The Newsroom - America is not the greatest country in the world anymore...(Restricted language) 

This is what every person outside the USA thinks when the USA says their the best.

This is aging like wine... 🍷

The only unrealistic part of this is him getting to finish the speech without interruption or screeching over him

One of the greatest monologs ever written, and still holds true to this day.

Anyone else watching this in 2020 and getting anxious realizing it's more relevant than ever?

It takes a fake tv show to tell it like it is

"We didn't identify ourselves by who we voted for in the last election, and we didn't scare so easy" this one hits fucking home man. The worst part of American politics is the divisiveness.

I hate that 11 years later this is still more relevant than ever.

'The first step to resolving a problem is recognizing that there is one'

That rant was definitely more than one sentence.

This scene lives rent free in my head and it still gets me every single time

This is Jeff Daniels most important and memorable roles. This IS one of the most important speeches ever given on TV. This needs to be seen by millions more. Please share. If you really care about the direction of this country you'd stand up and fight for the future our children will inherit. In my experience, it's the people who have left this country and come back, who see this country objectively. Thank you.

I think Newsroom was ahead of its time. I think if you release a show like this today, it would explode. This should be shown today. Reboot Newsroom! Also Jeff Daniels' greatest performance IMO.

"We waged wars on poverty, not poor people." There is no better quote that shows the difference between the times of FDR and LBJ verses today.

Hands down, literally one of the greatest moments in TV history.

Instead of solving PROBLEMS we wish to be ENTERTAINED 🎉

This was one of the best monologues in the history of television. I love it.

This is the most amazing answer I have ever heard. I totally agree with whoever wrote this show and had the courage to stand up and say it. Somebody has too. I was in the army and fought in Iraq. When I got injured, people said I made a sacrifice for our country. But to be completely honest, I don't know what the hell we were and still are fighting for. It wasn't 9/11 because we got Saddam and osama. and we are still there. We are losing our sons and daughters, mothers and fathers to a war that has no moral value. Bring our men home. The Iraqis and Afghanis dont want us there. We are messing with a culture that has existed just as long as ours. We fought the revolutionary war for our freedom from the British trying to tell us what religion to be and how to live and work and eat, they tried to take away our culture and our way of life. It is exactly like we are doing to them. We are the Enemy over there and more and more each day it angers me that i agreed to follow the orders of my superiors and go along with Bush's and Obama's personal wars. Stop spending billions of dollars on weapons of war and put it toward making our country, what it once was. I remember when gas was 99 cents per gallon and family's were generally caring about their sons and daughters and held family events. Welfare wasn't so prevalent and the unemployment rate was not even heard about. The problem why we are not the greatest country in the world is because we are to busy fighting other peoples wars and we are using more than 3/4 of our nations budget to fight it. Dont get me wrong I love the United States of America more than anything in the world and I would die to defend my country and my family, but only if it is a direct threat to the American Way of Life. I like many others of my brothers in arms Past Present and Future are the History and the future of our countries development, we have fought for Independence, the abolition of Slavery, we have fought to stop the slaughter of millions of Jews and we have leveled city's for the destruction of our country. Do we as this generation want to be remembered as mercenaries who fought for importation and exportation rights, fighting for oil, taking the lives of innocent children and depriving a culture to live free the way they want to live. I sure as hell don't. We are letting our nation slip away. We are losing our freedom because now everything has a price tag and more than 1/2 cant afford to live free anymore. Please leave comments, I want to know what you think about this. We need to stand up and make this country truly FREE.

April 2024 anyone?!

"Australia, has freedom..." Did not age well.

The Truth hurts. As a child of the sixties this is not where I thought America would be today.

“Sorority girl, just in case you wander into a voting booth.” BURN

I keep coming back to this year after year. It rings true in so many ways. Every word from that outburst is what the underlying problem is. “America isn’t the greatest nation in the world anymore. But we sure used to be.” It is a perfect critique of both sides of the political spectrum. Why people don’t like to pick a side lest they get caught up in a cult of personality due to modern technology and how social media operates. No matter your views, nearly everyone in the US agrees that there is something wrong with America. But all we hear is how absolutely amazing it is and how we should feel horrible for either contributing to the downfall or horrible for thinking it wasn’t amazing in the first place. The ideals of freedom of ideals, of speech, of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, were just that: Ideals. They were ideas that the men of our past fought for. Was it practical? No. Not in the slightest. Yet they fought all the same. Not to make America perfect, but to make it “a more perfect union”. From day ONE this country was not envisioned as a perfect bastion of star-spangled awesome. It was an experiment, a project meant to self improve over years, over generations, into something we could all be proud of. The men who started this nation were flawed to say the least, so too were the people who further improved upon it. No one was a saint, no one was a demon. America was tested again and again both by foreign powers and our own domestic issues. We stumbled, we fell, we realized our mistakes instead of brushing them off. That is what made us an America worth fighting for, worth preserving and worth advancing. We were built upon change, upon seeing where it could take us to brighter futures. But now we don’t do that anymore. I try to speak to people on all sides of the political spectrum. One thing I have noticed is a few arguments against another’s policy they might agree with. The “It is not practical” defense. The term “it is not practical” or “it will never happen” are two phrases that are poison to how our political system works! Murphy’s Law states as such, so why not stop fearing the concept and start using it to fight for what you believe in? Is it impractical that I feel I shouldn’t go bankrupt after one visit to the ER? Is it impractical I feel I should be able to defend my property if someone throws the first punch at me? “It will never happen!” Both sides of the left and right tell me when trying to convince me they are the right choice. And my question is “Why?” Why are they so impractical? And why should that even matter? These are ideals. Ideals are not reality, but dreams we wish to strive towards. Why do they have to be practical now? Why can’t we do what we were known for in the past: Figure it out! Why have we stopped fighting for the American ideal and instead are forced to pick one bunker for the sake of “practicality”? Why should I sacrifice my hopes for this nation and get nothing in return except fear the other side will come and get me? Why should I not call out someone on my side when they don’t do what they promised? What kind of cult is that?!? Who let a cult start to run politics in America of all places?!? My point is America isn’t the greatest country in the world anymore. But it could be again. It has the potential regardless of practicality. We need to wake up, to realize that both sides throwing us in these bunkers are the problem. We need to vote not for one side or the other because we fear our opponent, but vote for who we believe is best in our hearts. We need to stop choosing the lesser of two evils, we still lose in the end. We only set the bar lower every couple of years. The solution is we vote for ideals, we actually read the constitution and take from it the words and culture of “a more perfect union”, of “all men are created equal,” and of the foundation that this nation was made of the people, by the people, and for the people. We, the millions of individuals within this nation, hold a power that those governing us fear we realize. The tables shifted, but we can shift them back. All we need to do is realize how to skirt their game and hold their feet to the political fire when they no longer hold the interests of their citizens to heart. Is this idea practical today? Hell no it isn’t! But it is an idea worth fighting for, and that is the most American thing you can do. Stand up, use your voice instead of your fists, and use your words to fight for what YOU believe in. Not what other people tell you to believe whether it be family, peers, or politicians. What YOU believe in, after thinking and reflecting, and coming to your own conclusions. Will you agree with everything? No. Will everyone agree with you with everything. Also no. But if you stand by your beliefs, beliefs that you choose instead of it being forced upon you, and use your speech instead of violence, you are being the most patriotic American possible. America is not the greatest nation in the world anymore. The question now is: “How do we the people fix it?”

Every once in a while I have to go back and watch this speech, again. Truly great writing and amazing delivery.

This is, always has been, and always will be the greatest speech about our country.

If only Sorkin had any idea just how much further the bar was going to be lowered still.

I'm not even American, but I feel the feel and message of this video basically applies to anyone who thinks their race/religion/organization/whatever is the absolute bees knees. If everyone was just a bit more critical about the things they do and the things they are part of, we'd be a lot better off.

Everything this man said about why America was great is slowly fading away and things like cancel culture and greed have over taken our society. “We waged war on poverty, not poor people.” “We didn’t scare so easily.” “The first step in solving a problem is recognizing we have one.” Powerful monologue and so relevant today now more than ever.

8 years. This clip is 8 years old. The better part of a decade. And it’s been relevant the whole damn time. It’s literally never stopped being true.

That is one of the best speeches of truth I have ever . Way to go Jeff Daniels.

Just started watching this series. Great show. I wish that a leader of our nation would say this. And inspire us all to do better.

I was told to watch this by a team member who worked for me. This is ringing true daily. Lastly, who says people that work for you can't enlighten you.

Key statements to sear into every young Americans heart: : We didn't beat our chest: We didn't identify ourselves by who we voted for: We aspired to intelligence, we didn't belittle it: We were informed by great men, men who were revered. Says it all.

To the 401 people that disliked this: you're what's wrong with America. His whole answer is basically the gods honest truth

I am a die hard American, but there is so much wrong with the country that could be fixed. Is America the worst place to live? GOD no, I’m still grateful to have been born in the USA, but as he said, America is not the best country in the world anymore. Sure, it’s hard to point out what is depending on what you are defining “the best country” by, but it’s not America anymore. I’m not a politician and I don’t claim to know all the answers, but you can know a problem when you see one.

it's amazing how true this really became over the years. I remember watching this video so long ago and it was very true back then and I can't believe how even more true it is today... I wish everyone would just recognize and accept that there IS a problem so that we can come together and fix it

"If you ever accidentally wander into a voting booth" ... classic! :)

In this time of the Coronavirus, this is 100% true

I always re-watch this scene, upwards of ten times in a row. I think the entire country needs to hear this again.

it took me two years searching to find this clip thank God am watching it now

I love how everyone sitting next to him realizes that they have no chance of stopping him.

I cannot remember the number of times I have been drawn back to watch this scene again and again. It is brutally honest. Sorkin is a genius and unfortunately usually overlooked. Thanks Aaron. This is from a Canadian that used to revere USA as a philosophy/way of life to aspire to.

Even at 3:51 when he's talking about how America was great at one time and they are playing manipulatively emotional music, America was not that great then either. There are a number of things we are not taught and even lied to about in our public schools that would lead us to conclude America is not and never was that great. We are better than a lot of things but it is dishonest and even cowardly to pretend like we are perfect. We aren't even close to perfect. Why do we have to lie about it? Who is that helping? Why do we need to feel great about our country?

Every single person in the world needs to see this!!!

Makes me cry every time i see this. This Country now is not the one I grew up in. We need to stand for integrity, truth, and each other. This 5 minutes is worth being seen by everyone in this country

Interviewer: *"what makes America the greatest country in the world?"* Answer: *"Freedom and freedom"* Interviewer: *" I'm not letting you go back to the airport without answering the question"* Yep, sounds like freedom to me.

So true. Don't want to live there!

We are living that moment about what you said 😢

This speech is Jeff Daniels best. This gave him the Emmy and it was worthy.

Show: The Newsroom S01E01 Actor: Jeff Daniels Writer: Aaron Sorkin

he couldn't say it more this is the truth

June 26, 2023 - This speech is even more relevant today.

7 years ago and this is more relevant today than when it released...”we didn’t identify ourselves by who we voted for in the last election and we didn’t scare so easily ... we were able to be all these things and do all these things because we were Informed”

Watching this after the George Floyd incident and after pondering why multimillionaires and multibillionaires in the govt twiddle their thumbs over deciding whether or not 40 million unemployed and starving Americans get ONE more payment of $1200 is exactly what comes to mind.

2022 - Going Downhill and real fast.

Best monologue ever. I don’t know when everyone became so damned scared or when the truth became lies and lies became the truth.

I'm in the Air Force and I'd fight for this man.

Sometimes the truth will not be what you want to hear & even hurt like hell. Unfortunately his statement is true.

Sad but true and it has only gotten worse 😕

Every American should start each day by watching this clip, even though it makes me cry realizing how true it is; and how much worse it’s getting every passing day.

"So when you ask: "What makes us the greatest country in the world," I dont know what the FUCK you're talking about. Yosemite?" Thats some hard shit. I love watching this.

This is one of the top 10 moments on TV of all-time in my judgement. His statement is so true on so many levels. He says what only alot of people are thinking and wanting to say.

He said what everyone outside of America knows is true and correct.

I come back to this speech time and time again and it never fails me.

This still brings tears to my eyes.... and I don't even care who knows it. It's brash, to the point, and everything the people of America in 2021 (and every year) need to hear. This is my favorite clip on RU-vid.

That 49th in life expectancy statistic is really showing its true colors now.

The Reason we are not the Greatest Country in The World Anymore - is that The Greatest Generation - who went through the Great Depression and WWII - didn't want their children to suffer the way they had - and they spoiled them rotten. Not that the Greatest Generation was perfect either. The worst thing they did though was they raised a generation of children who thought they were entitled to whatever they wanted. He talks about being informed - and - The Greatest Generation, despite their poverty - could mostly read and write - and they read newspapers. You can cram a lot more information into a small amount of space in a Newspaper - compared - to the amount of information that can be conveyed through Television or worse yet - Social Media. Electrons are complex - and it gets worse from there. The Talking Heads you had in the early days of TV were all trained as Print Journalists. And yet - Walter Cronkite (whom this show lauds for doing so) did more to lose the Vietnam War in about 30 seconds than Johnson or Nixon did as President - and millions of people died and were enslaved because of that. Thousands drowned, were raped or robbed and murdered by Pirates as Boat People fleeing the Communists. Of course Truman had abandoned China to the Communists - terming the aide sent to the Corrupt Nationalists as _Sand down a rat hole_ . Tens of millions died because of that. Look up _"The Great Chinese Famine"_ on Wikipedia. The Communists killed between 15 and 55 million people during the Great Leap Forward in and about 1959 by accident (which is not counting all the millions they killed on purpose). Think about that. The Nazi's killed 6 Million Jews in Concentration Camps - and 4 million other people they didn't like as well and that's only 10 million. 15 Million - is the low number. 55 Million people (about the same as the number of people who died world wide during WWII) may have died as well. They don't know - because the people who would have kept track of that - died too. Obama abandoned Iraq to ISIS - and it was Iran that saved it. Trump Abandoned the people who had fought for us in Afghanistan when he negotiated a Separate Peace with the Taliban - and Biden carried out that agreement. Remember 9/11? Thanks to Trump and Biden - the Terrorists who attacked us and dropped the World Trade Center - won. The Greatest Lie Ronald Reagan ever told the American People was "You are good people." We aren't. Of course ... no one else is either. We aren't worse than everyone else - we just aren't any better. We like to think we are - but - we're not. .

Right on target. This should be required viewing/listening for all people. We are not the greatest and we're slipping fast.

yep, smiling watching this. nothing is more relevant than this video right now. get it right America?

Bashed the nail right on the fucking head ,and cracked the board.

By FAR the greatest explanation of the USA still today!!!

Sweetie as someone who was alive during his "great" time. No honey no he is remembering history through rose colored smeared glasses. I believe in every generation that came after me. Y'all gave me hope that some day America truly could be great.

With all that's going on now, I thought of this video and came back to it. Any one else?

This makes me misty-eyed every time I see it...

So much truth. This is surreal. It is now an open secret.

I can't believe he was in dumb and dumber

I tried to show this to my parents when they told me America is the greatest country in the world. They absolutely refused to watch it. Show's a lot about their intelligence and character as a person.

Freedom and freedom but not for everyone

Hello darkness my old friend.

His exasperated 'BELGIUM' always cracks me up.

3:05-3:12 "So when you ask what makes us the greatest country in the world, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE FXXK YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!"

Rewatching this in 2020 just amplified how true this this actually is

Rewatching this (2023) ! There you go.

One of the greatest monologs I have ever hear (Jeff Daniels is awesome). An honest view of our selves. It holds true even more today.

Well, look at that! America is now the world leader in other two categories: 1. total COVID-19 cases; 2. total deaths by COVID-19. Isn't America great (again)?

This scene is like so many years old and yet its more truthful right now... today than what it was when it first aired...

this has aged exceptionally well.

Anyone else watching this in 2021 and getting anxious realizing it's more relevant than ever?

Came here again because I saw Jeff Daniels on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. I never get tired of this clip

I love how all three actually initially answered in 'one sentence or less'.

This was posted 11 years ago n here it is 11 years later an we are even more down hill 😂

Man after the Roe vs. Wade overturn today, I'm seeing this clip popping up everywhere...after watching it, I can see why!

And in realistic Sorkin fashion, the series goes on to show that America condemned him for telling the truth and nothing he said registered. They aspire for the entire show to tell better news, but the dream is never fully realized.

Aaron Sorkin's writing, ladies and gentlemen.

"We didn't scare easy..." Cough cough McCarthyism

I could see Matthew Perry nailing this monologue as well 👌 Jeff Daniels friggin nailed it

The scriptwriter for this deserves an Oscar. And Jeff Daniels gives a brilliant performance.

The single greatest opening monologue of any TV series, period, ever, period.

I wish he said « it could be » instead « it used too ». That second part of the speech is 80% bs

I've watched this video about 10 times.