Merger of the Century: Why Canada and America Should Become One Country (middle school, medical)
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Another anecdote here: my family and I immigrated to the US when I was a child. Last year, when I told my mom we should have moved to Canada instead, she laughed and told me that all of her dumbest friends from her med school ended up there, XD!
I suppose the rationale is that if you're in a position where you could move to any country you want to and you know you'd be able to thrive in any of them because of your talent/skills, why would you choose any country other than the US? That's where all the money, status, and power is. I personally vehemently disagree with that mentality, but it exists.
It's a shame. I really do think that Canada (among other countries) is unfairly overlooked or used as a stepping stone to the US. Maybe the US offers the best standard of living for the rich, but I don't think that's the case for the average citizen, not to mention the fact that being a US citizen means being forced to contribute to its wars and military.
Understand my skepticism when it is so common for young Americans under 30 to take the bait and when they move to Canada they find that everything you wanted to escape from in the US is in Canada too. If you want to escape from America, which sounds like your real aim rather than a genuine love for Canada, Canada is the worst country to go to because we have so many similarities and in many ways we are more backwards. Europe or Asia is a much better option if you want to get away from the things you don't like in the US. I would listen to your mom.
Well, you also have law-abiding gun nuts, as saturno purports to be.
I don't think that all Americans are bad people, not by any means. However, it is a different culture overall. More religious, more segregated in many respects, more materialistic, more competitive (and this can be a good thing!), which is why you work so many more hours and take fewer vacation days, more conservative... there are lots of differences. Some - maybe even most - are subtle.
America and Canada are different. Depending on your priorities or your own proclivities, (for instance, my father has become a practising minister since retiring, and so now prefers to spend time in the States because of the vibrant churches there), one may be better than the other. What I am definitively saying is that countries have the right to their own sovereign culture.
I think some of you Americans here are so upset at the thought that any country's residents don't see America as "the greatest country in the world" and just be beside themselves at the chance to fold into it that you feel the need to set this straight immediately, which is misguided imo.
You think the US is racist and competitive so you would move to Australia? That's a good joke.
They don't work harder than Americans do, but on the racism, OK, point taken.
I still think I would prefer it though overall. Just based on my experience with Aussies on 2-year Visas (huuuuuuuge ex-pat culture there), and Americans, 2/3rds of whom do not own a passport.
Stepdaughter, actually, but raised by him since 18 months old. Are you implying that I'm a liar as well? That didn't go over so well for your redneck friend. If you would like to private message me your email address and your own identity, I would be happy to trade pictures, links and notes. Or is it that you are also a latent racist and just don't believe that a black person could in any way be related to an educated man? Sounds like a Yankee to me.
And I happen to think that all of the neighbourhoods in the US outside of gated communities are dangerous neighbourhoods. Particularly at night.
Okay CDers, it's official. We've been trolled and we've been trolled good.
They don't work harder than Americans do, but on the racism, OK, point taken.
I still think I would prefer it though overall. Just based on my experience with Aussies on 2-year Visas (huuuuuuuge ex-pat culture there), and Americans, 2/3rds of whom do not own a passport.
Nobody forces you to work harder in America..if you do you get perks...
Let me tell you something from someone that actually lived in 5 different countries.
I was born and raised in Europe, that is m culture, that is what I call home.
To me Canada manages, socially, to get the worst of two worlds (Europe and USA).
Low wages as Europe but without the western European social perks (vacation, job security, etc...)
If I want to go for the low wages and less meritocracy I rather get the other sweeter side of the deal as well and stay in Europe....
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