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Debate Info

17
21
Yes No
Debate Score:38
Arguments:26
Total Votes:44
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Argument Ratio

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 Yes (11)
 
 No (15)

Debate Creator

johnbonham32(2428) pic



Is America truly the "Land of Dreams"?

Yes

Side Score: 17
VS.

No

Side Score: 21

It's very easy, as an American to take what we have for granted. Let's get a little perspective however.

For thousands of years humans lived in a constant fight for survival. Starvation and disease were common place. The vast majority of the people had to work in agriculture to survive. Today, only 2% of Americans work in agriculture, and they can support our entire population. Modern medicine has extended the average life expectancy by decades, and has found ways to cure and treat diseases that would have previously been fatal. In addition, we have cars planes and trains that allow us to travel vast distances with relative ease. Our advances in communications with telephones and the internet are equally impressive. As Americans, we have full access to all of these technological advances, that to previous generations would have been nothing short of magical.

In addition, we enjoy more rights then almost any people who have ever lived. Everyone in our nation is guaranteed equal rights under the law, including minorities and women. Even just 500 years ago this idea is unheard of, and in many nations today, equal rights do not exist for women and minority ethnic groups. We can vote, speak our mind, practice whatever religion we choose, and the government can't stop us.

To be an American, in our current era, is like winning the lottery of life.

Side: yes
xaeon(1095) Disputed
1 point

The problem with your argument is that you also described near enough every other democratic western country.

How is what you described any different to, say, France, the UK, Australia, Canada, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Finland, etc, etc, who all enjoy very similar (maybe more, maybe less, but very similar) freedoms to the US?

Don't get me wrong, we're all extremely lucky to be born in these countries, America included, but the US isn't any more the "land of dreams" than any other democratic western country.

Side: No

I completely agree, and I never intended to infer that the U.S. was the "Land of Dreams" at the exclusion of any other modern western nation. As far as rights go I'm pretty sure in France you are guilty until proven innocent. However, in the UK (and many other of the countries you named) there is free health care.

Don't think that I meant to put down any other nations, when I said how great the U.S. was.

Side: yes
2 points

yeah it is. u get here, u dream that u will succeed. dreaming dosent mean it will come true, it just means u hope it will happen. America holds dreams of success. Keep dreaming guys :)

Side: yes
1 point

Sure it is. and as Xaeon pointed out, so are most of the other Democratic, Western nations.

I love America. I love how we are further from Fascism (nationalized banks and health care and strict government regulation over private businesses while still allowing private property ;)) than most other Western Democratic nations.

That's why someone who started poor like Obama can all of a sudden become president of the United States.

Plus, our massive interest in capitalism has caused our influence to go EVERYWHERE. just look at how McDonald's and Oreos can be found in almost every country. fuckin' awesome.

Side: yes
1 point

Yes, the U.S.A. has both the world's largest population of dreamers and simultaneously the world's largest population of dreamers whose ignorance is only superceded by their arrogance, and whose ignorance and arrogance is personified in their elected officials. Who, in turn, are a nightmare to the rest of the world.

Side: yes
1 point

Yes, you dream and that's all you do is dream. Sometimes, a person might not even wake up because the dream is so real which is dreaming of a dream.

Side: yes
2 points

No, all of America isn't the "Land of Dreams," but Anaheim and Orlando are.

Disneyland & Disneyworld!!!

Side: No

I thought Anaheim was in Canada :P but no way, America is far from dreamland

Side: No
1 point

To quote George Carlin, "It's called the American Dream because you have to be asleep to believe in it."

Side: No
1 point

Well put. I forget who said it, but comedians are the closest thing the modern era has to philosophers, and Carlin was truly one of better ones.

Side: No
1 point

Indeed! :) I remember reading something (not by Carlin) about how the Jester was the only honest man in the king's court. Definitely holds true today.

Side: No
JakeJ(3255) Disputed
0 points

Well, that sure sounds pessimistic to me. someone with that kind of attitude obviously doesn't care to much for hard work. And you must be sleeping to think you can succeed in this country without hard work. I don't know who that man is and I don't want to know. But I'm sure he was not a true patriot.

Side: more like Land of Opportunity
iamdavidh(4856) Disputed
2 points

... seriously, you don't know who George Carlin is? He's probably one of the top five most popular comics of all time.

George Carlin
Side: more like Land of Opportunity
0 points

George Carlin is probably one of the greatest satirists of our time. If you think for one moment that this man is not a patriot...you really don't know who he is or what he's all about.

Side: yes
1 point

No free health care. Doesn't sound like the Land of Dreams to me.

Side: No
Cerin(206) Disputed
1 point

Sure it is. No one's got it, so everyone's dreaming of free health care :)

Side: yes
1 point

nope because some one will cap you and australia has dream world

Side: No

If that was the case, there would be no homeless people. Sure, it is a dream come true for some in regards to being successful.

Side: No