Anonymous
Post 09/23/2022 07:30     Subject: Do you believe the US is the best country in the world? If not, then which?
Anonymous wrote:The Netherlands is probably the best country when you add everything together that I care about: political and social freedom, a functional economy, excellent urban planning, health (not just access to affordable healthcare but an actually healthy population), moderately regulated capitalism, an educated and multilingual population, and at least the younger generation is less racist.


Incomes are extremely low in Netherlands. You get your basic necessities covered, but you're never climbing up the wealth ladder.
Anonymous
Post 09/23/2022 07:26     Subject: Do you believe the US is the best country in the world? If not, then which?
The Netherlands is probably the best country when you add everything together that I care about: political and social freedom, a functional economy, excellent urban planning, health (not just access to affordable healthcare but an actually healthy population), moderately regulated capitalism, an educated and multilingual population, and at least the younger generation is less racist.
Anonymous
Post 09/22/2022 22:59     Subject: Do you believe the US is the best country in the world? If not, then which?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Yes, there's no doubt the US is the best country in the world. Whether folks want to admit it or not, most would live here in a heartbeat if given a chance.


Agree. Politically I have very little in common with your stereotypical "flag-waver" but I think it's almost willfully blind not to understand the advantages we have as American citizens, appreciate the work America has done to further the cause of freedom and democratic ideals around the globe, and accept that the vast majority of people in the world would choose American citizenship if given the opportunity. This certainly doesn't mean we are perfect. We aren't. And it doesn't mean that our future is inevitable. It isn't, and right now it feels increasingly tenuous in ways that greatly worry me.

But sort of like a Rawls thought experiment, if you were offered the choice before birth to decide between "American" or "random chance of all the other countries in the world," you'd be crazy not to choose America.


You've either swallowed the propaganda or are willfully ignorant of all the oppression America doles out around the globe when it perceives that a democratic process somewhere is likely to support policies it does not approve of.

I can tell you that "America supports of freedom and democratic ideals around the globe" is a uniquely American view. That is, this is NOT a view shared by most people around the globe outside of America. It is DEFINITELY not a view, for instance, that has any support in the Arab world. How can it, with so much evidence to the contrary? Latin America? Hello?


Oh wow, the theocratic and monarchical and largely repressive Arab world doesn’t agree that American ideals are good? And here I was assuming that I could rely on them to be purely neutral arbiters of the best and most free societies.

As for Latin America, I know whereof I speak when I say that El Salvador, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Venezuela are not exactly thriving at the moment. Not many people trying to emigrate to those countries.
Anonymous
Post 09/22/2022 22:38     Subject: Do you believe the US is the best country in the world? If not, then which?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Yes! I think the US is best. I am an immigrant fwiw.
I understood it during covid. Federalism is what makes it great. Luckily the central (federal) govt couldn’t impose authoritarian restrictions that Canada or Australia did. One could choose a state to their liking as well (be it a very covid conscious California or a near normal state like say North Dakota?)


Nowhere is perfect, but I agree with this. We have structure to limit authoritarianism and concentrated power. If needed, it's a lot easier to move to a new state than a new country to find a better environment for yourself.


Riiiiight


I'm sorry, it's hard to tell from your response.

Do you disagree that there is a difference in how states govern themselves? That there is a difference in quality of life between the states?
That there are some states that are a better fit for different people based on their political preferences or other preferences?
That moving from Maryland to Florida is easier than moving from the US to Canada?



I object to your first sentence. That is complete bull as we have learned in recent years. There is very little standing between us an authoritarianism
Anonymous
Post 09/22/2022 22:36     Subject: Do you believe the US is the best country in the world? If not, then which?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I'm pretty content here but I realize I am privileged.

Now that abortion is being outlawed, no, I don't want my daughters to live here as young women.


They can just move to a state where it's legal. No need to learn a new language!


Or just move to a sane European country and never have to worry about it again.

Also, no more MAGA scum!


It's not so easy to pick up various european languages though, plus you need to have the skillset they want if you immigrate.
Anonymous
Post 09/22/2022 22:17     Subject: Re:Do you believe the US is the best country in the world? If not, then which?
Anonymous wrote:I think too many people think this and that's what gets us in trouble. I have lived half my life in Ireland and half in America. A lot of our friends have/are moving back to Ireland. I'm in between, the grass is always greener in my mind. Great things about both countries.


That right there is the truth. Every place has its issues. It’s cool and trendy on DCUM and amongst my progressive, liberal neighbors (many of whom have never even lived abroad) to talk about how terrible the US is when compared to the rest of the world.

But there are pros and cons to every location.
Anonymous
Post 09/22/2022 21:43     Subject: Re:Do you believe the US is the best country in the world? If not, then which?
I think too many people think this and that's what gets us in trouble. I have lived half my life in Ireland and half in America. A lot of our friends have/are moving back to Ireland. I'm in between, the grass is always greener in my mind. Great things about both countries.
Anonymous
Post 09/22/2022 21:38     Subject: Do you believe the US is the best country in the world? If not, then which?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I'm pretty content here but I realize I am privileged.

Now that abortion is being outlawed, no, I don't want my daughters to live here as young women.


They can just move to a state where it's legal. No need to learn a new language!


You did hear about Lindsey's bill, right? You think that's just a one time thing? Cuz I think they'll keep trying.
Anonymous
Post 09/22/2022 21:35     Subject: Do you believe the US is the best country in the world? If not, then which?
Anonymous wrote:So many don't realize how good we have it in US.

People have absolutely no clue how abysmal salaries are in many parts of the world they hold on high pedestals. Sweden, UK, Germany, Japan, South Korea, France.....yea, you get all of those social benefits. In exchange you get extremely high taxes and very poor salaries. Maybe some of us actually like making double or even triple what our counterparts make in say the UK or Germany and not having the govt control everything? One of my friends from college who is a duel citizen between US and Sweden is now moving back to the US from Sweden because salaries are piss poor while taxes are high. He already got a job offer in the US for 2.5x his salary in Sweden. There is almost no other large country in the world with better salaries and levels of taxation than the US.

Ha, look at all of the innovation the US produces too. All of the leading tech companies in the world are still in the US. EV adoption didn't even get real break throughs into the world until US entrepreneurship/Musk/Tesla broke through the steel curtain to show it could be done. Hell, look at the COVID pandemic - the world was in its knees....and once again it took American ingenuity and funding of the technology to solve the problem for the world with the vaccines.


Interesting that you mention Sweden. I was just reading this article on Sweden and how gang violence in Sweden strongly influenced their recent parliamentary elections.

https://news.yahoo.com/immigration-crime-propel-europes-move-to-right-analysts-say-202748280.html

Anonymous
Post 09/22/2022 21:34     Subject: Do you believe the US is the best country in the world? If not, then which?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Yes! I think the US is best. I am an immigrant fwiw.
I understood it during covid. Federalism is what makes it great. Luckily the central (federal) govt couldn’t impose authoritarian restrictions that Canada or Australia did. One could choose a state to their liking as well (be it a very covid conscious California or a near normal state like say North Dakota?)


You don't know what you're talking about. Canada is a federalist state.

The federal government in Canada wasn't imposing authoritarian restrictions. The vast majority of restrictions in Canada were imposed either by the provinces (or individual municipalities). The restrictions imposed federally were mostly to inter-provincial or international travel, border entries, etc.


You are correct. I meant to write China in my first post. China and Australia were examples of insanely, authoritarian reactions to Covid.
Anonymous
Post 09/22/2022 20:32     Subject: Do you believe the US is the best country in the world? If not, then which?
So many don't realize how good we have it in US.

People have absolutely no clue how abysmal salaries are in many parts of the world they hold on high pedestals. Sweden, UK, Germany, Japan, South Korea, France.....yea, you get all of those social benefits. In exchange you get extremely high taxes and very poor salaries. Maybe some of us actually like making double or even triple what our counterparts make in say the UK or Germany and not having the govt control everything? One of my friends from college who is a duel citizen between US and Sweden is now moving back to the US from Sweden because salaries are piss poor while taxes are high. He already got a job offer in the US for 2.5x his salary in Sweden. There is almost no other large country in the world with better salaries and levels of taxation than the US.

Ha, look at all of the innovation the US produces too. All of the leading tech companies in the world are still in the US. EV adoption didn't even get real break throughs into the world until US entrepreneurship/Musk/Tesla broke through the steel curtain to show it could be done. Hell, look at the COVID pandemic - the world was in its knees....and once again it took American ingenuity and funding of the technology to solve the problem for the world with the vaccines.
Anonymous
Post 09/22/2022 20:15     Subject: Do you believe the US is the best country in the world? If not, then which?
Anonymous wrote:Yes! I think the US is best. I am an immigrant fwiw.
I understood it during covid. Federalism is what makes it great. Luckily the central (federal) govt couldn’t impose authoritarian restrictions that Canada or Australia did. One could choose a state to their liking as well (be it a very covid conscious California or a near normal state like say North Dakota?)


You don't know what you're talking about. Canada is a federalist state.

The federal government in Canada wasn't imposing authoritarian restrictions. The vast majority of restrictions in Canada were imposed either by the provinces (or individual municipalities). The restrictions imposed federally were mostly to inter-provincial or international travel, border entries, etc.
Anonymous
Post 09/22/2022 19:55     Subject: Do you believe the US is the best country in the world? If not, then which?
Anonymous wrote:Yes! I think the US is best. I am an immigrant fwiw.
I understood it during covid. Federalism is what makes it great. Luckily the central (federal) govt couldn’t impose authoritarian restrictions that Canada or Australia did. One could choose a state to their liking as well (be it a very covid conscious California or a near normal state like say North Dakota?)


YES! I am also an immigrant. I have family who lives all over the world. The US was the best place to be during Covid. The balance of power helped us avoid the nonsense that occurred in China and Australia. We had easy access to vaccines but checks and balances (and ultimately science) helped us avoid too many ridiculous vaccine mandates.

As a female, I know how bad it is for females of my race in other parts of the world. No thank you.

I’ll take my life here in the US for my daughters and I all day, every day.
Anonymous
Post 09/22/2022 19:49     Subject: Do you believe the US is the best country in the world? If not, then which?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I'm pretty content here but I realize I am privileged.

Now that abortion is being outlawed, no, I don't want my daughters to live here as young women.


They can just move to a state where it's legal. No need to learn a new language!


Or just move to a sane European country and never have to worry about it again.

Also, no more MAGA scum!
Anonymous
Post 09/22/2022 19:41     Subject: Do you believe the US is the best country in the world? If not, then which?
Anonymous wrote:I'm pretty content here but I realize I am privileged.

Now that abortion is being outlawed, no, I don't want my daughters to live here as young women.


They can just move to a state where it's legal. No need to learn a new language!