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That does not address the issue of the statement that there is no better place to live.
My kids actually lived in the UK for several years and were able to see that all developed countries have their pluses and minuses. When they returned home they tended to see all the negatives of our country, as people do, before they settled in to live with the positives and negatives.
One of them could have worked in New York City but a negative for her was the small amount of annual leave compared to here but especially to the UK. They both wished they had taken advantage of the dental care being included at the time in the NHS in the UK whereas here it is only included for some people. Just to give you a couple of examples.
I would never state that any particular country is the best place to live. It depends on individual circumstances. People should be especially careful about such blanket statements if they have not much knowledge of other countries. A travel guide who conducted tours in Australia for Americans told me that tourists are often surprised that we are a developed country.
Those that try to make arguments against the US will often shift the goal posts to some overall irrelevant point.
LOL — for a sum of $40k I will personally place you in a home with a sub $800 mortgage (10% down payment). Let’s say $850ish after my $40k finders fee.
Deal?
Any takers?
I promise true 4 season climate and very low property tax — access to 500,000+ population city within at least 30 minutes of any of the homes I choose for you. At least 800 sq ft and 0.3 acre yard.
LOL — for a sum of $40k I will personally place you in a home with a sub $800 mortgage (10% down payment). Let’s say $850ish after my $40k finders fee.
Deal?
Any takers?
I promise true 4 season climate and very low property tax — access to 500,000+ population city within at least 30 minutes of any of the homes I choose for you. At least 800 sq ft and 0.3 acre yard.
Wow. That's a long way of saying you're full of crap and such places don't exist.
They really don't teach world history properly anymore, do they? Because Switzerland is one of the best places to be in times of crisis. Under the shiny outer layer of ski lodges, fine chocolate and watches and tidy office complexes that host global non-governmental organizations is a core of steel. For much of Switzerland's history, it was a poor country that often gained what wealth it did have by exporting mercenaries. (The Swiss Guard protects the Vatican to this day)
Swiss neutrality has typically been backed by military forces that make it not worth it for other countries to mess with Switzerland; Germany left the country largely alone in WW2 because the cost would have been far too high to dig the Swiss out of their mountain sniper points. They also had (and I think still do have a pretty big network of bomb shelter hidden in the mountains and like the US Interstate system, their modern roadways have been designed with troop movement in mind.
All Swiss men in good health are expected to report for mandatory military service at age 18 and until fairly recently soldiers who remained in the reserves after active service were expected to keep their weapons secured in their homes.
It's a small country, but one that has figured out how to make it far more appealing for anyone else to deal with it in peaceful and pleasant circumstances than via conflict.
And the southern Italian-speaking parts of the country can actually have a pretty mild year round climate.
I've got online friends who have moved there from the States and while it's not an easy place to live in some ways- the Swiss tend to out German the Germans when it comes to there being one correct way of doing things in order to maintain social norms, those same rules also make for a very high quality of life if you can afford the pretty high cost of living there.
And the chocolate, even the grocery store brand stuff, is excellent.
You really missed a couple of very important issues - costs and the ability to stay Switzerland is very expensive compared to most expensive places in the US and as a non-swiss citizen, you are going to need very expensive health insurance, Also the Swiss will not let someone just stay there. You need a Visa to stay 3 months to apply for another to stay longer - without a job from a company willing to sponsor you, that will not happen. Even with a job, it takes up to 10 years to become a citizen.
You really missed a couple of very important issues - costs and the ability to stay Switzerland is very expensive compared to most expensive places in the US and as a non-swiss citizen, you are going to need very expensive health insurance, Also the Swiss will not let someone just stay there. You need a Visa to stay 3 months to apply for another to stay longer - without a job from a company willing to sponsor you, that will not happen. Even with a job, it takes up to 10 years to become a citizen.
The question was about quality of life and now how hard it is to establish residency and/or citizenship there.
Yes, we did not when I was growing up, have tent cities with tens of thousands of homeless like there is today. Its crazy that people can say we are the wealthiest and best country on earth yet there are 7 mile lines for food banks. 14,000,000 Americans lost health coverage during the pandemic. None of this happens in other first world countries.
You are way off - 14M didn't lose their health coverage in the US either. Just because someone loses their job temporarily due to Government imposed shutdowns, does not mean they lost health coverage. There are programs to cover those that lose employee sponsored health care.
As far as homelessness, the estimates are that 2% of the worlds population is homeless and 20% lack adequate housing. Homeless is much more visible now than years ago. As recently as 1950s, about 70% of the population was rural, now it is closer to half that. It used to be that homelessness was a rural problem, now it is an urban one. A significant number of other first world countries have much more homelessness than the US.
The question was about quality of life and now how hard it is to establish residency and/or citizenship there.
Actually, it was not - you were responding to
Quote:
Originally Posted by 87Camarottop
In a world war situation — I certainly don’t want my family or future generations in Iceland, Switzerland or anywhere else. Are you joking?
On a personal level — too damn cold anyway so basically a non-starter due to geographical concerns.
Family and future generations sounds like residency and citizenship. Also, part of your post sounds like talking about living there when talk of climate and living there.
Also part of your post shows a lack of understanding about why the Swiss are in the position they are in as a neutral country.
Quote:
Originally Posted by beachmouse
Swiss neutrality has typically been backed by military forces that make it not worth it for other countries to mess with Switzerland; Germany left the country largely alone in WW2 because the cost would have been far too high to dig the Swiss out of their mountain sniper points.
Switzerland can not guarantee it's neutrality because of their military might, they are a small country with a small active force. They have been considered a neutral region since the reformation in the 1500s. The Swiss constitution written in 1798 also establishes the policy to remain neutral. This status was more formally recognized by all the European powers in the Treaty of Paris signed in 1815 and other agreements since. It was in the best interest of all sides for there to be a neutral party during the conflicts - that is why it continues to be honored.
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