Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So here's the deal. Other countries like Europe appear to have free services etc but the reality is they are subsidized by the us and don't have to pay for the military etc even we pay more for healthcare drugs and products because we are subdizing other countries. When the us stops this those countries will get invaded and fall apart and no longer have cheaper services

Actually no.
It’s a different value system.

But here’s a fact for you to mull.
The per capita GDP of Mississippi (the poorest state in the U.S.) is about equal to Germany’s.

Mississippi’s per capita GDP is higher than that of the UK, France and most EU countries.

And yet all that productivity does nothing at all to improve the standard of living for those unfortunate enough to live in Mississippi. It all get siphoned off the top and sent straight into the pockets of the billionaire class.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So here's the deal. Other countries like Europe appear to have free services etc but the reality is they are subsidized by the us and don't have to pay for the military etc even we pay more for healthcare drugs and products because we are subdizing other countries. When the us stops this those countries will get invaded and fall apart and no longer have cheaper services

Do you actually believe this nonsensical propaganda? You actually believe that Europeans have a social safety net because we are keeping them safe? We don’t have a social safety net because that’s what Americans vote for. Do you love kool aid that much? Think about things for at least 3 minutes before you bother typing it out please.

They have a social safety net because they have high levels of taxation and devote little of their tax revenue to their own defense. They spend what they have on extensive social welfare. That's fine if you're happy with a uniformly modest quality of life which is unrelated to how hard you work, the initiative you show, or your level of ambition. If "good enough" isn't what you aspire to, you'll be disappointed that the fruits of your hard work go to support your lazier neighbors.

As a Euro transplant here: the above is partly true. But as the cost of healthcare and public services rises in Europe, authorities are paying very close attention to Americans wanting to move in and enjoy the fruits (free healthcare) of what others have paid for through years of high taxation.

Are any charging more bc retirees haven’t paid into their system? Will they start taxing g Americans (I understand some don’t force expats to pay their nation’s taxes in addition to US taxes. I could see that going away or as a carrot.

dp. I've looked into two countries to move to. If you want to use the government sponsored healthcare, you have to pay an annual fee, which is still a hell of a lot cheaper than insurance premiums here.

But, I'd rather go private. The insurance and paying oop there is still so much cheaper than paying for my hdp premiums and deductibles, and copays, and coinsurance.. just an endless freakin' money grab by greedy m*erf*ers in this country.

Why do we pay more for the same drug compared to other countries? Because greed. Like I said, the US is good for making money. That's about it.

People who can afford often pay for private care in countries with socialized medicine. Wait times can be long, the standard of care substandard. Those who can afford to go elsewhere. 27% of the French have private insurance, 28% of Spaniards, 37% of New Zealanders, 50% of Australians, etc.

Additionally, despite the name, universal coverage means all residents have health insurance, but it does not mean health care is free. In many countries people contribute to health care costs through both out-of-pocket expenses—such as copays, coinsurance, and deductibles—as well as insurance premiums. Even in countries with universal coverage, residents often have at least nominal out-of-pocket costs.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think moving abroad is for everyone, but I’m not surprised that people are becoming more expat curious. Healthcare and a better education system and potentially lower costs of living may become more attractive as the economy declines. The birth rates are declining across the west so other countries might start to be more welcoming to Americans since we have money and are low risk.

Why do Americans call themselves expats and not immigrants?

Technically, I think “expats” has been used for people who are in a different country for a period of time but plan to return home (or move on to a different country) at the end of that period. Immigrants are more likely to stay in the new country over time.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As soon as I retire I am leaving. Plan in hand already. The US just isn't fun or pleasant anymore.

I said the same thing. Then investigated more fully and changed my mind. If you have family & friends overseas it might make sense. But uprooting your entire social structure in older age and moving to a foreign country is a huge risk. If you don’t have family overseas you will never fit into the local culture, and will grow old as an outsider.

As a female woman of color who was born here, the current version America makes me feel like an outsider.

Underrated comment. Of course, it complicates things in terms of places like Europe too. I have a friend who lives in small-town Italy, and it seems really appealing but my husband is not white and fears a place like that would just offer the same racism in different form. (Then again, I used to live in the Netherlands and knew a few Black people who loved it and felt it was less racist there. So guess it depends on the place.)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:America is the land where you make money. That's it.

We made our millions and will probably move to another country when the youngest finishes college in a few years. I have a friend who moved several years ago to Europe, and they *love* it. No shooter drills for their kids in school, reasonable healthcare costs, laid back lifestyle, so much traveling. I'm so jealous when I look at their social media.

Americans collectively are stressed out because of the gun violence and now, violence from our own government against our own citizens. We have very little work/life balance. Crap social safety nets.

America is only great if you have money, as a PP stated.

Honestly I think this is how the entire world sees us. We have a money hungry culture and everyone knows it. Our healthcare system exposes it in the worst way, we are willing to squeeze the last dime out of our sickest and our poorest.

Another thing is that 50% of the income tax people are paying today is going to just interest on the debt. No republican or democrat wants to touch that. The light at the end of the tunnel is a train.

An underrated statement. Bumping you up
Trump and billionaires use debt to make their billions.
Trump loves debt!
Debt Per Household: Approximately $286,108.
Current U.S. debt $38.79 trillion
(2017-2021) Trump $7.8 trillion debt increase
(January 20, 2025 – Present) Trump $3 trillion debt increase

Billionaires using our corrupt political system for personal gain has been going on since before Trump and will continue to go on long after Trump is gone as long as the GOP and Dem Parties exist in their current forms. Everyone should know this by now.

You really don’t have a leg to stand on here with ya know…all the pdfiles, faux religion, fraud, lying, corruption, filth, and damaging deficits⬇️

All Republican presidents since 1980 increased the federal deficit during their time in office and left worse deficits.

Since 1980, Democratic presidents left office with better deficits than they inherited. President Clinton left office leaving the U.S. with a surplus, the first since 1969.

Lol. Intelligence isn't your strong point is it, MAGA breath

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]So here's the deal. Other countries like Europe appear to have free services etc but the reality is they are subsidized by the us and don't have to pay for the military etc even we pay more for healthcare drugs and products because we are subdizing other countries. When the us stops this those countries will get invaded and fall apart and no longer have cheaper services [/quote]

Do you actually believe this nonsensical propaganda? You actually believe that Europeans have a social safety net because we are keeping them safe? We don’t have a social safety net because that’s what Americans vote for. Do you love kool aid that much? Think about things for at least 3 minutes before you bother typing it out please.[/quote]

DP.

Listen. We pay and pay in this country and don't get anything except half the country working and the other half enjoying the fruits of that labor. ENOUGH.

You let us know when we have high-speed rail, which has been sucking up money for thirty GD years. Nothing to show for except environmental impact statements, studies, committees to discuss things to death, and a bunch of rich politicians and lawyers.[/quote]

You seriously think you don’t have a social safety net because we keep Europe safe and high speed rail? What are you even talking about? Listen—- you don’t have the same things as Europeans because you keep voting for REPUBLICANS [/quote]

I'm giving high speed rail as an example of anything govt does, it messes up.

You know EXACTLY what I'm talking about. [b]Japan had high speed rail 50+ years ago. They planned it, paid for it and got it. Same with France. Same with Spain.

We just talk it to death in meetings.[/b] Now we're 10+ years down range on Obamacare. Almost every state is down to one insurer, competition is gone and we're spending 17% of every dollar on health care, more than any other country in the world, and crowding all other spending out.

Don't tell me this is a Republican thing. This is a big govt Washington DC bureaucracy thing, and BTW, the only thing you value is taking money from one group and giving it to another. That's the ONLY thing you measure everything by. [/quote]

This is a really babyish understanding of why we don’t have rail. The reason post war countries were able to organize themselves around rail is because they simply didn’t have that many constituencies to worry about- there weren’t rich NIMBYs fighting tooth and nail to keep a railway track out of their backyard. People were just surviving.

And the problem with Obamacare is what has held our country back every step of the way- not Republicans, but conservatives. Conservative democrats stripped Obamacare of a public option.

Conservatives have fought against every iota of progress in this country, from racial equality, to electric cars, to healthcare. It doesn’t matter what political label they wear be it Democrats or Republicans. Joe Biden signed legislation investing billions in our infrastructure and it was all for nothing. You’re going to go to Europe in a couple of decades and find their electricity is insanely cheap and they’re driving electric cars for nothing while we won’t have the infrastructure- JUST LIKE RAIL. And you are watching it in real time and both-sides-ing it.[/quote]

It is not progress. You keep citing progress on things that aren't.

As for rail, you figure it out after 30+ years or you drop it. I'm tired of excuses for failure, especially on multi-decades problems.

As an aside, Amtrak has never made a profit. It loses every year since inception.

How the hell is electricity going to go be cheap in Europe? They're decimating all their nuclear power plants. The gallium, arsenide, silver and other metals necessary to produce solar panels are being hoarded by China and other major producers from South America as well as lithium for batteries.

Stop substituting the word "investing" instead of spending. It doesn't fly.

I know lots of teachers who moved overseas for higher pay and they love it

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So here's the deal. Other countries like Europe appear to have free services etc but the reality is they are subsidized by the us and don't have to pay for the military etc even we pay more for healthcare drugs and products because we are subdizing other countries. When the us stops this those countries will get invaded and fall apart and no longer have cheaper services

Do you actually believe this nonsensical propaganda? You actually believe that Europeans have a social safety net because we are keeping them safe? We don’t have a social safety net because that’s what Americans vote for. Do you love kool aid that much? Think about things for at least 3 minutes before you bother typing it out please.

They have a social safety net because they have high levels of taxation and devote little of their tax revenue to their own defense. They spend what they have on extensive social welfare. That's fine if you're happy with a uniformly modest quality of life which is unrelated to how hard you work, the initiative you show, or your level of ambition. If "good enough" isn't what you aspire to, you'll be disappointed that the fruits of your hard work go to support your lazier neighbors.

As a Euro transplant here: the above is partly true. But as the cost of healthcare and public services rises in Europe, authorities are paying very close attention to Americans wanting to move in and enjoy the fruits (free healthcare) of what others have paid for through years of high taxation.

Are any charging more bc retirees haven’t paid into their system? Will they start taxing g Americans (I understand some don’t force expats to pay their nation’s taxes in addition to US taxes. I could see that going away or as a carrot.

Not yet but interviewees are shown on the news complaining about “rich Americans” getting free healthcare without having paid into the system. Residents in France (regardless of their nationality) don’t have to pay French taxes on foreign source income. I can see changes being made in the near future to make non-EU citizen pay more towards healthcare and local taxes.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So here's the deal. Other countries like Europe appear to have free services etc but the reality is they are subsidized by the us and don't have to pay for the military etc even we pay more for healthcare drugs and products because we are subdizing other countries. When the us stops this those countries will get invaded and fall apart and no longer have cheaper services

Do you actually believe this nonsensical propaganda? You actually believe that Europeans have a social safety net because we are keeping them safe? We don’t have a social safety net because that’s what Americans vote for. Do you love kool aid that much? Think about things for at least 3 minutes before you bother typing it out please.

DP.

Listen. We pay and pay in this country and don't get anything except half the country working and the other half enjoying the fruits of that labor. ENOUGH.

You let us know when we have high-speed rail, which has been sucking up money for thirty GD years. Nothing to show for except environmental impact statements, studies, committees to discuss things to death, and a bunch of rich politicians and lawyers.

You seriously think you don’t have a social safety net because we keep Europe safe and high speed rail? What are you even talking about? Listen—- you don’t have the same things as Europeans because you keep voting for REPUBLICANS

I'm giving high speed rail as an example of anything govt does, it messes up.

You know EXACTLY what I'm talking about. Japan had high speed rail 50+ years ago. They planned it, paid for it and got it. Same with France. Same with Spain.

We just talk it to death in meetings. Now we're 10+ years down range on Obamacare. Almost every state is down to one insurer, competition is gone and we're spending 17% of every dollar on health care, more than any other country in the world, and crowding all other spending out.

Don't tell me this is a Republican thing. This is a big govt Washington DC bureaucracy thing, and BTW, the only thing you value is taking money from one group and giving it to another. That's the ONLY thing you measure everything by.

Wasn't someone supposed to "drain the swamp"?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So here's the deal. Other countries like Europe appear to have free services etc but the reality is they are subsidized by the us and don't have to pay for the military etc even we pay more for healthcare drugs and products because we are subdizing other countries. When the us stops this those countries will get invaded and fall apart and no longer have cheaper services

Do you actually believe this nonsensical propaganda? You actually believe that Europeans have a social safety net because we are keeping them safe? We don’t have a social safety net because that’s what Americans vote for. Do you love kool aid that much? Think about things for at least 3 minutes before you bother typing it out please.

They have a social safety net because they have high levels of taxation and devote little of their tax revenue to their own defense. They spend what they have on extensive social welfare. That's fine if you're happy with a uniformly modest quality of life which is unrelated to how hard you work, the initiative you show, or your level of ambition. If "good enough" isn't what you aspire to, you'll be disappointed that the fruits of your hard work go to support your lazier neighbors.

As a Euro transplant here: the above is partly true. But as the cost of healthcare and public services rises in Europe, authorities are paying very close attention to Americans wanting to move in and enjoy the fruits (free healthcare) of what others have paid for through years of high taxation.

Are any charging more bc retirees haven’t paid into their system? Will they start taxing g Americans (I understand some don’t force expats to pay their nation’s taxes in addition to US taxes. I could see that going away or as a carrot.

dp. I've looked into two countries to move to. If you want to use the government sponsored healthcare, you have to pay an annual fee, which is still a hell of a lot cheaper than insurance premiums here.

But, I'd rather go private. The insurance and paying oop there is still so much cheaper than paying for my hdp premiums and deductibles, and copays, and coinsurance.. just an endless freakin' money grab by greedy m*erf*ers in this country.

Why do we pay more for the same drug compared to other countries? Because greed. Like I said, the US is good for making money. That's about it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:America is the land where you make money. That's it.

We made our millions and will probably move to another country when the youngest finishes college in a few years. I have a friend who moved several years ago to Europe, and they *love* it. No shooter drills for their kids in school, reasonable healthcare costs, laid back lifestyle, so much traveling. I'm so jealous when I look at their social media.

Americans collectively are stressed out because of the gun violence and now, violence from our own government against our own citizens. We have very little work/life balance. Crap social safety nets.

America is only great if you have money, as a PP stated.

Honestly I think this is how the entire world sees us. We have a money hungry culture and everyone knows it. Our healthcare system exposes it in the worst way, we are willing to squeeze the last dime out of our sickest and our poorest.

Another thing is that 50% of the income tax people are paying today is going to just interest on the debt. No republican or democrat wants to touch that. The light at the end of the tunnel is a train.

An underrated statement. Bumping you up
Trump and billionaires use debt to make their billions.
Trump loves debt!
Debt Per Household: Approximately $286,108.
Current U.S. debt $38.79 trillion
(2017-2021) Trump $7.8 trillion debt increase
(January 20, 2025 – Present) Trump $3 trillion debt increase

Billionaires using our corrupt political system for personal gain has been going on since before Trump and will continue to go on long after Trump is gone as long as the GOP and Dem Parties exist in their current forms. Everyone should know this by now.

You really don’t have a leg to stand on here with ya know…all the pdfiles, faux religion, fraud, lying, corruption, filth, and damaging deficits⬇️

All Republican presidents since 1980 increased the federal deficit during their time in office and left worse deficits.

Since 1980, Democratic presidents left office with better deficits than they inherited. President Clinton left office leaving the U.S. with a surplus, the first since 1969.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So here's the deal. Other countries like Europe appear to have free services etc but the reality is they are subsidized by the us and don't have to pay for the military etc even we pay more for healthcare drugs and products because we are subdizing other countries. When the us stops this those countries will get invaded and fall apart and no longer have cheaper services

Do you actually believe this nonsensical propaganda? You actually believe that Europeans have a social safety net because we are keeping them safe? We don’t have a social safety net because that’s what Americans vote for. Do you love kool aid that much? Think about things for at least 3 minutes before you bother typing it out please.

DP.

Listen. We pay and pay in this country and don't get anything except half the country working and the other half enjoying the fruits of that labor. ENOUGH.

You let us know when we have high-speed rail, which has been sucking up money for thirty GD years. Nothing to show for except environmental impact statements, studies, committees to discuss things to death, and a bunch of rich politicians and lawyers.

You seriously think you don’t have a social safety net because we keep Europe safe and high speed rail? What are you even talking about? Listen—- you don’t have the same things as Europeans because you keep voting for REPUBLICANS

I'm giving high speed rail as an example of anything govt does, it messes up.

You know EXACTLY what I'm talking about. Japan had high speed rail 50+ years ago. They planned it, paid for it and got it. Same with France. Same with Spain.

We just talk it to death in meetings. Now we're 10+ years down range on Obamacare. Almost every state is down to one insurer, competition is gone and we're spending 17% of every dollar on health care, more than any other country in the world, and crowding all other spending out.

Don't tell me this is a Republican thing. This is a big govt Washington DC bureaucracy thing, and BTW, the only thing you value is taking money from one group and giving it to another. That's the ONLY thing you measure everything by.

This is a really babyish understanding of why we don’t have rail. The reason post war countries were able to organize themselves around rail is because they simply didn’t have that many constituencies to worry about- there weren’t rich NIMBYs fighting tooth and nail to keep a railway track out of their backyard. People were just surviving.

And the problem with Obamacare is what has held our country back every step of the way- not Republicans, but conservatives. Conservative democrats stripped Obamacare of a public option.

Conservatives have fought against every iota of progress in this country, from racial equality, to electric cars, to healthcare. It doesn’t matter what political label they wear be it Democrats or Republicans. Joe Biden signed legislation investing billions in our infrastructure and it was all for nothing. You’re going to go to Europe in a couple of decades and find their electricity is insanely cheap and they’re driving electric cars for nothing while we won’t have the infrastructure- JUST LIKE RAIL. And you are watching it in real time and both-sides-ing it.

A successful high speed rail system is feasible in Europe because a rail has a stop in a major city every hour or so. The US has too much sparsely populated area to make cross-continental rail systems feasible. This is basic common sense for most people.

Then create hubs:

Northeast
Midwest
Texas
Pacific Coast

And you can run literally striaght lines of rails though those sparcely populated areas if there was political will to do it. Imagine being able to take a train across the country in a day. Or being able to go NY to DC an hour or two? Or LA-SF in an hour or two? That is what Europe and Asia have.

But then we won’t have our bike trails. /s

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So here's the deal. Other countries like Europe appear to have free services etc but the reality is they are subsidized by the us and don't have to pay for the military etc even we pay more for healthcare drugs and products because we are subdizing other countries. When the us stops this those countries will get invaded and fall apart and no longer have cheaper services

Do you actually believe this nonsensical propaganda? You actually believe that Europeans have a social safety net because we are keeping them safe? We don’t have a social safety net because that’s what Americans vote for. Do you love kool aid that much? Think about things for at least 3 minutes before you bother typing it out please.

They have a social safety net because they have high levels of taxation and devote little of their tax revenue to their own defense. They spend what they have on extensive social welfare. That's fine if you're happy with a uniformly modest quality of life which is unrelated to how hard you work, the initiative you show, or your level of ambition. If "good enough" isn't what you aspire to, you'll be disappointed that the fruits of your hard work go to support your lazier neighbors.

As a Euro transplant here: the above is partly true. But as the cost of healthcare and public services rises in Europe, authorities are paying very close attention to Americans wanting to move in and enjoy the fruits (free healthcare) of what others have paid for through years of high taxation.

Are any charging more bc retirees haven’t paid into their system? Will they start taxing g Americans (I understand some don’t force expats to pay their nation’s taxes in addition to US taxes. I could see that going away or as a carrot.

Anonymous wrote:We don't have rail because the rubber, gas and car lobby killed rail, time and time again, starting with the dismanlting of the really awesome streetcar systems we had in just a bout every city until around 1960.

When the first oil shock hit in 1972-1973, the europeans and asians decided to decouple of middle eastern gas and invest in subways and rail. What did the US do (other than BART and Metro) - highways, single family press-board cul0de-sac exurban development and so on.

Choices based on lobbying from corporate interests.

Amtrak had record revenues and passengers in 2025 yet still operated at a financial loss while depending on Federal aid to maintain. Let us know how much the American taxpayer will be on the hook for this DC to San Fran high speed rail before the first track is laid, please

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So here's the deal. Other countries like Europe appear to have free services etc but the reality is they are subsidized by the us and don't have to pay for the military etc even we pay more for healthcare drugs and products because we are subdizing other countries. When the us stops this those countries will get invaded and fall apart and no longer have cheaper services

Do you actually believe this nonsensical propaganda? You actually believe that Europeans have a social safety net because we are keeping them safe? We don’t have a social safety net because that’s what Americans vote for. Do you love kool aid that much? Think about things for at least 3 minutes before you bother typing it out please.

DP.

Listen. We pay and pay in this country and don't get anything except half the country working and the other half enjoying the fruits of that labor. ENOUGH.

You let us know when we have high-speed rail, which has been sucking up money for thirty GD years. Nothing to show for except environmental impact statements, studies, committees to discuss things to death, and a bunch of rich politicians and lawyers.

You seriously think you don’t have a social safety net because we keep Europe safe and high speed rail? What are you even talking about? Listen—- you don’t have the same things as Europeans because you keep voting for REPUBLICANS

I'm giving high speed rail as an example of anything govt does, it messes up.

You know EXACTLY what I'm talking about. Japan had high speed rail 50+ years ago. They planned it, paid for it and got it. Same with France. Same with Spain.

We just talk it to death in meetings. Now we're 10+ years down range on Obamacare. Almost every state is down to one insurer, competition is gone and we're spending 17% of every dollar on health care, more than any other country in the world, and crowding all other spending out.

Don't tell me this is a Republican thing. This is a big govt Washington DC bureaucracy thing, and BTW, the only thing you value is taking money from one group and giving it to another. That's the ONLY thing you measure everything by.

This is a really babyish understanding of why we don’t have rail. The reason post war countries were able to organize themselves around rail is because they simply didn’t have that many constituencies to worry about- there weren’t rich NIMBYs fighting tooth and nail to keep a railway track out of their backyard. People were just surviving.

And the problem with Obamacare is what has held our country back every step of the way- not Republicans, but conservatives. Conservative democrats stripped Obamacare of a public option.

Conservatives have fought against every iota of progress in this country, from racial equality, to electric cars, to healthcare. It doesn’t matter what political label they wear be it Democrats or Republicans. Joe Biden signed legislation investing billions in our infrastructure and it was all for nothing. You’re going to go to Europe in a couple of decades and find their electricity is insanely cheap and they’re driving electric cars for nothing while we won’t have the infrastructure- JUST LIKE RAIL. And you are watching it in real time and both-sides-ing it.

A successful high speed rail system is feasible in Europe because a rail has a stop in a major city every hour or so. The US has too much sparsely populated area to make cross-continental rail systems feasible. This is basic common sense for most people.

Then create hubs:

Northeast
Midwest
Texas
Pacific Coast

And you can run literally striaght lines of rails though those sparcely populated areas if there was political will to do it. Imagine being able to take a train across the country in a day. Or being able to go NY to DC an hour or two? Or LA-SF in an hour or two? That is what Europe and Asia have.