Views on America

I live here and I can see why the rest of the world shakes their heads at us.

-Healthcare is terrible. But as soon as someone says socialism, people get scared and start hoarding sh it for doomsday. Everyone should be covered. We shouldn't have people dying because they can't get treatment. We shouldn't have people debating on going to see a doctor because of cost. It's ridiculous!

-Work/life balance. I'm always jealous of my friends in other countries who don't work crazy long hours and have crazy holiday time. I get 3 weeks paid time off and that's vacation and sick combined. Maternity/Paternity leave is a joke and there are jobs here where if you dare take a day off they are looking for your replacement.

-Our politics suck. My goodness. Religion has no place in laws. Simple as that. Why can't they grasp it? And we don't do anything about it. We allow it to happen by continuing to vote. Bills like the abortion bill in VA SHOULD NOT have been passed! The whole US should have been up in arms, but whatever.

-There are too many rich people on the top. They are making too much money to stop and want to change anything. Why change healthcare? Too many people on the top are making money off of premiums, deductibles, co-insurance, ect.

That's all.

Those interstates are from Federal Highway Funds. What is up with all of this Texas pride? Hasn't Texas been part of the US since they came seeking to join in order to avoid being conquered by Mexico?

This topic brings up a trip me and my husband took 4 years ago. We went to the Dominican Republic and although the location was beautiful, our vacation was almost ruined by rude Europeans. A specific incident that comes to mind....we were waiting in a long line for the beach buffet, when I finally reached the food and just as I was standing in front of the food, an arm literally reaches in front of me and grabs the last piece of chicken. REALLY??? Why would someone reach in front of someone for food? Found out later, she was European. Also, throughout the entire week, we would say hello to other guests only to be ignored and scowled at. We couldn't figure it out until almost the end of our trip when we met a fellow American that spoke French and she told us that she overhead many European guests saying how rude and spoiled us Americans were. I couldn't believe it...WE were the ones saying hello all week long and THEY were the ones ignoring or scowling at us.

Now with that said....I can't say that I hate or dislike all Europeans but don't understand some of their views towards us. A few bad apples don't make the whole orchard bad!

I don't want to be harsh, but perhaps the problem here is on both sides.

From what you describe, what they did was rude, and that can't be condoned. However you mention that they were speaking French, so were you greeting them in French, or did you just expect them to use your language?

Holy crap some of you folks are hard on the USA.. for Americans that dislike their home... The grass is always greener... In Canada health care is not free... we are taxed up the wazoo and back down the wazoo and around the wazoo etc etc!!! Our Canadian political system is also so f'ed up that i would never diss another countries political system. If you don't like something where you live.... CHANGE IT! get vocal! participate! I do it here in Canada.. if i don't like something, i join forces with like minded people! We just made to gov't here ban the long-gun registry and we worked hard and it happened! Things can change, don't grumble and/or run away.. Fight for your rights and change whats wrong... It can be done!

Met an engineer while camping on PEI.

He told me he had a slice of metal in his eye 12 hours in the ER before a doctor would see him.

Universal Health care is not perfect. Not even in Canada.

This thread should be allowed to stay. It's no more controversial than discussing whether it's okay to work in the sex industry or not. Just because some people get their knickers all in a twist about something doesn't mean the adults shouldn't be allowed to discuss it.

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I live in America, and frankly I hate living here.

I work my butt off monday through friday for pay that barely covers my bills and groceries.
I go to college monday through thursday nights, for which I pay out of pocket for. (yes full time school and work leaves me tired all the time!)
I don't have any health insurance, so I just try to keep myself as healthy as possible.
I only get 1 week, yes 1 week of vacation a year - and it's not even paid vacation.
The political system scares the *kitten* out of me.
And the way people here view the gay community, and people of other cultures/skin color/etc is just horrific.

The boyfriend and I are just trying to get through college, and then we're looking to gain citizenship elsewhere and get out of here!

I would love to help you leave. Good riddance!

oh let me just get the education and them were out. My gut tells me you received a pell grant.
BTW I get 3 weeks paid vacation and a week of sick pay. 2 personal days and lots of overtime if I like it. I get to work in an office with ac in the Texas summer and heat in the winter. I get to jump in my mercedes when I leave and drive on a gorgeous freeway paid for by the citizens of this Great State of Texas to a home that I own in a gorgeous neighborhood that my job paid for and its MINE. God Bless the USA! Oh and if I want I can throw a big *kitten* ribeye steak on my big Texas sized gas grill in my big *kitten* back yard too.

Those interstates are from Federal Highway Funds. What is up with all of this Texas pride? Hasn't Texas been part of the US since they came seeking to join in order to avoid being conquered by Mexico?

No, we did not greet them in French. If we had been in their country, we would have. But since we weren't, that doesn't condone the dirty looks and scowls we received, over and over again! Like I said though, that doesn't mean all of them are bad

Aww bless your heart

And that has what to do with Texas?

Holy crap some of you folks are hard on the USA.. for Americans that dislike their home... The grass is always greener... In Canada health care is not free... we are taxed up the wazoo and back down the wazoo and around the wazoo etc etc!!! Our Canadian political system is also so f'ed up that i would never diss another countries political system. If you don't like something where you live.... CHANGE IT! get vocal! participate! I do it here in Canada.. if i don't like something, i join forces with like minded people! We just made to gov't here ban the long-gun registry and we worked hard and it happened! Things can change, don't grumble and/or run away.. Fight for your rights and change whats wrong... It can be done!

Met an engineer while camping on PEI.

He told me he had a slice of metal in his eye 12 hours in the ER before a doctor would see him.

Universal Health care is not perfect. Not even in Canada.

Very true, it has more to do with not enough MD's though.... Would you work in PEI when you could work in a city where you'd be making way more money... My uncle is an MD and i know all to well the ins and outs of the system. My mother is a retired RN who spent her career in the ER and OR, and again know all to well... your system isn't perfect and our system isn't perfect.. I'm just glad that i have tons of emergency first aid training and my mother taught me a lot too.. I can run an IV if need be LOL... Thanks Mom! I have so many stories like the one you presented.. I'm a safety officer and have seen people wait hours for SERIOUS life/limb threatening injuries...

One of the best things about the USA is that everything comes in Peanut Butter or Cinnamon.

Mmmmmm.

Peanut Butter M&Ms are actually the best things ever invented.

and BBQ

*facepalm* how did I forget BBQ!

mmmmmm........ BBQ........ especially with the black Kansas City type BBQ sauce, not that nasty-azz redish Carolina style sauce.

We are not perfect all you have to do is look at the government assisstance programs and how easy it is to get this assisstance in many states and to live off of it. All you have to do is walk into any grocery store at the beginning of the month where I live and watch people fill their carts pay with a benefit card then walk outside and load their groceries in a new vehicle. Or buy steaks for their dogs because dog food is not covered (True story I was behind this in line one time) . It just shows how easy governments can be manipulated.

Seen this too many times in line, I have my cart filled with generic food. The lady in front of me buys food with her money. Then does a separate purchase of name brand name juices and bread using her WIC card. Or, they buy their food with Food Stamps. Then a separate purchase by cigarettes with their own money. Or paying for their food with Food Stamp, meanwhile they and their kids have smart phones and I have a crap phone and I paying for all of my generic label food for my family of 8!!

Let me play devil's advocate. I'm not talking about government assistance lifer's. How do you know the person you see paying their food with food stamps has not just recently lost their job and are struggling at the present time. They already owned a nice car, the kids already had smart phones etc... They need temporary assistance to get them through a tough time period. We already know how terrible many Americans are in saving money. . Are they suppose to sell everything they own immediately? Let's say they got a another nice paying job within a couple of months, they still have the car, the phones etc.... You may be surprised how many people use government assistance in a the way that it was intended, for short term temporary relief.

I do not mind our government helping people out temporarily! In fact, as a wealthy and compassionate country, we should do this. And you are right, I do not know if this is a temporary situation.

But, when my kids were in the public school, there were kids at my sons' school that receive and have always received free breakfast and lunch and they had cell phones when my kids did not and they wore expensive clothes. I remember one of my sons asking how come I packed their lunch when other kids got the nicer food for free. (The school had a basic lunch, but you could pay more money for the yummier food). I said because their parents do not make enough money, and the boys told me that they have money for nice clothes and phones.

I agree with you that there is plenty of abuse of the system and we have to eliminate that or else there will be no assistance available in the near future. I researched government assistance available here in Illinois when I become in unemployed in case my situation ever become very serious. It would be the last thing I would ever think of doing as I'm way too proud and stubborn to ask for help, but I have kids and would have to bite the bullet and get help if needed. Here in Illinois, it seems they have some steps in place to avoid abuse. They use a link card (not food stamps) for food benefits. You can only purchase groceries, not booze, not hot meals or any other non food items. My understanding is that when your items get scanned and you pay for them with your link card, if you have any items that don't meet the criteria for benefits, you will have a balance due at checkout for those items. You either have to pay for them by other means or don't buy them.
You do have to provide much documentation and proof of your situation, your dependents etc... You have 10 days to notify the state of any changes in income, dependent status etc.... Your case gets reviewed every 6 months.
That being said, there are flaws galore. To fully educate myself on this I had to go through the initial process of applying for benefits. Wow, what an eye opener. I applied online but had to go into one of the offices for an interview. Five hour wait!!! The office is badly understaffed. (sickens me with the current unemployment rate) I guess since Illinois is basically broke, this would explained the badly staffed situation. While waiting I talked to many people, especially people who know the routine. 1) Any paperwork you have hand it to your case worker directly or else they will never get it, even if it means coming in and waiting another 5 hours to hand it to them. 2) Some case workers are great and will do whatever to help while others don't give a crap about you. It's all in the luck of the draw.
So if this office is so understaffed, I assume the entire state office is understaffed and very lacking in making sure people are not abusing the system. IMO
Once I left there I became more determined then ver to get work and fix my situation, I never want to go t that office again.

But where are the illegal guns coming from? Other nations that have gun regulation do not seem to have the gun problems that the US has. Don't you think there may be some correlation? Also, while I am not a fan of hunting, I respect it but I am curious why the NRA feels that hunters need assault rifles and armor piercing bullets.

My husband is a lifetime NRA member. I've never seen an NRA member use machine guns for hunting.

That would violate the hunting license in every single state in America. Other hunters would turn that person in.

Call me up on the day you see someone hunting with a machine gun.

For real.

Never said hunters used them, but the NRA has lobbied to keep them legal.

However, most, if not all American's I've met have been amazing people. I love visiting the US you just need to sort a few things out.