Was America actually good back then, or was it only big because the competition was relatively weak?

Was America actually good back then, or was it only big because the competition was relatively weak?

Probably cuz of weak competition

Mostly lack of competition.

Prior to the 20th century we were considered a bunch of rowdy farmers that were mostly tolerated because of the natural resources we had for trade.

We didn't become a super power until after the rest of the developed world had its infrastructure and resources ass-raped by two successive world wars.

But now Europe and Asia have rebuilt and the countries that were being kept from developing by colonialism are starting to become bigger economic players.

The gravy train has pulled in to the last stop, we actually have to start trying now.

Back then, Budweiser was actually good, when they didn't use rice in their grain bill and aged it in beechwood casks.

As far as the rest of the country, eh.

Only the largest alcohol companies could survive Prohibition.

Just because light beer is simple in taste doesn't mean it's bad
I really like hoppy complex IPAs but after a long day in the sun sometimes you just want a simple refreshing light beer

Bro we own most of the world and have the largest and most advanced military. I think we're doing okay

Rice in beer is fine. I'd take a Sapporo or Asahi over a Bud anytime, both are limited to one style because of the use of milled rice but the Japs are straight better at it and avoid Bud's YMCA pool aftertaste of chlorine and senior citizen piss.
And that's not even getting into Kiuchi's stuff with unhulled red rice.

I heard someone compare Bud to stale cornflakes a few months ago. I can't enjoy it anymore with that image in my head

You ever heard of American exceptionalism? It's true.

An ice cold fresh budwiser from a nice clean tap is just about the best thing on a summer's night, I'll tell you hwhat

Schlitz > Pissweiser, forever and always.

Largest military at the cost of other tangible benefits to its population.

>Largest military at the cost of other tangible benefits to its population.
Nope. The government spends more on social services than on the military.

I spend more on rice than on crack cocaine, this doesn't mean that my health wouldn't be better if I dropped the crack budget completely.

False equivalence

I remember BRICS too. How's Brazil doing right now? Shut the fuck up

nice equivocation there bud

The US military will live forever and all you liberals can do about it is cry

idk, they're dying decently fast in afghanistan still

shhh... don't tell the amerilards that budweiser is owned by belgium

>>idk, they're dying decently fast in afghanistan still
>a rate of less than 2000 in a decade and a half is decently fast

Nice misdirection. But at $600 Billion a year, maybe we should actually think about this for a minute. You don't think that money could be better spent? FEMA sure could use some more funding at the moment. Maybe Papa Donny could actually get the ball rolling on all that infrastructure spending he promised. Maybe some investment in education, just a few billion dollars, a small percentage of the defense budget, would cut down on the social services we have to pay in the future. Who profits if the American public never questions the outrageous military spending?

>Cut down on military spending
>Cut down on the thing that gave us the modern world through aeronautics, nuclear energy, rocketry, computing, radar, the internet, GPS, microwaves, various synthetic materials, etc, etc
>To hand out more gibs
Aid work, infrastructure spending and education happen on a state level. They get money from the federal government. How they budget and spend it is on them.

None of that justifies the ludicrous amounts of money being on defense. Please seriously consider this number: $600,000,000,000. Every year. Do the military conflicts we're been been involved with warrant that kind of spending? Why is it SO much high than every other country on Earth? Who the fuck is receiving all this money and why won't anyone even question it?

>None of that justifies the ludicrous amounts of money being on defense
Of course it does.
>b-b-but muh big number! why number so big??
It's only around 10% of the GDP. Meanwhile healthcare and social security are about 25% each.

It was pretty funny when the Army was audited last year and it was found out that they cooked the books for $2.3 trillion to cover accounting errors.

Just gone. No idea where it went.

Like they lost it in the laundry.

>More gibs
Then just reduce the tax rate like you type always want. How many billions of dollars in unused tanks do we really need? How many bullets need to be fired randomly into the air so squadrons can justify asking for the same budget in the next period?

Corn flakes have always reminded me of peels of dead skin that come off your feet after they stay wet for too long

quality of care and expediency would go to fucking shit with more government involvement, just like everything else does in the history of forever

ever seen a free clinic? enjoy that shit

>but muh yuro countries and their "free" healthcare

yea, the countries with a homogenous population smaller than single major cities here, who get taxed out the ass

>dead skin that come off your feet after they stay wet for too long
you should get that leprosy treated

American beer was very different prior to prohibition and WWII.

WWII in particular changed a lot because rationing and shortages meant the bigger breweries had to start using cheaper mixed grain recipes, after the war they kept at it because it was cost effective and profitable.
Thus was born the piss-water that came to be known as American Lager.

Dude... I'm talking about the beer called America...

...

>can't eat American chocolate anymore without tasting the butyric acid

>faggot janitor deletes my responses for being "off topic"
>leaves and the thread itself

>Cut down on military spending
>Cut down on the thing that gave us the modern world through aeronautics, nuclear energy, rocketry, computing, radar, the internet, GPS, microwaves, various synthetic materials, etc, etc
>To hand out more gibs
Aid work, infrastructure spending and education happen on a state level. They get money from the federal government. How they budget and spend it is on them.

>None of that justifies the ludicrous amounts of money being on defense
Of course it does.
>b-b-but muh big number! why number so big??
It's only around 10% of the GDP. Meanwhile healthcare and social security are about 25% each.

>America
>America the beer
Gee go figure faggot.