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Odenwald is the worst kind of "intellectual". You speak in a clear concise way and are clearly smart, yet your inability to step back and look at facts is truly dumb. You take pride in being able to "make you own conclusions", which is great, but you're doing so to the exclusion of, again, facts. Much of what you state simply is not true. Many things can influence your perception. Your unconscious, or conscious, bias from the beginning of your time there and that you clearly hold now for example. You see what you want to. If you want to be taken seriously by people who have been in your same position or live in Europe now and know your assertions to be false, you need to back up your statements with raw facts, well sourced statistics and rational arguments. I unfortunately don't have the time right now to look up said facts and statistics so I'll leave you with a couple questions to ponder.
1) The lack of government oversight you rave about also has negatives. (By the way, Europe isn't as Socialist as some love to imagine). For example, many ISP's have the freedom to track your every move. Amazon has the freedom to track your every word. How, my friend, is this freedom?
2) The Patriot Act allows the US government to track, without a warrant, citizens phones and communications and can legally come into your home and plant cameras and microphones without your consent or knowledge. How is that free? I can assure you that's not legal in Germany.
I could go on. I think it's time you reflect on the propaganda you've been fed and let cloud your judgement.
Last edited by Whywontthisjustwork; 06-22-2018 at 09:08 AM..
Okay. Okay. So what is the problem everyone? Can't we perhaps just disagree? Why is my opinion such a big deal. Look, if I have upset anyone in here, I really am sorry. It was never my intention to troll anybody. Honestly.
I just came to a conclusion about Europe and the USA which, so far, has worked really well for me. I know neither place is perfect. And there are many things about the USA which I do not agree with. There are even some things which I think some European countries do really well.
For me, the USA has always been a place of freedom and liberty where being smart and productive tends to pay off. You can't take that away from me and, most of all, you shouldn't really let that upset you.
So what is the problem everyone? Can't we perhaps just disagree? Why is my opinion such a big deal.
Because most people do not get beyond two-dimensional, either/or thinking.
Both/and ... both/and ... both/and ... is just way too difficult.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Odenwald
I just came to a conclusion about Europe and the USA which, so far, has worked really well for me. I know neither place is perfect. And there are many things about the USA which I do not agree with. There are even some things which I think some European countries do really well.
For me, the USA has always been a place of freedom and liberty where being smart and productive tends to pay off. You can't take that away from me and, most of all, you shouldn't really let that upset you.
Grasping both at the same time is just way too difficult and irksome for most people, like walking and chewing gum at the same time.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Odenwald
I am not an intellectual by the way.
Indeed, the last thing you want is some smarmy intellectual to figure out reality on the ground, and, beyond last, realities on multiple grounds.
Could you elaborate on the bold text? Not having ever been outside the USA, I am not understanding what you are saying here?
There seems to be less restrictions in renting out properties in the United States compared to many other countries. I am not sure about this, but this is what I have heard.
Typically, you can put a 20% down-payment on a property and get a loan for the remaining 80% from a bank or lender. You can do this for up to 4 properties without that many restrictions. This is probably one of the reasons a lot of foreigners buy properties in the United States.
It also depends on which part of the country you're in. It is cheaper to buy property in the midwest and south than it is on the coasts.
There seems to be less restrictions in renting out properties in the United States compared to many other countries. I am not sure about this, but this is what I have heard.
Typically, you can put a 20% down-payment on a property and get a loan for the remaining 80% from a bank or lender. You can do this for up to 4 properties without that many restrictions. This is probably one of the reasons a lot of foreigners buy properties in the United States.
It also depends on which part of the country you're in. It is cheaper to buy property in the midwest and south than it is on the coasts.
It all depends on your US credit. Owner occupied versus investment is another cup of tea. Trying to get a mortgage as non-US resident is extremely difficult.
Okay. Okay. So what is the problem everyone? Can't we perhaps just disagree? Why is my opinion such a big deal. Look, if I have upset anyone in here, I really am sorry. It was never my intention to troll anybody. Honestly.
If you post controversial stuff without any facts but only personal anecdotes to back it up, you should expect people to answer you back. Especially on a discussion forum.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Odenwald
For me, the USA has always been a place of freedom and liberty where being smart and productive tends to pay off.
Good for you. Statistics show that upward social mobility in America is worse than in most other developed countries so the American Dream to work yourself up from rags to riches is just that. A dream. That is much more realistic elsewhere. This is one of many publications on this issue: https://inequality.stanford.edu/site...Mobility-3.pdf
Objective freedom rankings also rank several European countries above America. You live in Germany? Their privacy laws are some of the best in the world whereas it's pretty awful in the States. I have lived and worked in Europe as well and did never feel restricted by the government in what I want to work, where I want to live, who I rent my apartment from or to. I was able to voice my opinion, drink in public, could have married someone of the same sex, pursue the education I wanted, walk around freely without being scared of being shot... you name it. Pretty free if you ask me.
No, as a few have already said, I did the opposite as well. I lived in Southern Europe for some time and although the intention was to stay there I couldn't bear the thought of not having my family within close proximity (America).
Now that I am older I would live there again, if I had my own home there, and then I would just come and go as I please. I loved it there although initially it was foreign to me I adjusted very quickly, driving wherever I wanted/needed to go and learned the language (reading, writing). It was a very beautiful place to live, it was an awesome adventure and I have never regretted it once!
I never felt restricted or felt that I had lost any "freedom", although it was never tested by any traumatic or meaningful measure. That's why we have the U.S. Embassy, to protect the rights of Americans while living abroad, among other things.
I think that everyone has his vision.....I’m Italian and I lived in Austria right now....my brother lives in Germany and one of my friends lives in Las Vegas. When we talk about these topics we have the same problems. In every country there are beautiful things and bad things, all depends on us, we have different perception of things and of problems.
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