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High taxes aren't a problem if the government delivers with the tax dollars. We pay a lot of taxes and get very little in return, this is a problem.
Agreed. That's why I (as an American) don't want to pay more. I don't want government sponsored health care, etc. because the government's track record at delivering quality serivces at reasonable cost s*cks. The only people who think otherwise are people who are 'do gooders' in denial or those who don't care because they're paying very little of the taxes anyway.
Here's my opinion (and most of you probably won't like it)...
Unless a Western European (i.e. someone from France, Germany or the UK) has a desire to be extremely rich or just fancies a change of scene and wants to live the American lifestyle, there's little point in emigrating to the United States, especially for middle class or lower class Western Europeans. I can understand a doctor wanting to move to the US for more $$$....our healthcare system is wrong, but it pays well.
You have to understand that there really isn't much difference in terms of standard of living for middle class Europeans and poorer Europeans are better off. They may pay more in taxes, but they get more for their money, i.e. amazing mass transit, free healthcare and in many European countries, the social safety nets are so strong that it's very difficult to completely drop out of the system and become destitute. I know that many of you mock Europeans for such things, but that's the way they do it and in general, it works well for them.
Here's my opinion (and most of you probably won't like it)...
Unless a Western European (i.e. someone from France, Germany or the UK) has a desire to be extremely rich or just fancies a change of scene and wants to live the American lifestyle, there's little point in emigrating to the United States, especially for middle class or lower class Western Europeans. I can understand a doctor wanting to move to the US for more $$$....our healthcare system is wrong, but it pays well.
You have to understand that there really isn't much difference in terms of standard of living for middle class Europeans and poorer Europeans are better off. They may pay more in taxes, but they get more for their money, i.e. amazing mass transit, free healthcare and in many European countries, the social safety nets are so strong that it's very difficult to completely drop out of the system and become destitute. I know that many of you mock Europeans for such things, but that's the way they do it and in general, it works well for them.
Actually, I don't think your views are too different than the majority of people here it's just that the past few pages of this thread (this forum actually) have been hijacked by a number of anti-immigration people who don't really seem to know much about the realities of immigration. Up until then, the majority of contributers were European themselves, or at least non-US citizens so there wasn't really much mockery of Europeans taking place. If you read some of the earlier pages of this thread you will find quite a different exchange of ideas (with a number of people expressing opinions similar to what you have) than the more recent pages.
Here's my opinion (and most of you probably won't like it)...
Unless a Western European (i.e. someone from France, Germany or the UK) has a desire to be extremely rich or just fancies a change of scene and wants to live the American lifestyle, there's little point in emigrating to the United States, especially for middle class or lower class Western Europeans. I can understand a doctor wanting to move to the US for more $$$....our healthcare system is wrong, but it pays well.
You have to understand that there really isn't much difference in terms of standard of living for middle class Europeans and poorer Europeans are better off. They may pay more in taxes, but they get more for their money, i.e. amazing mass transit, free healthcare and in many European countries, the social safety nets are so strong that it's very difficult to completely drop out of the system and become destitute. I know that many of you mock Europeans for such things, but that's the way they do it and in general, it works well for them.
As for living in the UK versus US-it is far far cheaper to live in the US than the UK.We don't have "amazing" mass transit or "free healthcare" and we have many elderly people living on next to nothing.
Great Britain was poisoned by Maggie Thatcher and the conservative Greed Heads that nearly ruined their country is a foolish attempt at past glory. I would not want to live there because of a sever case of class bigotry and lousy weather. If I could move to Europe the place would be Tuscany, coastal Spain or Greece.
The only reason for a European to move to this country I can imagine is they have close family already here.
United States is very different from Europe.
People might have the same origin, but the "system" is entirely different.
United States was founded on principles discarded in Europe centuries ago (Puritanism, Calvinism, Liberalism, Individualism, etc).
United States is a reaction to Europe.
Even societies that seem backward or have a very large percentage of non-Europeans are far more similar to Western Europe, for example, any Latin American country.
Latin America is not "reactive" to European culture.
Let's put it in historical terms; Europe is Rome and the United States are Christians.
People in the United States think that Europeans are "decadent" and "socialists", Europeans think that Americans are corny as hell, old fashioned, too religious, naïve and too dependent on cars, and that people don't socialize and there's too much distrust and the place is boring as hell since you can't walk, use bikes and gossip.
Last edited by Leovigildo; 08-10-2009 at 04:47 PM..
Why the hell would anyone European want to come to a anti-intellectual country ?
Exactly. Americans are down to earth, they aren't effete, they aren't ivory tower.
America is the land where corn is eaten by people, not just animals, America is anti-aristocrat, anti-elite. The country that invented bluejeans which the whole world now wears but also invented almost everything.
American is the land of the middle class. Neither wealthy nor poor.
Oh, yes, there are many stupid "affetes" around here, but you also have truckloads there.
Europe is anti-aristocrat and anti-elite, and poor people are not considered failures here and are protected. In fact, the ones that are infatuated by royalty and nobility are Americans, people here don't give a crock.
You find more "p.r.i.c.k.s" in the US because people there are basically loners, with few social skills, people there don't talk and don't socialize. They spend the whole day driving. The space surrounding people there are far larger, so people are more individualistic, more misantropic.
People in Europe and more sociable, more realist. There's no European Dream. People in Europe don't believe in anything, not even the Pope himself.
Middle class, just like here. Most people is middle class in Europe, Western Europe.
No, everything was invented here, including the U.S of A.
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