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Let me ask you a question, Carrie Bradshaw-style: Is America the greatest country in the world?

If someone were to ask me that question today, I wouldn’t be able to give them a straight answer. I don’t know if it is or not, simply because I haven’t been to every country in the world. A Hugh Grant joke from the movie “Two Weeks Notice” comes to mind: Sandra Bullock yells at Grant, “I can’t believe you! You’re the most selfish person on the planet!” to which he responds, “Well, that’s just silly. Have you met everyone on the planet?”

All jokes aside, I think America is great, and has been greater, from what I’ve read of our nation’s history. I think we’re a lot greater than other nations, based on the political and economic freedom we have. The First Amendment of our Constitution guarantees me, as a journalist, freedom of the press. As a citizen, it guarantees me freedom of speech, the right to assemble and freedom of religion. But other countries do that, too.

According to usnews.com, Iceland, Luxembourg, Norway, Estonia and Finland rank as the countries with the freest press, in that order. The Heritage Foundation says Hong Kong, Canada and Chile rank higher in economic freedom than the United States. We do rank among the most religiously free countries in the world, second only to Ireland, based on a study conducted by scholar Paul Marshall titled “The Range of Religious Freedom.” Countries that most Americans have forgotten about or think are dangerous surpass us in rights and freedoms that some of us, myself included, take for granted.

However, the United States has some damn smart people living in it. Our scientists, writers and humanitarians have taken home more Nobel Prizes than any other country, and six of the top ten universities in the world are here. Americans are also the healthiest people in the world ”” we rank first in high-quality health care.

This isn’t a typical column, because I don’t have an opinion either way about whether or not America is the greatest country in the world ”” but maybe that’s the point. Maybe instead of automatically assuming that we’re the greatest nation on earth, we should all see what the other choices are before we make that decision. Until that day comes for me, my mind is open.

Maddie Shannon is a former arts & entertainment editor for The Collegian who now writes a fortnightly column for The Collegian.