This, IMO, is the root cause of why this country sucks. Why women are loosing rights to control their own body, why everyone (except the very rich) is in danger of becoming homeless due to a major health problem. It is the root cause of the racism, bigotry, and just blind hatred that plagues this shithole of a country every fucking day.Too many evangelical cult members, no es bueno.
Isn't that something politicians attempt to ingrain into the public?Theres no such thing as "the best country in the world" as an all encompassing thing.
Different people want different things out of a country.
I don't know. I think that "we are the greatest" is more of an American obsession. Most other countries start moaning about what's not great if you ask them about their countries.Isn't that something politicians attempt to ingrain into the public?
IMO - That's indoctrination from the right and the left are too scared to publically disagree.
I think most people in relatively rich Western countries would pick their countries of birth all things being equal.If I had to choose where to be born as a regular person though I would probably still pick America
Oh I mean specifically because they aren’t equal. For example median household income in the US is much higher than in the UK. The UK has plenty of nice things about it of course but I think I would prefer the US. (Again, as a regular person, not some rich asshole)I think most people in relatively rich Western countries would pick their countries of birth all things being equal.
But someone from the UK might say I'd rather have a slightly lower income and not have to worry about health care costs or a surfit of guns and religion.Oh I mean specifically because they aren’t equal. For example median household income in the US is much higher than in the UK. The UK has plenty of nice things about it of course but I think I would prefer the US. (Again, as a regular person, not some rich asshole)
It’s not a slightly lower income. Household income in the US is roughly 40% higher than in the UK. I agree that people can and do value different things, sure.But someone from the UK might say I'd rather have a slightly lower income and not have to worry about health care costs or a surfit of guns and religion.
Things are coloured by where you are brought up and what you are used to.
No one's arguing that it's not a good place. My two points were that A) different people prioritise different things depending on where they were brought up, and B) that Americans have a weird obsession with being the greatest which other countries don't have to the same extent.It’s not a slightly lower income. Household income in the US is roughly 40% higher than in the UK. I agree that people can and do value different things, sure.
I find that the US is a bad place to be poor in but for the middle class it’s quite good.
Haha I definitely agree Americans have a weird obsession with being the greatest and criticism of America is often met with hostility. Your point that people like where they grew up is well taken though. I remember reading and being shocked that something like 75% of Americans still live in the area where they were born. (Methodology varies)No one's arguing that it's not a good place. My two points were that A) different people prioritise different things depending on where they were brought up, and B) that Americans have a weird obsession with being the greatest which other countries don't have to the same extent.
I'm going to use your posts as vindication of both those points!
But how much of that household income in the US is spent paying for things that people in the UK don't have to pay for, such as health care, child care, etc.? Average health care premiums for a family is north of $20,000 a year, and has huge deductibles and out-of-pocket costs, if you dare to need it. But CEOs can buy some very nice yachts and private jets, so there is that.It’s not a slightly lower income. Household income in the US is roughly 40% higher than in the UK. I agree that people can and do value different things, sure.
I find that the US is a bad place to be poor in but for the middle class it’s quite good.
Can't do remote from there?Grand Cayman > USA.
And they don't need tourism to survive either.
Too bad for me there aren't software engineering jobs over there though.
This isn’t after tax income, it’s total income.But how much of that household income in the US is spent paying for things that people in the UK don't have to pay for, such as health care, child care, etc.? Average health care premiums for a family is north of $20,000 a year, and has huge deductibles and out-of-pocket costs, if you dare to need it. But CEOs can buy some very nice yachts and private jets, so there is that.
It would have to be upper middle class to be quite good. Middle class is meh, hope I don't go bankrupt if I get cancer, or if a child is born with a major health issue. Remember this is a country where you can get fired for a cancer diagnosis (not legal, but it happens), then the medical system turns you over to the collection agency from hell, cause you lived.
Middle class today means both people need to work, and child care costs very quickly reduces them to substance existence, living paycheck to paycheck.
This isn’t after tax income, it’s total income.
Regardless I’m not trying to say the US is perfect, just that given the other options it’s pretty good.
I agree that where you are in the US matters a lot, although I think that is primarily because as I said being poor in the US is really bad.Yes I don't think it's a bad option either but that's very specific to what part of the US you are born in and live. There are fantastic areas of the US to live that top anywhere in the world but you need to be in them. Overall as a country as a whole, I'd say there are some better ones in Europe.
There's a few countries in Europe I would not have minded being born and raised in and experienced a culture that is less consumerist and where work to live is more the mantra versus live to work.
And some of the areas in the US that are great could all go to shit if the Republicans have their way because they are hell bent on destroying whatever is good about this country, especially those areas.
I agree that where you are in the US matters a lot, although I think that is primarily because as I said being poor in the US is really bad.
If you’re middle class or above the US is good. If you’re poor, it’s bad.