The best country in the world to live

[Yamano667]

Danish is NOT pastry hehehe, but a well civilized country

Originally Posted by Roots

I think that's really cool. I love countries like that, it really shows that they have great citizens.



I thought a danish was just a pastry

[HoboGod]

Originally Posted by chuckert

I took a 3-day trip to Amsterdam about 2yrs ago when I use to work for Piedmont Airlines, and while I was on a tour, the guide said that marijuana is not actually 'legal' but highly tolerated. They do have coffee shops with the reefer plant painted on the window meaning most everything on the menu has marijuana in it. I even think the hot dog stands had reefer dogs, I may be mistaken though. I have to admit though I had alot of fun and it's a cool place, even though you had to pay money to use the restroom in most public places (even in a KFC). It's also very multiculteral there as well and everyone seems to get along just fine.

yea, i saw a documentery about Amsterdam. i believe it said something like buying or selling it is legal, but growing or using it is illegal.

[Lambda]

I'm pretty happy in Britain. There's a certain amount of appeal to the notion of continental Europe, if I spoke another language, with their better funded public services and so forth, but I'm rather fond of TV and I think I'd miss it pretty badly, (Except for a few exceptions like anime, I believe that TV everywhere else really isn't worth watching), and the idea of compulsory ID is one I'd have a lot of difficulty accepting. The US I firmly intend to avoid, a lack of basic facilities like free near-universal healthcare is bad enough, but I don't like the look of the culture there, and the rampant corporatism is simply scary. Japan, for all its wonderful animation, also seems to have a fairly messed-up society from what I know of it. Scandinavia and places like Canada and Australia might be possible, I don't really know much about them.

[Yamano667]

Amsterdam legal trades are prostitution, drugs and many other things that i dont dare to mention, but its only in certain areas of the red light district

Originally Posted by HoboGod

yea, i saw a documentery about Amsterdam. i believe it said something like buying or selling it is legal, but growing or using it is illegal.

[kamij0]

anywhere would be nice with your loved ones.

[Archuka]

I live in Finland and this place seems like a good place to live in. We have a good social security, free school meals and all that, but also high taxes. I've been to Sweden a few times and from what I could tell it looks very similar to Finland and I'm quite surprised it (and Norway) ranked quite a bit above us.

[LoveOfAnime]

Originally Posted by Secca

I understand that feeling too. ^^

I remember when I was 9 my mom took me on vaction trip to New Zealand. It was freaking beautiful there, they have lambs, rivers that's really clean that has fish that you can see from the surface, beautiful mountains.

But I was only 9 years old back then and I find that place is so boring, no kids to play with or entertainments to watch.

But now it feel sucha apealing place to live.

I just came back from two weeks in New Zealand. I spent the whole time seeing the North Island and I give it a 9/10. That is some paradise.............And it's not well known............

[chuckert]

Originally Posted by Roots

The last couple posts reminded me of something. My dad has been working and living abroad all over Europe and parts of Africa, Asia, and the Middle East and he told me once that whenever anyone questions his nationality he tells them that he's Canadian because its more dangerous to be an American in foreign lands.

I can understand why people would do that while in a foreign country where Americans are not looked upon warmly, but I would never do that, no matter how risky it is, I would proudly say I'm American if asked my nationality. Besides, what right does anyone have to hate someone because they're American? Being judgemental about someone because of their nationality is just plain dumb. Judge a person from your own personal experiences with them, not because they came from a country you dislike.

Unfortuanely, there are gonna be people out there that you can't reason with that are always gonna hate Americans and won't ever forgive them for our actions as a country. So how can they take their anger out on America? Simple, it's citizens.

I love to travel, and I plan on visiting more of Europe, as well as Africa and the Middle East someday. If asked, I will proudly say I'm American if it comes up in my travels. If something bad were to ever happen to me intentionally because of my nationality, then at least I know I wouldn't be in the wrong.

[Roots]

Originally Posted by chuckert

Besides, what right does anyone have to hate someone because they're American? Being judgemental about someone because of their nationality is just plain dumb. Judge a person from your own personal experiences with them, not because they came from a country you dislike.

Unfortuanely, there are gonna be people out there that you can't reason with that are always gonna hate Americans and won't ever forgive them for our actions as a country. So how can they take their anger out on America? Simple, it's citizens.

I agree with you completely on that note. I hate it when people make assumptions about me because I'm American, when they don't even know me personally. However I'm not exactly proud of the things this country has been doing lately.

[Kyolux]

I dunno, I do agree you shouldn't be judge for the country you are living in. But again, for some people that lives in not so good conditions, the fact is that you're not gonna be hated for being american, you're gonna be killed if you fall on some extremist by bad luck. For them, the way you live peacefully and your freedom and all, it has a cost, and part of that cost is the way some people are living in the world. So no they won't hate you for who you are, but for how you are living. Yet I'm just theorizing, so I might be wrong all the way. It's not something I experienced.. I'm canadian.. and if someone is going to say he's canadian and he's not, he better behave well.

[Roots]

Rest assured, my father is a well-behaved individual. He will uphold the bright image of the modern Canuk


I can agree though that maybe these people do have a valid reason to hate Americans if our prosperous way of living directly forces them to live in destitution, but what actions by the US government cause this type of scenario I wonder?

[Lambda]

I think a lot of the arguments for blaming ordinary Americans for things rest on the belief that in a democracy, the people are responsible for the actions of government.

Rather misunderstands the degree to which democracy really happens of course, especially in corporatic America, and a trifle probabilistic, to say the least. But it's not completely mad.

[Lambda]

Originally Posted by Roots

I can agree though that maybe these people do have a valid reason to hate Americans if our prosperous way of living directly forces them to live in destitution, but what actions by the US government cause this type of scenario I wonder?

Dumping subsidised agricultural products on third world economies which local farmers can't hope to compete with, selling arms to oppressive governments, supporting and occasionally creating oppressive or terrorist governments, those are probably the principle ones. But there are a lot of other issues, such as the effective military occupation of parts of the Middle East.

[Kyolux]

There has been destructions of pharmaceutics development facility that was saving many lives, just because of a rumor of some biologic weapon development, I don't remember the fact, but if someone gives me 10$ I'll take the time and get my "Livre noir des États-Unis" (Black book of USA).

[chuckert]

Originally Posted by Kyolux

I dunno, I do agree you shouldn't be judge for the country you are living in. But again, for some people that lives in not so good conditions, the fact is that you're not gonna be hated for being american, you're gonna be killed if you fall on some extremist by bad luck. For them, the way you live peacefully and your freedom and all, it has a cost, and part of that cost is the way some people are living in the world. So no they won't hate you for who you are, but for how you are living. Yet I'm just theorizing, so I might be wrong all the way. It's not something I experienced.. I'm canadian.. and if someone is going to say he's canadian and he's not, he better behave well.

Being hated because of the way I live? Please. It's not my fault these people aren't living a 'better' life than they think they should like myself. I can tell you right now that there are millions of people living better than I am, as well as in other foreign countries. I sure as hell am not bitter about it and don't hate them for living a better life than me. I feel everyone deserves to live a good and peaceful life if you have a good heart.

But then again, these 'extremist' people are so messed up in the head you can't reason with them and they're motives will never change. But I agree with your theory that people think like this, and they have no sympathy from me at all.

[Mr_Paper]

Originally Posted by chuckert

Being hated because of the way I live? Please. It's not my fault these people aren't living a 'better' life than they think they should like myself. I can tell you right now that there are millions of people living better than I am, as well as in other foreign countries. I sure as hell am not bitter about it and don't hate them for living a better life than me. I feel everyone deserves to live a good and peaceful life if you have a good heart.

But then again, these 'extremist' people are so messed up in the head you can't reason with them and they're motives will never change. But I agree with your theory that people think like this, and they have no sympathy from me at all.

Somehow living in the middle class of a North America society doesn't seem so bad compared to those who live on less than US$1 a week...

Let's get something straight, they don't hate you for your lifestyle. They hate you for years of economic explotation, for political deciet, for destorying their industries, for forcing them into situations favorable to you, for literally raping their lands of resources with promises of aid that never really comes nor is ever enough, for interfering with their self government, for organizing military coups, for convincing them to do your country's dirty work then abondoning them when they needed you the most, for imposing economic sacntions that result in the deaths of millions and the list does go on and on. You might not be aware of it but America's imperialistic foreign polices in the last half century have done nothing but fuel anti-American sentiments throughout the third world and Middle East.

Their point of view isn't so hard to understand. If I was in their situation, I too would probably hate anyone from a country that benefits from my country's exploitation.

[chuckert]

Originally Posted by Mr_Paper

Somehow living in the middle class of a North America society doesn't seem so bad compared to those who live on less than US$1 a week...

Let's get something straight, they don't hate you for your lifestyle. They hate you for years of economic explotation, for political deciet, for destorying their industries, for forcing them into situations favorable to you, for literally raping their lands of resources with promises of aid that never really comes nor is ever enough, for interfering with their self government, for organizing military coups, for convincing them to do your country's dirty work then abondoning them when they needed you the most, for imposing economic sacntions that result in the deaths of millions and the list does go on and on. You might not be aware of it but America's imperialistic foreign polices in the last half century have done nothing but fuel anti-American sentiments throughout the third world and Middle East.

Their point of view isn't so hard to understand. If I was in their situation, I too would probably hate anyone from a country that benefits from my country's exploitation.

Well said and right on the money. All those things you mentioned I can see why they would hate me. Yes, and since I'm American and my country has done all these awful things, they think I'm partly responsible. I'm responsible beacuse i'm apart of the 'entity' that's done all this damage to them, even though I mostly had no control and saying over these major issues personally.

It's too bad I can't tell them all I'm sorry for all the awful things we've done to them, and that I don't agree with alot of what my country has done to make their's suffer. Not like that would be enough though to be forgiven even though I'm being sincere about it.

I'm indifferent to everyone until you start hating me for the wrong reasons.

[Lambda]

Originally Posted by chuckert

Yes, and since I'm American and my country has done all these awful things, they think I'm partly responsible. I'm responsible beacuse i'm apart of the 'entity' that's done all this damage to them, even though I mostly had no control and saying over these major issues personally.

So, in elections, do you vote only for candidates who promise convincingly to stop these things from happening?

The fact is, if enough Americans didn't want to profit from exploiting people in poor countries, they could get together and do something about it. But when most people go to the polls, they're not thinking about this sort of thing. All they're thinking about is things like how much it'll cost to drive their huge great big cars around. I don't know what sort of person you are personally, but the majority of Americans are choosing the course of action which approves the exploitation of these people on their behalf. And the line between that and participating in it personally is pretty thin.

[Secca]

Originally Posted by Lambda

So, in elections, do you vote only for candidates who promise convincingly to stop these things from happening?

What? I tought in an election, you suposed to pick the lesser evil.

[Rhia]

I haven't lived every where to know where the best place is, ive only live in england my whole life..