Best places in the World to live

[madcat]

Yeah, and free to carry gun - I wouldn't be mentioning this in view of the past week...
reminds me of a signature of someone I saw, something along the lines:
"The Canadian is just like the American. Except he doesn't carry a gun, and has a health insurance". (the "American" in this case meant a "person from the USA", I had to translate it from another language).

All those "free to" things you mentioned are available this way or the other in most of "1st world" countries. But the rest makes all the difference.

[betlit]

i guess i will get banned one day for always starting discussions like that...

[madcat]

Get on a plane to Auckland, then claim "Oh, I thought you said Oakland (California)..."

I just came back from a business trip, there was one segment in California - LA to San Jose.
Just before the plane left the gate, the young couple in the first row jumped and said - "San Jose California? we are supposed to be on a plane to San Jose Costa Rica!!".
Made it off the plane, had to wait for their luggage to be taken off.
When airborne, the flight attendant announces, as usual "Welcome aboard this flight XYZ to San Jose ... [long comic pause] California...".

[groover km]

Do you have to paraphrase everything.. Why did you come to live in NC, USA if you feel what the way Lewis Black has comment...

Again you're making some type of joke here? Hmmm, you get freedom in the USA! You have the right to Vote, the right to be heard, the right to bear arms (carry a gun), the right to own your own house, car, boat, computer, pets and etc..

Your protected by the blind folded women carrying scales...

Hey.

HEY.

RIGHT, allow me to also be snippy: If you can hog bandwidth by cut'n'pasting endless images from the radio shack site I can sure as sh*t paraphrase whoever I like.

The comment - which appears to have been lost on you - is that if we could just hold off on all the freedom USA, greatest country in the world, WE'RE number 1!!! self-applause for just a New York MINUTE, we might actually learn something from other people, cultures, views and countries.

Guess what? They have freedoms in other countries too, and I hate to burst your little FOX news bubble here, but the USA is no longer regarded as the global beacon of freedom that you appear to think it is.

Patronise me with your scales of justice comment? Try habeas corpus, which seems to have served everyone else fine for 700+ years, then YOU can lecture ME about the right to own pets.

Healthcare: Aaah, that would be the same healthcare service that costs us twice as much as any other developed nation, in return for a lower life expectancy? That one? Not my figures, WHO. Look yourself.

And let me correct you - I have the right to freedom of speech, and the responsibility that accompanies it.

I do NOT have the right to be heard.
And neither do you.

So before you try and exercise the tired old bullying and dismissive "love it or leave it" argument, let me tell ya my assumptive pal that I have AS MUCH RIGHT TO BE HERE AS YOU.

OKAY?

I have responded in the forum in kind and will not post in this thread again; if you want to PM me and take it offline, be my guest.

Apologies to all others.

[madcat]

True, but that person did go through all the channels and got license, just the system didn't catch that he was mental so he shouldn't got the weapons.

right, there are reasons. But you must agree that it is far more easier to get a gun (or a couple) in the USA than in most of modern countries you know. And that's the essence of it - channels shmannels. So maybe the system is flawed? if you don't allow guns, then it would be much more difficult to commit those "extended suicides". I'm not saying there won't be guns. Mafia, gangs, they will always get their hands on some. But I'm saying there would be less. far less.

Health Insurance is a big issues, but you see it started back in 1700 so it's just not going to be like your country or England with free insurance. The problem here is that a lot of individuals will be out of work. What else will corporate insurance compaines do instead?

I'm really far from being an expert. Can't comment much. I just know that the US is considered a country with "less" social safeties (specially when it comes to the poor and less fortunate). Some countries take a the other extreme (and am not talking about communism). I think there are good places in the middle.

[pastro]

True, but that person did go through all the channels and got license, just the system didn't catch that he was mental so he shouldn't got the weapons.

Actually he lied on the form whether he was involuntarily commited, and with all of the patient privacy we have here in the states, there is no way anyone is going to get the information what his mental history was.

It's a hole in the system that allowed him to get a gun, it wasn't something they missed.

[pastro]

I don't think life expectancy is neccesarily a black mark on health care in the US. The fact is many people eat and drink to excess, never exercise, breath pollutants etc. Many people come to the US for treatment, not as many US citizens go elsewhere for treatment. I'm sure there are many places around the world that have excellent healthcare, but I don't believe that the US is lacking in that area. What is lacking is affordable healthcare for everyone in the US.

[martint123]

I've been to the US on and off for over 30 years, tourist, business, tech courses etc.

Sadly I won't be visiting anymore as your borders and ports of entry seem to be employing people who actively discourage tourism. I found it an unpleasant experience the last (in both meanings) time I visited.

[dvasco]

My last experience with US Immigration officials was also unpleasant and my mother was born here.

[pastro]

I've been to the US on and off for over 30 years, tourist, business, tech courses etc.

Sadly I won't be visiting anymore as your borders and ports of entry seem to be employing people who actively discourage tourism. I found it an unpleasant experience the last (in both meanings) time I visited.

Sadly, a small percentage of people can impact a large percent of visitors. I've had my problems with immigration in other countries and the reality is I'm there to see other people or places and not luckily, not them.