MetaFilter posts tagged with unitedstates

The Economist: The World in 2010

goodnewsfortheinsane — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 17:09:43 -0800

In 2010, Obama will have a miserable year, NATO may lose in Afghanistan, the UK gets a regime change, China needs to chill, India's factories will overtake its farms, Europe risks becoming an irrelevant museum, the stimulus will need an exit strategy, the G20 will see a challenge from the "G2", African football will unite Korea, conflict over natural resources will grow, Sarkozy will be unloved and unrivalled, the kids will come together to solve the world's problems (because their elders are unable), technology will grow ever more ubiquitous, we'll all charge our phones via USB, MBAs will be uncool, the Space Shuttle will be put to rest, and Somalia will be the worst country in the world. And so the Tens begin.

The Economist: The World in 2010. Previously: 2009, 2008, 2007. How did we do last time around? Guest contributions: President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso lines up Europe's priorities President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev argues for dialogue and cooperation President of the Maldives Mohamed Nasheed wants his island nation to remain above water President of Indonesia Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono would like for Islam and the West to live in harmony President of South Africa Jacob Zuma says Africa should rise to the occasion Director-General of the World Health Organisation Margaret Chan predicts the development of the flu pandemic Managing director of the International Monetary Fund Dominique Strauss-Kahn explains how to prevent another crisis CEO of Yahoo! Carol Bartz believes business leaders should tap into the information flood Chairman of HSBC Stephen Green argues that the financial sector should welcome emerging economies CEO of Fiat Group and Chrysler Group Sergio Marchionne thinks greener cars require bolder action CEO/CTO of SpaceX Elon Musk says the private sector should handle space travel

"Britain punches above its weight"

Petrot — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 08:44:55 -0800

Britain: the birthplace of globalisation in the 19th century; ruler of a worldwide empire. But why, over a century later, is the UK still appearing as a major player on the political world stage? Its entire population of around 60m is comparable only with the population of California and Texas combined. Geographically it is a smaller size than Texas, and cut off from the larger and potentially more-politically-influential Eurozone. Is it relying on its history as a superpower, or on its current relations with superpowers? Britain's Foreign Secretary, David Miliband, still sees Britain as having a vital international role, "Our role in Europe magnifies the power of our ideas, and strengthens our international clout in Washington, Beijing and Moscow". The "Special Relationship" between Britain and the US is something British politicians try to maximise, although many in Britain see it as a one-sided arrangement, with Britain loyally following in its master's footsteps. "The concept of a special relationship with the UK is of little relevance or interest to most Americans. It is rarely a topic raised or discussed by the media or political analysts. British support for US foreign policy, if discussed at all, is largely assumed. On the other side of the Atlantic, the special relationship generates significant debate and is often a source of controversy,"( James K Wither, U.S. Army War College.) Michael Codner, head of military sciences at the Royal United Services Institute, believes Britain still has a taste for being a world power, with the British Armed Forces playing a significant part, although "our perception of the nation as a great power was pretty undermined - we really were starting to see ourselves as rather a footling nation." However a lesser role in Iraq and Afghanistan, compared to the US, is no minor initiative for Britain, who aim to do things their own way. Special relationship or not, the economic downfall affects us both. Britain, although a world-class financial hub, is being left behind. Politically, militarily, financially, Britain manages to be far more influential (although not necessarily successfully) than its diminutive stature suggests. But is it due to its own prowess, or due to hanging onto the coattails of others?

Nineteenth-century lithography, in America and elsewhere

thomas j wise — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 18:06:34 -0800

America on Stone: 19th Century American Lithographs is a browsable collection of lithographs on topics from advertising to uniforms. The viewer includes pan and zoom functions. (Harry T. Peters, who amassed this collection, was particularly interested in Currier & Ives.) Lithography became popular very quickly after its discovery at the end of the eighteenth century, rapidly finding its way into such commercial uses as sheet music covers. Needless to say, it also came in handy for far more exalted applications. (For previous MeFi adventures in lithography, try these posts.)

United States of Fury

Elizabeth the Thirteenth — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 08:49:37 -0800

"At 83, he has lived through one third of the lifespan of the United States. If anyone incarnates the American century that has ended, it is him. He was America's greatest essayist, one of its best-selling novelists and the wit at every party. He holidayed with the Kennedys, cruised for men with Tennessee Williams, was urged to run for Congress by Eleanor Roosevelt, co-wrote some of the most iconic Hollywood films, damned US foreign policy from within, sued Truman Capote, got fellated by Jack Kerouac, watched his cousin Al Gore get elected President and still lose the White House, and – finally, bizarrely – befriended and championed the Oklahoma bomber, Timothy McVeigh." Johann Hari meets Gore Vidal

Stuff Christian Culture Likes

Blazecock Pileon — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 11:49:53 -0800

Stuff Christian Culture Likes - A preacher's daughter marries another preacher's son and offers an insider's perspective about youth leaders, tips and hawks, sexual jewelry, hot wives, drama teams, video games, Jumbotrons, coffee, graphic design, typography and more.

Healthcare on 4 Napkins.

lunit — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 09:55:16 -0800

The healthcare debate explained on the back of 4 napkins. Napkin 1: The health care equation. Napkin 2: It's not about health care. Napkin 3: The plans on the table. Napkin 4: What's it mean to me?

VIMBY?

goodnewsfortheinsane — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 17:52:04 -0800

Suburban farming, an idea whose time may have come. Short and sweet SLYT from the Wall Street Journal about people growing herbs and vegetables in their own yards in American suburbia.

Where do you get your health insurance from?

sid abotu — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 22:25:54 -0800

A simple question shows how complex the issue is. Chris at "Cynical C" asks his fellow citizens where they get thier health care (insurance) from and the incredible diversity of the current options and situations is immediately apparent. Quite spontaneously (but surely not unexpectedly), the question of "How much does it cost you?" becomes an essential part of the answers. Outsiders opine and tell stories and commiserate. For further information regarding the issue and the forces at work this Canadian has leaned on Bill Moyers and The Daily Howler.

Underground: USA

cdmwebs — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 21:14:35 -0800

Geoff is on a road trip around the lower forty-eight United States visiting cities and towns with the same names as London's tube stops. He's calling it Underground: USA. Three years ago, Geoff Marshall quit his job with the BBC in London and moved to Charleston, SC to work for The Digitel as a videographer. In May, he came up with the idea to visit forty-eight towns/cities in the United States with the same name as tube stops in London. He took a three month sabbatical and left Charleston in June. You can follow him on the trip with video (listed below), blog entries, a Google Map of his progress and Twitter updates. I’m Going Underground - USA Style (Episode 1) What Car? (Episode 2) Am I too camp? (Epsiode 3) My Hair is better than Alistair Cooke (Episode 4) The Maine Reason for Being Here (Episode 5) New York I love you, but you’re bringing me down (Episode 6) Oh for a rainy day (Episode 7) This is where Geoff ran in to a bit of trouble. Someone broke in to his Jeep and stole all of his equipment in Greensboro, NC. His friends at The Digitel set up an online fundraising blitz to help Geoff get back on the road. Reality (Episode 8) On The Road Again (Episode 9) It’s big. It’s easy. It’s NOLA. (Episode 10) Moving from Memphis (Episode 11) Superfood Me (Episode 12) The White City (Part 2) (Episode 13) The Badlands of Wall Drug (Episode 14) Bonus Stuff: * Statistics! * Here's his page on differences between the US and the UK he's noticed. * He's been mentioned on AskMe, too. That was a different project, though.

Building A New Culture Of Teaching And Learning

peregrine81 — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 17:44:29 -0800

Dr. Tae describes the way the US system of education is failing and how to fix it.

Don't worry, it's monopoly money anyway.

Justinian — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 12:59:03 -0800

Overly confident in the economic health of the United States? Feeling sanguine about current spending levels? Haven't yet been scared out of your wits about your financial future? No worries! The U.S. National Debt Clock page is for you! Your one stop shop for all things financial meltdown related: Total debt, debt per citizen, budget deficits and spending year-to-date, total governmental bailouts, and much much more!

Be all that you can be

Joe Beese — Tue, 19 May 2009 06:52:11 -0800

The Department of Veterans Affairs has reported that military scientists tested hundreds of chemical and biological substances on them, including VX, tabun, soman, sarin, cyanide, LSD, PCP, and World War I-era blister agents like phosgene and mustard. The full scope of the tests, however, may never be known. As a CIA official explained to the GAO, referring to the agency's infamous MKULTRA mind-control experiments, "The names of those involved in the tests are not available because names were not recorded or the records were subsequently destroyed." Besides, said the official, some of the tests involving LSD and other psychochemical drugs "were administered to an undetermined number of people without their knowledge."

PortlandFilter

dersins — Fri, 15 May 2009 09:18:18 -0800

PDX History is a veritable treasure trove of information about (and pictures and postcards of) the history of Portland (Oregon). Department stores, streetcars, long-dead amusement parks (yes, Jantzen Beach was once much more than a dying mall surrounded by big-box stores) and more. The web design leaves a bit to be desired, but the site is wonderful nonetheless.

Fighting for God and...God.

zerobyproxy — Mon, 04 May 2009 09:47:45 -0800

Evangelical Christian soldiers on the march for Jesus in Afghanistan. SLYT

Going Dutch

goodnewsfortheinsane — Mon, 04 May 2009 07:20:34 -0800

[E]ven if you are unemployed you still receive a base amount of [vacation money] from the government, the reasoning being that if you can’t go on vacation, you’ll get depressed and despondent and you’ll never get a job.
[...]
But does the cartoon image of [the Dutch system] — encapsulated in the dread slur "socialism," which is being lobbed in American political circles like a bomb — match reality? Is there, maybe, a significant upside that is worth exploring? [...] I think it’s worth pondering how the best bits might fit.

After a year and a half of living in the Netherlands, American writer Russell Shorto compares the Dutch "welfare state" to the tax, health care and social security systems of the United States.

NIOBY

dersins — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 11:26:03 -0800

In Our Own Backyard: Resisting Nazi Propaganda In Southern California 1933 - 1945, a digital exhibition from the Oviatt Library at Cal State Northridge. "The Nazi Propaganda period, 1933 to 1945, chronicles a crucial twelve years in American history. This exhibit's story about the local threat to American ideals demonstrates how European events reached across the ocean and affected people in Southern California -- in our own backyard." Magazines, pamphlets, newspapers, stickers and more. The site navigation, especially as pertains to the digital materials, leaves a good deal to be desired, but it's still a fascinating look at an aspect of the Depression era most people don't think about. [via, which is in itself one of the best link blogs out there, from (formerly?) Metafilter's Own™ plep ]

Foreign Military Financing?

blue_beetle — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 12:04:46 -0800

The Average Man's Tax Dollars from thetoiletpaper.com

Jesus who?

Brandon Blatcher — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 19:02:29 -0800

The End of Christian America. The percentage of self-identified Christians has fallen 10 points in the past two decades. How that statistic explains who we are now—and what, as a nation, we are about to become.

Open For Questions

dersins — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 11:06:20 -0800

Open For Questions. Metafilter's Own™ box and klangklangston "skim the White House's Open For Questions, posting the best and brightest queries the American public can manage." [via mefi projects] NB: "Best and brightest" may be used facetiously.

“There’s culture shock, and then there’s the culture shock of moving to a country that started a war in your home.”

wander — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 18:49:47 -0800

"The war has uprooted 4.7 million people from their homes. So where are they?" With the election of Obama and the economic crisis, the topic of Iraq has fallen by the wayside. As hard as things may be right now, Iraqis have been going through far worse for years now. If you're curious about what they have to say, hear them tell it in their own words. Iraqi Refugee Stories. Lest we also forget the war's toll on soldiers: The Life and Lonely Death of Noah Pierce. If you're asking, "What can I do about any of this?" Go here. And if you feel you can't manage to do any of that, then be good to yourself, and your neighbors. Go out of your way to do one nice thing for someone, or challenge one of the preconceptions you might have about someone else. You don't have to save the world, but you can at try least make it just a little nicer than it was. If you know any Iraqis affected by the war (or have worked closely with them yourself), or even know of some through someone else, encourage them to share their stories here.

U.S. Customs - in your face

stinkycheese — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 16:52:39 -0800

What has long been touted as the world's longest undefended border (that running between Canada and the United States) has undergone many changes since 9/11. In an effort to secure its Northern border, the U.S. now employs Predator drones, Blackhawk helicopter patrols, high speed boats, and Google searches. There may even be a big fence in our future. More troubling still are increased demands for information on Canadian citizens, and increased searching powers of U.S. border guards. And don't ask them to say please either.

1 in 31.

lunit — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 08:19:15 -0800

A new report by the Pew Center of the States finds that 1 in 31 U.S. Adults is currently under Community Supervision. (Full report pdf). Georgia currently tops the charts, with 1 in 13 adults under correctional control. Previously.

How the Crash Will Reshape America

Afroblanco — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 08:35:49 -0800

" ... the recession, particularly if it turns out to be as long and deep as many now fear, will accelerate the rise and fall of specific places within the U.S.—and reverse the fortunes of other cities and regions." From The Atlantic Online - How the Crash Will Reshape America

The Price Of Breakfast Is Eternal Vigilance!

you just lost the game — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 12:34:24 -0800

The Top 10 Rightblogger Stories of 2008. Can it really have been almost two months since the U.S. presidential election? It seems like a long time ago that bloggers on the right were claiming Obama killed his grandmother and denouncing WALL-E, but this list does a pretty good job of summarizing what got them all riled up in 2008.

Washington to Obama

Glibpaxman — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 14:09:04 -0800

America has come a long way. There is the official version of history or the peoples' version. There are artifacts and rankings. They had some quirks and were occasionally men of their time. If you prefer audio or visual references those are available as well. Common knowledge has it that one GW was our first President but the title of first is under dispute. 230 years later another GW is making a run for worst. That is also under dispute by the nations best brains. For better and worse, the story of the Presidency is the story of America.