Are Americans "beaten down"? (live in, versus, rich)
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There's no comparison between the Arab Spring and the economic/lifestyle issues facing the United States.
As to the protests/riots in Europe, how effective have they been? The austerity measures are still in place. Particularly in Greece's case, they had no choice.
There are more and more worried experts who say that all of those hysterical austerity measures are actually bad as they will only kill what's left of the economy.
There are more and more worried experts who say that all of those hysterical austerity measures are actually bad as they will only kill what's left of the economy.
Time will tell. But particularly in Greece's case, what were the options? The austerity measures or default. Neither option is pretty.
Indeed, for most Portuguese the US must be a very cold place in every way, unlike everything they have here, for instance in terms of priorities.
Even for Germans it must be hard. I have read an article on German scholars teaching at US institutions of higher education. After a couple of years many of them want to return to Germany, but can't because there is hardly a way back into the academic circles there once you are gone for a few years. They are trapped in the US.
Still, I think it varies a lot on the region within the US. For Portuguese immigrants, Florida is likely to be a good place, unlike the Midwest.
Many people around the world make the mistake of watching all those funny movies and comedy shows and concluding that is what life must be like in the US.
I will never forget that documentary on African refugees who are stranded in the US and hate it there because people lead such secluded lives and there is little society as such.
I don't know much about academia in Germany. I do have a professor who is from Germany though. I think she is here to stay.
It is interesting you bring up Florida. In the USA, the largest Portuguese population is in the colder parts of the USA, specifically Boston, New Bedford, Fall River, and Providence. All location in the states of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. They are in the New England region of the USA. There are also alot of people of Portuguese ancestry in California, mainly around the San Francisco Bay area(which has a mild climate, but LIsbon is warmer than San Francisco). Some Portuguese immigrants(mainly from the Azores) moved to Hawaii in the early 1900s. However, the bulk of Portuguese immigration(persons mainly coming from the Azores) is to cities like Boston, New Bedford, Fall River, an Providence. Cape Verdeans and Angolans are also moving to the cities I just mentioned.
Now, as far as cities with sizeable Lusophone populations, there are Brazilians moving to Miami. The suburb of Marietta(northwest of Atlanta,GA) has a sizeable Brazilian population.
I work with international students and one thing I have found is that some of them find things in the USA not that much to their liking. Some people has cited the lack of walkable places, bad public transportation, and in general, culture shock. Personally, as an American, sometimes I feel like I might fit better in other places. I don't drive, I don't own a home(hopefully I will be a home owner). I am only living in a suburban area because that is where my university is. If I transfer universities, it will delay my graduation date. I am suppose to graduate in May 2012. People keep asking me "why don't you have a car"? or "why don't you have your license". I just don't. I don't have the incentive to buy a car right now. I don't want to go into debt for a car. I'm going into debt for an education, and that is the only kind of debt I'm willing to go into, because I feel like it's an investment, and I don't pay it back until I graduate. A car, however, I will be like a slave to that car. I don't want to be a slave to car payments. Also, gas prices are going up like crazy, and I don't want to pay for gas. Car insurance is also required, and I don't want to pay for that. In short, it isn't worth it to me to have a car, but the society I live it, it is centered around cars.
Time will tell. But particularly in Greece's case, what were the options? The austerity measures or default. Neither option is pretty.
I don't have a solution, either. But they could be more careful where they cut. For instance, there are still lots of civil servants in the PIGS states that earn 3000+ Euros a month, that is unacceptable when more and more people are drifting into poverty. One idea is to simply cap the gross income to 2k. In times of near collapse that is more than enough for people living in the PIGS countries, where life is much cheaper than in Britain or France.
The Greek government is in the process of selling every Greek asset that is'nt screwed
down. They say they will run out of money in a month without further loans that the
Greek taxpayer will never be able to pay back. Germany and France can call all the meetings
with the Greek leadership they want, Greece will default.
Religion plays an essential role to beat down the masses. Work hard and long, and you will be rewarded with wealth. If you work hard and long, but don't get wealthy, don't despair, because your effort will be rewarded with eternal bliss after this life.
Complacency because everything will be better in the afterlife. If people realized that this is the only life they have they may take on a different attitude.
Religion plays an essential role to beat down the masses. Work hard and long, and you will be rewarded with wealth. If you work hard and long, but don't get wealthy, don't despair, because your effort will be rewarded with eternal bliss after this life.
Complacency because everything will be better in the afterlife. If people realized that this is the only life they have they may take on a different attitude.
Yeah, they could become even more greedy and immoral as there would be no perceived punishment in the afterlife. I don't think atheism is necessarily the answer. As Tiger Beer implied earlier, the battle already exists within Christianity. It just seems that the wrong side is winning right now.
I haven't had the patience to read every single message on this thread, but I see that the usual schools of thought are in competition again.
I will have to affiliate myself with the group that says that leisure, lack of stress, things of modest proportions and little interest in the pursuit of wealth are the way to go.
I would be curious to know where the other group got its values -- the group that says: work hard, get rich, buy as much stuff as possible, brag about your superiority.
I don't think that any of the world religions teach this philosophy, nor do any of the other humanistic thinkers. Depleting the resources of the world as fast as possible and entering a delusional competition to see who collects the most stuff, works hardest and "wins" really looks like it is rather suicidal and masochistic, leaving no time for pleasure and ensuring that one's health is ruined.
As I'm reading this a song came to mind- Jackson Browne, The Pretender.
One line --"I'm going to be a happy idiot, and struggle for the legal tender"
It's a joke that so many people think that's what life is
I haven't had the patience to read every single message on this thread, but I see that the usual schools of thought are in competition again.
I will have to affiliate myself with the group that says that leisure, lack of stress, things of modest proportions and little interest in the pursuit of wealth are the way to go.
I would be curious to know where the other group got its values -- the group that says: work hard, get rich, buy as much stuff as possible, brag about your superiority.
I don't think that any of the world religions teach this philosophy, nor do any of the other humanistic thinkers. Depleting the resources of the world as fast as possible and entering a delusional competition to see who collects the most stuff, works hardest and "wins" really looks like it is rather suicidal and masochistic, leaving no time for pleasure and ensuring that one's health is ruined.
Regarding the first underlined point above, anyone living in the USA can attest that such is the creed and modus operadi in this country. Being monetarily well off does afford one certain privileges (e.g., living in safe neighborhoods, ensuring kids go to good schools, etc.) which cannot be otherwise obtained. Some of us seek to be monetarily well off for rather noble reasons, precisely like the ones I parenthesized. For some of us, there is no other option. We must sacrifice and work extremely hard to ensure that our loved ones are as safe, well educated, and as healthy as possible. If another option existed, it would be fair to say that most of us would be working a lot less harder than we did, or currently are.
With regards to the second underlined point, sadly, in the USA, many so-called "Christian churches" have adopted the pursuit of money as part of their dogma. Congregants are lead to believe that God wants you to be wealthy. And, if you don't achieve a certain measure of wealth, well, then there's just something wrong with your "relationship" with God. Nice, ey?
In keeping with this thread's topic I will state that both of the reasons I just described, be they noble or fantasy, will most definitely beat anyone down.
Having been one to have worked two high stress jobs for nine consecutive years, working anywhere from 8 to 18 hours per day during that time; I could have been selected as the poster boy of "Beaten Down American." In hindsight I can humbly state that I achieved my personal objectives (i.e., my family's well being). I'm glad it's over. I'm glad I survived it. I now live a very basic and simple life.
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