Author Topic: American Standard of Living  (Read 1000 times)

Entreri117

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Re:American Standard of Living
« Reply #15 on: February 10, 2003, 01:41:52 PM »
Why is there so many America-bashing threads?

Answer me that question FULLY...
 

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Re:American Standard of Living
« Reply #16 on: February 10, 2003, 02:23:16 PM »
Why is there so many America-bashing threads?

Answer me that question FULLY...

because America is so quick to judge other countries. I live in America, shit...i aint tryna live nowhere else. But i do understand sometimes why people have a problem with this country. If u dont recognize your faults (or yur countries faults), u can never improve on them.
 

Woodrow

Re:American Standard of Living
« Reply #17 on: February 10, 2003, 02:27:39 PM »
Why is there so many America-bashing threads?

Answer me that question FULLY...

because America is so quick to judge other countries. I live in America, shit...i aint tryna live nowhere else. But i do understand sometimes why people have a problem with this country. If u dont recognize your faults (or yur countries faults), u can never improve on them.

How are we "Quick to judge other countries"

When you mean America, who are you talking about?
 

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Re:American Standard of Living
« Reply #18 on: February 10, 2003, 02:54:55 PM »
Why is there so many America-bashing threads?

Answer me that question FULLY...

because America is so quick to judge other countries. I live in America, shit...i aint tryna live nowhere else. But i do understand sometimes why people have a problem with this country. If u dont recognize your faults (or yur countries faults), u can never improve on them.

How are we "Quick to judge other countries"

When you mean America, who are you talking about?

YOU are american...nuff said. lol
 

ITW [the irish boy]

Re:American Standard of Living
« Reply #19 on: February 10, 2003, 03:00:36 PM »
I think there are so many "America bashing" threads because through media etc it is made out to be the best country in the world and everyone has a great life etc, but then the word we get back from people we know living there is to the contrary, saying that it's an awful society to live in. Note:this is not my opinion, i dont live there. I am just bringing you a set of facts in this thread that I learned this week. Make no mistake, if it was england where the same thing happened I would make the same post. The purpose of this post was not to hate on america in particular, it was to raise the question of whether or not social welfare should be sacrificed for higher economic growth. I personnally think a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, so if u raise the standard of all the links the chain will be alot stronger.


Just one other thing. I dunno the particulars about that tax you mentioned, but engelwood you said the top earners pay the top tax. In Ireland this year the top 29 earners in the country payed 0.00 tax. That is because with the best accountants etc you can use loopholes in legislation. Im sure its similar in the US.

On the homeless, I believe the US has been the worst of the rich west homeless-wise, but believe me, other countries are catching up very quickly. 20 years ago in Ireland there were a total of 19 people homeless in Dublin city and today there is over a thousand. Sad.
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Woodrow

Re:American Standard of Living
« Reply #20 on: February 10, 2003, 03:09:34 PM »
Why is there so many America-bashing threads?

Answer me that question FULLY...

because America is so quick to judge other countries. I live in America, shit...i aint tryna live nowhere else. But i do understand sometimes why people have a problem with this country. If u dont recognize your faults (or yur countries faults), u can never improve on them.

How are we "Quick to judge other countries"

When you mean America, who are you talking about?

YOU are american...nuff said. lol
No, It's not "Nuff" Said. How am I quick to judge other countries?
 

Woodrow

Re:American Standard of Living
« Reply #21 on: February 10, 2003, 03:25:10 PM »
I think there are so many "America bashing" threads because through media etc it is made out to be the best country in the world and everyone has a great life etc, but then the word we get back from people we know living there is to the contrary, saying that it's an awful society to live in. Note:this is not my opinion, i dont live there. I am just bringing you a set of facts in this thread that I learned this week. Make no mistake, if it was england where the same thing happened I would make the same post. The purpose of this post was not to hate on america in particular, it was to raise the question of whether or not social welfare should be sacrificed for higher economic growth. I personnally think a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, so if u raise the standard of all the links the chain will be alot stronger.


Just one other thing. I dunno the particulars about that tax you mentioned, but engelwood you said the top earners pay the top tax. In Ireland this year the top 29 earners in the country payed 0.00 tax. That is because with the best accountants etc you can use loopholes in legislation. Im sure its similar in the US.

On the homeless, I believe the US has been the worst of the rich west homeless-wise, but believe me, other countries are catching up very quickly. 20 years ago in Ireland there were a total of 19 people homeless in Dublin city and today there is over a thousand. Sad.

You just lost a lot of credibitlity in my eyes.

You bring these terms like: "The Media" and "The best country" up, but what do these terms mean? These are just borad generalizations that sound good but have no substince behind them. Show examples how "The Media" portrays America. You claim that the media portarys America as "the best country in the world" Do you live here? Do you watch the local news from my town? How can you say this about "The Media" but you live across the ocean?

You contribute to the American Bashing. You gave ONE example which is a isolated incident. You portray this SINGLE incident like it's how everything is, and how every single citizen's American expierence is. You are wrong.  Another thing, the "horrible" things you talked about HAVEN'T EVEN OCCURED YET.

I live in America. I love it here. I grew up without a father and no money. I've made a life for myself. I put myself though college without any outside help. I make a great deal of money. I'm doing great for myself. It's not an "awful society" like you say. I'm free to do what I like and Im judged on my skills and abilities, not on my "need" for welfare. I love America.

Next you try to compare Ireland to America with Taxes. You say you're "sure its the similar" How can you be sure about this? have you done research? Do you know how American Tax laws work? Once again, a broad generalization and stereotype that has no basis in fact.

Next, you say: "I believe" the US is the worst dealing with homelessness. PROVE it. Im sure that puff daddy is the best musican in the history of music. If I can't prove it, it's useless slander.
 

Real American

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Re:American Standard of Living
« Reply #22 on: February 10, 2003, 08:20:32 PM »
Why is there so many America-bashing threads?

Answer me that question FULLY...

Jealously, pure and simple.
 

Real American

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Re:American Standard of Living
« Reply #23 on: February 10, 2003, 08:27:54 PM »
I think there are so many "America bashing" threads because through media etc it is made out to be the best country in the world and everyone has a great life etc, but then the word we get back from people we know living there is to the contrary, saying that it's an awful society to live in.

Just exacty who is saying America is an awful place to live? I certainly don't see anyone leaving, just coming.

Seriously man, where do you get this stuff?
 

Trauma-san

Re:American Standard of Living
« Reply #24 on: February 10, 2003, 08:33:03 PM »
This is total bullshit.  My mom's in the same situation, and gets Medicaid (which almost any american can get for free, by filling out a form).  Also, hospital bills do not have to be paid, ESPECIALLY if it means selling your house.  It's the law that they can't turn you away from medical attention if you can't afford it.  Anybody who's been to the emergency room in charlotte can tell you that.  
 

Trauma-san

Re:American Standard of Living
« Reply #25 on: February 10, 2003, 08:41:29 PM »
Oh, and just to explain a typical "medical" situation, my father died a year and a half ago.  He incurred 3500 dollars worth of bills, WHILE they were trying to save his life in the emergency room.  I didn't pay it, they dropped the charges.  The actual attending emergency physician had a 500 dollar charge, he left his house and rushed to the hospital when the call was placed, and worked valiantly for an hour to try and revive my father; it didn't work, and he sent me a bill for 500 dollars, then a letter dropping the charges... all for a person he'd never even met.  

My mom was diagnosed with colon cancer a year ago, and was hospitalized for 3 days, then underwent emergency surgery to sever her intestines, remove a 6 foot section, and several other complicated procedures.  the 6 hour surgery and hospital bill for the 1 week of recuperation totaled 50 thousand dollars; I didn't pay a penny, she qualified for Medicaid since she had no income (which you said doesn't qualify you for assistance).  The co-pay on the 50 grand bill was a dollar, which she gladly paid.  

Extensive biopsies on the cancerous cells, numerous hospital trips for checkups, tests for diabetes, and the resulting medication, pain medication, home nursing for 3 months, and eventually a reconnection surgery, cost another 50 thousand dollars.  again, Medicaid covered the entire surgery expenses.  Didn't have to pay anymore than a dollar bill.

Also, at the time of BOTH surgeries, she didn't even have medicaid.  She qualified for it AFTER the surgeries, and they paid the pre-existing bills, 50 thousand dollars, in both instances.  

In other words: go bash somewhere else, I think the u.s. medical care system is just fine, thankyaverymuch.  
 

Trauma-san

Re:American Standard of Living
« Reply #26 on: February 10, 2003, 08:56:11 PM »
BTW, there's so many american bashing threads, because people have small penises.  I'm serious.  They think they have small penises, so they feel the need to be better at everythign else in life, including having the better country.  It's called overcompensation.  It's the "my dad can beat up your dad" idiodicy.  It blows my mind, I can't understand why people even care.  Who cares what the best country is?  I think Australia is pretty damn kick-ass, and I live in America.  The fact is, America is a great country; and people that live in countries that don't get the respect, or recognition America gets, hate it.  THEY HATE IT! It's like it's an insult to them or something.  

I live in North Carolina.  You don't see me going around talking about how screwed up New York is, or how bad L.A. is... it's because I'm well adjusted, and don't feel the need to be bitter at anything better than me... California is probably a better place to live than North Carolina, but so what? I'm fine in North Carolina.  

I think the same thing happens with people in other countries.  the people that are in america that bash america probably have problems with authority, and conformity.  They don't want to be labeled a conformist, so they lash out at any kind of authority, just to show that they're thinking for themselves.  the irony is, that in itself is a clique, a clique of people who think everything accepted as right is wrong, and anything regarded as good is bad.  

With all that said, there is probably a small minority of people in america that do have reason to disagree with the government, people the government has grieviously harmed.  
 

Don Jacob

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Re:American Standard of Living
« Reply #27 on: February 10, 2003, 10:45:10 PM »
^^^ yeah that whole medicaid/medicare thing we have in the US gives me another reason to doubt ITW's story. my mom broke her foot and had to go to kmc hospital. we didn't have insurance becuase my mom doesn't think you need to go to the doctor unless you NEED it (which i believe too) so when she broke her foot she was expecting everything to be charged on her credit card, doctor visits, castings , surgery to remove floating bone fagments, ect. she was expecting to pay 2,000 bucks. but then we get a thing in the mail to go apply for medicare from KMC hospital. we do that, and guess what my mom paid only 200 bucks out of the 3,500 bucks in total in bills....200 bucks


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Re:American Standard of Living
« Reply #28 on: February 11, 2003, 03:37:41 AM »
like i said, id rather live in the US then anywhere, easily. But why is it, that u people act as if America is perfect. Yall act like this country doesnt do some fucked up shit to "its people". Jus because it hasnt done them to YOU personally, doesnt mean it hasnt done them to anyone. If youre so selfish..to think, that because u havent dealt with some of the bullshit firsthand....then it doesnt need to be fixed, then youre exactly the reason why theres so much "America Bashing" going on.
 

ITW [the irish boy]

Re:American Standard of Living
« Reply #29 on: February 11, 2003, 04:54:15 AM »
Okay, I have three peoples opinions to deal with, Engelwood, Trauma and Don.

Engelwood:
By "media" what I am talking about with regards to making out america to be the best place in the world, is the tv shows the movies etc. I know this has been discussed before, but there is rarely a movie where americans aren't the hero, or where american society isnt made out to be wonderful, other than possibly "Boyz in the Hood" or "American Beauty". Although I'm not a big fan of the british, there is rarely films about their "heroes" going to war or into space to save the world etc, because i think they're afraid to offend people. Also take tv shows, for instance friends, i admit it can be funny at times, but compare it to "The Office" in england. Friends has everybody relativly happy and succesful, while "the office" is basically taking the piss out of themselves. Also the news, we do get CNN etc over here so we do get to see the differences between how events are portrayed. For instance, the irish and english news ran storys on 200000 at an anti war protest in san fransico will on CNN it was only made a passing comment of a "lower than expected turnout".
I'm glad you love america and it obvioulsy works well for you. Everyone should love their country. All I will say is not everyone feels the same, but I believe you are entitled to love your country, just like i love ireland despite its problems.
When I was talking about the taxes I said "i dunno much about these taxes". Then I went on to explain what happened in ireland. By saying i was "sure" it was similar in america, i was simply saying if a few accountants in ireland can do it, then im sure a few american accountants could do it.
On homelessness, im basing this on the different places ive been, with sweden having barely any homeless and france to, to england and america with very visable unemployment. Purely a personal observation.

Trauma: I can't argue with you on the US medical card system etc because i dont know the details. Ive only been given these details from the woman, and to tell you the truth from what I have been told in this thread, she still does have many options open to her.
Also on your small penisis point. Haha, I cant assure you im well endowed, but i can also assure you im not trying to say my country is better than yours. Ill be the first to say Ireland is corrupt and there are many inequalities in society but I am very happy to live here. Its not coz of the wheather or the opportunities, it's coz im irish, this is where i belong. America could very well be a better place to live, im just pointing out that it too has its warts. If you wonder why there is so much interest in america, it is because they have the power to effect all our lives, therefor it becomes our business. I dont expect u to give a shit about Ireland, coz our decisions wont have a big effect on your country.
Don: There's no question of credibility on this story, just a question of whether or not this woman is being looked after.
CWalker: People, relations etc who live there and ring home every few months to find out if any property has come up etc because they want to move back. They tell us what its like. But maybe its different for immigrants than it is for natives.
Shit, that took ages to post.

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SO MANY PEOPLE THINK THEY KNOW
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THINK ABOUT THINKING
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DID THEY KNOW SOMETHING
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