Questions for our American friends

[winebeavis]

@Nobody1, It's nothing. Anybody can make one of those online petitions through that web sight. At best it's symbolic. 9876543210 summed it up for at worst. I don't think anybody, even those starting these petitions, take it seriously. They'd be better off spending their time online looking for porn. . . .

[winebeavis]

Originally Posted by tamsmith

Well said Billy. Over the years I have had so many "discussions" with my American friends and American relatives who constantly talk about the "British" class system and how it is not possible in a "free society" like America.

However the "class" system is alive and well in America and getting stronger.

I heard this in a very nice neighbourhood in CA. "It's about time they stopped spending a fortune, of our taxes, on border patrols. More illegals means cheaper hired help".

Many Americans have never been outside of the U.S. Many Americans are offended if you were to suggest to them that they're not the best at everything. It's not fathomable to suggest that the American education system isn't the best in the world; that the American healthcare system isn't the greatest in the world; the American mass transit isn't the best in the world; America is the freest country isn't the world, etc. etc. etc.

I used to be appalled when I saw government pick winners and losers in the free enterprise capitalist systems behind the scenes. It used to be red tape and being denied the right to compete. Now, the government just picks who gets a bail out and who doesn't. Which company of the industry survives, which doesn't. I hesitate to call the United States quasi-fascist. But it's become the closest thing to a fascist state since 20th century Italy. But you could never tell an American that. They likely wouldn't know what it means.

[9876543210]

winebeavis,

Originally Posted by winebeavis

I hesitate to call the United States quasi-fascist. But it's become the closest thing to a fascist state since 20th century Italy. But you could never tell an American that. They likely wouldn't know what it means.

Sadly, some of us do know what it means. The problem is, what the heck do you do?

[winebeavis]

Originally Posted by 9876543210

Sadly, some of us do know what it means. The problem is, what the heck do you do?

I don't have an answer. But it is a problem when the poor are fighting amongst themselves (such as what billy observed). I don't know what to do when one sector of the poor are blaming their economic problems on another sector of the poor. It used to be amusing, now it's painful.

I genuinely don't understand the U.S. health care system. It's in shambles and it's outrageously expensive. I recall two years ago getting sick in Rotterdam and having to make a doctor appointment. The clinic was about the same as what is Dallas, Texas, except I had to pay full fare. A full fare of €20. The prescription I got came in a blister package from Merck of the U.S. that cost a full fare of €3.50. I get back to the States, do a follow up with the PCP and pay the $30 co-pay for the visit and the $60 co-pay for the exact same prescription. There has to be a better way.

But I really don't have any practical answers.

[deepsepia]

Originally Posted by Nobody1

I just read an article on secession efforts in the U.S. It would be very interesting to know what you think.(

These are bogus, a webmaster fail.

The Obama Administration wanted to show that they were "web-friendly" and "responsive" so they created an unmoderated form on the whitehouse dot gov domain, whereby people could create what are called "petitions", but which have no legal validity. In the US, there are petitions by which registered voters can put proposals on the ballot. Thats not what these are-- there's no validation of who's signing these. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad can create a "petition" if he so desires . . .

When you look at these "petitions" many of the folks who've created them don't even claim to be resident in the State that they wish to see secede. The "petition" for New York to secede was started by a guy, "CR", who claims to be from North Dakota, and roughly 3/4 of the people "signing" it are from states other than New York.

You can use this story to validate the basic level of web competence of media. Anyone who reported this story as "X States petition to secede" -fail (a lot of reputable places reported this way)

The accurate description goes more along the lines "unknown people from unknown locations created a poll on an unmoderated website"

Its as legitimate as ric-rolling, a bit of trolling which has been badly reported by news media that don't understand the web.

[tygrkhat40]

Those who signed the petition to have New York secede from outside of NY are of the minds that if we get rid of "liberal" places like NY and California, then they can take the "real" America back.

[billybunter]

We can't blame America for all the world's failings. Western society is morally corrupt.The American people are good people, and they aren't as stupid as people in Europe think. the USA is a vast country. You can travel for 1000s of miles through time zones and still speak the same language, buy the same goods . So I fully understand how lot's of people don't know where England is or Australia. Russia has loads of ethnic provinces that make it a rich cultural society. Europe is the same. Crossing a border is going into a different culture.

[winebeavis]

Originally Posted by billybunter

Western society is morally corrupt.

MODERATORS! MODERATORS! MODERATORS! I'm fairly certain discussing morals on a porn site has to be against the rules.

Maybe the grass is always greener. I like Europe. The Netherlands are different from France. I like how Belgium is different from Germany (especially in beer. viva la joie des différences). I like how Spain is different from . . . . .well everybody. I guess there is something for homogenization. But I'm not going to forgive any school kid for not being able to find Australia on a map. They teach us here that it's continent.

[tamsmith]

Originally Posted by winebeavis

I like Europe.

homogenization.

Sorry you could be arrested for saying words like that in a certain non-democratic country in EUROPE.

[Rotzopop]

Originally Posted by 9876543210

Its really amazing what these companies do. SOP nowadays is that you'll get a 3% to 4% semi annual raise but, at the same time, they raise your premiums by an equal or greater percent. And if your self employed you'd better be making some good money. Depending on your age you can easily be paying $1,200 per month or more (depending on how many dependents you have). I know one guy that has a wife and four kids that was paying about $2,500 per month a few years ago. Its probably much higher now.

Holy sh...!
I pay about 300€/month plus 300€ from the company I work for.
But this also depends on how much money you make per month, the more you make, the more you pay.

But what really knocks me off is, that you say, that lots of people get bancrott when they get an illness.
This is something, that won`t happen in Germany.
At least you get social money plus social healthcare.
I mean: if you have been working for 35 years, paying taxes and get ill (thats usual for older people!), then its like you only have the choice of dying or getting bancrupt?
My god: this is a shame!
"What you have done to the least of my brothers, you have done to me!" (bad translation, but I think you know what I mean! )
CU
Rotzo