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In almost every "quality of life" or "best livable city" lists conducted by consulting companies or world organizations, none American cities ever commands any top or near top positions; on other hand, there are so many extremely wealthy and vibrant US cities that offer different lifestyles different people want. What are on the top lists are always Northern and Central European cities, Australian cities and Canadian cities, such as Zurich, Copenhagen, Vienna, Melbourne, Vancouver. Even a boring city (in my view) like Calgary and Ottawa are ranked much higher than New York or San Francisco.
I would choose San Francisco over Vancouver, or New York over Ottawa without a second of hesitation. Or maybe it is just me?
What is missing here? Is there some sort of consistent bias against US cities in general? My only guess is the lack of universal health care (which is paid via higher tax in other countries in an mandatory way) and higher crime rate.
The US government and funding has been very anti-city and pro-suburban during the latter 50 years of the 20th century. Only recently are people realizing the many benefits of having healthy and stable cities with a focus on public transportation. America already has a strong line-up of cities and things hopefully will continue to improve.
Because American cities have been built for automobiles rather than people. The ratio of park space to Parking space is utterly dismal and says a lot about our modern priorities in the US.
In almost every "quality of life" or "best livable city" lists conducted by consulting companies or world organizations, none American cities ever commands any top or near top positions; on other hand, there are so many extremely wealthy and vibrant US cities that offer different lifestyles different people want. What are on the top lists are always Northern and Central European cities, Australian cities and Canadian cities, such as Zurich, Copenhagen, Vienna, Melbourne, Vancouver. Even a boring city (in my view) like Calgary and Ottawa are ranked much higher than New York or San Francisco.
I would choose San Francisco over Vancouver, or New York over Ottawa without a second of hesitation. Or maybe it is just me?
What is missing here? Is there some sort of consistent bias against US cities in general? My only guess is the lack of universal health care (which is paid via higher tax in other countries in an mandatory way) and higher crime rate.
What you would choose is irrelevant. They are based on objective measures, like crime rates, life expectancy, access to healthcare, recreational facilities per capita, etc. The United States just doesn't do as well as Canada or Australia in most of these measures.
W.R.T. Canada, the United States and Canada were actually quite similar until about 40 years ago. But since then, they've been going in opposite directions.
The U.S. has been mostly against "large" federal government, more conservative, letting physical infrastructure decline (highways, bridges, etc., plus not expanding transit as much, and even cutting transit services in 80% of American cities in the last 5 years), pro "gun rights", hundreds of "gated communities" have been built, there is STILL no true universal healthcare, weak social safety net, etc. Canada has been going more "European" over the last 40 years.
If you prefer the American way, that's fine. But it does not help the United States in any of these rankings (The Economist, Mercer, etc.).
ORONTO, Dec. 1 — Canadians and Americans still dress alike, talk alike, like the same books, television shows and movies, and trade more goods and services than ever before. But from gay marriage to drug use to church attendance, a chasm has opened up on social issues that go to the heart of fundamental values.
A more distinctive Canadian identity — one far more in line with European sensibilities — is emerging and generating new frictions with the United States.
"Being attached to America these days is like being in a pen with a wounded bull," Rick Mercer, Canada's leading political satirist, said at a recent show in Toronto. "Between the pot smoking and the gay marriage, quite frankly it's a wonder there is not a giant deck of cards out there with all our faces on it."
....
Chris Ragan, a McGill University economist, observed: "You can be a social conservative in the U.S. without being a wacko. Not in Canada."
The changes in marriage and drug laws, said Michael Adams, a Toronto consultant and polling expert, "means Canada is moving in the opposite direction with the United States and closer to Europe."
Because Americans are never satisfied with anything. They always want better. That's why they're Americans. It's genetic.
If you think about it, historically, Americans are made up of people all over the world who were not happy with where they were. They decided that there was something better out there, and made the decision to come to America to find that better life. We're never satisfied, because we always strive for something better. That's our gene pool, and it's part of what makes our country so great.
Everyone in the other countries are full of people who descended from folk were either too timid to make the trip or satisfied with where they were. Timid people are easily satisfied and satisfied people are.. .well... satisfied.
I'm not a loony right guy but let's fact it, these so-called "quality of life" polls are determined by variables that (what we would consider in this country) the left wing sees fit.
That's why the bed-wetters who love what Norway, Denmark, Sweden, France, Finland and other countries have accomplished are liberals. They go ga-ga.
Before somebody tells me to go back to Fox News (a network I don't much care for), step back, assess and tell me that I'm not correct.
Because Americans are never satisfied with anything. They always want better. That's why they're Americans. It's genetic.
If you think about it, historically, Americans are made up of people all over the world who were not happy with where they were. They decided that there was something better out there, and made the decision to come to America to find that better life. We're never satisfied, because we always strive for something better. That's our gene pool, and it's part of what makes our country so great.
Everyone in the other countries are full of people who descended from folk were either too timid to make the trip or satisfied with where they were. Timid people are easily satisfied and satisfied people are.. .well... satisfied.
So everthing is frozen in time? Because my ancestors left central Europe in the mid-19th century over dissatisfaction with their situations, that automatically makes me and all the other living relatives of these people "never satisfied"??? I don't think so. Yes, I may want better than what my country is today, but it's because I can think, not because my great great great, etc. grandfather decided life in 1860's Europe sucked.
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ORONTO, Dec. 1 — Canadians and Americans still dress alike, talk alike, like the same books, television shows and movies, and trade more goods and services than ever before. But from gay marriage to drug use to church attendance, a chasm has opened up on social issues that go to the heart of fundamental values.
