Does everyone want to live in the US?

[AteRiri]

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

Is this true?

Sorry darth that looked a bit snippy!

No. Dystopian hell on earth.

Its still nicer than the other option I outlined!

They do say some odd things in the US though. I bought a top in Macy's and as I walked away from the till having paid, the assistant said "Enjoy your blouse!"

Would love to visit but live there? No way. Guns, death penalty, Trump....

Only in Key West. But the crap chocolate & tv would naff me off.

I have lived in the USA, Australia, and Scandanavia at various parts of my life. I have always returned home to the UK. Mostly for personal family and career reasons (seeing the opportunities as better here than in the respective countries for me). All of the countries had wonderful elements but they were not home.

When I was living in the US one of my colleagues' siblings was shot dead in cross fire in the next city. Clearly that had a huge impact on all of us. And it only made the local paper, not the nationals because of the fact it was so common-garden as to be unremarkable.

Many of the Americans I met had not travelled outside their country and their knowledge of world events was very limited, making some conversations difficult. But then I went to Washington DC and met up with some very educated civil servants so recognised more of "my crowd".

I found small town and suburban America less to my liking than the middle class residents of inner cities (notwithstanding in the UK I live in a small town). So it is very difficult to general in such a vast country.

The thing that gelled least was the frequently expressed exceptionalism and the widespread lack of general world knowledge/ good education. The UK people are in my experience are used to and enjoy a level of grumbling about our country (whilst retaining an innate sense of patriotism) which I think helps us to want to make things better. The overt declarations that the US (or any country) is the "greatest country in the world" was culturally grating, particularly if coming from someone who has no understanding of what the rest of the world has to offer. It made me feel more of the "other" notwithstanding we spoke the same language. I did not get that in Australia or Scandinavia.

I also did not see as much of the "can do" attitude to social welfare progress as I see in Europe - the conservatism and ironically greater bureaucracy seemed to impede progress. I found the same in Australia. But that may have been in my field of work.

So I would not want to live there. I might return for a holiday but there are many more places that are currently higher on my list.

I grew up in Asia, relocated to and now married with family in the UK and work in a US-based firm with many US colleagues and opportunities to travel to the US.

Nah, I love the UK and its proximity to Europe. There are good things about the US no doubt but the UK and Europe is more civilised as a society and in its undertones.

I get this from my American friends too, they gave it drummed into them from an early age that they're the elite, somehow. I've argued with plenty of them, I have an American high school diploma and American university degrees but I live in the uk. I love the states but I love it here too. They just say it's because I'm different to everyone else, they just won't listen. It's that arrogance that gets them hated by everyone else, lol

Leadpipe

Was it expensive?

Depends who you ask.

For the insurance company? Yes

For me? No, not a penny other than a copay for the harmony test . And top notch care with a midwife j knew and private room for postnatal care. Loved it!

I've had a baby in a nhs like system and while I recognize the benefits as a system, for me, I way way prefered my us experiences.

So not available to everyone then?

Dont like the chocolate

Or the telly

Or trump

No pavements!!! I know there are some really

I do like the idea of the weather in parts of the US

Hawaii...wouldnt say no to hawaii. Or if i could actually live in disney world

I love britain...i just wish it was a bit warmer

Oooh yes

Love the idea of the NHS (even with its current faults)

Actually one thing the us does do is ensure that all pregnant women get excellent obstetric care. Medicaid is extended to cover those who aren't pregnant and no hospital is will turn away a woman in labor.

I'm no fan of the health system in the us as a system but the nhs is no great shakes when it comes to obstetric care either - I've heard horror stories from friends - and the UKs stillbirth rate is a disgrace.

Doesn't the USA have one of the highest infant mortality rates of developed countries?

I can't remember why this is but I recall that it is still higher than the UK.

Healthcare is available to all. You either have it through your employer, Obamacare or Medicare/Medicaid (Medicare for old people and Medicaid for the poor). The issue is the cost. It's middle class families now that can't afford it. If you are poor you get great coverage. If you are rich you can afford the stupidly high costs. If you are in the middle you make do and pray you don't have a major illness before you qualify for Medicare.

leadpipe They used to and then they introduced programs such as expanded coverage for pregnancy and the WIC program. Now the issue is making sure the poor make it to doctor appointments and that living conditions are suitable.

Oh and pre Obamacare we paid $400 for the care and delivery of DD1 in 2011. In March this year we had DD2 and the cost was $6k. We pay $25k a year in premiums. The cash price for delivery at the hospital I delivered at is $9k. Only one of the four therapists we use for DS accepts insurance. Honestly health insurance is a tax for us. We are paying for others. The only reason we haven't changed policy or coverage is because we wouldn't save much.

NO! Why does anyone want to live in a gun toting country about to be run by a megalomaniac? America comes across as being an arrogant and introspective nation ( not the individual people).The people are almost all originally from Europe anyway and those I have met have been absolutely lovely but I wouldn't even want a holiday there to be honest. I love Canada and New Zealand but USA ... keep it.

In 2009, the stillbirth rate for the USA was 3 per 1000 births. In the UK was 3,5.

Not that different, TonaldDrump.

Both greater than where I live, in fact.

The lowest country has 2.0, but the highest, has almost 50, for perspective.
So, the UK may have a high rate among the richest nations, but not exactly a disgrace, let alone by comparison with the USA.
www.who.int/pmnch/media/news/2011/stillbirths_countryrates.pdf

When we were in florida this year on holiday

We all said we wanted to stay

Apart from ds2 who was concerned about guns

Don't the US have quite a high rate of 'medicalised' births? Medical interventions/caesarians? I thought they were trying to reduce this.

God no I think its one of the worst countries in the developed world Id hate to live there.

The death penalty!

You could live in a state that doesn’t have it. There are quite a few to choose from.

However, their print culture is much less 'lowest common denominator' than our tabloid offerings - and don't forget that infinitely more Brits read The Sun than The Times.

I have to say that many Americans who travel to the UK do find some of the tabloids a bit shocking. It also seems odd that the presenters in morning news/chat shows spend time displaying what the print newspapers are saying. The level of print journalism in the US is high although many newspapers are struggling and/or have focused lately more on their web-based platforms.

God, the Americans posting in this thread are so sensitive! You don't have to take everything so personally, y'all!

I have no problem at all with a measured discussion about issues in the US and I also have admiration and affection for the UK, particularly Scotland, where I had the great privilege to study at one of its ancient universities. Much of my world view comes from my British education. In fact, obviously, most American members on MN have an affinity for the UK and Ireland or they would not be on this forum at all. But the tone of many of the posts on this thread is a kind of gleeful hyperbole of negativism (“you couldn’t pay me to visit”; “Dystopian hell on earth.”) and the substance of quite a few displays ignorance about basic aspects of American culture and government. So that’s one reason that some of us feel a bit defensive. Y’all.

American culture wasn’t one with nationally informed debates happening

Sorry, but this is just wrong. Besides print and internet media of very high quality, like the New York Times, the Washington Post, and (for my state) the Tampa Bay Times, we have several 24/7 national news channels (I don’t count Fox) and many local media markets also have 24/7 news outlets. Also we have PBS (Public Broadcasting) which has many public affairs programs and also broadcasts BBC news, and C-Span, which is 24/7 public affairs programming.

They don't mean it when they say "have a nice day" you know?

How do you know this? One thing that I do think can be generalized about Americans is that there is a strong work ethic that applies across jobs and professions and that people take pride in doing their jobs well. And for people in retail this involves actually engaging the people they serve and displaying a bit of concern for them. I think some British people assume this is fake because it is not so much a part of British culture.

Re Want2bSupermum’s post about care for her son. DH and I have a (now adult) child with special needs. He had excellent support all through school (state schools), with highly specialized educational plans to help him develop to his fullest. He has had job training as an adult through programs funded by the Americans with Disabilities Act. He is now fully employed and living independently. I mention this particularly because I read so many posts on MN about parents having great difficulty getting schools and the education system(s) to respond adequately to their children with special educational needs. I am not saying that our systems are necessarily better, but I do know that legal protections in the US for children with disabilities would make some of the situations described by parents on MN readily remediable in the US.

No.