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AIBU?

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Original poster

Does everyone want to live in the US?

846 replies

AteRiri · 22/12/2016 19:43

I was talking to an American friend and he made this blanket statement, "Everyone wants to come here!"

Is this true?

OP posts:
TonaldDrump · 23/12/2016 11:44

I had a non medicalised birth is the us. Load of rubbish that you can't. And it was midwife attended

SirChenjin · 23/12/2016 11:45

Not really - but glad you confirmed that it was nothing more than your opinion, and that the reasons given by posters for not wishing to live in America are not, in fact, hyperbolic, ignorant or defensive (or a combination of all 3).

LeadPipe · 23/12/2016 11:50

Tonald was it expensive?

Beebeeeight · 23/12/2016 11:51

Yes because one person's experience is representative of millions of people who don't have access to that privilege.

LaurieMarlow · 23/12/2016 11:51

What I actually said was that many of the reasons given were sound.

The overall tone of the thread and lack of acknowledgement that there are two sides to the story are what I believe to be hyperbolic, ignorant and defensive.

To be clear.

SirChenjin · 23/12/2016 11:54

Indeed.

babyapril · 23/12/2016 11:59

I was offered a midwife for my daughter's birth. I had her along with a doctor.
My life in the US was pretty much like here, only difference was day to day life came with more charm.
There are no perfect countries- my sister lives in a place constantly hailed as an amazing utopia- the reality is quite different.
I wouldn't want to be an American reading this thread- it is hurtful and (in places) inaccurate.
To truly understand or cast your vote , you either need to be an American or someone who has lived for years amongst Americans & got to truly understand their ways.
They aren't Brits with a different accent- they are a whole different nation with an ( understandably) different view on things.

LeadPipe · 23/12/2016 12:02

Posters seem to be pretty well informed as to the reasons they wouldn't want to live in the USA. Most cite quite specific and credible reasons.

MrsWhiteWash · 23/12/2016 12:09

LaurieMarlow I haven't disputed that there is a lot of crap TV here as well - but I find it easy to avoid and I haven't said that everyone read the times - I don't read papers much at all as these days as the news coverage is in my opinion pretty dire.

My impression of my visit to the US - was the TV was utter crap and that American culture wan'st one with nationally informed debates happening and Americans seem much less interested and informed about world generally. DH has travel to more places in USA but has similar impressions.

It is one reason we personally don't want to live there along with a whole load more important reasons. It is for us a big cultural difference and one we didn't like.

I'm sure there are circumstance that could happen we would reconsider that stance and we certainly haven't met every american or been everywhere in the US and it's possible the impressions we've gain on our visits over isn't completely fair. But it's an impression formed by our experiences of american TV and Americans so far.

There were many good things about America - and I've certainly have nothing against Americans who in my experience are polite and welcoming - but I still don't want to live in US.

MrsWhiteWash · 23/12/2016 12:11

There are no perfect countries-

^^ I think that is very true.

LaurieMarlow · 23/12/2016 12:13

American culture wan'st one with nationally informed debates happening

Depends where you look. Do you spend much time reading the Washington Post, New York Times, Time Magazine, New Yorker, Wall Street Journal? Plenty of quality journalism and nationally informed debate in these publications.

DarthPlagueis · 23/12/2016 12:24

, "only difference was day to day life came with more charm. "

What does that mean?

babyapril · 23/12/2016 12:29

It is becoming quite blurred on this thread. Thinkthe way the UK is portrayed in the media would probably have many Americans running for the hills!
What 'America' stands for and what the average family believe , could be totally different things!
It is very accepted here (UK) to mock Americans... l have it in my day to day life too.
Things like " Well you know it is because they are Americans"
My American husband has even had people turn on him in the village pub to let him know that "Americans have no sense of humour" and "they just don't get our humour. On this occasion told to my husband by ( if l was being unkind) by one of the most uneducated punters there!

babyapril · 23/12/2016 12:34

darth customer service and an upbeat attitude l've found very rare in the UK.
I lived in a state that had people working purely for their husband to have health insurance. Broke, and with little hope. However, they always smiled , wished me a good day and were grateful for their lives. That is the charm l love about Americans. Most of them choose to look on the bright side and Grin

Mynestisfullofempty · 23/12/2016 12:34

babyapril "There are no perfect countries- my sister lives in a place constantly hailed as an amazing utopia- the reality is quite different."

Where's that then?

MrsWhiteWash · 23/12/2016 12:35

Depends where you look.

I think that part of the cultural difference - you have to look.

I know people in this country can avoid it - but generally people seem to know more about the world and be more aware of national debates.

There are obvious reasons for this - much smaller country lots of more centrally governed things, welfare state so people have more invested, even the BBC with it's remit to educate which impacts on rest of media in UK.

I've already said I'm sure you can find ways round it but culturally it's jarring for me - that may not be true for every other UK citizen - but it is for me.

derxa · 23/12/2016 12:44

I wouldn't want to be an American reading this thread- it is hurtful and (in places) inaccurate Yes I was quite upset when I read PitilessYank comment. She was extremely saddened.

DarthPlagueis · 23/12/2016 12:55

"That is the charm l love about Americans. Most of them choose to look on the bright side and grin"

They don't mean it when they say "have a nice day" you know? But I suppose someone saying have a nice day and not meaning it is nicer than someone saying fuck you and meaning it.

I didn't see much evidence of looking on the bright side in the Trump campaign, I saw a lot of anger, bitterness and a deeply divided country.

Oh and yes, I've lived in the states.I loved it at the time, but I don't think you can say that people are more "upbeat" at all.

DarthPlagueis · 23/12/2016 12:56

Oh btw, I think the UK is quite divided too!

juneau · 23/12/2016 13:02

I'm a dual UK/US citizen and lived there for six years. Loved living there for many reasons, have family there and many friends, but we decided to move back to the UK and I don't regret it. The reasons we moved back for are still valid (a mix of personal and practical), and we love, love, love Europe and travel there several times a year, which was impossible when we lived in the US.

I do love the US though and when we visit (not anywhere near as much as I would like), I wish we could spend more time there. Would I live there again? Probably not - at least not permanently - but I wouldn't mind having a place in one of the warm bits when we're retire for spending a portion of the winter in.

Anti-US sentiment is sadly very pervasive on MN Sad

mothertruck3r · 23/12/2016 13:07

Personally I'd love to!

lightingseeds · 23/12/2016 13:17

A comment downthread from 001001 gave a list of brief reasons for not wanting to live in the US. There was no elaboration on what they meant, and one that surprised me was 'corrupt government'. I'm really intrigued to know what was in mind with that. No doubt (as with any country) you'll be able to point to some scandal or other, but overall I'd struggle to think of a less corrupt government, at least at the federal level. American government in its day to day functioning is (in my experience and wider sense) desperately dull, frugal and worthy.

Want2bSupermum · 23/12/2016 13:21

We have decided to stay in the US for the next 18 months instead of moving back to the U.K. The care for DS is outstanding. He had development delays and qualified for early intervention. On his 3rd birthday he started school in a specialist unit. A year later he is one of 4 kids in a specialist program where he has different therapies everyday. He is showing to be exceptionally bright and his teacher has him almost reading. He plays chess and we are working on him joining a gym class.

All of this is provided at no cost. We supplement with additional therapy. Yes our healthcare is $50k a year but salaries are much higher and taxes lower so it works out the same.

As others have said, you can't say a whole country is terrible. There are many parts of the US I would refuse to live in but there are places which are great.

mudandmayhem01 · 23/12/2016 13:23

Despite,the threat of terrorism, the gradual destruction of health care and falling living standards ( in both the us and uk) I am just incredibly as a woman to born in western Europe or the usa compared to the vast majority of the world. I would do what ever I could to live in either if I lived in Syria or Iraq.

babyapril · 23/12/2016 13:32

darth l'm not an idiot. They might not mean " Have a nice day" from the bottom of their hearts - however, l'd much rather have that ,then some of the lazy customer service l regularly get here!