Is the US the best place to live?

[MIKE BURN]

Quote:

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The Master 1968



Well my buddy seems to think that the US, only, has the right to speak out against the government.



I tried to tell him other places do it, too, but he thinks it's not true.



He says you can be killed/arrested for doing it.

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Well, I visited the U.S. several times and of course I still think that my home country, Germany that is, still is the best place to live I think that foremost normal, but on the other side I feel more "free" than in the U.S. actually.



In the USA I was confronted with stuff like "no smoking here, no smoking there", "do not drink in public", massive police which treats you like a die-hard criminal just for speeding. I saw people being beaten and arrested by the police for no apparent reason, something you will hardly experience here where the police is very friendly.



Well, it is hard to compare a country with the other - it's more like comparing apples and oranges.



As long as we have the argument of political freedom I can say, that I can criticize my government and that every citizen of my conutry even is encouraged to do so. By all means we don't know "political arrests" for just voicing your opinion and we have a tradition for street protests. Basically it boils down to the fact that in whole Europe you are free to voice your opinion and don't have to fear oppression or political motivated arrests. Your buddy has at least no clue about Europe, where we don't know something like the "Patriot Act" and the "Department for Homeland Security" incl. all these questionable "rights" of the U.S. authorities to wiretap calls, intercept messages and Internet communication just because there are "suspect Terrorists" somewhere in your household apart from your pets. As a matter of fact, I felt very unsafe in the USA and this already 10 years ago.



When it comes to the quality of live I would say that in the U.S. there is a lot of space but also a lot of desert in the heartland. In California you may lead a good life if you have the dollars stored in a huge box, but I doubt that life there is fun if you don't have much. For me as a European, the lack of culture overall as well as the lack of a sense for healthy eating and drinking is obvious. At the end I have the impression that the USA are a very bad place to live, if you refrain to work without holidays for the eternal hunt for more dollars, while you forget how to live well. Nature in the USA is great in some places, but overall I think it is even like that in Europe, in certain parts "greater" and mabye more untouched and kept in a natural state by people and local authorities incl. private organizations. I was surprised to see in New York for example, that it is hard to find a single tree somewhere in the city.

MIKE
mikeburn and friends

[The Master 1968]

Well, I have been to a couple of places in Europe (France, Italy, & Spain).



I loved the laid back atmosphere that I experienced.



This was in 89, by the way. I was too young to fully appreciate it, though I did appreciate the differences a lot.



Is Turkey considered in Europe (don't have a map on hand)?



I plan to print this & take it to my buddy... See what he's got to say about it, after hearing from folks that are not US residents.



The biggest thing I hate about here is the "we are the best at everything on earth" attitude.



And it's usually people that don't know what the hell they're talking about that spout out that type of crap.

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master

[Damien Project]

Drooly..another good question dude..bush is the leader because just barelyyyyyy over half gave him the vote...right now in our political system it is like choosing the lesser of evils....My cuntry really needs someone of integrity to step up...the question is who is that gonna be ? @#%$ it...maybe I will run and legalize pot

Mark

www.soundclick.com/damienproject

[AQUARIAN AGE]

Read this....



www.happyplanetindex.org/list.htm



HPI = Life satisfaction x Life expectancy/Ecological Footprint





Best place to live is an island group called Vanutu!!!

CD Baby*videos

Edited by: AQUARIAN AGE  at: 7/12/06 22:23

[ianbal]

Turkey ??? Now that's a contentious one !



It would seem they want to become part of the European union....... But not all Europeans are sure they should.



Technically, they're in Europe and the middle east, from a geographic point of view.



Spain and Italy are laid back country's, southern France is as well, however, the further north you go in Europe, it tends to get a little more hectic.



Middle Europe is beautifull !

In my opinion, Holland is the coolest country, not cold just cool people !

Forget the wars .......... German people are great people ! We've got friends in Germany who we visit every two or three years........

Britain,s a funny country........... we're not sure whether we're European or not ! Personally i feel European, but I know others who don't.

A twenty mile strip of water seems too make a difference to some people ! Plus we're hanging onto our pound like it's some kind of gold !



As a country, we've got too many people crammed into a small place, too many cars, but appart from that not a bad place, economy is still pretty good. You'll find British people reserved but friendly. Plus we got good Castles !





Regards







Ian

[bbchris]

Wooohooo! Life expectancy in HK is longer than in US and UK!! Bet that changes with the increases in import of American food!



No one place can be the best place to live for everybody. Different people have different requirements/needs. Ages, whether you're married, with/without children, with/without parents to look after, income possibilities, health, freedom, education etc. etc.



The answers we're reading here are GREAT!!

|Blah Blah|Thinking Out Loud|Jane Eliz||Talk Soup | Underground HK |

[PANick11]

if you can make $150,000 a year or more the US is probably about as cool a place as you could want..



if your poor or middle class,even Upper Middle Class, it's a stressful credit based lifestyle with constant worries about healthcare and retirement and schools for your kids..



I think any of the European parlimentary/socialist countries are better and and more free for the average person...



America is huge though, it's freeking enormous actually and there are so many lifestyles and weird little sub groups...there's a lot of interesting stuff here and an amazing variety of lifestyles and communities...

I'm fortunate to have found a little community thats as freaky as I am..

but there are still the worries I mention..

it's damned stressfull to be middle class in america no matter where you are..

[Damien Project]

Panick....very true and straight assessment man..right on the money

Mark

www.soundclick.com/damienproject

[ED1G]

I love America, however I am not sure I could live there... it would be nice to have a holiday home there...

Check me out!

[HKRockChick]

Panick, yes that's what everyone I know in the US says, and yet, the average wages is supposed to be US$35K pa, is that right?

[bbchris]

What the heck is 'middle class' 'lower class' 'upper middle class'? I get really confused by these terms as I don't understand them. Am I a class??

|Blah Blah|Thinking Out Loud|Jane Eliz||Talk Soup | Underground HK |

[ianbal]

Hmm the class system can get complicated.

If you're stinking rich, you're most likely upper class ! But in Britain, not always.......... 'cos we got aristocracy ! they're always considered upper class, even when they're bankrupt !..........

If you're self made financially..... you're neuvo rich, the aristocracy won't hang with you unless you're usefull to them..........

The man that invented sanitary towels had to wait with his family for three generations before they were accepted by the aristocracy......... he he



Middle and upper middle are where most fit. but in britain, you're profession can influence you're status. But generally size of your income, house, standard of living etc dictates where you stand.........



If you're poor as dirt, you're probably working class !



Personally........... it's all a load of bull !!!



I've worked in the building trade all my life, been proud to be working class (with me it's a roots thing rather than money, as with many working class)

However, my wife trained late in life to become a teacher, that tends to elevate you to middle class.......... what crap !!



I got no problem with rich people, I got no problem with poor people. What I can't stand is labels !



Well actually i have got a problem with aristocracy, but that's a whole other issue........



You stay just as you are Chris.......... a don't know ! like, who cares ??



Regards







Ian

[PANick11]

$35,000 a year???



yes, thats about right..



and there are a lot of people getting by on even less than that..



My wife and I together make about $60,000, thats our Combined Income!!

so together we equal one middle class person...



heh..



But we do pretty good because she gets health insurance from her work, we have to pay monthly, about $500, but that is super cheap comparatively and it's good coverage for her and I and our two kids..

Most people we know are struggling to pay for crappy insurance or are simply living with no health care coverage at all....



A middle class life here is pretty good, but there's a lot of worries, everything is credit based....

and if you lose your job you can lose everything pretty fast.

Especially now that just regular folks aren't as protected by bankruptcy laws..



If a major corporation overcapitalizes and goes broke they just Yell "DO OVERS" and they often get their debt forgiven and probably many forms of corporate welfare to get going again..as long as there is no Fraud involved..

as te law stands if your simply a lazy or innept corporation your pretty protected!



Onnthe other hand, f a person with a couple kids making $50,000 a year and paying a mortgage and maybe a couple car payments loses their income, that's it, all the credit cards come due and you can no longer easily protect your home and other assets, you could easily lose everything,

house,

cars,

credit rating..

all of it..



It used to be that in a situation like that there were some protections for you, but they've all been gutted by our current congress as a favor to the major lending institutions.



It sucks because people have been extended credit and encouraged to over extend to prop up the "American Dream", (remember Bushes "lets all go shopping" advice after 9/11) but soon here it may all come falling down and ordinary folks with lower incomes will be devastated..



Kinda like what the IMF did to indonesia and Thailand..Reforms that protect only the corporate classes are hell in a deflating economy

it wont be as bad as what happened in Asia of course, but corporatocracy will end up creating an absolotely massive lower class of destitute people here in the next 25 years..

That may sound kinda gloom doom....but I really believe it to be true...

Edited by: PANick11 at: 7/19/06 0:09

[PANick11]

I use the term "class" , as it relates to american economic demographics...



it of course has come to mean so much more than that..



But I'm talking about a class system that is entirely based on your income and net worth and access top credit.

and ,since corporations in america have all the rights and privileges of persons, and have protections that no person can secure, I consider the "corporate Classes" to be entities, just as the courts consider them to be...



As ir stands now, the Law is designed to protect the interests of the corporate classes at the expense of private individuals, particularly wheh those individuals have a low net worth..



Class discussions are very uncomfortable for most people, It's desigened to be that way and the subject of "class struggle" and "class war" is very taboo in the education system. Thats why the rich keep getting richer and the rest of us are deluded into illusions of "rugged Individualism" and "Class Pride" and the American dream of class trancendence...while our hard work and income continually trickles up into the coffers of the Upper Classes who have remained essentially the same demographic for 200 years..

[droolymutt]

"Live within your means" comes to mind.