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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 Willow on February 2, 2011 at 5:50pm

''it is still not the right of one person to feed off of another.''

When people come together in a co-operative spirit to help one another, you call it "feeding off' one another. What a negative stance. Why did your mother not let you fend for yourself when you were an infant? Instead she allowed you to feed off of her until you were capable of being self supporting. That is how co-operation and social networks operate.

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Permalink Reply by MCT on February 2, 2011 at 8:40pm

Willow,

Look carefully at your statement. This is what I believe you are saying, "When groups of people that don't manipulate their environment as successfully as others come together and agree that money will go from those according to their ability to those according to their need, regardless if they agree."

My mother treated me well because she wanted to. There is nothing wrong with helping others and cooperating, just forcing others to do it.

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Permalink Reply by Susan Stanko on February 2, 2011 at 8:59pm

I don't consider doing things that benefit society as "forcing".

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Permalink Reply by MCT on February 3, 2011 at 2:33am

SS,

What do you call taking my money against my will by threat of incarceration? Cooperation? Moral? Good? It's fucking theft! Armed robbery. It doesn't matter to you that you need to take it by force. I think that is a pathetic celebration of human weakness and neediness.

Permalink Reply by Willow on February 3, 2011 at 11:28pm

I guess you have forgotten about the fact that people have agreed. In fact the majority have agreed. The majority of people want all the service provided by government and they want the citizens of the country to all pay for them accordingly.

It is you personally there is whining here, for what ever reason, you think you are special and have no responsibility to any of your fellow citizens.

The only weakness is in the mind of some one who cannot fathom the idea that we are all human beings capable of compassion. You could use a few lessons.

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Permalink Reply by Susan Stanko on February 4, 2011 at 7:22am

Remember he thinks that the majority is nothing more than a mob.

Permalink Reply by Willow on February 1, 2011 at 3:15pm

The UK climate is nothing at all like the climate in Canada. Their climate is moderated by the ocean that surrounds them. Canada's climate is a lot more varied depending on where you live. Where I live it is very cold indeed, but there are part like Vancouver Island that has a very moderate climate.

The cost of living here is not much different that in the US, I have lived in Colorado and my daughter lived in California. Our food costs are a bit higher, but housing costs are cheaper or similar, your health care is outrageous, ours here in Saskatchwan is absolutely free. In some provinces there is a nominal fee for health care. Our taxes are very similar to yours. As far a health care being wrapped up in burocracy, the user never is involved in that part of it. We get immediate access to family doctors and unlimited use of hospital facilities. No limits, no pre-existing condition clauses, no restriction.

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Permalink Reply by Willow on February 1, 2011 at 6:58pm

I do not think we have any more or less burocracy than you do. You deal with a lot more bureaucracy in your health care than we do. More legal drama than we do, more immigration issues than we do,

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Permalink Reply by KillerDiller on February 1, 2011 at 7:14pm

Obama has managed to reform healthcare in the U.S. a bit, but the bill was pretty crippled as it navigated the two-party system. Essentially, trying to please everyone leads to reform that moves at a glacial pace. America will not have the single-payer model that the UK and Canada have at any point in the near future. In most areas of the country there is no public option for health insurance.

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Permalink Reply by MCT on February 1, 2011 at 7:39pm

Willow,

Yes, municipal water and state roads wouldn't be possible without taxation. But I find it verey hard to believe that government is the best organization for these jobs. Who is to say that private enterprise cannot accomplish these things? Pay for it if you wish to use it. I should not be forced to pay for your roads, unless I use them. When businesses compete for services, without government price controls and handouts, the best product/deal/bargain results. Why must taxation be forced? How do you get over the fact that to take my money, you need to threaten me with incarceration?

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Permalink Reply by Willow on February 2, 2011 at 5:55pm

No one said they were the best, but who is going to pay for them. The citizen of the country who use those roads. You use those services, so in turn you need to pay for them. Any company who's services you use, will begin legal action if you do not pay for the services you use.