Which country for a paranoid (fit in, loans, employment)
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Stay in the US and try to improve things there. Or go to Canada, it is an improved version of the US, so to speak
If there were a place matching your little wish list, it would be full of paranoids from all over the world already.
Your degree alone won't guarantee your legal residence in any country of your choice. In Europe for instance you are expected to speak the local language fluently if you want to get anywhere in life.
Douglas Dakota: Thank you for the suggestion. Switzerland did not get many high grades in Privacy Internationals latest study ( https://www.privacyinternational.org/ephr ). Considering the kind of surveillance/control state EU is moving towards, I doubt the situation in Switzerland will improve (despite it not being a full EU member).
EDIT: It is probably better than where I am now, though.
eskercurve: Monaco (like Iceland) is too small to have enough (any?) relevant jobs.
Neuling: I am not from the US, I am from the EU. (And English gets you quite far around here btw). And a degree alone does not get anyone a job...
Costa Rica seems best so far, but I probably need to get in touch with some people living there and to visit (to really know what it is like). And to learn spanish. :-)
Staying where I am is hardly an option, privacy is to a large extent an unknown concept among lawmakers here. Maybe spending a few years somewhere else could make me appreciate this part of the world more. Regarding my condition, I know of no way to deal with it. (If anyone is interested in that, or my concerns with my country, PM me or point me to a more proper place for such discussions).
So, you live in Northern Europe (did not see that before). Which country there is so terrible in terms of privacy? Or so terrible in terms of what they might do with your data? The only really bad thing so far is the SWIFT agreement, which I hope will be canceled again.
Europe is still way better than the US when it comes to privacy. Canada is quite good, though deteriorating like the entire world. The digital age is too big a temptation. No government can resist...
That's three examples. There are way more, but I think a further discussion should be done in another thread, in a more suitable subforum. I am not sure I am fit to decide whether this belongs to the politics or mental health subforums though ;-)
Paraguay. When you arrive, they stamp in your arrival date and hand your passport back to you. Ask somebody how long you can stay, they say they don't know. Nobody asks who you are or what you're doing or how you get your money or what you do with it. Want to rent a house? Find somebody who owns a vacancy, and give them a month's rent and they'll turn the lights on. Want to buy a car? Find one for sale with Paraguay plates on it, and give the owner money.
Douglas Dakota: Thank you for the suggestion. Switzerland did not get many high grades in Privacy Internationals latest study ( https://www.privacyinternational.org/ephr ). Considering the kind of surveillance/control state EU is moving towards, I doubt the situation in Switzerland will improve (despite it not being a full EU member).
EDIT: It is probably better than where I am now, though.
eskercurve: Monaco (like Iceland) is too small to have enough (any?) relevant jobs.
Neuling: I am not from the US, I am from the EU. (And English gets you quite far around here btw). And a degree alone does not get anyone a job...
Costa Rica seems best so far, but I probably need to get in touch with some people living there and to visit (to really know what it is like). And to learn spanish. :-)
Staying where I am is hardly an option, privacy is to a large extent an unknown concept among lawmakers here. Maybe spending a few years somewhere else could make me appreciate this part of the world more. Regarding my condition, I know of no way to deal with it. (If anyone is interested in that, or my concerns with my country, PM me or point me to a more proper place for such discussions).
Hmm....I was the poster who said that being abroad amplifies people's mental issues.
But being that you are in northern europe and speak fluent English well. THan I guess it does open up quite a few places. I assumed you were an American suspicious of big government and wanting to escape.
With so many paranoid types in the U.S., I'm now thinking you could get a bunch of space way out in a Montana type of place, where plenty of others are equally paranoid about government, etc. However, it just buys more into the paranoi than anything. Plus, the U.S. is cutting programs like crazy, so most of the people with mental issues end up living in the streets without anywhere to go.
Hmm...there is always southern europe! You have EU membership. You can get home quicker, and those streets seem a lot more sane than american ones, if mental issues drove you to homelessness. Still seems like northern europe is the best place imagineable for that condition. But probably takes getting out of there for awhile, to appreciate it awhile.
thank you for suggesting Paraguay. They seem to have immigration rules etc, so it is not as easy as one might think. As with Costa Rica, there is a problem with Paraguay of me not speaking spanish (but I do 4-6 other languages).
Tiger Beer,
hmm, maybe the US is still the country of choice for "freedom and pursuit of happiness". Homeless... how does that work in the US? Are you allowed to de-register from your adress without giving a new one? Do you even have to tell the goverment where you live and who you share household with (like here)? Are landlords mandated to report that if you don't? Is that info publicized on the web like here?
My condition is not *that* bad, I can function normally and have a job. Occasionally (once in a few months) I can get episodes when I am really not well. Even then, I can go to work, but I am not as productive as I should. The only time I relax is when nobody (except the people I choose) knows where I am. My wish is to find a place to have a "home" where I can get that relaxed feeling.
In that case, living in the countryside with similarly minded people would be your best bet.
Government intrusion is low, in my opinion. Beyond taxes, social security, and the decade-ly census, the government in your states want to know where you are, mainly for tax reasons.
So, the government will know how much you make, where you live, etc., but really stay out of your hair beyond that.
I would recommend finding a place semi-rural, get to know your neighbors, etc.
But if you get "episodes" ... that sorta sounds like schizophrenia. Please ... do see a doctor about that ... it sorta sounds similar to a friend I had (note the past tense) ... please.
It just seems to me that if one if truly a paranoid that everyone in the world is out to get you. *lol
A proportionate suspicion of the motives of those in government is always a good thing. Politics is as much of a hustle as any business, legal or illegal, is. However, one has to be rational and judiciously analyze things according to the facts. And a dollop of humor makes it easier to put up with.
Maybe you can find an unoccupied island in the Marianas chain and revert to being what used to be called, "a natural man" (not to be confused with the Lou Rawls hit). But short of that, the only thing you can do is put yourself in a position where you have as many options (including fleeing) open to you as possible and try to view things in as clear eyed a way as possible so your reactions will be well reasoned. Be practical and don't make choices based solely on fear. That is all I can urge you to do.
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