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Let me bring a piece of reality for you - exchange rate doesn't represent the cost of living
HAHAHA! You're barking up the wrong tree, Ivan. Even in purchasing power parity Russia isn't even on the top 34; their median income even in PPP terms is too low to make the list. Do you know why? Because your country is poor, poor, poor. We're talking poor as hell.
Russia's yearly median household income at purchasing power parity is $8,640 (as of 2011) or ~1/10th of the median income of the Bay Area or other well off coast parts of California so let us hear no more nonsense claiming Russians make anything remotely close to what Californians make.
Certain parts of the US end up straddling the first and third worlds (or "developed" and "developing", for those who don't like the "worlds" terminology) in terms of the conditions you'll find. Part of the problem is that many places are just economic dead-zones. There simply isn't much economic activity going on, and the most lucrative "businesses" might involve illicit trades in drugs or theft.
I used to live in a smaller rural town north of California where this became the case, and by the time I left, the place was enervated and broke. Kids stole firearms from their own grandparents while their folks were in the hospital to sell to gang members in larger cities for extra money. A couple people died in fires while cooking up crude methamphetamine in their trailers. There was even a federal investigation regarding the town's mayor embezzling money from public safety grants.
I can't imagine what foreign tourists would have thought about that place had they come to visit. They probably would have been offered some meth and then would have gotten back out of there before dark.
We don't really discuss these places very much, even within the US. They are just kind of depressing and intractable, and the easiest response is to politely stomp them down the memory hole.
There are some writers with work online who have dealt with this kind of thing - you might find them interesting. Fred Reed and the late Joe Bageant, among others.
There is one difference, though. If you discuss these things online, you'll get an allergic reaction from some people, as you can see here. If you go into some of these towns and talk to locals, they'll readily admit that things are bad. When you're standing in the middle of it, it's tougher to deny.
No sweetie, nasty teeth are just gross. One of the first things I notice about a person is their smile. If it is messed up, then, I have trouble being around this person. It also is a good indication of good hygiene, which is very important to most people.
Or finances. If you don't have coverage through work or are plush enough to afford the things needing done, you put up with it. Some states carry dental coverage with medicade. In some its mostly pulling teeth and leaving a hole, and filling small cavities. In California, a year or so before they cancelled the Dental entirely, they started to slow down things. Claims got deined the first time, were resubmitted, and denied the second time. What took two to three months wait became seven or eight or more and then one day, poof, it was gone.
To save one tooth, doing a root canal, can cost three or four hundred dollars. Most people can barely afford to have it pulled.
You can brush every day and still have dental problems. I assume your friends all have perfect teeth and nice full wallets too.
Not to mention Harrier doesn't seem to understand the difference between England, Britain, or the United Kingdom. Sadly, like most American conservatives such differences just seem to fly over his head and be beyond his comprehension. Thus why he continually uses the words as if they are interchangeable and as a result constantly misuses the terms.
Where would you ever get that idea? I did not use UK and England interchangeably. Fear and Whiskey gave his location as London - which is in England which is part of the U.K. Do you deny that? If so - it is you who needs to work on your comprehension. I did not check the profile - so I had no idea that the OP was Irish - but that is irrelevant since I was referencing the stated location. Knowing he is Irish makes his apparent disdain for the "Brits and Yanks" much more understandable.
Would you say that someone who asked "maybe someone who has been to the United States should start a thread titled "I was shocked by the depravation I saw in California" was using the United States and California interchangeably?
Don't be making assumptions - you only make yourself look ridiculous. Your narrowminded stereotypes are getting in the way of objectivity - and causing you to spew falsehoods out of ignorance.
Looks like I sound like "you gotta believe me, you scum...", so I'll provide an example.
The World Trade Organization refused to accept Russia (even though, the decision clearly undermined the WTOs free trade purpose), because USA and EU were afraid of products, created by cheap Russian labor.
Then foreign auto makers opened shop in Russia... and found out that Russian labor is extremely expensive.
After that the WTO accepted Russia - why not, if it can't flood the 1st world with cheap products.
I can't blame you for falling into the statistics lies - even Ford did.
Certain parts of the US end up straddling the first and third worlds (or "developed" and "developing", for those who don't like the "worlds" terminology) in terms of the conditions you'll find. Part of the problem is that many places are just economic dead-zones. There simply isn't much economic activity going on, and the most lucrative "businesses" might involve illicit trades in drugs or theft.
I used to live in a smaller rural town north of California where this became the case, and by the time I left, the place was enervated and broke. Kids stole firearms from their own grandparents while their folks were in the hospital to sell to gang members in larger cities for extra money. A couple people died in fires while cooking up crude methamphetamine in their trailers. There was even a federal investigation regarding the town's mayor embezzling money from public safety grants.
I can't imagine what foreign tourists would have thought about that place had they come to visit. They probably would have been offered some meth and then would have gotten back out of there before dark.
We don't really discuss these places very much, even within the US. They are just kind of depressing and intractable, and the easiest response is to politely stomp them down the memory hole.
There are some writers with work online who have dealt with this kind of thing - you might find them interesting. Fred Reed and the late Joe Bageant, among others.
There is one difference, though. If you discuss these things online, you'll get an allergic reaction from some people, as you can see here. If you go into some of these towns and talk to locals, they'll readily admit that things are bad. When you're standing in the middle of it, it's tougher to deny.
Thanks for your pertinent revelations. Great post and it isn't unpatriotic to reveal your country's frailties it is integral to confronting them.
There I many things I love about America but this was a thread where I wanted to gauge the temperature on a different side of America and the response has been revealing to say the least.
Last I heard, California was still part of the United States of America, so yes, the OP did experience part of America. Considering that California's population is larger than Canada, we probably have the highest number of many groups, not just illegals and gangbangers.
Also, you're incorrect that two or three counties have declared bankruptcy. These cities have declared bankruptcy:
Vallejo (2008)
Stockton (2012)
San Bernardino (2012)
Mammoth Lakes (2012)
By all means, the OP should visit other parts of the U.S. It's a vast place with a lot to offer. However, bashing California isn't the answer.
Agree.
Americans in denial like to demonize California, fact is poverty exists in MOST states
In parts of rural Appalachia people still live like this:
Last year, 48.6 per cent of the population in Owsley below 18-years-old fell below the poverty line - a seven per cent increase from their parents' generation. Almost 50% of the children already in poverty.
The poverty statistics are staggering, the media never talks about this side of america.
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