As bad as things are in America, do you still have it better than if you born in another country...

[AZ Progressive]

Primarily a non-western country, like in Africa, the Middle East, or in East Asia?

I'm in no way making light of the struggles of living in America. But I have to think at times how some things we take for granted, like freedom of speech, the ability to choose what we work in, the ability to move to a far place, even being able to own a car and drive whereever we want, etc... are things that would be luxuries in other nations, not to mention our living standards.

[valerief]

1. There are lots of countries I would have preferred to be born in.

Not the women-hating ones you noted, of course. No religious countries like the U.S. or worse.

Just imagine being born into a country that valued education over its military.

[AZ Progressive]

5. I'm sure a lot of other people wished the same. But you have to play with the hand you were dealt..

with in life. What choice do you have?

[valerief]

7. I do, but that wasn't what your OP asked. nt

[DeadLetterOffice]

2. I have access to clean water.

There is food on my table, gas in my car, clothes on my children.
I have access to medical care.
I do not worry daily about bombs raining from the sky.
I can go to the market without worrying that someone there will blow it up.

Is my life perfect? Hardly. Am I really fucking lucky anyway? Yup.

[GeorgeGist]

3. Any Scandinavian country would be preferable ...

Or New Zealand.

[BigDemVoter]

10. I agree on all points.

[treestar]

12. It could be boring

lack of diversity. New Zealand would be nice, though. Or Australia or Canada.

[yeoman6987]

9. Very true. I have visited 51 countries and live in 3 foreign countries

And the United States is best worts and all. I often wonder about those who wish to live in another country ever stepped foot out of the United States. That old adage that is is greener on the other side applies.

[treestar]

13. Other nations are more diverse than we tend to think here

but that's likely because we are the most diverse.

But talking about the Nordic countries, I think the social safety net is because of their lack of diversity (nobody who is getting anything out of the safety net is not one of US - in the US people are too concerned that the "other" is the one who benefits). Also their lack of diversity might be so dull for us who are used to many cultures around us.

[Bluenorthwest]

19. Have you ever been to a Nordic country? Of course not. Let me tell you this, 'diversity' is diverse.

That is to say, I can show you many places where diversity is lacking by US standards all of which manage very well in finding 'the other' to oppress. 'The Other' can mean 'not our denomination' as Ireland and the Shia can tell you. 'The Other' is often LGBT persons who are the sons and daughters of those who call them 'the Other'.
Your theory is a crock of shit.

[treestar]

20. What Nordic country denies any part of its social safety net to anyone?

Iran is not a Nordic country. Ireland is settled down now for the most part, and is not Nordic either.

Prove that one of the Nordic countries denies its benefits to anyone, even the immigrants they do have.

[PufPuf23]

6. In the lottery of life one is better to have a life of more quality

if born in the USA than in most countries.

There are a minority of countries where on average one would be better off than the USA (Switzerland, Canada) but many more where the prospects are much worse (Nigeria, Bangladesh).

One can be born into extremely poor circumstances within the USA or extremely favorable circumstances in crappy countries.

Trends matter. The USA is on the decline and the situation is likely to worsen for the remainder of the lives of those at DU now.

[cherokeeprogressive]

8. I'm totally good with where I was born and where I live. nt

[a la izquierda]

11. I would take having been born in Canada...

or Western Europe any day of the week. Nothing in my life would be different except that I wouldn't be saddled with a ton of student loan debt. This country doesn't value education at all.

And I'm contemplating a move to Mexico.

So, yeah.

[ileus]

14. I don't find it bad here in America....

Sure it could be better, but I have no reason to take that risk. We still have a damn fine country to be Proud of and be proud of living here.


and it's been getting better the past 7 years or so...

[B Calm]

15. I will never forget the port of Naples when a garbage barge pulled up along

side of our ship. Throwing down bags of garbage and watching little boys going through every bag.

[DFW]

16. I have lived in both, and it's hard to say

My wife was born and grew up in Germany, and we now live here (Rheinland area).

She enjoys a certain safety net, but would never have been able to afford much more than subsistence living on her social worker'S salary and (in 2 years) pension of about €850 a month. It depends on where you're looking at it from to say whether she is lucky to have that or would have been condemned to it. Many people in Scandinavia know how good their social structure is, but quickly get bored with the homogeneity of life there. Sweden's burgeoning skinheads are a manifestation of bored people with too much in the way of government handouts to the wrong people. LOTS of Scandinavians look to live elsewhere--albeit once they have grown up in the security of their system.

My wife doesn't want to leave German primarily because her mom is still alive (the last of our parents), and one of our daughters now lives here (has joined the 1% or close to it since she is a near genius and got a $350,000 salary offer at age 29 from some headhunters looking for someone with exactly her background). If both our daughters still lived in the USA and her mom was no longer with us, who knows? We really don't enjoy any special privileges for living in Germany. My taxes at 50% instead of 39% don't afford me ANY difference in quality of life from the USA--no social net, no health insurance, so I'm here because she wants to be here, and I have built my job up to the point where I'm needed. I also have painted myself into a corner, jobwise. I have tailored it to the point where I can't find anyone to replace me, at ANY salary. So, my workload will probably only increase until I'm 90, or I quit, whichever comes first.

But so far, I've adapted to Germany, can speak not only German, but the languages of almost all other countries on its border (except Czech, and my Polish is still shaky). I could live with being back in northern Virginia or New England. My wife would be OK with New England, not northern Virginia. For now, we're staying put, though.

[HughBeaumont]

17. Siiiiiiiiiggghhhhh

http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Fallacy_of_relative_privation

[logosoco]

18. This is true, and sometimes easy to forget!

My son is in Tanzania, Africa with the Peace Corps (so he has a lot of help). It makes me so happy when he says they have had good rain and his rain barrel is filled so it's easy to "shower" and do laundry. He has told us that many of the people he meets would love to come here. But they also seem to think we all live like rock stars!

We are lucky. And America should be the place where diversity is always welcomed. We should also be the ones leading the way in technology and energy. I like to think that when we do well, we are raising things for everyone.

[Romulox]

21. It's probably better to live in a country in ascension, than one in decline... nt

[Octafish]

22. Think of how well off we'd be with fair tax policies?

Who knows? We might not have to feed old folks cat food.

[KamaAina]

23. East Asia? Like Japan?

Not at all sure about that.