Are we really the greatest country?

As one might see on here under my interests, I'm a huge Boston Red Sox fan and hate the New York Yankees. Compare the two. Games at Fenway Park are sold out throughout the season. The team does more for charity than perhaps all major league baseball teams combined. It's a way of life in New England. Now, let's look at the Yankees' business model.

When attending a game at Yankee Stadium, vendors sell only Yankee paraphenalia. The seats on the front row during this very difficult economic time range from a thousand on upward. This is why you don't see the stadium filled up, unless the Red Sox are in town. The team has to conform to a strict physical appearance code -- no long hair. Basically, this is a microcosm of your typical workplace; once you enter the office doors, you lose your democratic rights.

Every time Michael Moore has done a documentary, nothing changes. In fact, conditions seem to worsen. He's demonized by the monopolized radio medium and for his new one, "Capitalism: A Love Story," I'm waiting to hear the first person say he favors Socialism. Time and time again, I keep saying capitalism is great for those earning more than $250,000. If you don't, well, you can consider yourself working under a feudalist system. People who watch his documentaries are enamored by his hard-hitting list of facts, quick wit, and personal stories that affect anyone with a conscience. But once the film is over, it's back to business as usual.

Robin came in town last week and just arrived in Augusta last night. We spent the weekend in Helen for Oktoberfest. We had a blast and she reminded me of all the different cutural events, castles, history, and recreation Germany has to offer. "If you visited there, you wouldn't want to come back," she told me. She has a point. Politicians say we live in the greatest country to get elected and we've always had this strong nationalism pushed down our throats. Let's look at recent statistics.

We shun immigrants who come to this country. Naturally, you don't see immigrants from Europe yearning to come here. And why should they? The poor and poverty stricken aren't living in squalor there. They have a health system that far surpasses ours. They aren't obsessed with carrying firearms and killing off each other like we are. They truly value family and as a result, spend more time away from work. They aren't stricken with obesity and offer plentiful recreation facilities for kids. Add walking and mass transit systems instead of personal motor vehicles to a healthier lifestyle. This is just for starters without going into education.

Robin had already seen "District 9" and strongly recommended it. I'm strongly doing the same for anyone who reads this. It's a documentary film style with great cinematography and what I expected by seeing a brief preview. Yes, there is sympathy shown for an unlikely character. The film begins a tad slow but picks up quickly.