Why do you feel lucky to live in Merica?

[V1.47fan]

Originally Posted by MightyMouseTech

Hmm, I live in Canada with socialised health care, and my tax rate is only 38%. Guess we are doing it wrong.

It's not rocket science, Canada has huge natural resources, oil,timber etc. with a population of only 35 million. Even with that going for you, you still have a budget deficit, long waiting lists for people to get medical care (a ration in a way).
Wealthy Canadians (medical tourists) come to the US for medical care and some not so rich, go to India to avoid the wait.


Try that same social experiment with one of the most obese population in the world. If countries like Italy, France with healthier populations can't be solvent. What makes you think it's goin to work here?

Or we'll just print more dollars..

[Samurai of 2day]

I know the America isn't perfect, but it is a great place to be when compared to other countries around the world.

Being in the US Army for 14 years (and counting), I have been all over the world, and have seen and experienced some less than favorable living conditions and environments.

If you enjoy going to the movies, grabbing a coffee on your lunch break, hitting the gas pedal on a nice car, jumping on the internet whenever you want, checking out the girls at the beach or the gym or the bar, playing Xbox or PS, letting your children play in the park with the other neighborhood kids... ( I can go on for days), be thankful if you are living in the USA. Do not take these luxuries for granted, because there are millons of people around the world who would consider some of our lifestyles to be an impossible fantasy.

[F30lolz]

Originally Posted by Samurai of 2day

I know the America isn't perfect, but it is a great place to be when compared to other countries around the world.

Being in the US Army for 14 years (and counting), I have been all over the world, and have seen and experienced some less than favorable living conditions and environments.

If you enjoy going to the movies, grabbing a coffee on your lunch break, hitting the gas pedal on a nice car, jumping on the internet whenever you want, checking out the girls at the beach or the gym or the bar, playing Xbox or PS, letting your children play in the park with the other neighborhood kids... ( I can go on for days), be thankful if you are living in the USA. Do not take these luxuries for granted, because there are millons of people around the world who would consider some of our lifestyles to be an impossible fantasy.

Thank you for your services. My best friend has been in the Marines since 2003, cousin served in the Air Force now living the life in Montana and my step son graduated from the Naval Academy last month and will be stationed in VA in August. Thinking about how they have/will be moving around (step son in TX now) it does hinder settling down. I need to have a set schedule IMHO but kuddos to you tho.

[Samurai of 2day]

Originally Posted by F30lolz

Thank you for your services. My best friend has been in the Marines since 2003, cousin served in the Air Force now living the life in Montana and my step son graduated from the Naval Academy last month and will be stationed in VA in August. Thinking about how they have/will be moving around (step son in TX now) it does hinder settling down. I need to have a set schedule IMHO but kuddos to you tho.

Thanks my man. Nothing we do is accomplished without the support we get from people like yourself, and the families that support and encourage their service member.

Hanging out with you guys on Bimmerpost is always a good time!

[fecurtis]

Originally Posted by V1.47fan

Wealthy Canadians (medical tourists) come to the US for medical care and some not so rich, go to India to avoid the wait.

That's actually false, they don't do that. That's been debunked many times.

Plus Canada spends less on healthcare as a percentage of GDP than America does. Around 10% vs. 17%.

Plus I believe Canada is slated to run a budget surplus this year, but that may or may not still be the case with oil prices being as low as they are. So as far as keeping healthcare expenditures in control, Canada is doing a better job of it than we are.

[fecurtis]

Originally Posted by V1.47fan

I'm glad i dont have over 65% of my money taken by the government between personal income tax and VAT so that i can pay for your wife's maternity leave.

You don't need a 65% income tax and VAT to have jobs mandate some form of paid maternity leave.

I was actually surprised to see that a lot of jobs DON'T have some form of paid maternity/paternity leave. Everywhere I've ever worked has it. I don't think anyone is advocating something crazy like one year leave like some countries have, such as Germany (although you're "only" paid for 18 weeks).

[fecurtis]

I guess I should answer the question so here goes.

I grew up in a lower middle class family. My dad is a mechanic by trade and worked his ass off to make sure we, as a family, were provided for as best as he could provide for. My mom was a stay at home mom who made sure we weren't doing shit like wearing the same clothes for days at a time and that we didn't smell like crap and what not.

Anyway, my parents always made it a point to drive how important it was to get an education so that we didn't have to work as hard as they do. Fast forward 30 years, I went to college, got a degree, started work and now make a six figure salary. That didn't just come from me coming in at 9 and leaving at 5 everyday since graduating college. Some of it required working long 12-16 hour days for months at a time, sacrificing vacations, making connections (you know, the whole "it's not what you know it's who you know" saying...although I always counter that idiots tend to not know many people worth knowing) and I'm still very much career focused. Meanwhile, my parents through careful budgeting and planning, have zero debt and live quite comfortably now.

Not going to say any of this is easy, they faltered some while I was growing up like anyone else does and had to make some tough decisions and sacrifices but the fact that they still had the opportunity to not just survive but live is something that makes me feel lucky to have lived here.

Granted this is possible in many other first world countries, just nice when you can look back and know where you came from and the fact that in many countries in general, what you're born into is basically what you're stuck with.

My younger brother also does well but he had a harder time graduating from a lesser reputable college and graduating in the middle of a recession but luckily I knew enough people that he was able to find a job with people I knew. Trying to copy is better older brother, he recently got an F30 328i. My mom enjoys bragging now that both of her sons drive BMW's. Not like she drives a crappy car, she drives an Infiniti G35 sedan, previously owned by me but she wanted to buy it off me in cash prior to buying my F30.

So yeah I feel lucky to live in good ol' Murica because I can look over the past 30 years of life and see how much has changed not just for me but for my family and the fact that I grew up in an environment where I even had the opportunity to pave my own path so to speak.

Plus I can get a danish whenever the fuck I feel like it...I remember having a random danish craving while in Ireland a few years ago...could NOT find a place that had them for the life of me.

[V1.47fan]

Originally Posted by fecurtis

That's actually false, they don't do that. That's been debunked many times.

Plus Canada spends less on healthcare as a percentage of GDP than America does. Around 10% vs. 17%.

Plus I believe Canada is slated to run a budget surplus this year, but that may or may not still be the case with oil prices being as low as they are. So as far as keeping healthcare expenditures in control, Canada is doing a better job of it than we are.

You realize the population of the US is over 315 million vs 35 million, it's hard for the government to live off the land with such a huge population.

http://m.thestar.com/#/article/news/...t_surgery.html

http://www.cbc.ca/m/news/health/medi...nada-1.2663013

I rather keep my money and buy health insurance from the private sector, you rather have the extra 10% or so taken out of your paycheck so you can get rationed health care, good for you.

Obviously you like the nanny state, i dont. It's a personal preference.

Not just me, a lot of Canada's talents not just in entertainment move to the US, i'm using the word "talent" loosely.

[ASAP]

Originally Posted by fecurtis

I guess I should answer the question so here goes.

I grew up in a lower middle class family. My dad is a mechanic by trade and worked his ass off to make sure we, as a family, were provided for as best as he could provide for. My mom was a stay at home mom who made sure we weren't doing shit like wearing the same clothes for days at a time and that we didn't smell like crap and what not.

Anyway, my parents always made it a point to drive how important it was to get an education so that we didn't have to work as hard as they do. Fast forward 30 years, I went to college, got a degree, started work and now make a six figure salary. That didn't just come from me coming in at 9 and leaving at 5 everyday since graduating college. Some of it required working long 12-16 hour days for months at a time, sacrificing vacations, making connections (you know, the whole "it's not what you know it's who you know" saying...although I always counter that idiots tend to not know many people worth knowing) and I'm still very much career focused. Meanwhile, my parents through careful budgeting and planning, have zero debt and live quite comfortably now.

Not going to say any of this is easy, they faltered some while I was growing up like anyone else does and had to make some tough decisions and sacrifices but the fact that they still had the opportunity to not just survive but live is something that makes me feel lucky to have lived here.

Granted this is possible in many other first world countries, just nice when you can look back and know where you came from and the fact that in many countries in general, what you're born into is basically what you're stuck with.

My younger brother also does well but he had a harder time graduating from a lesser reputable college and graduating in the middle of a recession but luckily I knew enough people that he was able to find a job with people I knew. Trying to copy is better older brother, he recently got an F30 328i. My mom enjoys bragging now that both of her sons drive BMW's. Not like she drives a crappy car, she drives an Infiniti G35 sedan, previously owned by me but she wanted to buy it off me in cash prior to buying my F30.

So yeah I feel lucky to live in good ol' Murica because I can look over the past 30 years of life and see how much has changed not just for me but for my family and the fact that I grew up in an environment where I even had the opportunity to pave my own path so to speak.

Plus I can get a danish whenever the fuck I feel like it...I remember having a random danish craving while in Ireland a few years ago...could NOT find a place that had them for the life of me.

I think is a great story that shows how one can come up... but do understand that in most Western European nations, the story is the same. The European Union has offered citizens of those nations a myriad of opportunities that once were not there. For those people things have shifted forward drastically, I happen to know a few people in certain fields in Europe that do better than most of their counterparts here in the US. The moral of the story, is that as things have slowly gotten better over there in terms of opportunities, in the US either a stagnation has happened or the direct opposite. Talk to any new college graduate (even with experience)...

I love this country... but I loved its economy and opportunities far more 20 years ago.

[KingOfJericho]

This has nothing to do with my original statement that we are one of only two countries without mandatory leave. I also did not specify that it had to be paid (though it is typically covered by short-term disasbility insurance). Trying to link mandatory maternity leave to a 65% tax rate is completely inaccurate, inflamatory fear-mongering.

[fecurtis]

Originally Posted by V1.47fan

You realize the population of the US is over 315 million vs 35 million, it's hard for the government to live off the land with such a huge population.

Yes, it's why I used percent of GDP, it controls for that kinda thing you know. When you add in the fact that both the US and Canada have the same GDP / capita, your point is moot.

http://m.thestar.com/#/article/news/...t_surgery.html

http://www.cbc.ca/m/news/health/medi...nada-1.2663013

Sweet, you provided anecdotal evidence of ONE person traveling to the US (studies show that roughly a fraction of a percent of Canadians go to the US for medical care). Your second link just tells me that Canada has 3 times as long wait times in the ER...what's that have to do with ration healthcare?

I rather keep my money and buy health insurance from the private sector, you rather have the extra 10% or so taken out of your paycheck so you can get rationed health care, good for you.

I get money taken out of my paycheck which goes towards private healthcare, that amount goes up a considerable amount every year. I don't like paying increased costs that outpace inflation when I receive no discernible improvement in services. I'd also rather just buy health insurance which protects me against catastrophic loss only (which is, after all, the entire point of insurance). I don't need it to cover annual check ups yet I don't really have much say in the type of private insurance I can get nor do I have much options (read: I don't have any) in seeing how much services costs from competing doctors. If I'm going to have to pay for something, I'd like to see how much I'd have to pay and do my research on alternatives like you can with, literally, every other product and service offered in America. You don't? That's fine.

If my car insurance worked like my health insurance, I'd pay a small deductible every time I got gas in my car, seems silly to me.

Obviously you like the nanny state, i dont. It's a personal preference.

Nope, I just prefer logical and transparent information so I can make an informed decision as a consumer (or in this instance, a patient). If that means exploring reform of the way health insurance is currently set up via private insurers or exploring the costs/benefits of a single payer system then so be it. If you like to pay more and more for a service for no real reason, then knock yourself out. If you think that the current state of health insurance and it's costs in the US don't have any room for improvement, then you must not pay much attention. But props on the use of false dichotomy. I wish health insurance costs in the US would go down or at least slow down, this clearly must mean I'm all in on some super liberal nanny state. Logical and well thought out conclusion you drew out there genius.

Not just me, a lot of Canada's talents not just in entertainment move to the US, i'm using the word "talent" loosely.

Yes I'm sure it's solely because of healthcare and the fact that some guy had to wait an hour in the ER. Not any other factors like weather, jobs, etc.

EDIT: So I looked into your second link, it reads:

The Wait Times Alliance’s annual report card, called "Time to close the gap," said 27 per cent of Canadians reported waiting more than four hours in the emergency department compared with one per cent in the Netherlands and five per cent in the United Kingdom.

Which is funny. You realize that's around the same as the average wait time in the ER as in the US right? Granted, I remember reading that a few years ago, it may have improved since then.

[fecurtis]

Originally Posted by ASAP

I think is a great story that shows how one can come up... but do understand that in most Western European nations, the story is the same. The European Union has offered citizens of those nations a myriad of opportunities that once were not there. For those people things have shifted forward drastically, I happen to know a few people in certain fields in Europe that do better than most of their counterparts here in the US. The moral of the story, is that as things have slowly gotten better over there in terms of opportunities, in the US either a stagnation has happened or the direct opposite. Talk to any new college graduate (even with experience)...

I love this country... but I loved its economy and opportunities far more 20 years ago.

Pfft, tell that to Ireland. They need to step their danish game up...way up.

But yes I know it's why I said the same can be said for practically any first world country. Although Greece today just had talks concerning their debt fall apart after 45 minutes......forty. five. minutes.

[fecurtis]

Originally Posted by KingOfJericho

This has nothing to do with my original statement that we are one of only two countries without mandatory leave. I also did not specify that it had to be paid (though it is typically covered by short-term disasbility insurance). Trying to link mandatory maternity leave to a 65% tax rate is completely inaccurate, inflamatory fear-mongering.

He comes off as the type of guy who relies on strawman tactics and false dichotomies. You want mandatory leave? This must mean you're someone who hates freedom and wants to force the one percent to give 85% of their earned income/capital gains to poor, lazy crack addicts.

I find, at least in my experience, people who do this drink the talk radio kool aid a bit too much.

[Mr Tonka]

This thread is now about healthcare? or maternity leave?

[csu87]

I'm lucky to live in MERICA because I can watch 2 people that will never change their mind argue until they are blue in the face.

And also,

[V1.47fan]

Originally Posted by fecurtis

He comes off as the type of guy who relies on strawman tactics and false dichotomies. You want mandatory leave? This must mean you're someone who hates freedom and wants to force the one percent to give 85% of their earned income/capital gains to poor, lazy crack addicts.

I find, at least in my experience, people who do this drink the talk radio kool aid a bit too much.

I dont want the federal gvt to take care of the health care, look at Amtrak, public housing etc.

Maybe if this thread was about why you are so happy you live in Canada, folks who like living in a nanny state could argue they love their gvt provided health care.

Some people, like your former Premier, rather have their health insurance from the private sector.

[MrPrena]

oh no. not this again...

Originally Posted by Joekerr

Is it true that every other southern state does BBQ better than Texas?

Originally Posted by Billup

Yes.

It's also true that everybody except Texans know that Texas really isn't all that great, too.

[fecurtis]

Originally Posted by V1.47fan

I dont want the federal gvt to take care of the health care, look at Amtrak, public housing etc.

Maybe if this thread was about why you are so happy you live in Canada, folks who like living in a nanny state could argue they love their gvt provided health care.

Some people, like your former Premier, rather have their health insurance from the private sector.

Are you partially illiterate?

I'm American and live in America. I went into a story about how I was raised in America.

Anyway you are obviously too obtuse to hold a normal, mature conversation since what you said was barely coherent anyway considering what you just said, in no way, responded to anything I commented on.

Back to the "who has the best BBQ" war. The answer there is obvious, Carolina style or GTFO.

[V1.47fan]

Originally Posted by fecurtis

Are you partially illiterate?

I'm American and live in America. I went into a story about how I was raised in America.

Anyway you are obviously too obtuse to hold a normal, mature conversation since what you said was barely coherent anyway considering what you just said, in no way, responded to anything I commented on.

Back to the "who has the best BBQ" war. The answer there is obvious, Carolina style or GTFO.

I didn't read most of the crap you wrote, just had a vague idea of what you were saying, my bad. Try to keep it short and sweet and dont use so many fancy words, professor.

[TrAcK TRaP]

someone please check E92's and gas prices in "Turkey" and you will know why I end up being here

[Joekerr]

Originally Posted by Lups

I've brought my socialist ways here

Get out of 'Merica you Commie loving socialist!!!


I don't believe in socialism. If you work harder, you should be rewarded more.

[Lups]

Originally Posted by Joekerr

Get out of 'Merica you Commie loving socialist!!!


I don't believe in socialism. If you work harder, you should be rewarded more.

I will, don't worry. It sickens me how alone you leave your used and abused.