Trying to understand the fascination with America (real estate, crimes)

[sleeptodream138]

Thank you for the insight. I can see where you are coming from and I very much appreciate it.

[pigeonhole]

I've been to exotic countries in Asia but America has a magic and otherworldliness that even those nations don't. It's weird, but as a kid I always thought that stepping foot on American soil would be setting foot on Mars, or stepping into your tv set. I've yet to find that out. It's a shame the years take the shine off things with regard to how enthusiastic you get though.


It's exactly my state of mind. The first time I set foot on American soil I was 14 (in NYC), I was mesmerized, things were sooo different from Europe! I still remember those manholes exhaling fumes (steam) in the street (it was winter), even the smell of the city was different; but it was 1969, most people would find today that the US has drawn closer to Europe and has lost part of what made it so specific...

[Tama]

And anytime I have the opportunity to travel abroad, I am enthralled by the magnificent architecture of Paris, the historical aura of Athens the elegance
of Rome , or the parks and gardens of England--and America seems so pedestrian and functional compared to it.

I guess we just appreciate something different and find it stimulating and appealing.

[jm31828]

I know people in Thailand and China, and have been to both places. Basically what they say in regards to fascination with America is partly how famous so many spots are in regards to what they see on TV, but also the fact that we are fully developed in all areas- not just in the big cities, but even out in the small towns and rural areas people mostly live a developed, modern lifestyle with most modern amenities. That cannot be said for many other parts of the world- even in developed countries.

[irman]

Originally Posted by Luke81

I think for us europeans the main fascination with America is the attitude there. Like "everything is possible", people are optimistic, they want to get things done, build huge skyscrapers, drive huge cars, have huge houses, people believe in their country.
<<<snipped>>>
(at least that's the clichée, most europeans only know America over hollywood movies).
.

Originally Posted by Trimac20

Because the American media - television, movies.etc - push this myth. And folk like me have bought it hook, line and sinker

That is what I was trying to get across before. I was like that ... .
Knew *everything* about America from the movies ...

Then you get here physically, have to work hard and drive an old used car for a while ...

This was in the early 60's ..

I must repeat .. I never regretted coming here !!!
Brings back memories ...
First car cost 350 dollars ... (Ford gas guzzler, but who cared at 15 cents per gallon ??)
Then a few years later I got married and bought a house .... UNDER 20,000 dollars ....
I thought I was nuts to get that much in debt !!!!

Fascinated ??? Uhuh .. with my kids who can *make it* today .... at today's prices ....

For sure different now.

[TheCity]

I believe a huge part of the fascination with America is media and television.

Also, I believe a huge part plays into the uniqueness of our cities. Washington DC, Philadelphia, Boston, New York City, Chicago, Miami, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and San Francisco are some of the most unique cities in the world.

[HeyHolliday!]

I think the fascination with America is that offers all types of lifestyles conceivable to man. If you want to live in the middle of the desert go ahead. Want big cities, move to NYC or SF. Want to live in tropics move to Hawaii. Like the mountains, move the pacific northwest, Colorado, or Alaska. Like the flat plains and fields we have the Midwest. Want to live in a Mediterranean climate, we have California.

Another thing that makes America great is our car culture, and unfortunately it is getting a bad rap due to environmentalism. The ability to take a car and travel anywhere is something that is not so easily and cheaply available elsewhere in the world. I have been to Asia and Europe and none of those places can compare with driving along the Pacific Coast line all the way from Washington State down to Southern California with a few friends to exchange stories. Hell, even taking a road trip down I-5 is absolutely beautiful.

E Pluribus Unum (meaning: Out of many, One) is the traditional motto of this country and it still holds truth. There is so much diversity in the U.S in its people, lifestyles, and decision making, yet in the end we are all in this country trying to accomplish the one main goal of living the best life possible. Individualism is what makes this country so strong and it seems we are moving farther away from that, down the road towards a collectivism type mentality that will make us weaker and more dependent upon government.

[pigeonhole]

Amen.

[Shizzles]

Becuase America is foriegn and exotic to people not from here. America is somewhat of a global anomily(sp) in that it's a first world highly developed country like Europe/Japan, but also is very conservative, religous and traditional compared to the rest of the developed world. This odd paradox creates something of a uniqueness to the US not found elsewhere.

Everyplace always seems better when seen from a distance. Paris is an amazing city, but ask an African immigrant in the banlieue and he/she will tell you something quite different than what the Travel Channel will. America is loud, big, brash, dangerous, and chaotic compared to most of the rest of the first world and even much of the third. This can be good or bad depending on your orientation.

[{geek}]

I have friends from all over the world. My closest friends are from Russia, Belgium, Brazil, Pakistan, and India.

For me, personally, America is a place of opportunity even for those that are disabled. I don't know what kind of opportunities there are for disabled in other countries, but here -- I have been able to make a good life for myself even though I'm blind.

I went to college to become a teacher. I taught for many years. I retired from teaching after having my only child. I then taught myself programming (I can program in Perl, JS, PHP/MySQL, and Java). I'm also an expert in web accessibility (making websites accessible to persons with disabilities and/or blindness).

At 49, I am considering returning to college because I'd like to finish my PhD.

I love America because it's a country where people can express themselves and be who they are.

Not everyone owns guns (I don't). Not everyone is a religious fanatic (I'm not but do believe in God). Not everyone drives a big car (we own a 12 yr old Buick and it runs great). Not everyone is rich (I make less than 50k a year but it's a lot of money if you budget wisely). Not everyone owns a big house (I don't -- mine is under 2500 sq ft but it's comfortable).

We have lots of diversity here. You can find foods from nearly every country (in most larger metro cities).

Granted, there are issues with govt, health care, insurance, and the like ... but, there isn't any country that's perfect and so many other countries have things a lot harder than we do.

There are third world countries where females are not allowed an education. They're beaten and/or murdered and/or raped by males, and it's acceptable by their society. There are third world countries that do not have fresh drinking water for its citizens, and barely any food if they can find any at all.

I am blessed to live in a country where it's legal for me to vote, legal for me to work and I can speak my mind. If a man beats me, rapes me, or murders me, our society does not condone this and there will be justice for the crimes against me. I am allowed to have an education here, I have access to fresh water, and to plenty of food.

I am truly blessed to be an American.