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Fellow Americans, do you realize how much people envy us?
- Thread starter Korey
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The USA is a good place to live with its negatives probably exaggerated because people are too
negative and there are people who are too much fanatics with politics and perceive political differences to be a greater injustice than it really is. Of course the arrogant Americans who might be somewhat nationalistic also exaggerate.
There are several countries with good living standards so I don't see why one needs to envy the USA specifically. I guess one can envy the fact that American culture and media, where it is films, music and so on is so widespread and that in the Internet we often talk about American issues more than others and so on. But the first, is there really an advantage in living in the USA? Yes Hollywood and its stars are famous worldwide but that that it has become international phenomenon kind of reduces the advantages in being an American. The later is not really important.
negative and there are people who are too much fanatics with politics and perceive political differences to be a greater injustice than it really is. Of course the arrogant Americans who might be somewhat nationalistic also exaggerate.
There are several countries with good living standards so I don't see why one needs to envy the USA specifically. I guess one can envy the fact that American culture and media, where it is films, music and so on is so widespread and that in the Internet we often talk about American issues more than others and so on. But the first, is there really an advantage in living in the USA? Yes Hollywood and its stars are famous worldwide but that that it has become international phenomenon kind of reduces the advantages in being an American. The later is not really important.
Now you are putting words into my mouth.
When I said:
I really meant everywhere.
For example I just shake my head how more and more people here start to believe in various conspiracies such as the chem trails poisoning, HAARP weather control, sun gazing etc. And their advocates are the loudest. Smart people just let them be, because you cant even argue with people subscribing to such idiocies.
^this is why you fail.
bggrthnjsus
Member
man this thread really devolved into a thread of hate; what happened to the original message of love...for america...by the rest of you loser countries
Alligatorjandro
Banned
Are any Americans envious of other countries?
The Technomancer
card-carrying scientician
Aspects. I'm envious of a fair amount of Europe, but it doesn't make me want to move there so much as it makes me wish that America could examine what European countries have done, say "hm, this system seems to boost public health while decreasing household financial crises, maybe we should look into something similar, study what worked and what didn't work and build something better then our current system"
I don't want us to clone Europe, I just want us to try and learn from their successes and their mistakes.
Without wanting to be rude, I think that if you rate quality of life by the square footage of your house you might be using a silly standard.
what's the greatest nation in your opinion?
Don't cop out without an answer. Just name the country, you don't even have to list reasons why.
you said in order to be the greatest nation, so you obviously have it below first.
yes, over certain qualities.
False, but, continue to believe it if it makes you happy I guess.
Not really. There are good aspects from other countries that get overemphasized on Gaf, but there are also bad aspects that never get mentioned either. I am perfectly happy where I am at right now. If I want to go to another country, that's what traveling is for and I plan on doing a lot of that in the future.
Alligatorjandro
Banned
I wish the US had universal health care like countries in Europe have.
Well I'm sorry that you have to deal with that, but I don't believe the level of ignorance and arrogance you are talking about is typical.
I'm from Georgia brother, I know all about "conservative branches of extended families", and although we may disagree about the appropriate solution, none of them would ever claim that there simply isn't a problem.
But you know, experiences will vary.
I already answered, that quoting ATM:
I even said that atm I would choose Germany over USA. The disturbing notion is that some people say it as an axiom, and look down on the rest.
Maybe not British aristocracy in particular but southern accents do owe a good deal to immigrants from the UK.
I can't hate on germany, but I don't personally think it's above america.
Also known as taking steps to change your life ergo where you end up. Easier to do in America than anywhere else. Not that it's "easy" but relative to other places; here you truly have some type of a choice.
Edit: also, haters gunna hate.
Vulcano's assistant
Banned
Of the top of my head (besides health care and education) I think of dairy product. American cheese sucks, but at last we can always buy products from around the world.
I think probably it would be difficult to find an American accent that didn't owe a good deal to immigrants from the UK.
The Technomancer
card-carrying scientician
Even if I do accept what you're saying here (which I might, I don't completely disagree with you) is there still a good reason not to raise the baseline quality of living standard for all citizens? Can't you still choose to work hard and better yourself?
FTFY
Most poor people in the US like most other developed capitalist countries probably choose to not be poor and as a result end up becoming less poor. Because capitalism works (but obviously not everyone can rise through hard work alone especially if the economy is in bad shape). But it obviously takes time.
The problem is that the money must come from somewhere. You are taking money from citizens to give it back to citizens. And even if we judge only by whether living standards will rise or not, you must be sure that the way the goverment will use those money it has taken will be effective. Welfare can also help develop some less productive behaviors because people behave as it is convinient and how they learn to behave.
Note that I support social healthcare so I agree with the necessity for baseline quality of living standards but it might be lower than yours. And I think the issue can become complicated when we are talking about social welfare beyond what I find the absolute necessary.
The problem is that the money must come from somewhere. You are taking money from citizens to give it back to citizens. And even if we judge only by whether living standards will rise or not, you must be sure that the way the goverment will use those money it has taken will be effective. Welfare can also help develop some less productive behaviors because people behave as it is convinient and how they learn to behave.
Note that I support social healthcare so I agree with the necessity for baseline quality of living standards but it might be lower than yours. And I think the issue can become complicated when we are talking about social welfare beyond what I find the absolute necessary.
Trent Strong
Banned
I'm envious of Japan's anime girl body pillows.
All this talk has reminded me of this episode from Da Ali G show. Check it out, it's hilarious:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qRdPra2vWE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qRdPra2vWE
Of course. I've experienced universal healthcare abroad (I lived in South Korea for a couple of years) and yearn for it again. (And guess what, the Koreans have a far lower tax burden than Americans do!) I have never really had negative run-ins with cops in the U.S. (I'm white, so that helps), but I hate reading story after story of police brutality in America. Shit needs to stop. I'm jealous of cultures where anti-intellectualism isn't so pervasive. I'm jealous of countries with great PT. (But, I do live in DC, and the PT is solid.)
Having said all that, I don't know if I'd want to live outside the U.S. again. I never felt fully welcome in South Korea even though I came to speak the language at a conversational level. Even if only a racist subset of the population is actively hostile, you are still a mere curiosity to many others, a 'waegukin' (foreigner), not a normal person. And, even though I would blend in in most Euro countries (since, again, I'm white), all it would take is my flat Midwestern accent to betray my American roots. I certainly would never want to hide who I am. The U.S. is home to me, and I don't think I could change that.
It's just not true that it's easier to change your life if you live in America than anywhere else. Social mobility is higher in a number of European countries than it is in the USA.
It's a central piece of the American ideology that it's the land of opportunity, but if you actually go out and do studies, it turns out to be false.
But the distinction between southern american english and your normal generic american english accent is what owes a good deal to immigrants from specific regions of the UK. So his point about it being from British aristocracy is technically incorrect, but the fact it came mostly from people from Britain and is generally considered a hallmark of wealthy American plantation owners earns the sentiment a little explanation.
I can mail you the old ones i no longer use
I'm envious of certain aspects of other countries (e.g universal healthcare), but there's really no other country I would prefer to live in.
Fixed. Your point is very true though.
Here are some other views I have on this issue:
I think it would be kind of weird if the USA was better than the best smaller countries considering how the USA consists of both poor states and rich ones, there is such so much diversity in demographics, geography and so on and and maybe even culture in comparison to say Germany, and it is so much bigger that I would not expect it to be as good as the best smaller country in terms of productivity, quality of life and so on.
Also living in the best American state might be the same or superior to living in certain European countries and living in the bad states would be worse than living in certain European countries.
Basically a comparison between all of USA and a certain country might be advantageous to that European country. Even in Europe similar policies followed by nations who are more corrupt might have worse results. And I would not expect the USA to be as good as the best smaller country. Polls in Europe indicate that most Europeans believe that Germany to be the least corrupt and most successful.
I think it would be kind of weird if the USA was better than the best smaller countries considering how the USA consists of both poor states and rich ones, there is such so much diversity in demographics, geography and so on and and maybe even culture in comparison to say Germany, and it is so much bigger that I would not expect it to be as good as the best smaller country in terms of productivity, quality of life and so on.
Also living in the best American state might be the same or superior to living in certain European countries and living in the bad states would be worse than living in certain European countries.
Basically a comparison between all of USA and a certain country might be advantageous to that European country. Even in Europe similar policies followed by nations who are more corrupt might have worse results. And I would not expect the USA to be as good as the best smaller country. Polls in Europe indicate that most Europeans believe that Germany to be the least corrupt and most successful.
el retorno
Member
its higher than the uk. at least
Trent Strong
Banned
Erm...I think I'll pass. But thanks anyway.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5mBShX9fdU
82 year old former prime minister of australia, skulling a beer at a cricket match.
82 year old former prime minister of australia, skulling a beer at a cricket match.
Yeah, right. Thanks for the fix.
Anyway my point is, if you like to live in the US, that's good, that's fine. No-one's saying there's a best country in the world and you should want to live there and we're all going to decide it's country X. If you think the USA is great, cool!
But it's silly when you start saying 'no other country has the same diversity' or 'no other country has this much opportunity', because it's false. It's just false when you actually go out and test these things.
So it's not a thing if your favourite country is the USA, or Poland, or Guam or Azerbaijan. But don't cite false 'facts' in defense of it, that's just dumb.
Anyway I've been drinking and this is my last post on the matter smooches all.
I know it is. What kind of a crap tu quoque are you even going for? I think that the social mobility of the UK is shameful.
But the difference is that I'm not claiming that the UK has the best social mobility in the world.
The Technomancer
card-carrying scientician
You can love your country and still not like parts of it.
Now this I envy.
BocoDragon
or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
You'd think, based on the myth of the American Dream, that USA is the premier place to start off as a hardworking poor person and eventually make a decent living or even get rich.
But actual statistics show that social mobility is lower in the US than in many other developed nations.
So basically the Danish Dream, the Australian Dream, the Norwegian Dream, the Finnish Dream, the Canadian Dream, the Swedish Dream, the German Dream and the Spanish Dream are all more promising than the legendary American Dream
Agreed. I wish the ignorant and arrogant elements of the country weren't so loud because the attitude is poisonous and dilutes the amazing amount of 'soft power' that a country with such a strong entertainment industry can project.
That seems too sensible to work correctly. I suppose I'll give it a go though.
let's go for the three-peat!
The Technomancer
card-carrying scientician
America has some absolutly amazing aspects. Our higher education system is incredible (minus the whole cost issue, which I hope will be changed in the next decade or so) and I truly believe that we have the best system of government for a population as large as ours once you stop letting states decide civil rights issues and get money out of Washington. But the structure of our government is something I love.
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