poll for amuuuricans

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I'm too poor, stupid, and handicapped to immigrate to anywhere so I'm just kinda waiting for death to take me when the next big war comes.

I would choose Sweden. Robust safety net, and the strictest anti-hate speech laws in the world.

The complete opposite of the US. Here, no social safety net because "socialism bad". And "free speech" specifically means the MAGAs' "God-given" right to cyberbully LGBTQ+ and people of color.

It's a real dictatorship here.
We've never been to a true democracy.
(Italy)
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If you're complaining... you have your reasons.
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Canada: I'd switch immediately.
Among my favorite countries to live in:
Canada, Chile, Norway; Namibia, Japan, but it's too expensive there.

Obviously you haven't been to Canada. Canada is no longer the small safe prosperous nation that it was in the 80's or 90's. Canada is too expensive for native born Canadians not to mention new immigrants. All social services are overstretched and our government is a joke.

You are probably better off in your country of origin regardless of where you are from.

Here is a YouTube video from a recent immigrant telling others not to move to Canada because it's a scam.



CFL

First of all, I apologize: you're Canadian and you know exactly what happens there, while I don't.

My perception of Canada and Canadians is excellent...

I know: I might be very wrong.

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But if you, as a Canadian, came to live in Italy, you would greatly revalue Canada. (My feeling, sorry for the post.)
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As a Canadian in Italy, you would be treated very well.

Others would struggle to be accepted. I'm writing this to be fair. (No, it would be the same for anyone who came here. Many are not accepted here, pushed to the social margins, but that can't be said officially.)aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

*Sorry because I have to listen to the link you attached now it's impossible: Thank you!

It's unusual for Canadians to say outright that foreigners might not want to live there. What Canadian Freedom Lover has done strikes me as unusual. Although I am aware of Canadians complaining about various aspects of life in their country, but very seldom expressing a wish to emigrate. I may be at an advantage because I have relatives there with whom I keep in touch plus an acquaintance with whom I sometimes talk, who lived across the street from one of my relatives when he and I were both teenagers.

I am sincerely unable to think of a country I'd rather live in than where I live now, although when I was much younger I might have done all right living in some parts of Europe, but at my age I can't see myself feeling at home in any of those places. But when younger I could possibly have acclimatized.

I love Canada: the people, the culture, their honesty—the list would be quite long.
However, perhaps seeing a post from someone who lives there and has reservations might catch me off guard.
Seen from outside Canada and knowing the general outline of the people and those places, but certainly not having been there or lived there, not even recently, a critical comment about one's own country has a different weight, which I know I must take into consideration.

I apologize that I haven't had a chance to open and watch the posted video: I will do so now.
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Perhaps it won't change my opinion of Canadians and Canada, which is excellent.
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Unfortunately, I don't have any relatives in that country; I have some in the US, in several states.
Some have obtained citizenship and, despite the problems I think exist everywhere, if not much worse in other nations, flaws aside, we have them too, including problems. I perceive them well, I can't explain them to you.

I obviously know more about US culture because we've been interested in it for over a century now.
And over the last 80 years, most Italians have a prevailing sense of positivity and the intrinsic potential of a great nation that is often underestimated.
*Precisely because the US is such a diverse country, and different from the other states of the Union, it's impossible for there to always be optimal conditions, or for there to be equal and social conditions.

This is also obvious: you need to live there for years to understand things.
And in any case, everything can change in even a fairly short period of time (say, 5 years, which is a very long time).

As a non-US citizen, I would be unfair to write about flaws, especially since who in the world doesn't have them?

Another question: taking a sort of inventory of how your nation functions, do you think it's better?

Think of 100 important things.

And think of other non-US states and 100 important things that they do better than you.

Draw an honest analysis of them.

As an Italian, I wouldn't want to live in this nation, which is a collection of Reasons (some historically unique and with generally beautiful people, I mean honest), but with zero prospects for the future.

*People here are much more valuable than how they are managed.

Don't ask me why: but we've never had National Sovereignty.

****You do!****

I watched the whole video, thanks.

So: corruption exists here too, and what's annoying in Italy is that politicians aren't ashamed of it.

The educational situation is better in Italy than what the person describes in the video.

The standard is very high, and those who reach the highest level cost us over €1 million, like scientific researchers, for example.
In any case, where there's no school dropout, the standard is very high.

The healthcare system was perfect years ago.

Now it's certainly not like it used to be.

If I have to go to a doctor here, which I pay with taxes that are a higher percentage than yours, I have to wait up to two weeks.

Because they've cut back on facilities and distribution.
Some, however, remain excellent.

There's a shortage of general practitioners: so they lump thousands of people together around one doctor.

To make it clear: I had a bicycle accident.

I was treated at one hospital, then another.
The doctors are few and young.
Their training is moderately high.
Only a few are excellent: but everything is divided into specialists.

I waited half a day to get all the checkups.
Then I spent another few hours at another hospital.

My GP is regional, and I don't have my own doctor here.
My doctor has seen me for 1 hour in 4 years.
We email each other.

Medicine is an interest of mine, so I know how to interact with them.
When I changed regions, I saw a GP spend 2 minutes per person.
The patient should be examined to understand what is needed and whether further investigation is needed.
Also to avoid wasting public money on inappropriate visits.

The paradox is that I will never be on a waiting list here.
Even though I pay taxes to the nation, which are very high, I will have to pay for my visits privately: they cost a lot.
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Money: with the euro, we've halved our purchasing power.
Imagine a currency that in 2001 was worth twice as much as it was in 2002.
If I go shopping, I have to be careful.
I only shop when there are offers and not when there aren't.

Or if I need something: I might even evaluate six hypermarkets and just buy where it's convenient.
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Purchasing power and salaries.
Average salaries are low.
Even in small towns.
You can't pay people with 1,300-1,800 euros.
If everything else costs a lot: energy, rent, property taxes, car taxes, cars, highway tolls, even very punctual trains and high-speed trains, you have to think carefully before the trip.
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I'll give you an example: if you want to buy in the center of Milan, you need 11,500 euros per square meter.
Average rent is €32 per square meter, excluding condominium fees, bills, taxes, and many other expenses.
You need two salaries to live there, even in the suburbs.

In other cities, the average rent for a standard home in small towns exceeds €600 per month.

The average, even in small towns, is €150,000 for a substandard home,
€250,000 for a decent one.


Before Berlusconi, to become a high-level politician in Italy, you had to possess an enormous culture.
And a high or very high IQ. And have merit.

Now, subpar people are elected, including those who govern us.


To become an Italian, an immigrant from outside the EU has to serve 10 years. Four years if they are an EU citizen.

The birth rate in Italy is one child on average.

I'll give you the 2023 data; I can't find them now; I should consult specialized newspapers.

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Drugs and alcoholism are enormous problems.
Psychiatry: pharmaceutical spending, especially for psychotropic drugs, is staggering.
In 2023, total pharmaceutical spending amounted to €36.2 billion, 68.7% of which was reimbursed by the National Health Service (NHS). Local public spending, including subsidized and direct distribution, and "on account," amounted to €12.998 billion, a 3% increase over the previous year. Co-payment spending, on the other hand, amounted to €1.481 billion, approximately €25 per capita, a 1.3% decrease due to the 2.5% reduction in the price differential compared to generics for those purchasing the "originator" drug.

Per capita CO2 emissions: 5.18 metric tons (2023) World Bank
Per capita electricity consumption: 5,049.80 kWh (2023) World Bank
Per capita energy consumption: 2,317.73 kg of oil equivalent per capita (2023) World Bank
Fertility rate: 1.20 births per woman (2023) World Bank
GDP growth rate: 0.7% annual change (2024) World Bank
Gross domestic product: $2.373 trillion (2024) World Bank
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We outsource all production to factories in China.
When we were small, every product was "Made in Italy," no matter what.
Now, 80% of products are made in China.
And almost never made in Italy, except for food products.
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If you find clothing made in Italy, it's made in China. At most, they attach a label and it says Made in Italy.
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What future does a country have where nothing is produced?

The biggest companies are based in the Netherlands, for example.
Because they pay lower taxes there.

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What's left?
War weapons production.
Logistics.
Food industry.
Arts sector.
Tourism.
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We're not just this.
We were the fifth largest industrial power in the world.
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Debt: 50% is internal, so we owe it to ourselves.
The rest is controlled by the banks.
The banks have almost all merged and formed syndicates with the major French banks.

This means that our money (ours) is managed in France.
I find it surreal.

Where I live, I can almost always get an appointment to see the doctor either that day or the next day.

On the Sunday before the 4th of July this year, I had some strange pains in my left leg. I would have thought it was a simple muscle pain but it was hitting muscles in my lower leg and upper leg.

On Monday, I was busy and didn't make an appointment. I called on Tuesday and got an appointment on Wednesday. He sent me to the hospital across the street for a blood test that day and an ultrasound the next day (Thursday). Even though he takes Thursday afternoons off, he came back after the ultrasound and diagnosed my DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis).

It isn't that way everywhere.

I was talking to someone from a big city and he said that he can hardly ever get in to se anyone but a PA (Physician's Assistant), He said that it took them ten weeks to diagnose his DVT this past summer. And his symptoms were far worse than mine.

Admittedly, I did bring up the question of a blood clot at that Wednesday appointment.

In July of 1974, one woman in her early 50's who I have known for years said it took a year to get in to see her doctor and about ten months to see any other doctor in his practice. She passed away this past August.

Yes: I remember you writing about the leg thrombosis.

I'm sorry.
Because I understand what it is. My father suffered from it, both aneurysms, one in the supra-aortic trunks of my father and one in my brother's left leg.

Several years ago, I chose facilities in northern Italy to operate on my father.

I studied innovative procedures.
I found three cutting-edge centers.

After months, one of them called me.

In my region, eight of his friends/acquaintances had died from this.

I chose very well.

I remember talking to the surgeon because he didn't understand how I knew about it.
Usually, they don't waste time talking

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I explained why, and he replied that he would perform that type of surgery at our request.

That it required significant follow-up.

But it wasn't 100% reliable.

While open surgery was easy for them.

They had three operating rooms, and every day except Saturday and Sunday, they operated with a close-knit team.

Zero mortality rate, minimal post-operative problems.

I chose open surgery.

It went perfectly.

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Now I don't know: maybe it's just regional.

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In my city, they've eliminated cardiac surgery.

Of course, if there's a heart attack, you can die.

If that happens, we need to proceed immediately.

To get to the nearest valid hospital, it's a 30-kilometer drive in the middle of traffic.

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Specialist appointments depend: if I were entitled to mine, I'd have to wait months.

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If I want other tests, I can get them right away with the markers I need.

But I know where to go and what to ask for.
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For other people, it takes a 2-week wait.

We pay for them with taxes.

If I take tests that my brother needs and I can't wait, just one visit costs 120 euros.
(I spent 240 at the head doctor's office).
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I found a general practitioner who sees anyone.
A girl who has two doctors' offices.
She arrives at 9 and goes home from the second one 12 hours later.
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Her colleague next door doesn't see anyone if you don't have an appointment.
15 days for an appointment.
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The other one leaves after a few hours.
But she has a secretary and receives emails.
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The one who stays, however, wants to see people; she sees anyone who comes.
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After the two hospitals, I waited 5 hours for the appointment and another 4 weeks later to have my stitches removed.
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I thanked him because he's a real doctor.
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I wasn't well, but I waited without saying anything.
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The lady from July 1974!
So she died at 96.
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Now we'll see something strange: many of the deaths will be in their 30s and 40s.

Or older people over 80.
There will be a huge gap.
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Many people give up on checkups because the wait times are so long.
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If you don't have the right code in the emergency room: you pay for everything.

My code was quite high.
I didn't pay.
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Even here: if you don't pay, you'll get tax bills.
Months have passed, and you might not even notice the outdated RKE paper registered mail, and you're not familiar with electronics, you risk a forced withdrawal and end up on a banking blacklist you can't get out of.
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We pay the state post office for a service where they've cut deliveries.
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The system doesn't work.
They send documents, health cards, and other things only by mail.
As if it were 1950.
But you have the electronic notification.
But you have to wait for a postman to arrive.
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These things need to be improved or eliminated.
Why pay for poor service?
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They're removing so many automated teller machines.
And then removing them all.
They're closing branches or turning them into small offices.

You have a physical bank that will soon be gone here.
With us, a current account costs more than it yields returns.
It used to have interest rates.

And it's electronic.
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The only reliable banks that can't fail are 10 in Europe and 10 in North America.
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Ours are affiliated with the French banks, which have 2 that can't fail, ranked 9th in the world and 10th in the world.

For our other banks, we're guaranteed up to €100,000.
And there are precise rules.
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There's nothing to complain about about Italian schools.
If you choose well, you study things that other countries don't teach at all.
It's easy for an Italian to have a high level of cultural knowledge, even basic knowledge, in many subjects.

Flaw? School lasts too many years.

Compulsory school is 13 years.
And university schools have too many exams.
To get into some of them, you have to pass limited-entry tests.
They also ask for things that have nothing to do with the specialization you choose.

A choice must be made because, for example, doctors cannot be trained if they are over 26.

Years of previous training must be deducted.
Previously, a valid graduate was 22/23 years old.

For example, if you choose psychiatry, it's 6 years + 4 years and 240 credits.
Previously, you could also become a neurologist; now you need a specific degree.

The training path for these specialists starts from a common foundation: both complete a degree in Medicine and Surgery (6 years).

The neurologist specializes in Neurology (4-5 years), studying anatomy, physiology, and pathologies of the central and peripheral nervous system.
The psychiatrist specializes in Psychiatry (4-5 years), studying mental disorders, psychopharmacology, and psychotherapeutic techniques.

I actually moved to the UK in September, 2024. Feeling happier about that choice every single day.

^^

This is a great post.

I don't think it's easy to completely change where you live.


I also believe that wherever you choose to go, you need to know how to adapt.


You'll find different aspects, including some that are better and perhaps even some that, from a completely personal perspective and as foreigners, we might consider less efficient than those of our own countries.


But I wonder something, even from that video, about the person who moved three times to three different countries, and never found anything good in any of them.



If you move three times, I seem to have deduced that it's not for work, not because someone tells you that's where you have to go to work, but that you do it for different reasons.

And always. He finds an excuse to say that this, that, or whatever isn't right...

Could it be that the problem of not adapting lies with him?
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Honestly, even posting a video so critical of a nation that welcomed you, even though you weren't born there, nor did you contribute in the slightest to improving things, nor have you ever tried. Because when things aren't going well, everyone, in their own small way, can always do something good. It might not change much, but they'll still contribute to the society they live in.
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Another sentence I don't like is that he loves Canada so much that he'll... stay there...
He also says for how long, like 3 more years, if I'm not mistaken.
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I'm feeling very bad, quite bad, no, I'm staying, then I'll leave...

It also seems a bit confusing.
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It reminds me of the movie The Marthon Man with Dustin Hoffman.
Where he's kidnapped and tortured.
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First he answers one thing, then he changes when the pain increases, then again when he realizes there's no right answer to give, as he's completely unfamiliar with the problem at hand.
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The example is absurd.
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But the point is that if you feel alienated from that situation, you run away immediately.

As soon as possible.

Instead, he makes a video and posts it online.

The Marathon Man Dustin Hoffman being interrogated by the Nazi dentist.
Think of Marathon Man and one thing may come to mind.

Is it safe?

Yes, it’s very safe, it’s so safe you wouldn’t believe it.

Is it safe?

Does the Candian government call it's military The Department Of War
Is the Candian government waging war in Canada
Is the Candian government sending heavily armed masked agents to arrest random Candians

I wish there was a FB-style up vote available for this post.

One more question. Did the Canadian government officially shut down to gut healthcare