one in a million chance.......only in america... kind of examples needed...

Corporate dominance over citizen supported in legislation and courtroom

specific recent real-life examples, please.

Creation:(recreation)/innovation: Model-T, computer,moon landing, sports (recreational freedoms), UN/Space Station/Shuttle/Mars landers/Veger,  Stealth, Drone, Area 51, religious variety, "I have a dream", lyricists, anthem, bill of rights, roasts <ha-ha>, ,Trump,incarcerations/death penalty , fast food, hot diggity dog, Harley, Barbie, Elvis, Mosaic, type/variety styles of music, Tiger attached to isolated tail, Chaplin/Marx Bros, JFK, forefathers, pursuit of happiness, dominance w/o conquer :-)

http://lyrics.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=1759312

Only in America
Can a guy from anywhere
Go to sleep a pauper and wake up a millionaire

Only in America
Can a kid without a cent
Get a break and maybe grow up to be President

Only in America
Land of opportunity, yeah
Would a classy girl like you fall for a poor boy like me

Only in America
Can a kid who's washin' cars
Take a giant step and reach right up and touch the stars

Only in America
Could a dream like this come true
Could a guy like me start with nothing and end up with you

Only in America
Land of opportunity, yeah
Would a classy girl like you fall for a poor boy like me

Only in America (poor boy like me)
Only in America (only in America)
Only in America (only in America)
Only in America (only in America)
Only in America (only in America)
Only in America

Jay & the Americans
Writer/s: Leiber, Jerry / Mann, Barry / Weil, Cynthia / Stoller, Mike
EMI Music Publishing

> specific recent real-life examples

If you want/need further elaboration on others, or miss an intent, do request. Here's two:

Mars Landers:

Viking 1
Viking 2
Pathfinder
Spirit
Opportunity
Phoenix
Curiosity

President

Abraham Lincoln "grew up in log cabin"                            [as did Andrew Johnson]

Perseverance, courage in face of adversity: "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself", power of single vote, self sacrice:

Edmund G. Ross, Republican Senator from Kansas, voted for acquittal in the Andrew Johnson impeachment trial. As a result of Ross's vote, Democrat Johnson's presidency was saved, and the stature of the office was preserved.
Ross proved to be the person whose decision would result in conviction or acquittal. When he chose the latter, the vote of 35–19 in favor of Johnson's conviction failed to reach the required two-thirds vote. Ross lost his bid for re-election two years later.
Thomas Ewing Jr,wrote Ross that he felt Ross was “preeminent for courage” among men – not only for his physical courage in battle but also for opposing Johnson’s impeachment. “In making [that] decision, you knew perfectly well that it could consign you to private life and the vehement denunciation of almost all your party friends.” [From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia]

=>  "only in america a single vote can be enough"

[supported also by quantity of 5-4 SCOTUS decisions]

4) 9/11. On the evening of September 11, 2012, scores of Islamic militants attacked the American diplomatic mission at Benghazi, in Libya
US: (litigation?) After numerous investigations yet another one has begun after soliciting campaign donations for prosecuting party members to help families of victims whether they want help or not
2) Admit I deliberately omitted that as well as genocide (to be brief?). If you are unaware, Amerinds taught/encouraged immigrants genocide in America, the French in particular lent assistance to that end. While US' Civil War remains historically more deadly than all its other wars combined, other countries outperformed it in achieving death tolls of own citizenry
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/05/07/310558860/congress-holds-former-irs-official-lois-lerner-in-contempt
Congress Holds Former IRS Official Lois Lerner In Contempt  May 07, 2014 7:19 PM ET
Lerner has repeatedly invoked the Fifth Amendment during congressional appearances
vote was 231 to 187, with all Republicans voting in favor
["the fifth" is the right to not be required to self-incriminate]

Only in America .... can Constitutional rights be superceded by politics of big business preferring it to be in headlined national news

"Je me souviens"

Only in America are guns considered a fundamental human right.

Then some links to read:

http://www.examiner.com/article/twenty-things-that-can-only-happen-america
http://conservativepapers.com/news/2012/06/01/list-of-10-things-that-happen-only-in-america/#.U24eRFfGBIE

Only on America ... can select form of biased opinion ... make headline news (ex Fox) ... concerning 'facts' about ... only in America.

@Viki:
:-)) nice links - supporting suggestions for claims about "only in america" that can lead to forum of discussion in a discussion forum

POV from this chair would be to refute them en masse, barring the 1st one quote "Only in America could politicians talk about the greed of the rich at a $40,000 a plate campaign fund raising event."   :-)

Leads me to opposing tack of sail, where I must point out potential misconception from earlier post: "American Indian Holocaust, known as the “500 year war” " --- The nation is among the youngest, barely over 200 years old.

Wave flag: Only in America - is being adaptive to change so paramount - only in America did massive expansion arise from garage sales of other countries combined with support of popular demand, for large and for small.

Examples:

Louisiana purchase, from France.
Alaska purchase from Russia.
(use of beads and few godalmighty dollars)
Voters in California.
Voters in Hawaii.
[then there's that for Puerto Ricans, Guamererics, et al)

==> bear witness to a changing flag adaptive to process.

Only in America - can government so firmly embed a god-concept devoid of religion
Example: "In God We Trust" printed on national currency (along with pyramid etc.)  [hencely derived  word(s): godalmighty dollar]

yet:

Only in America do Politicians (race for) and media announce favor for "country (America) does not exist" while seeking its godalmighty dollar while promoting inequality
Example: Clive Bundy & supporting militia (which also serves as)
Only in America: Racists claiming to be non-racists calling a son of a white woman black in search of national news and personal financial gain, status of office included. [certainly there could not have been any such birth in america, where knowledge of cotton-picking ways so obscure]

Only in America: can politicians seek national attention by promoting terrorism using FUD - including violations of law, due process, while convincing gun lovers to terrorize those believing in god-given freedom to have shop to legally sell guns to service others who believe in freedom to purchase guns

Example:
http://thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/watch-live-bachmann-religious-right-hold-christian-led-prayer-event-inside-nations-capitol/politics/2014/05/07/86933
The event is a prayer meeting masquerading as a history event. Rep. Bachmann, along with Rep. Louie Gohmert, Senator Ted Cruz, and some of the nation’s top religious right leaders will join hands and pray in Statuary Hall, the rotunda at the top of the building where Congress has led the nation for more than 200 years. This highly-controversial integration of church and state was authorized by Speaker John Boehner.
The event will be broadcast globally by the Daystar Television Network, with WorldNetDaily Films and ..."

http://www.wnd.com/2014/05/watch-congress-pray-like-george-washington/
Rep. Bachmann told WND the creation of America was a miracle
http://www.wnd.com/2014/03/bachmann-explains-why-god-blessed-america/
" We didn’t make government our sovereign. We made God our sovereign."
"This catastrophic event will kill 9 out of 10 Americans within 1 year"
"Blood Moons are Here! find out what's coming next!
"Welcome to Police State U.S.A."
“Washington: A Man of Prayer, 2014¿"
http://www.daystar.com/ondemand/joni-four-blood-moons-john-hagee-j1056/
" Does God still speak to us through the stars like He did in times of old? Yes, He does. "Join us for a fascinating discussion as Pastor John Hagee unpacks the history and meaning behind the prophetic sign of the Four Blood Moons."
God said: "The sun does not go down"

http://www.politifact.com/punditfact/statements/2014/may/01/sarah-palin/sarah-palin-eric-holder-wants-gun-owners-wear-id-b/
"Waterboarding is how we baptize terrorists"
" Sarah Palin fired up the NRA crowd but skewed some of her information in the April 26 address."
"Every day we are seeing more and more efforts to strip away our Second Amendment rights," Palin told the crowd.   [inflaming their opposition to Smart Guns]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phA9rqH3-kA
NRA STOPS Smart Guns? But What About Freedom?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exNbPTETBNE
Published on May 5, 2014 The NRA & GOA, Gun Owners of America, will say & do anything to STOP the sale of this Smart Gun in America. WHY???
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2014/0503/Death-threats-stop-gun-store-from-selling-smart-gun.-Why
Death threats stop gun store from selling 'smart' gun. Why?
The White House has urged gun companies to invent safety technology that could limit a gun’s use to its owner. But two gun shops decided not to sell such guns after receiving death threats.
European gunsmiths are exploring technologies like RFID chips, rings, fingerprint sensors and even voice recognition to incorporate into new generation firearms.

Whether they’ll ever make it onto US gun store shelves is now the open question.

>>what are those extreme rare things that happen in usa that does not happen easily elsewhere..


For a Francophone there is only ONE dirty word : PROHIBITION.

If this would have been as Facebook, I would be given a "Like" for your answer. I almost forgot about Al Capone...

viki, I think I would have given a "Like" for all of Sunbow's answers, and they're more fun than ever.  Stirring me up again.

[Thoughts to self: Hmm! I'm single again, wondering if Sunbow is married.  Better not say that out loud, because then Sunbow goes quiet for a while.  Wouldn't want that, so better not say anything.  Also, I better make a thoughtful, on-topic, comment so I'm not labeled a troll (if that is even possible in this Zone). So here goes.]

It seems that the thread author is not looking for things unique or ironic about the U.S., but wants to hear of extremely rare coincidences that would only happen here in the U.S.

[Yeah, but I like the way how BigRat express herself and besides she is a lady and SunBow is a gentlemen and I don't want people to think that I am "inversely".]
"extremely rare coincidences that would only happen here in the U.S"
That cannot be "Roswell" events, but covering such events definitely can. The easy way is to give so much info pro/cons that it is impossible to filter, to have a proper reference not being able to identify the truth.

@ viki.

I have to say that SunBow is courteous to people and BigRat makes some extremely lightening posts, especially on political matters.

I don't know a person's gender here, unless I've met them in person or they have made it clear in their postings.  It's really not my concern, and we shouldn't inquire.  I try not to use personal pronouns with those whose gender I don't know for sure.  With some I've exchanged many posts at EE over the years, and I still don't know. It's really none of my business.  I like to joke with SunBow, because SunBow is so witty and says so many things that resonate with or tickle me.  SunBow gets even better over the years. Or as Paul Simon said, "Still Crazy After All These Years."  :-))

<sigh>              [go with flow rather than dodge}

While the nature of internet is wild, no one's claim to be a something should be deemed a certified truth, or a proclamation that their own solution is the one-and only having validity for recognition [can remain matter of opinion]
still, value can be derived from intercourse of fluid exchange of ideas, concepts, thoughts, ...
such that promote greater understanding of peers, alternative viewpoints, learning without having to ask...
leads to mutual collaboration, parity, support, resolutions, sharing, resonance, expressiveness ... values

Picturing view from space, is an area that is shared by all inhabitants
                          en brief              [^whether connected to internet or not]
Asker:             Inquisitive         [admit I've insufficient experience]
Viki:                 Womanly Tentative  [hesitate to exclude "elaborate" where it can be inferred]
Waterstreet: Stoically Stolid  [in remembrance of a Joshua calling a Simon a rock, ignoring manly]
BigRat:            Tough Lady        [as opposed to iron lady despite enduring endurance]

It was primarily the prohibition comment that led to this comment. Where my first reaction went: "Nay, muslims prohibit..." the next was for a wait-a-minute, the avatar means there's just gotta be more to it than enabling knee-jerk reaction [skim]. Were same comment made by some other, I may have easily missed out on something. Tough. Whether elaborate or succinct. There can be more to it to 'get it' - which can apply to any. Viki <> girlie. Waterstreet <> chaotic. ...<heh>: Conspiratorial synchronicity approaching infinity  BigRat/SunBow. Observe: six letters to both. Oh my. Two caps in both. Oh My. Caps in same linear position. OH MY!!!   Concluding:   µ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿

and....ok,

SunBow:        Crazy Dancer      [as opposed to dodger, weird is ok, self debasing,skeptic]

In sum: Prior to deriving conclusion consider gathering evidence [ex: data, observation, lurkers, ...]
There can be more than reduction to ways of yin/yan, there can be some wonderful world of color [Disney]

Only in america does one find leaders finding humor in the poking of fun at ones-self as well as from others

The juxtaposition of visible response from Trump & Christie rather enlightening [WHCD]
                  "If you can’t take the heat, get out of the game.’”
[sample}:
“I am sorry for that joke, Governor Christie. I did not know I was going to tell it, but I take full responsibility for it. Whoever wrote it will be fired. But the buck stops here. So, I am appointing a blue-ribbon commission of me to investigate the joke I just told. And if I find any wrongdoing on my part, I assure you I will be dealt with." [White House Correspondents’ Dinner]

[I must admit WaterStreet was right. You are funny, but in the same time I recognized a pattern, which explains why you were put too with hands up and face to the wall by Zone Advisors and then to calm down the waters you disappeared for a while...
The person gender: first supposing they have an honest relation with their avatar and then related with their way how they answer]

I have to admit that the last two posts went completely over my head.  I'm not as smart as I might appear. You have to be very explicit for me to understand.

Well mostly over my head.

<ping>

;) nicies...    The followup below from 'Rat induced neuron (feed me), then saw Tom's post, a confirmation to do another:


Considering potato famine of Ireland, USofA big door opened to their people, and behold: huge developments for own 'Idaho potato' to further feed all.

Well known the French contribution to Ellis Island nurturing this (& fries):
Well known quote: "

You almost made me believe that the lady above has instead of the torch a potato :)

[appending tliotta's work above, a personal favorite:]

Austrian Native born 10 July 1856, a Serbian attaining USA Citizenship 30 July 1891
He told many of his companions that he valued the citizenship more than any scientific honors that he had acquired.
Nikola credited his eidetic memory and creative abilities to his mother's genetics and influence
Tesla's work fell into relative obscurity after his death

[Among some gazillion contraptions (amount unknown as so many destroyed) was the use of alternating current powering your computer today.]

[:( jury out on US support of Malaysia/Chinese vs own miners, but :) their derring-do far surpasses Putin-ists]
[:) US planes join hunt for Nigeria schoolgirls]

yah, it's the rebels such as of Nigeria that want to project it's morals of denying a gender a right to be educated
Nigerian.gov projects morals to not negotiate with terrorists, while meeting with them to negotiate settlement

I think one must differentiate between the normal foibles (or if you want xenophobia) of ordinary people, and in my experience this is the same the world over, and the machinations of the state. One might even go as far as to suggest that America was intolerant to its immigrants because they were to an extent forced to take on the citizenship, the language and American moral values, particularly the Anglo-Saxon work ethic (One lives to work, as against the Latin one works to live). There is a nice social science project waiting in the assertion that the American cultural identity of "oneness" came very quickly after independance (if it were not there before) since during "Monroe's Little War" of 1812 when the US attempted to "free" Canada both the indians and significantly the French fought on the side of the British.

Xenophobia may be common, but ignore it not, for the machinations
Predicated by others, while import of servitude originated from Europe and Africa
The latter continuing on to this day
America searches for pride that it has been eradicated
Yet it has not to this day

> American intolerant to its immigrants
> (One lives to work versus one works to live).

How about asking that one separately, my neurons not firing well on that, other than for
Issue of haves versus have nots


Times a-changin'

Vente de la Louisiane was the acquisition by the United States of America in 1803 of 828,000 square miles (2,140,000 km2) of France's claim to territory

The British saw the Indian nations as valuable allies and a buffer to its Canadian colonies and provided arms. Attacks on American settlers in the Northwest further aggravated tensions between Britain and the United States.

American merchant marine had come close to doubling between 1802 and 1810, making it by far the largest neutral fleet

In 1807, Britain introduced a series of trade restrictions via a series of Orders in Council to impede American trade with France, with which Britain was at war

At sea, the powerful Royal Navy blockaded much of the coastline
The blockade devastated American agricultural exports, but it helped stimulate local factories that replaced goods previously imported

Extortion. British raids on the shores of Chesapeake Bay, including an attack on Washington that resulted in the British burning of the White House, the Capitol, the Navy Yard, and other public buildings, in the "Burning of Washington". The British power at sea was enough to allow the Royal Navy to levy "contributions" on bayside towns in return for not burning them to the ground. The Americans were more successful in ship-to-ship actions. They sent out several hundred privateers to attack British merchant ships; in the first four months of war they captured 219 British merchant ships. British commercial interests were damaged, especially in the West Indies.  [eye for an eye]

Only in America: kind of example:
Only in America: (it's)  National Anthem

The British launched a successful attack on Chesapeake Bay, capturing and burning Washington, looting Alexandria, and unsuccessfully attacking Baltimore.The embarrassing Burning of Washington led to Armstrong's dismissal as U.S. Secretary of War. American defence of Fort McHenry in September 1814 inspired the lyrics of the U.S. national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner"
A British invasion of Louisiana was defeated with very heavy British losses by General Andrew Jackson at the Battle of New Orleans

Once Britain and The Sixth Coalition defeated Napoleon in 1814, France and Britain became allies
After Napoleon abdicated on April 6, 1814, the British could send veteran armies to the United States, but by then the Americans had learned how to mobilize and fight

[- a little late in the game for the French to pitch in]
On December 24, 1814 the diplomats had finished and signed the Treaty of Ghent.

The war fostered a spirit of national unity and an "Era of Good Feelings" in the U.S., as well as in Canada. It opened a long era of peaceful relations between the United States and the British Empire.

The treaty did not mention the grievances of 1812 that led to war.
The Americans were satisfied that their honour as an independent nation had been upheld   [Wiki]

Only in America: kind of example:




Only in America: kind of example:
Only in America: kind of example:

[note: there were, and are very many who are quick to debunk the story -- about radical militants seeking to overthrow the country to make their own nation]


Only in America: kind of example:
Oh, for those good old days of the '60's: the "Love Generation", "Flower Power" and...a tale...of ...
Where's Martin? Where's Bobby? Can you tell me where they've gone?

A small handful of youngsters got together on school ground to implement plan to distribute free bibles throughout neighborhood in California. It did not take long for them to realize they and the neighborhood had other needs. This led path to:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_panthers

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police_riot

A police riot is a riot carried out by the police; a riot that the police are responsible for instigating, escalating or sustaining as a violent confrontation; an event characterised by widespread police brutality; a mass police action that is violently undertaken against members of the public for the purpose of political repression. The term "police riot" was first used in the Walker Report investigating the events surrounding the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago to describe the "unrestrained and indiscriminate" violence that the police "inflicted upon persons who had broken no law, disobeyed no order, made no threat."

http://9poundhammer.blogspot.com/2011/01/compared-to-what.html
The Chicago Eight conspiracy trial begins with Black Panther Bobby Seale chained to his chair, and across town fellow Panther Fred Hampton is murdered in his sleep by Chicago police.

Only in America: kinds of examples:


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Hanrahan
Running as a Democrat, he won a landslide election in 1968 as Cook County State's Attorney, winning support from White and African American voters. [and then....]

Edward Vincent Hanrahan (March 11, 1921 – June 9, 2009) was a Cook County, Illinois State's Attorney who had been groomed as a prospective successor to Mayor of Chicago Richard J. Daley whose career was effectively ended after an ill-fated 1969 raid by police attached to his office that resulted in the deaths of Black Panther Party leader Fred Hampton and member Mark Clark

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Hampton

Fred Hampton (August 30, 1948 – December 4, 1969) was an African-American activist and deputy chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party (BPP). He was killed while sleeping in his apartment ..

"We expected about twenty Panthers to be in the apartment when the police raided the place. Only two of those black niggers were killed, Fred Hampton and Mark Clark."
         —FBI Special Agent Gregg York
...
On the evening of December 3, Hampton taught a political education course at a local church
...
Hampton fell asleep in mid-sentence talking to his mother on the telephone. Although Hampton was not known to take drugs, Cook County chemist Eleanor Berman would report that she ran two separate tests which each showed a powerful barbiturate had been introduced into Hampton's blood. An FBI chemist would later fail to find similar traces, but Berman stood by her findings

The raid was organized by the office of Cook County State's Attorney Edward Hanrahan, using officers attached to his office. Hanrahan had recently been the subject of a large amount of public criticism by Hampton, who had made speeches about how Hanrahan's talk about a "war on gangs" was really rhetoric used to enable him to carry out a "war on black youth".

At 4:00 a.m., the heavily armed police team arrived at the site, divided into two teams, eight for the front of the building and six for the rear. At 4:45 a.m., they stormed into the apartment.

Mark Clark, sitting in the front room of the apartment.. was shot in the heart and died instantly

Automatic gunfire then converged at the head of the south bedroom where Hampton slept, unable to awaken as a result of the barbiturates the FBI infiltrator had slipped into his drink. He was lying on a mattress in the bedroom with his pregnant fiancée, who was eight-and-a-half months pregnant with their child. Two officers found him wounded in the shoulder, and fellow Black Panther Harold Bell reported that he heard the following exchange:


The officers then directed their gunfire towards the remaining Panthers, who had been sleeping in the north bedroom (Satchel, Anderson, and Brewer). Verlina Brewer, Ronald "Doc" Satchel, Blair Anderson, and Brenda Harris were seriously wounded, then beaten and dragged into the street, where they were arrested on charges of aggravated assault and the attempted murder of the officers.

At a press conference the next day, the police announced the arrest team had been attacked by the "violent" and "extremely vicious" Panthers and had defended themselves accordingly. In a second press conference on December 8, the assault team was praised for their "remarkable restraint", "bravery", and "professional discipline" for not killing all the Panthers present. Photographic evidence was presented of "bullet holes" allegedly made by shots fired by the Panthers, but this was soon challenged by reporters [they were nail holes (cheap housing)]

Hampton's funeral was attended by 5,000 people, and he was eulogized by such black leaders as Jesse Jackson and Ralph Abernathy, Martin Luther King's successor

The seven Panthers that survived the raid were indicted by a grand jury on charges of attempted murder, armed violence, and various other weapons charges. These charges were subsequently dropped.

Chicago police fired approximately anywhere between ninety and ninety-nine shots

Despite the evidence that suggested otherwise, Hampton’s death was ruled as a justifiable homicide

It was found that riot instigators were paid off by funds collected for national Republican support, including endorsements for checks such as from the current VP. The VP got tossed out of office on unrelated charge, opening door for 'appointment' leading to POTUS for member of Warren Commission (JFK reviewer/concluder), followed by appointment of unelectable POTUS seeker (deemed too very rich at public expense = a loser). The latter later found having died in private with a young lady at each side to manage his privates. Rumored to have died with a smile. These ramifications were enabled by similar but not equal Watergate. Led to 'Only American' to hold highest office while having no votes.

After a break-in at an FBI office in Pennsylvania the existence of an illegal counter-intelligence program that went by the name of COUNTLEPRO was brought to light. The purpose of this program was to target and neutralize "Black Nationalist-Hate Groups." When knowledge of this program came to light many began to suspect that the police raid and the assassination of Fred Hampton was a part of the program’s initiative. One of the documents that were released after the break-in was a floor plan of Hampton’s apartment. Another document outlined a deal the FBI brokered with the deputy attorney general to conceal the FBI’s role in the assassination of Hampton and the existence of COUNTLEPRO

Jeffrey Haas, author and attorney for the plaintiffs in the federal suit Hampton v. Hanrahan, posited that Chicago was worse off without Hampton:

“ Of course, there’s also the legacy that, without a young leader, I think the West Side of Chicago degenerated a lot into drugs. And without leaders like Fred Hampton, I think the gangs and the drugs became much more prevalent on the West Side. He was an alternative to that. He talked about serving the community, talked about breakfast programs, educating the people, community control of police. So I think that that’s unfortunately another legacy of Fred’s murder "

Only in America: kind of example:


Only in America: kind of example:




Only in America: kinds of examples @ link:

Only in America: kinds of examples

Quotes from Richard J. Daley, Mayor of Chicago:

@SunBow

Regarding the '68 convention and police riot:

Though my 25 year stint in Chicago started in 1970, this song was a big hit early in my time there.  Lyrics and song at http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Chicago-lyrics-Crosby-Stills-Nash-Young/69A5B5725565E1F248256D990023C69E

File this under "irony" for America.

THANK YOU THANK YOU

Thank you much.    : )

Thanx,                     *** Good Fortune ***