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You might have heard of immigration laws? Do you really think anyone can just pick up and move to any of those countries? You think those countries want to be flooded with unskilled Americans who want to get free healthcare? Get a clue.
Like I said - to me, having a good, steady income is everything. I consider that to be a minimum requirement for acceptable living. Therefore, I can only recommend to someone to do what it takes to acquire it.
What other choice is there? Becoming homeless or living out in the boonies? I don't know anything about that.
Only one trend is necessary, if it permeates the whole national mindset. What IS the US doing, that will yield benefits for the general public decades in the future, instead of for the wealthiest investors in the next quarterly statement? In fact, what is the US doing AT ALL, that is not driven by a prospect for private capital for the already-rich? Got two tends for me?
The willingness to invest capital and labor in realistic advanced enterprise is widespread in China, and only illustrated by the high speed rail example. A few more examples? Americans are building cars only for their domestic market, in factories owned by foreign interests, while China produces more units than we do, in Chinese-owned plants..
Yes, somewhere in China's future there is a peak, but the US has already reached its own peak, and are now on a downside.
Yes, the US per-capita GDP from 2006-2010 is positive, it is rising (by a laughable 0.07%). But so is everybody else, and the USA ranks 146th, right behind Madagascar. We're slipping fast, from '96-2000, we ranked a much better 71st., but an average of 7 countries a year have passed us up since then. And I bet then, too, you were told we had the healthiest economy in the world, and you gullibly swallowed everything the Media and Wall Steet told you.
I'm as cynical as you are about the US' future prospects, but I don't think that this post contains a very strong argument. Look at some of the nations with a negative GDP percapita growth rate in that same period. Italy, UK, DK (Denmark), perennial quality of life-index powerhouse Norway. Do you think list-leading Azerbaijan is going to enjoy a better standard of living than any of those countries anytime in the near future?
I'm as cynical as you are about the US' future prospects, but I don't think that this post contains a very strong argument. Look at some of the nations with a negative GDP percapita growth rate in that same period. Italy, UK, DK (Denmark), perennial quality of life-index powerhouse Norway. Do you think list-leading Azerbaijan is going to enjoy a better standard of living than any of those countries anytime in the near future?
jtur88 seems to be right to me that the era of the United States being what we might call an "empire" are coming to a close. The United States may never again jump by leaps and bounds in amazing development. And maybe that's okay. The rest of the world deserves the chance to launch ahead and grow and grab larger slices of the earth's resources. They deserve improving wages too with lower inflation.
But like you I think he goes too far in thinking the U.S. will therefore turn into a "third world" country. Britain and France no longer rule the planet as empires and they still do well. They still have rich people. They still have poor people too. But neither one is a "third world" nation.
I think the United States can no longer sustain the optimism it once had. And that's alright. The original narrative was largely a lie anyways with some truths in it.
Rather than envy any improvements in the quality of life in places like Azerbaijan I think it would be better to be happy for them. I mean... the people suffered long enough, yes? It's not like they have been living high on the horse for decades.
You realize--and I must grin off of this --if you Canadians started lobbying your government to secure the boarder, you would hear a complaining and cursing from Americans (who probably patrol the US/Mexican boarder with assault rifles) at a pitch, and unlike anything you've ever heard before. They would be highly offended.
You realize--and I must grin off of this --if you Canadians started lobbying your government to secure the boarder, you would hear a complaining and cursing from Americans (who probably patrol the US/Mexican boarder with assault rifles) at a pitch, and unlike anything you've ever heard before. They would be highly offended.
LOL. I may be wrong, but I don't think American's who are illegally here in Canada are crawling across the border. They're coming as visitors most likely and then just stay. (pssst. Canadians do it to in the U.S. )
I would suggest a socialized healthcare system like every other first world country has.
Hey...how about you read this, it is unbias info that might inform you a little about america. Hopefully you wont punch your screen when you see how good america is doing compared to the other countries. http://www.numbeo.com/quality-of-lif...by_country.jsp
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--if you Canadians started lobbying your government to secure the boarder, you would hear a complaining and cursing from Americans (who probably patrol the US/Mexican boarder with assault rifles) at a pitch, and unlike anything you've ever heard before. They would be highly offended.
