What Country is the best?
 

before I started coming to The Ledge, I always figured the United States to be hands down the greatest country by far blowing away all the other countries out of the water and onto high mountains. But, many here believe this country is now crap, and I've almost started to believe you. But then I remeber this is just a freaking message board. SOOO I'll stick with America being the best country (although I despise our legal system) So what country do you think is the best to live. Is it England, Canada, Austrailia, Ittally, Germany...

I have been to at least 20 other countries - probably more. While ALL have their advantages and disadvantages, of those and based on the limited time I was there, I can say the US has the most freedom hands down even though the US clearly has its problems. Thus, I pick the US based on my experience.

DO YOU EVER JUST TAKE ANYTHING LIGHTLY :laugh:

You were there with me? You saw what I saw? If you had bothered to read what I wrote, I said I based it on my experience :rolleyes: :wavey:

I think it's a great question I asked. What country we like best is no then the countless disscussions of Lindsey vs, Stevie. And I have a feeling they'll be less fighting here then there :laugh:

I am pleading the Fifth regarding where I have been and what I have done while there :laugh:

AND - the roll eyes thingee was supposed to be this one ;) - I clicked on the wrong one :sorry:

I think the phrase "So what country do you think is the best to live" indicates it was not a my brother can beat up your brother competition :laugh: I mean I can assure you that to me, living in London would be WILDLY better than living in Odessa, Texas :eek: But, the reverse could be true for another person. Thus, the point of the question :wavey:

That is so deliciously snobbish of you :laugh:

I never even opened the file!!!!!!!!! :woohoo: :woohoo:

Exactly this isn't about which country can beat the others up. This comes down to the littlest things. Like how this thread idea was sparked. It was sparked by the Britcom disscussion in the TV thread. I personally love the apparently stupidness of American TV. That's where I got thew idea for this thread.

It seemed an odd question to me. Although I probably know some of the main factors that Hawkeye had in mind when he thought it up, I just thought it would be an extremely subjective decision to make, involving many factors and personal tastes. One of first things that i thought of, in addition to the gov'ts and legal systems of different countries, was things like weather, landscape, culture...I mean there really are to many totally different things that could make a country "best" isn't there? I was thinking Canada was nice, but then i was thinking it was butt ass cold. :) And on and on. Also, I'm not sure that i would think of asking this question either :confused:

Another thing, I HATE Snakes. It's one BIG fear. I jump if I see a picture of one. So that takes Austrailia right off my running. I would never even vist a country so full of snakes.

So, when you pick someplace to live, how do you do it? You choose the one that is best suited for you, whatever your individual criteria may be. For me, it is here. But, I could readily live in Paris as well. Honestly, I think you guys are blowing this WAY out of proportion. But, so be it :laugh:

I prefer...
 

the country here in the US because those darnnabbit city folk are so immoral & sin filled...With their loud car stereos & body piercings & Satan worship & baggy clothes :lol:

Seriously, Even though I would love to go to Japan, A wish I had LONG before the US political schenanigans of the past several years, I would NEVER live elsewhere....

Btw, I think "Kerplackastan" is the best country :lol:

Brian j.

If I could afford to move there, I'd live in England. I read an article a couple of weeks ago that said less than half of the population of England claims to belong to a religion, compared with almost 90% here in the US. :shocked: That's reason enough for me to cross the Atlantic. :nod: ;)

Interesting Jupiter, that you would move to the UK for that reason and thats exactly why, this question is so random..what one person thinks would be a great place to live, is not, by another persons standards.An example of this is on the 4 yr vacation thread, where a fellow Ledgie has dreams of living in France and I posted my views of the place , having actually lived there.Like Strand said we can only base our opinions on our own experiences, personally, I have lived in 4 countries and even then wouldn't dare offer a list of which were best..Lux..yet another indepth post on your thoughts :)

Didn't know you were intrigued to go to Japan, Brian!

I was going to add that today I was looking through a Japanese high school geography textbook and there was a small chapter on 'other countries' (ie the US) but it was almost all about Japan. And yes, Japanese generally think that their country is the best. But don't we all 'love the one we're in'? It would suck to live in a country you thought was lame.

Of course there's good and bad points to each country based on personal preference. I love(d) living in Australia, but Japan is equally good for totally different reasons.

Younger Japanese are fascinated by the US, but many that I have spoken to who have visited there say it was an awesome trip but they'd never want to live there... I swear you could see a sort of harrowed, almost terrified gleam in their eyes as they said it! :laugh:

AMEN sister! (so to speak) What's this US obsession with religion? I don't get it, nor care to get it. Maybe penicillin can cure it. :lol:

Oh yeah. And I've found traditional country to be the best. This pop fodder must go.

hm, you know there've been tons of sociological researches and indexes etc. about this. I'll try to find some when I get home :)
I don't find my country the best to live in right now. Lots of racial violence the last few weeks, dunno if any of that news filtered through to the US...
Even though a newsarticle I read this morning said that elderly people have it better here than any other country in the world.
I think it depends on the person/personal circumstances anyway. You might be off great here if you're over 65, but not so great if you're disabled. Or if you're a muslim, right now.

I think the idea of this thread is misguided and Lux is totally right in suggesting that Americans really are generally hated through the rest of the world, and it is because America don't realise the rest of the world hates them.
I don't care what country I live in to be honest though as long it is with the people I love and care about.

Tynan

I totally agree!

Not entirely true. Most people don't pick. It's where they are born and they perhaps don't have the means to move to another country.

But everything is so expensive here! And IMO we have a real problem with asylum seekers right now in the UK. Tony Blair will let anyone in! ;)

Hah! Exact opposite of John Howard. :rolleyes:

I know that - but I thought this thread was about wishing, etc., because the question was "So what country do you think is the best to live." So, I was not taking that into consideration. But, it is true.

Interestingly, I think most people like where they live and, while they might move to another city in their country, they would not want to move to a different country with a different culture, etc. I am not saying this applies to all people and I think it certainly applies less to countries with extreme poverty, faminem, disease, etc. But, even then, these people might be moving out of necessity and not because they do not like the place where they live.

I often dream about moving to another country but I can't see myself ever doing it.

I do too. AND England is waaaaaay up there. If I moved to England, I could see me with a house overlooking Green Park and a place on the Cornish Coast (though I have never been to the COrnish Coast :laugh: ) - Hey - I can dream can't I!!!!!! :laugh:

There isn't a "best" country and none of us could possibly be objective in answering such a question. I love America, but by no means is it "the best." It's a great country when it does good things, it sucks when it does bad things. This applies to ever country. But you'll never see me waving the flag or putting one on my car because I think it's an empty gesture.

Yes, because we can all choose which country we want to live in, Jason. We all have enough money and smarts to attend open houses all across the globe to decide which country, city, and house is best suited to our needs. C'mon. :laugh:

Actually in my experience, as a college student I learn a great deal about other countries. We are required to take courses devoted to other countries, IE : "Western Civilizations," "World History." It's american's choice if they do not learn of other countries, because it is fully presented to them. Sure Americans are most interested in things that go on in the USA (Elections, etc) as anyone in another country would be in their own affairs..
I do not think Americans are as ignorant as some might like to believe. Sure, Americans have a lot of pride, is there something wrong with that??

Chris

Although my uncle, an American, loved America so much he moved to China this month and married a Chinese lady he met online...now tell me Americans are whacky, and I will agree with you!

Chris

The prevailing attitude in foreign countries is that we are ignorant and that our actions speak for themselves. After 9/11, all Americans could do was ask why it happened. You can bet your ass that we were seen as ignorant because the rest of the country knew exactly why it happened and they didn't even live here. The people of this country are so isolated from the world that they know next to nothing about world affairs, world attitudes, or how their behavior is reflected across the globe. The election of George Bush proved that. This country is ignorant, there can be no denying it.

I swear you people :laugh: I get that. I never said any differently. But, I suppose you just cannot play "I wish I could live here" without being politically correct :laugh:

You said that people choose to live where their needs will best be suited. :shrug: I hate to disagree ( :laugh: ), but that just isn't true when it comes to which country you live in.

I agree there can't be a best Country. I can say that Italy is a pretty good place to live in. We got great landscapes, people are friendly and creative. Every region carries on peculiar traditions that enrich our culture, and the aspect I love more is that we walk and breathe through history and art, and to have so much beauty under your eyes sometimes helps to put everything in perspective.

Obviously we got big problems too, the most serious is a prime minister who sees himself as a potential monarch, but hopefully we'll be able to send him home sooner or later. :nod:

Romy

You all just amaze me :laugh: - I said "when you choose" - implying that if you chose or were making the choice. I get that all people cannot chose and never said any differently.

I mean this is a stupid what if kind on question. But, I suppose everything is a class war and evil, dumb, rich, uncaring Americans EVEN in a fantasyesq. where would you like to live type of thing - whatever.

Come on people!
 

I only started really learning about other countries when I worked for a multi-national firm and started meeting people from other countries and talking with them. When I look back on my education (pre-college) I find it kind of shocking and somewhat twisted how US centric (white US) it was. Particularly the way the story of the American Indian is told (not told).

I got a public education and I did not know that it was propaganda at the time. I'm not dissing my entire education by any means; I'm just saying that I wish more humility had been taught and a broader perspective of other cultures. Most educated people I know make an effort to understand other cultures. But if you have a high school education or less, and you don’t know anybody from another country, I think you are less inclined to be aware of them or care about them in this country. I have an uncle (not a college grad) who said he had no desire to ever go to another country and never would because we have everything here. :rolleyes:

This attitude is partly because we have lots of natural resources and such and have not “needed” other countries. Except Iraq for oil, hence the mess, ugh! At least not needing other countries is the perception. Of course everything is interdependent and we do need them.

But don’t hate the player, hate the game. These people just don’t know, please forgive them; they know not what they do!

Well...