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We Americans are the best at getting things done. There is truly no country in the world that will let you take your idea from paper to reality as quick and cost effective (with the least amount of bureaucratic steps) than America. I also think that this is part of the American culture. Americans are a resilient people with their eyes pointed towards tomorrow. Also, we are one of the countries with the least amount of government interaction which is a great thing. Government is slow, inefficient, incapable of solving problems, and often leaves you to wonder "who are they really looking out for?"
Private enterprise which we Americans love is innovative, fast, job creating, efficient, it gives the people what the want in return for a profit. No better and easier place to open an enterprise than America. That being said living in Europe has taught me a few things......
Family, friends, relationships, these are the things which give us self worth and not the "material things" we acquire. Here in Italy many businesses and stores close at 1:00 pm and don't reopen until 4:00pm. Which at the beginning I used to despise but you know what people go home to their families. They sit at the table and ask each other "how is your day going" they eat then some go to sleep while others stroll outside and meet their friends. Then they talk, they laugh, sometimes they even fight but the point is they feel a sense of value and worth that somehow is missing in American culture. One thing I know now is you do not have to count success in dollars and cents.
I know so many people back home (in America) get caught up in the never ending rat race that is the pursuit of wealth. It is great to be able to provide one's family with the finest things however sometimes all our families and friends need is OUR TIME and not the OVERTIME required to pay for the extra 1,000 square feet of house that nobody really needs! Perhaps the only good thing that came out of this financial crisis/meltdown is the fact that Americans changed their spending habits and many had the time/chance to reevaluate their priorities which is to forget the newest/largest flat screen, hang onto the car another year, forget the Jones's and it's time to take the kids to the park!
I recently read an article (don't ask me why or where) but it was about people who were terminally ill. They were asked "if you could go back in time what would you have changed in your life" and do you know almost unanimously the response was "I wish I had worked less and spent more time with family and friends" Nobody who is near the end of their life would tell you "I wish I had spent more time in the office so that I may have been able to acquire more earthly possessions" Am I right?
Anyway, as far as "what is the best country to live in" well it all depends on where your values lie. If you have an entrepreneurial spirit and want to actually start a "start up" I would definitely say America. If you want a slower pace of live where you live well but not necessarily richly (at least not by the American definition) Europe is a great place (although not right now in this moment of deep crisis as supporting oneself here is immensely difficult). That being said, there is no reason why you cannot have an entrepreneurial spirit in America while making sure you are ALWAYS at the dinner table. Remember success can also mean being in successful and fulfilling relationships with the people who are dear to you.
I like to conclude with this. Despite the fact America outspends every country in the world in health care and has overall the best personal health care I tell you the Italians outlive us by a long shot. Also, they stay healthier than we Americans do later on in life. Please don't come at me with statistics I have lived in both places. I see 84 year olds here (in Italy) that live in a 4th floor apartment NO elevator but hey they are not complaining they walk or bike to the stores and carry the bags home and up the stairs. In America I see an overwhelming amount of people my parents age (late 50's early 60's) who have difficulty getting around or even taking a flight of stairs. Trust me when I say it is the STRESS that we American's put ourselves under to have the biggest homes, fastest cars, and latest gadgets that is deteriorating our health. Health is wealth!
We Brits are more than used to having to use other sizes, the European Sizes just across the Channel is different. I don't remember seeing anybody freak out because of it.
The US is a great country to live in, and I don't think anyone could argue otherwise. There is something for everyone in the US, you have the great cities such NYC, Chicago, LA and numerous others, but also have vast wild areas where people can escape the rat race. There is also small town America, the picket fence America often portrayed by Hollywood.
In terms of other places I would like to live, obviously Canada, Australia and New Zealand all feature, as well as my native Britain & Ireland, and of course there are some extremely beautiful parts of Europe. Other than that I can't see myself living in Russia, Asia, Africa, the Middle East or South America, although going on holiday to such places to experience the culture is nice. If I had to live in one of these areas it would probably be Asia, which has some great cities and places such as Thailand, Singapore, Goa in India and numerous other such places, although a Caribbean or a Pacific Island might also be nice and relaxing.
Bold: ????
You forget the mattress!!! My queen and king size sheets don't fit UK mattresses!!!!
I think you've done a great job in covering all the necessities that one would need to consider when moving out of the U.S., great read, I'm happy to have read your post.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallybalt
Convenience and opportunities will vary depending on what you're looking for. You can make the case that for the average middle class person the US is the most affordable of the developed countries and offers more job opportunities and lower taxes. The quality of life can be better if you want a larger house (more space) and more disposable income.
But if you're financially independent and affluent, these are generally moot points, except possibly the taxation issue. I can see why someone would prefer living in London with all its cultural amenities and proximity to Europe. Or in Southern France. Or in New Zealand.
If you are an independently wealthy retiree looking globally for an ideal place to live, these are the factors I'd consider:
1. Proximity to family and friends. This cannot be understated. If you have a good circle of friends and family it can be a lonely decision to pack up and move to New Zealand no matter how gorgeous the country can be.
2. Proximity to good quality health care, but any developed country will cover this.
3. Weather.
4. Amenities, which can range from outdoor activities to arts and culture. Beaches versus great cities.
5. Ability to gain residency. It's one thing to have a second home in a different country where you spend a few weeks to a few months, but to want to live there for the majority of the year requires a residency permit. Different countries will have different rules. In general if you're a wealthy retiree it's easier to migrate to another country as you can prove you're financially independent and you can usually meet the financial requirements for getting an "investor's visa" that circumvents most immigration rules.
6. Tolerance for lower quality circumstances. This won't refer to your immediate living circumstances for you can live in the lap of luxury in many less developed/second world countries, but when you venture beyond your neighborhood or have to deal with the local bureaucracy, standards can be quite different. See Thailand as an example. Or Bali in Indonesia. Or South Africa. My experience with travel is that the less affluent a country is the greater the red tape and bureaucratic nightmare, then of course there's road conditions and reliability of infrastructure and utilities, as well as the tolerance of seeing many much poorer people, plus in many places security issues. South Africa is a perfect example of a gorgeous country that offers a high quality of lifestyle for affluent people, but you must still deal with high crime and being surrounded by people on very small incomes.
To the well traveled, do you feel America is the best place to live or does it depend on what stage you are in life? Maybe different places are better when you hit retirement age or maybe you feel America is just the best in every department. Why are why not? Please don't answer if you only go for mission trips, or if you only go to super touristy destination.
Thanks
Yes, it is, Lived in several Countries in Europe and Asia and have travelled to many others. Liked some more than others, but the USA is still the very best there is to offer, for now.
Overall I feel it is the best place to live despite the negatives in certain areas. A good sign to me is the legalization of marijuana and gay marriage in our state but a negative is the lessening of free speech due to political correctness.
We still have the best of everything available for less than anywhere else. We have the best universities, technology, military, and food available on the planet as well as a great variety of climates and state goverances to choose from. No country even comes close to waht you can get in the USA...the rest are jealous for good reason.
"To the well traveled, do you feel America is the best place to live?"
It is for me, but it wouldn't be for everyone. There IS NO place on this earth that would be "the best place to live" for everyone.
Personally I love it here - my family is here, my roots and memories are here, I like most of the things about our culture, I am blessed with a wonderful life in general, with a comfortable home, good health care, healthy foods in abundance, and basically an enjoyable life all the way around.
I've lived in 6 different countries and while I know for sure that there are worse places in the world to live, I am going to have to say no.
Mostly because of health care, the education system, quite a few aspects of the culture, and the fact that I don't want my tax dollars going to help corporations bring Americanism to people who don't want it.
Canada and most of Western Europe are a much better fit for me.
Anywhere is good when you are young but as you get older it is warm weather, healthy living conditions and first class medical care = USA
I had beacoup clients building mansions in Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, you get the pic. a few decades ago and wondered where they would go when they go older and needed to see a Dr. Certainly not where they lived.
There is no such thing as a best country. Everything is subjective. We could list all the problems of the US and people would still prefer it. There are people in India that have no desire to leave for cultural reasons although their standard of living would be higher if they moved to western Europe.
Now if the question is if the US has a lower standard of living that most of Western Europe. The answer is yes of course. We are so behind in crime, trains, infrastructure. But once again that isn't necessarily the metric everyone bases their preferred living choice.
Chiming in as a "foreigner", it's difficult to take the emotion out of the equation. Unless you have grown up in a terrible, war-torn country, with extensive poverty, then you mostly always have an affection for "home".
I have enjoyed traveling to Europe and the US but I couldn't see myself living in either permanently. Maybe for a few years, but I would always come back to Australia. A few reasons:
Yep. Health care. Not perfect by any means but available to all. Public hospitals are of a high standard by world measures. I still choose to pay for private health care so that I can stay in a private hospital and don't have to wait for elective surgery should I want to have a non-emergency procedure faster.
Employment. In the states I would earn less than half of what I am paid here. Wages are generally higher. This is however offset by an extremely high cost of living. Very low rate of unemployment though.
Safety. Never had a house break-in, car stolen, etc etc. Not that it doesn't happen but I don't feel at all unsafe walking around most places. Not unique to here, but doesn't hurt either. This leads on to....
Guns. Yes, I know this is a "loaded" issue (pardon the pun). I'm not a liberal (actually tend towards the conservative side of politics here), but I don't see the desire to be armed. The only people who have anything to fear from gun violence tend to be the criminals themselves. For practically everyone else it is essentially a non-issue. It is worth noting that the conservatives here were the ones who brought in tighter gun controls, gun buy-back etc. This leads to....
Politics. As far as the US goes I could not see myself voting for either side. The conservatives in Australia would still be considered somewhat left by US standards. Even conservatives in many other places seem to be generally. I'm a great believer in socialised health care, education etc and I am still a conservative voter here (aligned more liberally on social issues, conservative on fiscal policy).
The weather. I would love to experience a white Christmas but the weather here is generally good. And no tornadoes, floods, earthquakes, etc where I live!
Multiculturalism. Lots of different backgrounds, foods, influences etc.
Probably the greatest negative I can think of living here is distance to the rest of the world. Day to day it is of no concern though.
Europe has all those things except from distance from the rest of the world.
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Commonsense takes us so far....
