The American

[Indus Pakistan]

I lived in London for 4 years so I know it pretty well.

Yes, you are right. UK is so much more better perfect wonderfully greater sophisticated than USA, which is a horrible dump full of pickup driving gun-toting racists yelling "YeeeeHawww!".

Sarcasm. Still, I can see benefits of guns. If I were in USA I would have the satisfaction of filling your backside with lead. Then put my gun in the holster in manner of this guy. Talking of which Once upon time in the West is my favourite movie of all time along with rest of the trilogy. I treat them almost as my "religion". What do you think of them?

 

[M.SAAD]

America is the Greatest Country in the World at present IMO.


Not for us, but for Americans deffo.

 

[VCheng]

Sarcasm. Still, I can see benefits of guns. If I were in USA I would have the satisfaction of filling your backside with lead. Then put my gun in the holster in manner of this guy. Talking of which Once upon time in the West is my favourite movie of all time along with rest of the trilogy. I treat them almost as my "religion". What do you think of them?

Forget guns, the differences start at an even more basic level:

"England and America are two countries separated by a common language." - George Bernard Shaw.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

This gun stuff is overblown. Maybe it depends upon which part of the country you are in but where I am ( the northeast) I have never seen anybody in a public place with a gun. If people are carrying they are very discreet about it (under jacket in a shoulder holster or in a purse). If it was in plain view it would raise eyebrows and probably a police call. So you aren't going to notice anything in your face (at least where I am).

As for racism against African Americans well unfortunately when it comes to climbing the success ladder they have in general been short changed. While other groups that come off the boat/plane have risen...they have stagnated.

its easy to say they simply are turned away during a job interview. However over the years I have probably interviewed over 1000 people and I can't remember one being African American. BTW there are black people in my company (some higher up than me) so it's not impossible.

One HUGE problem is you need a college degree to get into corporate America these days (even for a secretary job). If you don't have a degree you are going to have a MUCH MUCH harder time trying to "make it" here. This can come as a real shock to somebody who never took their time in school seriously and was never interested in college. You find yourself completely locked out of a good future. You end up in a menial job with low pay. You see others around you with nice stuff and that may turn you to petty crime. Your only real option to get ahead in life is to start your own business.

Unfortunately you can do a legal business or an illegal business...like drug dealing...which is the #1 business occupation of the vast majority of our prison population. Sadly we know which demographic has a larger percent incarcerated. It's all cause and affect. So when an inordinate number of people make up the prison population this gets noticed by ALL other groups (European, Middle Eastern, Asian, etc), Now you have a foundation for racism.

I'm typing this while on the hot beach with sunglasses (yes, life here is rough) so this post may come across as disjointed. I think I'm going to buy a better Coleman Extreme cooler as the kids' ice cream I brought is melting. Oh and damn US laws about no alcohol on the beach.

Edit: As an allegory..my neighbor's mother said she witnessed her first petty crime in all the years she has been in the USA (over 10...originally from Taiwan) last week. She said some lady had temporarily put her purse down on the front seat of the bus so she look through her pockets for her bus pass. Some aged 20ish black man grabbed it, jumped off the bus, and ran. She was shocked.

I'm certain that took racism up a few notches in her mind.

Another story that stuck in my head was from Bill Cosby...a man who spent a lifetime trying to portray African Americans in a good light (ill ignore his current scandal)

Cosby: it's very sad that when I am walking along and I see a group of African Americans walking toward me I cross the street just to avoid potential trouble...yet if a bunch of white guys are coming..I don't.

 

[Azad-Kashmiri]

I look at America and I think of Britain

Indeed Banu Asfar have many good qualities as mentioned by nabi as'salathuwas'salam. In general they are good people and have always given refuge to Muslims when in need. I refer you to the time of when the idol worshipers were killing Muslims and nabi as'salathu was'salaam sent some of his companions to Abyssinia - Christian country. They were good to us!

Allah says about the Christians:

Strongest among men in enmity to the believers wilt thou find the Jews and Pagans; and nearest among them in love to the believers wilt thou find those who say, "We are Christians": because amongst these are men devoted to learning and men who have renounced the world, and they are not arrogant. (Surah Al-Maidah v82)

Nabi as'salathu was'salaam said:

When Mustawrid al-Qurashee was sitting with 'Amr ibn al-'Aas, he said, "I heard the Prophet as'salaathu was'salaam say, 'The Hour will come when the Romans will be in the majority.' 'Amr asked him, "What are you saying?" He said, "I am repeating that which I heard from the Prophet as'salaathu was'salaam." 'Amr said, "If you say this, it is true, because they have four good characteristics:
(1)they are the most able to cope with tribulation,
(2)the quickest to recover after disaster
(3)and to return to the fight after disaster,
(4)and are the best as far as treating the poor, weak and orphans is concerned.
(5)They have a fifth characteristic which is very good; they do not allow themselves to be oppressed by their kings." [Muslim, Kitaab al-Fitaan, 8 - 176.]