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They don't want to move here. They are happy in their home country so it's not about being able to afford to move here because they don't want to and don't need to in order to obtain/maintain a decent standard of living.
Some of my relatives can afford to have servants, cooks, and drivers and that is something only the wealthy can afford in the U.S.A. I work with a lot of Filipina nurse's who ran over here believing in the streets are paved with gold myth. Some of them were truly poor and this is a step-up but some weren't that bad off and are shocked that they have to work much harder than they did back home. One of the nurses I work with says she works two jobs so that she can pretend (to the people back home) to be living better than she used to in the Philipines. Now, she has to do her own laundry, cook her own food, and clean her own house! How is that better? There are a lot of factors that make a place better or worse for the individual.
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Originally Posted by OICU812
How is that the fault of the United States if people from another country think they could not afford to move here? The common method of immigrating to the US id to find a sponsor, someone willing to give you a job and help set you up with a place to live.
It would be rough for anyone in the US to just pack up and move to France, in the hopes they can find a job and place to live in.
I have traveled; Not as much as I like to yet but seen and experienced life in other nations.
It is all a matter of peronal taste. I need to live in a city/urban environment; from this standpoint pretty much any european city would do well. But I also have issues with climate. I need bright sun, not dank and dreary or cold and snowy. My brother lived in Brussells - great city; phenominal brew, poor climate. I would probably prefer Barcelona or Florence from the climate standpoint.
Standard of living is not an issue for me. I do not care about 4000 sq ft mcmansions or driving Escalades.
I guess you just have to weigh the trade offs of each place and see what fits you best.
Very true and well said. The USA is probably the best place if you are unwilling to adapt, learn a second language or expect others to conform to your belief system. I see it every time I go to Thailand. Western tourists complaining about the smallest of details.
I watched Australian tourists freak out because of ice in their beer. They need only have requested no ice. In Thailand the heat can exceed 105 degrees and so Thai people put ice in their beer. The Aussies resorted to calling the locals little brown monkeys, which resulted in me getting involved. My wife is one of those little brown monkeys and she was offended.
I have watched Brits freak out because while shopping at a flea market the clothes were not in their size. It's Thailand, they tend to be a lot smaller than westerners. Go to a department store there are plenty that cater to western sizes.
I don't even want to get started on how foolish, no how stupid the sex tourists look and behave. How many times I have wanted to film them and post it on youtube....
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Why do I want to leave the USA?
1. I am so sick of the Dems and the GOP.
2. I don't trust the Fed to keep their hands out of my retirement savings. (That's why I have invested 2/3 of my retirement off shore)
3. I am sick of the snow and as much as I like the South to live the way I want to is too expensive.
4. I love the beach, I love warm weather and sailing. I can do this in Thailand for about 30g a year no problem. I'll live on twice that and live pretty much like a king. I'll have plenty left when I die to share with my kids, without scrimping along. I have no desire to be a walmart greeter in my old age.
Trust in the news if you like, but I have friends and family in Thailand and actually know the facts. There are many nice places to retire outside of the USA where even your social security will be more than enough to live out your last years in comfort.
For me wanting to leave the US is about the government, not so much the people (although they factor in).
I would rather be in a country where I have nothing to do with the government and the government doesn't represent me. The US government is a good example of non-representation of the people. It's frustrating when people say if you don't like it, change it. The US government is where the power to change lays, not with the people. And the US government has declined and more and more idiots are getting power and more and more Americans who have become idiots no longer vote for their country, they vote in people who serve their individual needs. We are not a united country, but very much a divided country in many ways.
As long as you don't break the laws of a foreign country, which laws generally pertain to most countries, then living a simple life in another country can be great.
You may find a great place to live that you are happy in elsewhere, but they may not want you there.
Like the guy from Minnesota who thought he was such good friends with the locals down in Mexico. He built himself a 6000 sq ft house on the ocean down there, 45 mins away from the closest town. Hired the locals to build it, treated everyone fairly and paid them well. Wrote home to his folks telling how many friends he was making.
Then the wonderful locals murdered him, stole everything out of his house and the Mexican Gov won't do anything to help find the killers.
God bless the USA.
That's kind of an extreme case and the crime rate is extremely high there. I am not sure why he would move there. Many bad things can happen to one in America as well.
The best is relative to what you like and need. I am well traveled, I learned to ski in the Italian Alps,Toured Paris, London, Rome and ran a lap around the original olympic stadium on Mt. Olympus.
My Favorite place to visit bar none is Thailand. The people and the culture are amazing, the Temples are something I never grow tired of.
I plan to retire to Thailand. The cost of living depending upon your life style is 40 to 60 % of what ours is. The food is beyond delicious and if you can't eat for $10 a day there is a problem. You can buy a nice condo if city life is your thing for anywhere from $60,000 on up. Apartments rent from $110 to 400 a month for a reasonable modest accommodation. Me, I'll live in the country about 500 yards from a beach. My wife and I already own the property and will build a house in about 2 years.
Why do I want to leave the USA?
1. I am so sick of the Dems and the GOP.
2. I don't trust the Fed to keep their hands out of my retirement savings. (That's why I have invested 2/3 of my retirement off shore)
3. I am sick of the snow and as much as I like the South to live the way I want to is too expensive.
4. I love the beach, I love warm weather and sailing. I can do this in Thailand for about 30g a year no problem. I'll live on twice that and live pretty much like a king. I'll have plenty left when I die to share with my kids, without scrimping along. I have no desire to be a walmart greeter in my old age.
Trust in the news if you like, but I have friends and family in Thailand and actually know the facts. There are many nice places to retire outside of the USA where even your social security will be more than enough to live out your last years in comfort.
I have watched Brits freak out because while shopping at a flea market the clothes were not in their size. It's Thailand, they tend to be a lot smaller than westerners. Go to a department store there are plenty that cater to western sizes.
We Brits are more than used to having to use other sizes, the European Sizes just across the Channel is different. I don't remember seeing anybody freak out because of it.
The US is a great country to live in, and I don't think anyone could argue otherwise. There is something for everyone in the US, you have the great cities such NYC, Chicago, LA and numerous others, but also have vast wild areas where people can escape the rat race. There is also small town America, the picket fence America often portrayed by Hollywood.
In terms of other places I would like to live, obviously Canada, Australia and New Zealand all feature, as well as my native Britain & Ireland, and of course there are some extremely beautiful parts of Europe. Other than that I can't see myself living in Russia, Asia, Africa, the Middle East or South America, although going on holiday to such places to experience the culture is nice. If I had to live in one of these areas it would probably be Asia, which has some great cities and places such as Thailand, Singapore, Goa in India and numerous other such places, although a Caribbean or a Pacific Island might also be nice and relaxing.
There are some real liabilities now when it comes to living in the US. You've got a DC culture that keeps running up the debt, and Joe Flyover is on the hook to pay for it. You've got a high level of institutional corruption. Your taxes might be less than a Canadian or New Zealander, but you get get little in return, while they get a lot. You've got a gestapo police force ready to bust you or shoot you if you look at them cross-eyed.
I have three friends who are getting out. One is a long time blue collar worker who already bought a place in South America where he plans to retire. Another was born in Mexico, worked here many years and already bought a place in Mexico where he plans to retire due to the lower cost of living. A third is a guy from the Phillipines. He worked here for years and got a good union gig making about $25/hr, but says that his body is falling apart due to the corporate demands to work ever faster and ever harder. He's had 3 surgeries due to on-the-job injuries, and decided to go back to the Philipines.
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It's Thailand, they tend to be a lot smaller than westerners. Go to a department store there are plenty that cater to western sizes. 
