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Old 01-06-2009, 12:00 PM
 
Location: Texas
8,064 posts, read 17,962,765 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KevK View Post
The test of how good a country is vs another country is this: Imagine that today the govenments of both the UK and USA said "OK anybody that wants to move between nations can do so". Who do you think would gain people and who would lose people? I would bet that 20% of the people in the UK would be on the way over here. Less than 1% of ours would go there,
I'd go there in a heartbeat; so would many other people I know. Heh, my whole church family would likely go there en masse!
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Old 01-06-2009, 12:11 PM
 
Location: Texas
8,064 posts, read 17,962,765 times
Reputation: 3729
You're absolutely right. I've spent quite a bit of time in England because my best friends are English. When my friend got sick and couldn't work, she didn't have to worry about not having health care. When her husband's gall bladder burst, requiring emergency surgery and two weeks in intensive care, they never saw a bill. They have social safety nets for the common problems that can befall people.

Compare the homeless situation in any major American city with what you see in London. Sheesh, we have more people living on the streets in my hometown of 120,000 people than you'll see in sections of London.

I find it weird that Americans can highlight "slums" in Europe and fail to notice how prevalent dangerous 'hoods and substandard housing are in America -- it's FAR more problematic here than it is in England. Traveling around America can be a real eye-opener but you have to be willing to objectively see.

Quote:
Originally Posted by AnInterestingGerman View Post
"""I've lived in Germany for many years. During that period I traveled through much of France, parts of England, and most of Germany. Nowhere did I see people living in trailers, run down shacks like in America's Appalachian region or southern Mississippi. Of all the European cities I've visited none have the large ghettos of poverty like in American cities, which can be measured by the square mile"""


You´re right. Yes in Britain, France, Belgium and in my country Germany there are run down areas, in which espacially live immigrants, and there are many homeless people ... but you can´t compare this with beeing poor in the USA - not with the Inner City slums, not with the trailers and shacks all around the country, not with the number of homeless people, caravan and tent cities, the indian reservations or your crime rates

You won´t find such living conditions in middle europe, even not in London and Paris. In the eastern part of Europe, in southern italy as well in portugal you´ll find more poverty, the living conditions for the the minority of the people "sinthi" and "roma" in south east- Europe are like in third world countries.

The high living standard in the USA in statistics is a result of the high living standard o the upper class and the upper middleclass, so Millions of poor incomers don´t destroy the official statistics

Maybe you can make money easier than in europe. But you also fall faster. I don´t deny poverty in Germany, but nobody knows hunger here. Unemployed citizens receive social aid, so they can live in a small appartement.

And here the poorer families can live without a car, because the net of public transport is much closer - and you haven´t to work in two or more jobs in struggle to survive ...

But here also the social networks are reduced step by step
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Old 01-06-2009, 12:40 PM
 
Location: Londonderry, NH
41,478 posts, read 59,586,671 times
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We, as a society, have completely accepted the Horatio Alger myth as revealed economic truth even though it is only a myth.
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Old 01-06-2009, 01:00 PM
 
20,187 posts, read 23,769,029 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by teatime View Post
I'd go there in a heartbeat; so would many other people I know. Heh, my whole church family would likely go there en masse!
If you "really" wanted to go the UK, you do realize you probably be given citizenship and admitted very quickly... you could go to Canada if you really like... so what are you waiting for? Two heartbeats? I have been to the UK and they pay almost double what we pay over here... no thank you... the only wealthy people I know in the UK are the ones that lies, cheats, and steals every CENT... For the price of a 100k house over here you probably pay 5 times as much over there... But it is sure nice comparing apples and oranges... especially when we compare the size of two countries... if you think DISTANCE and POPULATION plays no part in costs to run a county... you have another thing coming... one person doesn't add +1 to costs... its more like 1.345... but its easy to overlook these things and compare numbers to numbers and assume the whole planet operates on a straight linear line...
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Old 01-06-2009, 01:02 PM
 
48,505 posts, read 96,572,060 times
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I think that Pele are always thinking the grass is greener somewhere else.Most that aren't in the middle class here would live in their projects and even the middle class there can't afford to ever own a home. Then there is the huge unemployment under the age of 30 years of age.I have several friends who are from London and they say we have it made here but many just don't take advantage of the opportunities available.They say just like here free service breeds a under class in they society because many just don't want to work when they can get by.
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Old 01-06-2009, 01:21 PM
 
Location: Texas
8,064 posts, read 17,962,765 times
Reputation: 3729
Quote:
Originally Posted by evilnewbie View Post
If you "really" wanted to go the UK, you do realize you probably be given citizenship and admitted very quickly... you could go to Canada if you really like... so what are you waiting for? Two heartbeats?
Uh, I had registered with a teacher placement agency in the UK to move there and teach but then I became critically ill and had to cancel my plans. And do you know what totally stinks about that? I could no longer work and had no health insurance here! If I had already moved to England, I would have had health care. And, gee, guess where in the world the BEST specialists and research for my disease are? London.

So, rant away but do understand that some of us would have a better quality of life elsewhere. I almost lost my life in the waiting period for Medicare here. No healthcare for two years in a country like this is nothing to be proud of -- it's a national disgrace.
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Old 01-06-2009, 01:24 PM
 
Location: Texas
8,064 posts, read 17,962,765 times
Reputation: 3729
Ask your friends if they'd like to get sick without insurance in the States. They'll sing a different tune. My friends used to complain about their National Health Service until they saw firsthand what I deal with here. Now, they're very grateful for their care and services. They're especially grateful that they don't and won't have medical debt, no matter what befalls them. Medical debt is one of the leading causes of bankruptcy here in the U.S.

Quote:
Originally Posted by texdav View Post
I think that Pele are always thinking the grass is greener somewhere else.Most that aren't in the middle class here would live in their projects and even the middle class there can't afford to ever own a home. Then there is the huge unemployment under the age of 30 years of age.I have several friends who are from London and they say we have it made here but many just don't take advantage of the opportunities available.They say just like here free service breeds a under class in they society because many just don't want to work when they can get by.
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Old 01-06-2009, 01:46 PM
 
20,187 posts, read 23,769,029 times
Reputation: 9283
Quote:
Originally Posted by teatime View Post
Uh, I had registered with a teacher placement agency in the UK to move there and teach but then I became critically ill and had to cancel my plans. And do you know what totally stinks about that? I could no longer work and had no health insurance here! If I had already moved to England, I would have had health care. And, gee, guess where in the world the BEST specialists and research for my disease are? London.

So, rant away but do understand that some of us would have a better quality of life elsewhere. I almost lost my life in the waiting period for Medicare here. No healthcare for two years in a country like this is nothing to be proud of -- it's a national disgrace.
If you flew over there, they would be force to treat you...no need to cancel your plans... why would you wait here 2 years when you could easily book passage to the UK and begin treatment... in fact, its not too late...
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Old 01-06-2009, 04:54 PM
 
Location: Fort Myers Fl
2,305 posts, read 3,020,265 times
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One of my customers has a home in France and one in Naples Fl. He is french. He spends 90% of the time in Naples. We discuss alot of different subjects and he said he would rather live in the USA. He did say most americans don't realize how good they really have it. He was in France for the holidays and he said things are not so great over there either.I believe I will just stay here, I like wide open country. And I did live in Germany for two years.
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Old 01-06-2009, 05:03 PM
 
3,283 posts, read 5,193,440 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by John1960 View Post
Living standards in Britain are set to rise above those in America for the first time since the 19th century, according to a report by the respected Oxford Economics consultancy, the Times of London reported on Sunday.

According to the Times of London report, the calculations suggest that, measured by gross domestic product per capita, Britain can now hold its head up high in the economic stakes after more than a century of playing second fiddle to the Americans.

FOXNews.com - Report: U.K. Set to Pass U.S. in Standard of Living - International News | News of the World | Middle East News | Europe News
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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