How is your country doing? (low income, 2010, unemployment)

[mackinac81]

Hi!

After watching the news here in America I got to thinking about how angry, discontent and anxious Americans are about the government, gas prices, immigration, inflation and the future. (etc...). It seems that Americans aren't happy about anything. My personal life is quite content, and I'm not a huge complainer, but I do worry about America's future sometimes.

And I got to wondering: How are people in other countries feeling about their government, their life and how content they are in there country, if at all.

Oh, and please say which country you're from.

Mackinac

[CroatWebWanderer]

People tend to whine. Everywhere.

My guess media are to blame since only bad news is worth publishing.

We took part in European football championship and we did rather well for some time so it erased other topics for a few weeks, but things are now back to normal: high gas prices and inflation, bio-fuel and hungry Africa, low incomes, Obama will attack Iran, too dry weather, too rainy weather, whine whine whine.

Actually things are far from being bad, IMO. Economy is rising 5%+ annually, unemployment is rapidly decreasing, average gross salary rose from less than 50$ in early nineties to 1548$ in April 2008, very good FDI, one more great tourist season is taking place as we speak.

Good thing is that people around me are optimistic about our future, despite the challenges we face. I just love discussing things with them over a drink on a sunny day someplace downtown Zagreb.

I’m in Croatia.

[Travelling fella]

Here in Mexico, even though things aren't perfect, and we have the culture of being really negative and always remembering the times of past economical and social disasters fearing they will return again, instead of seeing the positive changes that have been happening over the last 30 years, things are pretty good right now.

Even though we are in the middle of a world crisis of rising food prices, fuel prices, economic slowdown, inflation, etc, things were never this better.

The economy keeps growing despite America's recession, and this has most economists in awe because we are a country who does 80% of our trade with the United States, a really big impact was expected which hasn't happened yet, inflation has been the lowest for a latin american country with predictions of 5% for this year, we still enjoy cheap oil thanks to the government financial assistment (about 85 cents per liter) about 2.80 dollars per gallon, this is attracting lots of foreign investment to Mexico, specially in the automotive, aerospace, and solar energy industry, thus creating high tech and high wage jobs.

This is in part to the new economic reforms that have been implemented, there was a tax reform which gave much more resources to the government to invest in a massive infrastructure plan that has started many ambitous projects, and also because of the rise in oil prices and wages in China, this equation of macroeconomical stability, high oil prices and higher wages in asia is attracting all this investment, all this is possible because our imperfect and young democracy is starting to mature.

There is still much work to be done though, we face unequality, corruption, government inefficiency, which translates in defficient public schools, hospitals, etc, a significant part of the population (around 10%) emigrates to the United States, human rights could be much better, people here don't care too much about the environment and many other problems, which will take generations to be solved, but as things are slowly improving there is hope.

In my opinion, we are doing good, we could do better, but we are doing better than yesterday, so I expect we will be doing even better in the near future.

Regards!

[Go Ne]

My City is doing great, our economy is growing and its still really nice here, even though gas prices are rising, though we are lucky because they are only at 3.90 per gallon, E-85 ethanol is only 2.80 thankfully.

Omaha, Nebraska

[mackinac81]

a significant part of the population (around 10%) emigrates to the United States

For some reason that's actually a lot smaller than I expected. From the way the media up here reports it, you'd think that the Southwest will return to Mexico within a generation, and that Mexico is on the verge of imploding. Silly, stupid U.S. media!

I heard that Mexico was making great strides, which is great. I've never been there, but I'd really like to see it sometime.

Go Mexico!!

[mackinac81]

People tend to whine. Everywhere.

My guess media are to blame since only bad news is worth publishing.

You're so right! I tend to be optimistic, but lately the bad news has even been getting to me. But then I remember all the other bad stuff we've gone through in the U.S. and realize it's not actually that bad.

By the way, I heard Croatia is going to join the EU. When is that supposed to happen?

[azoria]

I just returned to the US after 5 years of living in two other foreign countries. Visited other countries as well.

I would say that Americans tend to be kind of whiney, though possibly not the worst. In some other countries it isn't healthy to complain too loudly.....so people don't.

But I will say that America is not the greatness we think we are. Our butts are bing kicked economically, intellectually, and culturally in plenty of other places. The great engine is coughing and sputtering.

That's ok really, greatness comes and goes. What bothers me is the arrogance of Americans who don't realize or aren't aware or refuse to acknowledge that there are other players out there steaming along whilst we make every attempt to bask in our fading glory.

And I think part of the reason that many Americans are blissfully unaware of the surge of other forward-moving countries is because government and the media don't tell the whole truth, and gloss over real depth worldwide reporting.

[mackinac81]

Our butts are bing kicked economically, intellectually, and culturally in plenty of other places. The great engine is coughing and sputtering.

Yeah, I've kind of gathered that from what I've heard...Happens to the best of 'em, I suppose.

Any word from South America or Australia out there?

[CroatWebWanderer]

Originally Posted by mackinac81

You're so right! I tend to be optimistic, but lately the bad news has even been getting to me. But then I remember all the other bad stuff we've gone through in the U.S. and realize it's not actually that bad.

By the way, I heard Croatia is going to join the EU. When is that supposed to happen?

Hard to tell, 2010 was mentioned as the year of joining, but... Don't know if you heard for that recent „no“ to so called Lisbon Treaty on referendum in Ireland. With such outcome EU cannot expand.

Personally, I am strictly opposing Croatia joining the EU. I don't like the idea of European superstate where pocket sized nations like my own will be put aside on a daily basis. Economy even monetary organization is fine, but political – no.

Actually there's been a survey published yesterday showing that only 30% Croats support joining the EU.

[mackinac81]

Hard to tell, 2010 was mentioned as the year of joining, but... Don't know if you heard for that recent „no“ to so called Lisbon Treaty on referendum in Ireland. With such outcome EU cannot expand.

Personally, I am strictly opposing Croatia joining the EU. I don't like the idea of European superstate where pocket sized nations like my own will be put aside on a daily basis. Economy even monetary organization is fine, but political – no.

Actually there's been a survey published yesterday showing that only 30% Croats support joining the EU.

Yeah, I've been hearing all about Lisbon on the BBC. I think it's a shame the way they've treated Ireland in it all. But only 30% support joining the EU?? That's pretty surprising. I always thought that Non-EU europeans were beating down the door to get into the EU...but that's probably for another thread.

Glad your country's doing well without the EU though. I've seen the photos of croatia and it's absolutely stunning. I've must go there sometime.