really jarring coming back to the US after traveling to Asia for the last three weeks

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The American poor is feral and horrifically behaved to an extent that goes way beyond what is present in other countries.

You need to get out more.

[Anonymous]

There is clearly a troll on this thread who moved it up once it started to go down on the list. Please don’t take the bait. I don’t know why some get off on stirring the pot. Mental or intellectual deficiency?

Let this thread die, along with this troll’s relevance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And seeing how horrendous our infrastructure is. How does America have the largest GDP in the world, yet it seems like we.have given up on development of the country since the 70s? America's development post-WW2 seems to have stalled out a long time ago. As soon as I get back to the US, it took almost 75 miites to get through customs and to get our bags on a well outdated carousel at JFK. In Asia, they have the entire process already automated in many countries, where you are in and through customs in a matter of minutes. Bags are rapidly delivered to the carousel. As soon as we leave JFK via air tram, there were homeless people everywhere in the station, and the trains everywhere were late. Piles of trash were everywhere near the rail lines once we got on Amtrak, and there were shanty towns and boarded up buildings everywhere along the way going south from NY to DC. Contrast that to South Korea or Japan where trains are super clean, there are basically zero homeless people anywhere, and it truly feels like you're in a modern country with 21st century development and infrastructure. Hell, something as basic as cell phone service and wifi works anywhere you go on a train in South Korea and even if you're in a tunnel, because because of how well connected the country is. As soon as we left Penn Station, cell phone service stops working in multiple spots because of lack of reception in some tunnels. It is just super jarring to come back home and see just how horrendously behind we are with the rest of t developed world. America just seems to have given up on improving itself for a long time now. But at least we got a $1T fighter jet program I guess?

Sweetie, your ignorance is staggering. Talk to some Japanese about what it is like to live and grow old there.

[Anonymous]

I'll keep my the trillion dollar fighter programs because along with our other defensive efforts it ensures nobody is taking our lunch money. As we seen recently certain authoritarian leaders don't care about the international order or the interest of their own people. Now does are infrastructure need improvement...yes absolutely, but not at the cost of our ability to defend ourselves and our interest around the world.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The American poor is feral and horrifically behaved to an extent that goes way beyond what is present in other countries.

You need to get out more.

Truth hurts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have you never heard of the coffin homes in Hong Kong or Guryong Village in S Korea? You were a tourist in a series of small countries and now you think you are worldly enough to criticize the place that gave you the opportunities and privilege to visit those countries to begin with?

Is so crazy how stupid Americans have a knee jerk reaction to any criticism. Take your blinders off, gun loving dolts.

The rest of the world will figure it out the day Americans stop having access to guns. It has kept the western world free. The American government can only do so much to control and armed populace and who is in charge of policing the rest of the world? America. We have paid a high price for gun ownership but I imagine the alternative is only worse.

What?
First of all, define “free”.
Second, how does it help, say Finland, if Americans own a lot of guns. It’s not like America’s private gun owners are lined up at the border to Russia and are the only thing keeping the Russian army from invading.

Doesn't Finland have an extremely high rate of civilian gun ownership? And Switzerland? (it is actually universal there). And Israel?

The PP you responded to seems to be the real dolt here.

NP. OMG it's not about gun ownership but responsible gun ownership which doesn't exist here. It's about how easy way too easy to buy guns. It's about how we are a leader of the free world yet can't make our infrastructure work across the board. OP is not talking about how great or not great other countries are but about how the US should fare better in many categories compared to any nation because of our wealth yet we fail. So you can't argue how the uS is good in this and that - admittedly we should be better in many things and we are not. End of story. Debate why not but admit it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree with you. It’s embarrassing.

+1.
And don't even get me started on how behind some of our medical research is. Especially in the stem cell area. But yah, we have enough jets to destroy the entire solar system, not just the entire planet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: Because corporate and personal tax rates are much higher in Japan. Next question?

I live in NYC and paid over 50% in taxes last year. Federal, city, state, SS... And for that, I get nothing. My kids go to private school because the DOE sucks; I have to have private heath insurance and even then end up paying thousands out of pocket because the best doctors and dentists don't take insurance; I have to fund my own retirement; the subway is filthy and filled with the homeless and mentally unstable.
I'd rather pay 60% in taxes but have all of that taken care of, like in most of the rest of the developed world. I would be better off.

[Anonymous]

Old people aren't cared for by robots in the USA.


This is classic Potemkin

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Because corporate and personal tax rates are much higher in Japan. Next question?

I live in NYC and paid over 50% in taxes last year. Federal, city, state, SS... And for that, I get nothing. My kids go to private school because the DOE sucks; I have to have private heath insurance and even then end up paying thousands out of pocket because the best doctors and dentists don't take insurance; I have to fund my own retirement; the subway is filthy and filled with the homeless and mentally unstable.
I'd rather pay 60% in taxes but have all of that taken care of, like in most of the rest of the developed world. I would be better off.

Demographics

If nyc has stuy demographics, you would magically start to get more for your money

Conversely, if Tokyo had nyc demographics, it would melt down in 3 months

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The American poor is feral and horrifically behaved to an extent that goes way beyond what is present in other countries.

💯

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Because corporate and personal tax rates are much higher in Japan. Next question?

I live in NYC and paid over 50% in taxes last year. Federal, city, state, SS... And for that, I get nothing. My kids go to private school because the DOE sucks; I have to have private heath insurance and even then end up paying thousands out of pocket because the best doctors and dentists don't take insurance; I have to fund my own retirement; the subway is filthy and filled with the homeless and mentally unstable.
I'd rather pay 60% in taxes but have all of that taken care of, like in most of the rest of the developed world. I would be better off.

NY is a giant welfare state. Have you not driven through the Bronx? You’re paying for all of those people to live in generational poverty.