What is one thing you would change about america?

I would call it just The United States, so people stop calling it “America”. There are two whole continents called America. I don’t think it’s fair we’re the only one known as just “America”. It’d be like having a country named Europe in the continent of Europe. It’s different for Australia, there aren’t any other countries.
Call me weird, but it always seemed rather arrogant to me.
-Dan

Free health care! And for us to get the fuck out of the Middle East!!

American needs new management at all levels!! But if i could change anything I wanted to about american I would find a way to get rid of our currency based economy and build a utopian society whose goal is not to become rich in material wealth, but to become rich in spirit and to work to better mankind.

Every student would leave high school multilingual.

More teachers would have jobs. Americans would then be more understanding and accepting of other folks — because familiarity with the culture is a natural part of learning the language. That in turn would improve the nation’s standing with the rest of the world.

I’m not really familiar with the US, and I have never been there, but it seems to me that it is a country that is not supportive of the poor. It needs a public healthcare system, public funding of tertiary education so it is affordable for everyone, and a better welfare system. It is no wonder so many people turn to crime when it is so hard to survive on the ragged edge.

I’d introduce the concept of social responsibility.

@Dan_DeColumna Actually, it’s two countries. Hutt River Province.

@daemonelson Wikipedia lists twelve micronations in Australia – so that makes our continent 13 nations if you want to count micronations. I’d love to know if the international community would care if we were to invade them.

@FireMadeFlesh It’s quite the opposite, in fact it’s the poor and the rich who get pampered in the United States. And the Middle man is the one paying for it.
Obamacare wants to give health care to 50 million Americans who can’t afford it.
If your a working class citizen you can afford it. Which raises me to believe the majority are illegal immigrants and slackers who live off of the taxpayers money. That’s just my opinion.

By the way that health care plan would do the economy even more harm and raise the taxes taken out of my check for the kind of people listed above.

I’d snip the connection between money and power.

I would make it compulsory for every U.S. citizen – at the very least, those who intend to go into governmental or public service – to spend significant amounts of time annually in order to acquire a better world view.

Much, much tighter border protection completely surrounding the United States. we are really just an open target for terrorists.

Get them off their enormous bubble butts & into either the gym, or any exercise programme other than stuffing doritos down their necks while watching Oprah.Change you can’t believe in!!

I would change the culture of individualism and cowboyism and make us a country that cares more about creating a society with social justice for all of its members.

@Middle_Class_American Fair enough. Take a look at the Australian taxation system though – I don’t think you guys have much to complain about with taxes. I guess my biggest problem with the US system in this regard is that it is hard for the poor to break the cycle of poverty. Here in Australia, any citizen can have up to two degrees paid for by government loans that are paid off at zero interest once you start working. Someone on a previous thread explained your scholarship system, but it still seems hard to get ahead.

@Harp GA. Has every President been a millionaire before election?

@FireMadeFlesh I was under the impression it was only Hutt River that made the list because it was the only piece of land not claimed by the british.

@FireMadeFlesh yeah im not sure. I do know that a very lot of the poor just keep taking welfare checks (which should be money till you get back on your feet) and just keep sitting around on their lazy butts just waiting for the first of the month.) Im not saying thier all like that im sure there are people born into poverty that work their tails off to get ahead in life. But unfortunately you can’t pick and choose who gets to take advantage of the health insurance.

I wasn’t aware of the other nations in Australia. I blame our educational system. I recall Australia being a six page chapter in sixth grade. For some reason geography isn’t very high on the priority list here.

@Dan_DeColumna The best of the maths students at my high school tried to do the final paper from Hong Kong, and scored 20–30%. I think our educational system is soft, and students should be pushed much harder. I find it strange how our tertiary system is so good it is a major export, but our high school system does not educate students to the level it should.

@Middle_Class_American Being a “working-class citizen” doesn’t necessarily make you able to afford health insurance. One of my patients has premiums of ~$1500/month (and that’s not including drug costs). That’s a significant chunk of income for him, and he’s one of the lucky ones who’s employed.