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There's more to the world than Europe, which only constitutes a small percentage of the world's population.
We have:
All of Africa.
Asia.
Middle East.
Central Asia.
The Indian sub-continent.
South America.
Central America.
Most of the above places do not have the best reputation for tolerance and liberalism.
Even Europe, which is touted by some as a progressive paradise, has deep pockets of conservatism that may not manifest itself readily visible. Germany has a fantastic social welfare system but at the same time has been very slow to grant citizenships to the sizable Turkish minority despite decades (and now even generations) of residence.
Every country is going to have its ugly side and uncomfortable facts. The OP is searching for something that simply does not exist.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ameriscot
Oh really? I find Europe much more open-minded than the US, and less bigoted. I've lived in 2 countries outside the US, one was a 3rd world country.
Oh really? I find Europe much more open-minded than the US, and less bigoted. I've lived in 2 countries outside the US, one was a 3rd world country.
Europe isn't a country. It has many countries and in them, its progressives and its bigots. If you need me to spell it out for you, look no further than the situation in Hungary. Jobbik is Hungary's third largest party.
sounds like you will fit well in Pennsylvania amish/dutch country then you can skip all the hassle of trying to settle in another country.
Ha - after living with the amish for 4 days they will admit that they'd rather work, live, sleep, and eat at walmart.
On a serious note, I don't think the amish allow for outsiders.
The only way in would be to pretend that they are an amish couple from a far away state, and they would need to act the part. But even then they will be considered very very weird and have lots of sins because why else would they feel the need to move from where they were.
Arrange employment before you go. There is very little chance you will get hired in-country, and even if you are, your employer will be authorized to pay you only a fraction of what they offer when recruiting overseas, with no incentive of bonuses available.
Perhaps you both should go see a psychiatrist/psychologist? You are exhibiting signs of OCD and anxiety. You are worrying about things that you should not worry that much about.
I don't think that someone not wanting their children to grow up in the United States needs to see a psychologist. All of the OP's concerns are perfectly legitimate, and I am looking for essentially the same thing. I don't understand all of the negativity regarding immigration on this forum. Yes, we get it, immigrating is a very time-consuming and difficult process, and you can't just waltz into another country and get yourself citizenship. But just because it is difficult or a long-shot doesn't mean people shouldn't try it if they think it will make them happy. If you are genuinely unhappy in the country you are living in, you should have every right and use every opportunity to escape it and find somewhere better to live. What a ridiculous world we live in where arbitrarily-drawn borders trap people in places that they hate. I hate living in the United States, yet I have to jump through a million hoops to get out and move somewhere better. Don't we all have a right to be happy, do what makes us happy, and live where we feel happy?
Don't we all have a right to be happy, do what makes us happy, and live where we feel happy?
No.
We have the right to make the best of our situation within our means but we do not have the right to guaranteed happiness. There is no natural law that gives humans the right to live anywhere they want, do anything they want to do or to have their ideal lifestyle handed to them on a platter.
The negative criticism is generally from the posters who are aware of the allure of the grass always being greener on the other side of the fence. If the OP isn't happy paying taxes to the US government then which country will she be happy funding? Every nation in the world has its problems and flaws and ugly elements, so her quest for some kind of overseas utopia is what causes the more experienced and worldly of us to roll our eyes, especially given that the type of activities she likes to do is so easily found in the United States....
I can't speak for the OP specifically, but I feel like I definitely know where she is coming from. It's not about finding a utopia; its about finding a place where you truly feel as thought you belong and are truly happy. Sure, there's many places in the United States that offer much of what she (and I) are looking for, but that doesn't necessarily solve the entire problem, at least for me. Even if I moved to a "better" place in the United States, I would still have a certain level of dissatisfaction because the overall idea of what America is and what it represents to the world is something I oppose wholeheartedly. I feel absolutely no connection or loyalty to this country because I disagree fundamentally with so much of what it is about. I oppose using my tax dollars to fund illegal wars that kill thousands of innocent people annually and do nothing to make the world a better place. I hate politicians being controlled by multibillion dollar corporations and caring only about winning their next reelection. I hate living in a country where the majority of the population is concerned only with materialistic, selfish pursuits and couldn't care less about the common good. I hate that half the population favors withholding civil rights from a certain segment of the population because of how they were born. I hate the arrogant, "we're better than you" attitude of the American government, and average Americans in general. I hate the whole culture of obsessing over achievement, be it grades in school or what job you have or what car you drive or how much money you make. I hate that our government can spy on its citizens without probable cause, and I hate that half the country doesn't even seem to care when it gets exposed. Yes, the United States has many positive attributes, and, overall is still one of the top countries on the planet to live in. And yes, I understand that most other countries have many or all of these same problems. But that doesn't mean there aren't better alternatives to living in America, at least for some people. The grass being greener on the other side isn't always an illusion; sometimes a change in scenery makes all the difference for some people. Many Americans would genuinely be happier living in New Zealand or Canada or Uruguay or who knows where else. It's not about running away from your problems or having unrealistic expectations; sometimes people are genuinely unhappy with where they live and want to move to a country they feel better represents their beliefs and values, and allows them to live the life they want to live. It's fine to warn people about having expectations that are too high, or to properly think things through before just selling all their possessions and moving across the globe, but I feel as though many posters here are far too negative about the whole idea of immigration in general.
Name me one country where everything you mentioned in your paragraph below can't be found? (Ok, there's possibly Bhutan but immigration would be impossible and that aside...)
Fine, move overseas, but don't come running back to us when you discover that over half the population in New Zealand or Canada or whatever paradise is concerned with materialistic, selfish pursuits and where the government is controlled by multibillion dollar corporations and concerned only with the next election....take Bali. Bali attracts westerners interested in new age and yoga but Indonesia has terrible corruption problems and poor human rights records.
All these issues you decry aren't particularly American issues, rather they're human issues and found in just about every place in the world.
If you're genuinely bothered by your perceptions of these alleged problems you might want to very carefully reconsider how you're approaching your environment and problems. I'll agree with you that there are places that may make someone feel that it's the "right" home for them and by all means do whatever you can to move there. But you must do so with wide open eyes and unfortunately the reasons you and the OP listed as excuses for moving are the kind of reasons that are not easily addressed anywhere (probably because many of them are spurious and cliched).
But good luck.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mikec1088
I hate politicians being controlled by multibillion dollar corporations and caring only about winning their next reelection. I hate living in a country where the majority of the population is concerned only with materialistic, selfish pursuits and couldn't care less about the common good. I hate that half the population favors withholding civil rights from a certain segment of the population because of how they were born. I hate the arrogant, "we're better than you" attitude of the American government, and average Americans in general. I hate the whole culture of obsessing over achievement, be it grades in school or what job you have or what car you drive or how much money you make. I hate that our government can spy on its citizens without probable cause, and I hate that half the country doesn't even seem to care when it gets exposed.
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I find Europe much more open-minded than the US, and less bigoted. I've lived in 2 countries outside the US, one was a 3rd world country.
