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Originally posted by LancasterSVT:
Originally posted by caltour:
Originally posted by LancasterSVT:
Thanks for the linkage to an article written in 96. 
Thanks for your cogent contribution to this discussion.
Not a problem, I just had to throw my 2cents in as to the timeliness of the article since it isn't like things change in 9 years 
I guess your point would be worth something (maybe more than 2 cents!) if you were arguing that our living standards have increased substantially in the last nine years (compared to the other countries mentioned above). I'd like to see your evidence for that.
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Originally posted by caltour:
In fact, the number of Americans leaving the U.S. to live in other countries has about doubled in the last twenty years.
Makes sense, considering how many more people there are now than there were 20 years ago. Also, the opportunities the American economy presents for people overseas have promoted relocation overseas.
Originally posted by caltour:
Very weak logic, Davo. The only thing proven by the large crowds immigrating to America is that there are lots of poor people in other places, and those people feel (correctly) they would be better off here.
Why wouldn't they go where the standard of living is better, like Australia and Japan?
My point is that America is still the best place in the world to live, regardless of what the American left says.
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Davo, I love my country, but I am not so sure the US is the best place in the world to live.
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For real?
Think of something other than beer and ski slopes, Sean.
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Originally posted by TourDeForce:
There is a health revolution starting. From proper diet to health care & the equitable distribution of cost of healthcare. It's all coming.
Where did you get these points? A health revolution? The trend, as I understand it, is toward LESS healthy lifestyles. Americans are more sedentary than ever before and we eat more junk than ever before.
Rand on obesity epidemic
Health care and health costs? The cost of health care is going UP dramatically, and fewer people have access to it. Almost half of Americans now have no health insurance, a huge decrease in the last few years. Let me know if you need some background on that; you probably don't because it's all over the media.
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Originally posted by Davo:
Originally posted by caltour:
Very weak logic, Davo. The only thing proven by the large crowds immigrating to America is that there are lots of poor people in other places, and those people feel (correctly) they would be better off here.
Why wouldn't they go where the standard of living is better, like Australia and Japan?
Ever try getting a residency visa for Japan or Australia? They don't hand them out like confetti, like we do. Generally speaking, those countries' immigration policies are not dominated by industry, but by the best interests of their citizens.
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Quote:
Why wouldn't they go where the standard of living is better, like Australia and Japan.
Beacuse those countries have very restrictive immigration policies and getting a decent job as an immigrant/foreigner there is much more difficult than it is here. This is particularly true in Japan.
Not entirely disagreeing with your overall point, just this particular statement.
"Quality of life" is a very difficuly to quantify thing. Just beacuse the average Japanese citizen might live "better" doesn't mean I'd want their tax rate, their inflation rate, their highly fluctuative economy, their overall cost of living, their general population density, or those wonderful "Generational Mortgages".
2003 Mazda6s 3.0L MTX
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Originally posted by caltour:
1)Long term unemployment has become more common.
2)Fewer workers receive health insurance benefits.
3)Fewer workers receive pension benefits.
4)Real wages have declined for lower income workers.
5)Debt payments take an increasing greater portion of our incomes.
Off the top of my head:
1) But unemployment rate is half the rate in Western Europe
2) Maybe but medical care is VASTLY more capable that 20 years ago.
3) But more recieve 401Ks
4) But more dual income familys have raised family income
5) But record home ownership rates are part of that debt..
Not perfect but no great depression either..
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Originally posted by caltour:
Ever try getting a residency visa for Japan or Australia? They don't hand them out like confetti, like we do. Generally speaking, those countries' immigration policies are not dominated by industry, but by the best interests of their citizens.
Okay. My point is that if people want something better for themselves, they're going to come to America. Do you think that if countries such as Japan and Australia opened up their borders like we do that they would become the #1 destination? I think not.
Also, it speaks volumes for the United States if we can support pretty much anyone and everyone that comes here legally, and even several million who come here illegally.
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Originally posted by caltour:
Ever try getting a residency visa for Japan or Australia? They don't hand them out like confetti, like we do. Generally speaking, those countries' immigration policies are not dominated by industry, but by the best interests of their citizens.
From a REALITY standpoint...those 2 countries immigration is MUCH more determined by the fact that they are ISLANDS than any gov policy. If they shared 1000 miles of border with Mexico they would have as many immigrants as we..law or no law.
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