[KSagal]

That type of phrasing came from an exchange I had with a person many years ago in France.

I was in the Army, and while stationed in Germany, had gone to a restaurant I liked that was across the border in France. This was a great old building that had been a restaurant in the same family for over 300 years. It was a casual place out in the country, at the end of a long dirt road, at the top of a small hill in the foothills of a small mountain range.

This restaurant building and grounds were previously a monastery for 1200 years, or so I was told. (I found out later the kitchen had running water from a working Roman built aqueduct, making is significantly older than I thought...)

Anyway, in the late 70s and early 80s, this place was a common hangout for some marxist hippy types as well as several other groups. Regan was elected, and I was there with some German friends, and got into a late, late night semi drunk debate with a young frenchman who tried to tell me that The United States and Regan were not that great, and that the Russian people did not want to hurt anyone. He asked why he should have to work so hard, so the government could tax him and use the money to buy missiles and rockets to fight Russia, just because of Regan. He went on to tell me that despite what I may think or say, the United States was not the best country on the planet.

I told him he may be right. It may not be the best place on the planet. But then I told him I had been to the 2nd best place on the planet, and it was better than that. (I restrained myself from telling him that without the US, we would be having the conversation in German instead of French.)

From that point on, whenever I am told of flaws and imperfections in the US, and then told that it is not all that, or such a good place, I respond by agreeing, it is not the best place. It is however, better than the 2nd best place.

I continue to travel. I continue to see other places. I continue to feel that even with the multiple flaws in the United States, it is significantly better than the next best place I have seen. For me, at least.