yagan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123324077#Comment_123324077

Well I wouldn't use it in speaking, moreso in writing, like writing asap but saying "as soon as possible" when speaking in person.

I wanted to learn some spanish but they were more eager to improve their english. I felt I had more in common with them than with the locals.

cj maxx

Beach volleyball in Central Park in the summer .

silliussoddius

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123323321#Comment_123323321

Off to a good start, especially with him and the missus releasing meme coins.

https://apnews.com/article/nikola-trevor-milton-fraud-trump-pardon-3fcebb0a3820cecb205656f2dc3f6764

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123324159#Comment_123324159

YouTube worked on my Nokia smartphones before Apple had produced a single iPhone

You just don't have your timeline right here at all

New Scottman

One thing I really like about American alternative music and its fans is that they have absolutely no hang ups about car ownership or knowing how to drive.

Unlike - to a certain extent - Irish indie fans. Plenty non-drivers and po-faced "f*ck cars" people in their ranks.