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America vs the World: Quality of Life

Short Read

Some of the claims in the article are untrue (70% of taxes going to the military) and others are just nuts (the government is going to lock the place down...they don’t want their “recruits” escaping. They don’t want YOU escaping)

However, let's take a look at the primary claim:

"You (Americans) have the worst quality of life in the developed world – by a wide margin"

and some of the supporting claims

Americans have:

-less access to health care

-poorer diets (less healthy)

-Low quality food (more processed, more contamination, etc)

-More reliance on meds

-Less vacation time (more stress)

-Expensive education (starting life with high debt)

-Greater Debt Overall

-Higher Bankruptucy rates (see above on debts)

-Less freedom (drug tests, surveillence)

-Misinformed citizenry (Fox News, Right/Left wing media)

-An uneducated population

-Corrupt politicians

-Crushing Debt

-etc, etc, etc.

I'd love to hear from anyone, but especially those of you who reside outside of America and can provide objective viewpoints.

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by MCT on February 2, 2011 at 8:37pm

SSL,

Word. Sorry, maybe I wasn't reading carefully.

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Permalink Reply by Willow on February 2, 2011 at 5:52pm

It will not result in creating a job, if you selfishly keep all those earning for yourself and spend it all on yourself.

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Permalink Reply by MCT on February 2, 2011 at 8:36pm

Willow,

I don't think that is true. Personally, my parents have a large business and the more money they have and the less taxes they pay, the more people they employ in order to grow their business to make more money. They did not go into business to make other people happy. They did it for themselves and giving thousands of people jobs, was a necessary by-product.

It is not your right to take another's money. I understand that you think that everyone has agreed to do that, well, at least the majority, but mob rule does not make it right. I mean this in the nicest possible way, but you are a bully. You do not like that some people have and others don't, so you take it from them.

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Permalink Reply by Susan Stanko on February 2, 2011 at 8:38pm

So prosperous societies are bullies?

Permalink Reply by Willow on February 3, 2011 at 11:23pm

Personally, I think your parents have done a very poor job at instilling any kind of moral value in their children. People like you are the bullies of the world and I am quite sure that nobody takes anything from you.

Investing in your own business to increase profits is nothing more than selfishness and self serving.

Permalink Reply by MCT on February 1, 2011 at 7:52pm

LL,

No way can your freedom, just because it is there, cost society anything. Now, if one uses this freedom to impinge on another's rights, that's another thing. But, harming others is not an essential part of individual freedom. The cost that you refer to is you don't get to feed off others.

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Permalink Reply by Willow on February 1, 2011 at 3:18pm

I do not think it has anything to do with apathy, it is about helping your fellow man, being compassionate. Some people just need a push to get started and some need a lot of assistance to get a start in life. You cannot forget those along the wayside just to promote yourself.

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Permalink Reply by MCT on February 1, 2011 at 7:45pm

Why not? Why is it someone else's right to have my stuff? I like helping those I value. I have compassion. I simply do not wish to indiscriminately give away money, which essentially what a democratic, special interest group oriented government would do. Even if they did a good job, it is still not the right of one person to feed off of another.

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Permalink Reply by Susan Stanko on February 1, 2011 at 8:03pm

You mean like what the US has now.

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Permalink Reply by MCT on February 1, 2011 at 8:08pm

Exactly. I'm ashamed and disappointed. When I was growing up, they told me this place was the land of the free. I think it was, pretty much, in the 18th century. Well, minus the slavery and lack of equality for women.