Will my life be better if I move to USA?

I have been living in the USA for 6 years. It’s a great place to live. I am making significantly more money than I did in the U.K.. I make $500k working only 10 days a month. We have good health insurance and we can get all the latest medicines that NHS does not provide. My kids attend the best public schools. One has speech therapy and it’s all covered by insurance. No waiting lists. People are much friendlier, more polite and more optimistic. I have not seen any guns and where I live has almost zero violence. I live In a big city. It’s very safe. Right now yes politics is an issue but for most people life does not change. It’s only if you look Mexican do you need to be worried. I’m not white but have never had any racism or hate crimes. It’s just a fantastic place to be and I have no regrets.

And is from a working-class family.

Indeed.

I'm from a middle class family. Certainly not super rich. My mum was from a farming family and my dad grew up in extreme poverty.

My sister got an offer from Oxford but turned it down as she preferred the syllabus at her other choice. I doubt she'd have suddenly became a toff had she accepted the offer.

Batshit response as expected.

I never said it was a utopian dream, just that MY quality of life improved by moving here. I can go into the details, but I don’t think you’re actually interested.

By the by, my company, like a lot of US companies, has an ‘unlimited’ annual leave policy and I take 8 weeks of paid leave a year, which is more than I had in London (7 weeks). Parental leave is on a par with the London office. Top tip: work for a global company in the US.

And the weather extremes are generally a good thing. We had a long weekend last week in Miami. We hopped on a 2.5-hour flight, left -5C weather and were on a beach in 27C weather. The fact you can easily get some warmth in the depths of winter is fantastic. I recall needing to travel much further for winter sun when I lived in the UK.

I'm not entirely sure that the OP knows what life is like in the UK. In more than 30 years here not one of the things they have listed have ever affected my life. You'd think that we were all cowering under the feet of rampaging toffs in silly hats to read her posts.

Of the two Oxford students I can recall meeting in my life (one undergrad, one postgrad), both were entirely normal, humble - but clever - young women. Not in the slightest bit snobbish.

Never met anyone from Eton or Harrow but I can't think why I might hate them just for existing.

I doubt that there is much difference at all between the US and the UK. Both countries have elite universities and normal ones, both have fee-paying schools and non-fee-paying. Both are in the same bracket on the Global Social Mobility Index. Both have exclusive clubs. Both hate Elon Musk etc.

And I actually have a friend who was born into an old-money family in Manhattan.

Aye, do ya? How much annual leave do you get? What rights do you have at work? How much is statutory maternity leave? What’s the animal welfare like around the food you eat? What are the stats around mass shootings for kids in school vs the same stats in the uk? Even the weather - what’s the stats on extreme weather in the uk vs the USA?

I lived there too. Quality of life in the UK has its downsides but the US is a different and much shitter kettle of fish, and anyone claiming that it’s some sort of utopian dream the OP can just dash off into the sunset is deluded. I know where I prefer.

Haven’t RTFT because MN skews both negative and clueless when it comes to all things US.

Spot on. And people think they're experts because of something they read in The Guardian years ago. It's a classic example of the Dunning Kruger effect.

Great minds…!
Also great username. I have one who I love!

Haven’t RTFT because MN skews both negative and clueless when it comes to all things US.

I moved here from London in 2024 and it has been fantastic - my quality of life is much much better. A big move is always going to be daunting but I only wish I’d done it sooner. Truly. I’m living a great life in my dream city and can’t believe my luck half the time. ☺️

Feel free to DM me @Yatreif you have any questions.

America has Ivy League colleges.

Thought the same!

From my personal experience I'd say the British "Class System" is dead!

What really matters is the education you get, then the career and that leads to the company you normally meet.

One of my younger relatives has married into what would have been called Aristocracy a generation or two ago. Totally "working class" family, studied hard and got excellent Degree, got London career and moved in very different social circles as a result. They are only judged on their abilities and character, not their "class".

Of course there are still a smattering of Hooray Henry/Henriettas around but they are, literally, a dying breed.

The key is education and career.

I dislike elitism and cronyism and how pervasive the class system is in Britain too, OP, but it feels like maybe there's something going on here. It's not something I give a huge amount of thought to on a daily basis - do you work with lots of people like this or something?

Otherwise I very genuinely think you are letting this take up too much space in your mind - being this angry all the time about something is exhausting. If you moved to the US might you not develop a hatred for gun worshippers or the disgusting greed of megachurches, both of which have huge amount of political influence there, or is it solely class-related anger, and why do you think that is?

I'm genuinely interested to know, btw. I think the British class system and its resulting effect on social and political influence is horrendous, but I can't fathom - even considering that - and looking at the US as a better alternative right now.

Still is, that's why the Republicans hate it and are doing their best to break it.

They appear to be biting off a bit more than they can chew though, Nazis never do well at invading cold places in winter.

I know, it's got such a lovely reputation for having really kind, and charming folk and it breaks my heart what is happening there.
I do slightly regret posting that , it was unnecessarily snarky and in poor taste 🥺.

The UK isn’t perfect by any means but I know which government is more corrupt and it isn’t ours. Not a fan of Starmer, didn’t vote for him but at least he’s not a sex offender.
The contrast between rich and poor absolutely sickened me when I went on holiday there. Far, far worse than here. You should quite hung up on class etc. I wonder why.

what Field do you work in or where do you live that these things bother you so much?

The very sad thing is that Minnesota used to be one of the very best, open, progressive places until not too long ago.

I've always thought 'trailer trash'/rednecks are kind of America's version of chav stereotypes. Like 'bogans' in Oz. Every country has people that look down on the poor/those they see as uncivilised.

Yes. Classism is shit. British culture, politics, media, business etc are riddled with it.

Would running away to America be preferable?

Fuck no. Are you mad? 🤪

As another dual citizen who has lived in both, I can assure you the class system is just as alive and well in the states as it is here. Pop to the Hamptons or Martha's Vineyard for a weekend and you'll see.

If you're well off then the standard of living in the states is better, but that doesn't seem to be your primary concern.

On the other hand, there is usually a thread running about what a horror show the NHS is, where everyone agrees how bad it is and adds their own awful stories.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5479482-ae-bad-experience

I’d say neither system is perfect.

I had major surgery right before Christmas. I was diagnosed on a Thursday and had the procedure first thing the following Monday. When I mentioned that on another thread, everyone was shocked at how quickly they got me in. I then spent five days in a private room in the ICU and the whole thing is costing me nothing.

i also have no problem getting a GP appointment the same day if I’m sick. It might not be my regular GP, but someone in the practice will fit me in. There are also no delays or barriers to getting diagnostic imaging tests like MRI’s or CT scans.

We probably spend too much on healthcare and you probably spend too little.

I loathe the class system in the UK. I object to private schools and the knock on impacts - even ignoring private education there is so much discrimmination in the education system so that good state schools are in expensive areas etc. Nepotism is prevalent which promulgates differences and restricts social mobility.
But this exists in the US and other countries as well - just less openly.
Just because it doesn't come with an obvious accent doesn't mean its not there.

But there are so many other problems and issues in teh US that class is just a minor point.
Plus you have to be honest and think - are you really impacted by the UK class system - other than just not liking it in theory and finding posh people annoying?
has it taken away your opportunities?
it sounds like you are reacting to superficial things as much as anything

Is the question addressed to me or the OP?

It’s just that there is this thing about the USA right now. Don’t know if you have noticed?