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Someone Asked What America Does Better Than Other Countries, And 40 People Answered
Interview
Every country has something they’re best at. For the French, some say, it’s the wines. Japan, according to some, produces the best cars. When it comes to the U.S., people abroad are most impressed by its technological achievements and entertainment. At least, that’s what official research claims.
But what about the people on the Internet? What do they think about The United States of America? Recently, one person asked other netizens: “What is something The United States of America does better than any other country?“, and nationals, expats, and guests didn’t hesitate to share their takes. “I live in America, say it loud, it’ll make you proud,” James Brown sang. And these people, it seems, really took that to heart.
Bored Panda reached out to the Redditor who asked others what makes America so great, and they kindly agreed to have a short chat with us. Read our conversation with u/RedskinPotatoes26 below!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
I was born in Europe and moved to the USA as a young teen. The U.S. gets assimilation really well. Like- you become part of some group fairly quickly and there are many to pick from. In Europe we had two boys in school, one from the US and one from India. Those kids got picked on for years and years. They never ever were going to be considered to be one of us. And never will.
The U.S. has this thing where if you play a sport and win as a team, or get through something difficult together like a math competition or a science lab, or play in a band that sounded good- suddenly you are one of everyone else. I had never experienced that before. It felt… good.
BoredPossum 4 months ago
We have those things in Europe as well. Europe is not just one country.
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#2
Cultural assimilation.
Pretty much any thing you can think of from anywhere in the world, we've got it here, somewhere.
Mexican, Japanese, Chinese, Nigerian, Korean, French, etc.
If you like the food, music, literature, religion, whatever ... you can find it here.
BoredPossum 4 months ago
And this is a good thing, do not start calling it appropriation. It is appreciating another culture to let it influence your own.
#3
Space exploration. Voyager is the first interstellar space probe in history, launched 47 years ago and still sending back data. Nobody builds em like NASA.
We did the first rendezvous in orbit, the first human missions to the moon, the first reusable space shuttle, the only planets in this solar system we weren't the first to visit are Earth and Venus, we currently have a helicopter and two nuclear powered rovers on Mars, and as we speak we're building the core segments to the first lunar orbiting space station and a nuclear powered helicopter thats going to Titan.
There are two agencies in America who's reputation around the world is unimpeachable: the National Parks Service, and NASA.
The Redditor u/RedskinPotatoes26 is an American and a proud one, at that! "For as long as I have been alive, America has been on this pedestal as one of the greatest countries in the world, [and] I wanted to explore that theory," they told us in a message.
When asked what they think are the areas the U.S. excels at, they claim it's technology. "I believe America is the most innovative country in the world. Almost everything you use today was invented in America. The automobile, planes, [the] cell phone, Amazon, Netflix, and Twitter were all invented here in America," the Redditor says.
#4
The US is unmatched by anyone in the world in two things:
1 - Landing people on the moon and returning them safely to the Earth.
2 - Putting cheese like products in spray cans.
#5
As a European, my answer to this is stand up comedy, Male, Female, White ,Black, whatever you mention America has just the most incredible people in the world of standup.
I feel it genuinely is America's true art form, its the best part of U.s culture for me.
Lil Miss Hobbit 4 months ago
I think one of the greatest things about our comedy is how diverse we are. We can mock everyone because we are a great melting-pot of everyone.
#6
I'm an American living in Canada.
I can tell you with no uncertainty that Americans are just better at hamburgers.
I hate the stereotype, but it's true. Even the places here that are allowed to cook their meat to temperature (Canada has strict rules about meat handling, so most places just cook them all 'well done') don't really understand all of the other stuff that's supposed to go on a good burger. Whole wheat bun with kale is just f*****g gross and I've seen it more than a few times. America just has the right mixture of ignorance of consequences, indulgence, culture, and availability of ingredients that hamburgers are just... better.
And the Redditor isn't far off. The United States was actually one of the five most innovative global economies in 2023. In fact, America was just behind Switzerland and Sweden, according to the WIPO's Global Innovation Index.
Many Americans also think that the U.S. is one of the greatest countries in the world. People from other nations hold the U.S. in high regard in several different fields.
A Pew survey found that 75% of people from 23 other countries think the USA has the best military. They also rated American entertainment, technological achievements, and universities the highest.
#7
Hollywood movies. American blockbuster movies are popular all around the world. No other countries produces movies of the same degree of spectacle and quality.
iseefractals 4 months ago
That used to be true, but american movies suck more often than not now, Remakes, reboots or sequels that absolutely do not need to happen are being churned out with increased frequency, and everything else is either spectacle over characters and story, or some preachy, heavy handed woke nonsense that's main concern is checking boxes and pandering to a certain demographic over everything else. British films and series tend to be much better
#8
Briskets...America does briskets better then anyone.
#9
Disability protections and accommodations. The ADA is the worlds golden standard and it's not even remotely close.
Tourists love America, too. The World Economic Forum's Travel and Tourism Development Index (TTDI) ranked America the #1 destination in 2024. Tim Leffel, author of the book and online resource The World's Cheapest Destinations, explained to the BBC that it's probably about how many different things the U.S. can offer.
"The USA is blessed with more variety of landscapes and interesting cities than any country on the planet, from mountains, desert, tropics, swamp. New Orleans, New York City, Santa Fe, Alaska, and Florida are more different than most countries are," he claimed.
#10
Junk food. Endless varieties of potato chips, pretzels, popcorn, corn chips, highly manufactured near-food things like like Pringles, Cheetos, Funions, and Bugles, everything dusted with a flavor-mimicking complex mix of synthetic flavor and color powders.
#11
Advertising. No... I hate this, but seriously. We advertise like no where else. And the level of detail because of lax consumer protection laws is insane.
#12
Can't believe no one has said CONSUMING. Food art clothes cars jewelry. We live in extreme excess. Buy it. Don't like it? Throw it out. Buy something else. We waste food, gas, energy, medical services, water to the extreme.
#13
Second chances. A lot of our most successful people bounced back from failure. In east Asia, business failures typically don't get second chances, so you can't really learn from failure. You either have to start off with all the wisdom that others learn from having tried and failed, or you have to be really lucky.
This sort of culture around business makes entrepreneurs risk averse compared to the US, so the US is also better for risk taking in new business concepts and models in a way that many other cultures are not.
Lil Miss Hobbit 4 months ago
I would agree with this one. We love people who dream big, even if they failed already.
#14
The United States takes in the most immigrants from foreign countries.
The US is also the most generous country in the world and donates the most money to various medical and nonprofit organizations compared to anywhere else globally.
Lil Miss Hobbit 4 months ago
Why is this downvoted? Yes, we have a lot of people who don't like immigration...but the majority of us love our immigrants. The whitest white Americans we have are usually not more than 4th or 5th generation since immigration. The haters do not represent all of us...they are just hateful.
#16
Startups. It is so difficult to build a startup style company is many other countries. In the US it is surprisingly easy to start a company. First off the way the US government supports startups is so much better than other countries. There are various federal and state programs offering grants, loans, and tax incentives specifically designed for small businesses and startups. But really it is that the regulatory environment is so much more flexible and less bureaucratic, which makes it easier to start and scale a business.
Due to our culture and government we also have a ton of venture capital, with places like Silicon Valley being major hubs for investors looking to fund new ideas. There's also a huge pool of skilled workers, especially in tech and business, thanks to top universities and research institutions.
Something else that is undervalued is the culture here strongly emphasizes entrepreneurship and innovation. Taking risks is encouraged, and failure is often seen as just a step on the way to success. That is not something you’ll see in most other countries.
On top of all this, the US is a massive and wealthy market, giving startups a big customer base right from the start. There are also tons of accelerators, incubators, and mentorship programs available to help startups grow. Advanced tech and physical infrastructure make it easier for startups to operate and scale quickly.
The US just f***s when it comes to startups.
#17
Lawyer advertising for every problem imaginable. When can I sue lawyers because I wasn‘t entitled to compensation?
#18
Cybersecurity. I just recently learned that the United States of America is the top gold standard in all things cybersecurity. I was actually a little surprised.
Entertainment.
Americans love to be entertained. We spend more money on entertainment than anybody anywhere. That's all kinds of entertainment from movies, music concerts, amusement parks and even smaller forms of entertainment like movie theaters, bars and night clubs, bowling alleys, laser tag, and even food videos.
#19
Soft power. No country does it as well as the US. Despite its many shortcomings, people are drawn to the US. Films, TV, music, food, it’s got such a magnetic pull.
#20
Spreading its idea of culture / propaganda. I think pretty much every country in the world knows what and where the US is. Some countries have never even been heard of depending on where you are, but everyone know what 'Murica is and what it stands for. Television series, food chains, movies, aspirations, food, products, cars, land of the free, their cultural identity is widely known.
#21
Having drive-through EVERYTHING.
Rob Letterly 4 months ago
to double down with the Sophias, no, having the drive thrus doesn't make life better. But the fact is that America has more drive thrus than anyone else so that makes us the world experts at building them, so we're 'better' at providing that service
#22
Discouraging cigarette smoking.
BoredPossum 4 months ago
Sweden is about to become the first non smoking nation in the world, ever.
#23
Police the worlds oceans so global trade can occur, benefitting every country that wishes to participate.
#24
I think about '80s Music: American '80s music is often considered iconic and influential. From pop hits to rock anthems, the US definitely nailed the '80s music scene.
#25
Most music I listen to is American.
Carl Roberts 4 months ago
Most of the music I listen to is European. Nobody does metal better than Europeans. Especially the Germans, Finnish and Scandinavians
#26
Armed Forces.
This sounds like a brag, but seriously, the entirety of the United States military is an exercise in F**k Around and Find out.
When in doubt research the Ohio Class Nuclear Submarine and realize there are more than 10 of those out there where nobody knows.
Alexandra 4 months ago
I like it that the USA protects its citizens in other countries if they get involuntarily mixed up in violence or are kidnapped. Having said that, I find it very disappointing that they tend to help US citizens leave a country in which they have committed a possible crime. Anne Sacoolas still hasn't be held accountable for killing Harry Dunn. Her apologies from 'the other end of the pond' of course mean next to nothing.
#31
Sporting events.
You ever been to an NFL game on Veterans Day? I went last November… maybe it was the beer, or the F18s, or both, but I sure felt like hollering an “America!” at the end of the anthem… the game hadn’t even kicked off and I was fired up.
What a great time that was.
EDIT: To clarify, I am not American.
#32
The United States excels in innovation and technology leading the world in creating cutting edge advancements and fostering an entrepreneurial spirit that drives global progress.
#33
Suburban luxury. If you’ve got a nice income, you’ll basically live like a king in some gaudy house with gaudy cars in a manicured suburban city. There’s homelessness in the inner cities, but the ‘burbs in the nicer metro regions are luxurious as hell. I don’t think there’s anyplace on the planet with as vast as the luxury suburbs spread in the U.S.
#34
Religious freedom. You can worship whatever you want, church, mosque, synagogue? Temple? You name it, you can build it. Halal meat? Kosher meat? You got it.
#35
Logistics.
Holy f*****g s**t, do we do logistics well. Name your item, your point A and point B somewhere on Earth, and the United States could get it done in a day if it was so inclined.
When it comes to logistics, the US military alone is the single greatest organization that has ever existed in human history.
Our civilian world isn't far behind. Our freight rail is as good as our passenger rail is bad. Use the last of the coffee this morning? Amazon will have a fresh batch at your doorstep before you get back from work.
#36
Creating wealth. America’s economy is the greatest wealth-creation engine in history. It’s not always well distributed but it’s there.
Even from my Canadian perspective - the USA feels like a land of abundance whenever I go there.
Roan The Demon Kitty 4 months ago
it's also great at creating poverty, because those who are hoarding the created wealth exploit the rest.
#37
Attracting talent and wealth.
America is very willing to incentivize the most talented people from around the world to come to the US. Companies are very willing to pay top dollar for top talent in innovative industries. The government and university system attracts the best students through high quality research, free expression, and ample post doc and networking opportunities. The US brain drains the intellectual elite of smaller countries, and absorbs them with huge salaries and green cards. The capital investment market is huge for startups, and everyone wants to get a slice of the rich consumer market. Singers and actors can easily live and work in the US.
The financial and banking sectors are healthy, large and stable. Even Chinese tech companies IPO on the NYSE. US corruption is low, and will not suddenly confiscate assets. The US dollar is the global reserve currency, and US cash and bonds are asset classes that retain their value long term. International millionaires can get visas through investment programs of 10 created jobs and approx $1.8 million. Billionaires are attracted to the stable and large market, the strong anti-socialist culture, and abundance of luxury goods and services.
Americans are willing to pay for the best talent, which helps them maintain their leading edge. They accepted Nazi rocket scientists with Operation Paperclip, and took in Soviet engineers after the fall of the Soviet Union. The US attracts software developers from everywhere: China, Europe, Russia...
The US is so attractive that it unintentionally leads to undesirable immigration. That would include the southern border crisis: where migrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan, China, and Africa all try to sneak into the US via the Darien Gap jungles and Mexico.
#39
Not sure about every country, but the US has done a pretty good job with racial justice. Hear me out, I know we still have a lot of systemic issues and racism seems to be trendy these days but I am not aware of any other country that has had as much reckoning with racism as the US with things like the Civil Rights Movement and the Civil War over slavery. I am an immigrant and in my previous country, colorism and racism are very commonplace and to my understanding, this is the case all around the world. Many countries are just open about their overt discrimination and the people usually don't care. Here in the US we have some degree of shaming if someone says something horrendously racist and this normally doesn't slide in polite society. We still have a long way to go, but overall, we have done a pretty good job with addressing historic racism and making pluralistic and open society for people of all races.
#40
Discovering new medical treatments whether it's medicine, devices, and/or procedures.
Ace 4 months ago
Nope. Switzerland is the place for this, especially relative to its size. Several of the worlds largest medical science companies are Swiss (two out of the top 5, including the top spot, last time I looked) , and there are literally thousands of smaller companies working with them.
What do you think ?
MezzoPiano 4 months ago (edited)
Bored Panda: The USA does some good things sometimes. Bored Pandas: No. We must bash America every chance we get.
Carrie B 4 months ago
I love that when the posts are "America is sh!t" everyone agrees and calls us lazy fat morons, but anything even mentioning that we have done anything good, the comments are still "stupid fuking egotistical Americans." I hate this planet.
MezzoPiano 4 months ago (edited)
Bored Panda: The USA does some good things sometimes. Bored Pandas: No. We must bash America every chance we get.
Carrie B 4 months ago
I love that when the posts are "America is sh!t" everyone agrees and calls us lazy fat morons, but anything even mentioning that we have done anything good, the comments are still "stupid fuking egotistical Americans." I hate this planet.
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