During this contentious election cycle here in the United States of America, the empty phrase "make America great again" has caught on.

This statement seems to imply a lack of confidence in America's current position of esteem. Doesn't strike me as a strong patriotic message.

What do you think makes a nation great?

Do you gauge greatness based on competitiveness and dominance? Or perhaps based on "being the change you wish to see in the world" to quote Mahatma Gandhi - someone who possessed greatness?

To paraphrase Martin Luther King Jr. - someone else who possessed greatness: Do we judge a nations greatness by the size of its treasury and military and how it wields them, or on the content of its character?

I have heard this, forgive the paraphrasing, that 'the measure
of a nation, is how the most of them treat the least of them.'

Donald Trump!

I am going to go with Soufiehere on this one....could not find a better way of describing the greatness of a nation...yup thats what I wanna go with...

A content populace?
Possibly envied by the populations of other nations, especially other content nations, but discontent nations will do just fine as long as they don't do anything about it?


You mean like "hope and change?"
"Believe in America," and, "Restore America Now," and, "A Stronger America," and, "It's Time to Change America," and, "Make America Great Again" (1980's), and, "A time for greatness," and, "Happy Days Are Here Again," and, "Return to normalcy," and, "Rejuvenated Republicanism?"

Do you know what I'm talking about when I say:
"Where's the beef?" how about "screw you guys, I'm goin' home."
Or what about that "dun dun" sound from Law and Order?
Or maybe "just do it."

It's the same thing. You hear one little shortcut, it opens up memories and feelings of the familiar.
Slogans and catchphrases.
They work.

It didn't "catch on."
It was pushed via repetition in order to get people to have a connection with others.
Now when you say it to someone, they know what you're talking about.

When you and someone have something in common it makes you feel good.
When you feel good, it potentially reinforces a positive association with the subject of the catchphrase or slogan.

And if it doesn't have a positive association with you?
It gives you something to focus on in order to hate.
....which makes you talk about it to people, which helps spread it, offering free advertising.


Sure.
I also gauge greatness on cooperation, results, effort, respect, personal feelings and emotions, mood, cost, and a lot of other things.


Based on that quote we should maybe be supporting terrorists.
I mean they are being the change they want to see in the world.
So...if you're going to use one quote as representative of the whole...


We shouldn't judge nations at all.
Judging a whole by the actions of a few is a bad idea.
Doing so leads to things like individual CEO'S committing all sorts of fraud, yet they never see prison, instead the company is shut down.
Or it allows a mega corporation to be seen as having the same rights as an individual person.
Just a matter of scale.

....yup...I just wish that our governments understood this...

That's a terrific question John.

I think the greatness of a country is measured by the welfare and effective management of the country's most precious natural resources, ie the citizens and the environment, combined with a healthy relationship with other countries

JMO I would say the people

Isn't Trump recycling that phrase? Its from the 80's (Reagan)..I think.
If it worked for Reagan, maybe it will work for Trump..

Pork ribs!

Barbequed pork ribs!

I like what I think the spirit of this sentiment is. I'd want to see how the latter grades the treatment by the former before considering it to be an reliable metric.

The question is what not who makes a nation great. I wonder how he would feel about being objectified. My suspicion is it would further inflate his apparently boundless ego.

My favorite food You bring the ribs I got the cold beer Rock..

Slogans become catchphrases when repetitive pushing causes them to "catch on".

My perception of the sentiment being promoted by the catchphrase in question doesn't make me feel good.



I try not to allow that feeling into my psyche, or the word into my vocabulary.



Dominance is often at odds with voluntary cooperation.



The type of behavior that the Gandhi quote promotes is evident by the example set by his actions.



It also leads to entire ethnicities and religions being demonized for the actions of a few.

I agree Peggy. As long as the actions taken to ensure the welfare, management, healthy environment, and healthy international relations reflects the consensus will of the citizens. And as long as that consensus will is genuinely rational and benevolent.

Groups of great people are indeed necessary to form and maintain great nations.

Hmm… recycled slogans = greatness?
I suspect he lusts after the kind of adoration many bestowed on Ronald Reagan.

its values of character and integrity,, how it treats the least amongst them

lol.. I posted the above after just reading the OP, and then I read the thread after I posted

high 5 to soufie great minds...lol

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