Living in USA/Canada pros and cons?

[Braineack]

Lol at canada.

 

[Fred Berg]

Something often left out of the picture is that the USA provides a backstop of superb (albeit expensive) health care for the rest of the planet.

When the super rich need the best care, they come here. When a Canadian needs an MRI quickly, they take a trip across the border.

Basic health care is handled much better in huge swathes of the world than it is here. The care is perfectly good and the costs are not idiotic. But this is in a part because the very top end has been clipped off and is not particularly well handled in many of those countries.

And that is a luxury they can afford because, in a pinch and if you've got the cash, you can always fly to the Mayo. This isn't an option for the unwealthy, but guess who makes the rules?

If the USA adopted, say, the Canadian system, there would be global repercussions.

As a not-wealthy person I have opinions on whether that would be good or bad, which you are free to guess as. I'm not going to state them, though.

Yes, this was in the back of my mind when I raised my points with Designer above, and I think it is a fair position. People also come to European countries in this way; notably Munich is a favoured destination for medical tourism amongst rich Arabian and Russian clients, er, patients.

 

[gsgary]

Out of the 2 I would only consider living in Canada we have the same Queen

 

[runnah]

Out of the 2 I would only consider living in Canada we have the same Queen

Hey we Americans love Queen too!

 

[limr]

Here's what I'll say about the health care here: If I ever get any illness more serious than a cold, then I am screwed. There are those who are wealthy and can afford it; there are others who get insurance through work, and they can afford it. There are the very poor who get Medicare/Medicaid and they don't get the benefit of those with really good private insurance, but they still get help in paying for the cost.

Then there are still millions of us who aren't poor enough to qualify for Medicaid, but not earning enough to afford to pay for our own health insurance and are not getting diddly squat from our employers.

We are the ones who see this top-rate health care system right in front of us that is blocked because of the prohibitive costs. We're the ones who have to go out of the country to get care if something serious goes wrong.

 

[gsgary]

Out of the 2 I would only consider living in Canada we have the same Queen

Hey we Americans love Queen too!

Too many people carrying guns in US

 

[runnah]

America's gun culture is no where near as bad as the media would have you believe...

That depends on how you view the term "gun culture". I have many American friends, and to them, carrying a hand-gun when they go to Wal-mart is a perfectly reasonable thing to do. To most Canadians it's only slightly short of barbaric. As an interesting aside, a survey some years back indicated that per-capita, Canadians actually owned more firearms than Americans. Primarily long guns for hunting; you guys still win on the hand-gun front.

Have you been to Walmart? I want to be armed to the hilt and have a hazmat suit on!

I again blame the media for scaring everyone into thinking that any second someone is going to try to harm them.
But also I think it boils down to people thinking it's their "right" to to own.

But we need to tread lightly on this subject

 

[runnah]

Out of the 2 I would only consider living in Canada we have the same Queen

Hey we Americans love Queen too!

Too many people carrying guns in US

Again, if you listen to the media you would assume all Americans carry all the time and it's just not the case.

I don't, none of my friends do and nor does anyone in my whole extended family.

 

[gsgary]

I would be shot in the first week if someone tried to take my camera or wallet there is no way they would get it

 

[shefjr]

The majority of my friends have permits which allow them to carry a side arm and I can honestly say that I know of only one person who actually does carry on a daily basis. It makes me wonder if it's a lot of misinformation being put out there that everyone in America carries a side arm.
As an aside, it's nice to see this topic has not escalated.
Additionally, I feel that I am blessed to live in America.

 

[shefjr]

I would be shot in the first week if someone tried to take my camera or wallet there is no way they would get it

I think you are somewhat misinformed. It's highly unlikely that someone would try to take your camera. It's not the Wild West around these parts.
You just gotta wear neutral gang colors.

 

[runnah]

I would be shot in the first week if someone tried to take my camera or wallet there is no way they would get it

It is pretty rough out there. I did have to bust a few caps on my trip to the corner store. To be fair, the old lady had it coming.

 

[gsgary]

I would be shot in the first week if someone tried to take my camera or wallet there is no way they would get it

It is pretty rough out there. I did have to bust a few caps on my trip to the corner store. To be fair, the old lady had it coming.

I got attacked by about 10 16 year olds on the way to the pub 2 years ago, little bastards tried to get me charged for ABH always hit the loadest one first

 

[runnah]

Here's what I'll say about the health care here: If I ever get any illness more serious than a cold, then I am screwed. There are those who are wealthy and can afford it; there are others who get insurance through work, and they can afford it. There are the very poor who get Medicare/Medicaid and they don't get the benefit of those with really good private insurance, but they still get help in paying for the cost.

Then there are still millions of us who aren't poor enough to qualify for Medicaid, but not earning enough to afford to pay for our own health insurance and are not getting diddly squat from our employers.

We are the ones who see this top-rate health care system right in front of us that is blocked because of the prohibitive costs. We're the ones who have to go out of the country to get care if something serious goes wrong.

The struggle of the middle class. Too rich and too poor to do anything but shut up and pay taxes.

 

[Gary A.]

I've lived and worked in Asia, Central America, Middle East, Europe, Africa and here is the USA. There are many many good places to hang your hat at the end of the day. I could have continued to lived and work in those places but I keep coming back here to California.

If I was restricted to only three descriptors for the USA they would be Freedom, Diversity and Opportunity ... for All. Freedom of choices ... from your clothing, to sexual orientation, to education, to the arts, to pretty much everything. This country is ruled by law, now by a ruling party. Our legal system is distinct and separate from other divisions of government. Per the foundation of this country, we are all treated equally under the law regardless of ruling party or wealth or religion or ethnicity. Those civil liberties and our choice to protect and enforce those civil liberties under rule by law ... are what make Americans ... Americans.

Freedom:
Read our Declaration of Independence and Constitution. Those documents are the backbone of our government, republic, democracy and of our people. Those two documents are what binds this country together. The Constitution is a living document. Every single day the interpretation is challenge ... sometimes for expansion ... sometimes for restrictions. The Constitution is a people's document, any citizen can challenge or enforce the Constitution in many different ways, through our courts or through our legislators. And we vote, we vote for everything many times a year. (Unfortunately we vote so often that it is being taken for granted.) We vote for local issues, regional issues, state issues and national issues. We vote for people to manage our schools to people to manage our water, to people to manage our law enforcement, our cities, et al. As an example of our reliance with the founding documents, our armed forces do not swear to protect American citizens or American property but rather pledge to "support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic...".

Diversity:
I live in Los Angeles, one of those crossroads of the world. Los Angeles is amazingly diversified. When I was a city commissioner, I entertain delegations from every corner of the world who just wanted to observe who so many cultures lived together and actually benefitted from close association. There are 92 different languages spoken in the Los Angles Unified School District.

Opportunity
My father was the son of an immigrant farm worker (actually he dug wells). My father attended a segregated school. My father was restricted to where he could purchase a house. My father served 40+ years as a California State Senator, creating legislation for the sixth largest economy in the world (at the time). My father has roads, parks and a high school named in his honor. Often my father would end his speeches with "... Only in America." (The defense rests on opportunity.)

Earlier I said there are many many fine places to live other than the United States ... and Canada is one of them. I've never lived in Canada, but I feel that there isn't that great of a difference between Canada and the United States. But there is in climate. For example, the best farm climatically area in Canada butts up to the worst farmland in the US.

I am writing this from the patio where it is presently 73F. Mary Lou is trimming the Plumeria, I just finished cleaning the filters on the Koi pond. When I scan the backyard there are roses blooming, bright red and yellow peppers, melons, squash and cucumbers ready for picking. The Persimmons are thick on the tree and ready for picking are oranges, lemons, avocados, berries, tomatoes, et al.

In winter a drop on another 10 degrees, in summer 15 degrees higher. But the evenings are always cool with minimal humidity, usually the air is dry as a bone here. The worst you can say is that the SoCal weather is benign ... the best is something like fantastic. San Diego, may just have the best weather in the world (IIRC 65F in winter, 75F in summer).

In California from Mt. Whitney, the highest peak in the CONUS, you can look straight down to the lowest spot on North America, Death Valley. We have glaciers and sand dunes, 800 miles of coast line, world class cities, our Central Valley is the bread basket of the United States, we have the oldest trees in the world (Bristle Cone Pine), the largest trees in the world (Sequoias), the largest organism that has inhabited the world swims off our coast (Blue Whale). We have the finest public university system in the world with arguably the the best public university, Berkeley and the best private university, Stanford.

In winter in Los Angeles, you can snow ski in the morning, surf or sail in the afternoon, catch a premier movie and dine at a five star restaurant ... all on the same day. Yosemite is considered to be the most beautiful area in the world and California Highway 1 is spoken to as the most beautiful road in the world.

In summary, I think the differences between Canadians and Americans is the very strong American patriotic spirit based upon our Constitution and Declaration of Independence. (I read somewhere that the US War for Independence was the first war declared to change how a populace was governed.)

The biggest difference is climate and ecological diversity offered by the United States.

Gary

(I friend told me that the difference between a Canadian and an American is that the Canadian is a little bit more boring.)

 

[Designer]

Too many people carrying guns in US

I'd rather walk in behind someone who is carrying but is not a criminal than walk in behind a criminal.

Being in a roomful of people who are armed and peaceful is very calming.