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Mighty doesn’t mean everyone gets free stuff via government redistribution programs. And maybe one can see that this is the reason America is “mighty.” We attra

Mighty doesn’t mean everyone gets free stuff via government redistribution programs. And maybe one can see that this is the reason America is “mighty.” We attract and retain the best of the whole world, who come here because they are tired of senseless redistribution campaigns by the have-nots of the world. Not to mention freedom generally, which is why my family came to the US: we were not seeking economic opportunities, but freedom from oppression and discrimination, which in 2018 is still much more the exception than the rule globally. Russia can huff and puff all it wants, but Ed Snowden is still basically the only prominent American who has ever moved to Russia. This while millions of people from the FSU moved to the US, Israel, Europe, Australia and Canada over the past thirty years, which is the fundamental difference between the US and Russia, etc. Now if only there was a way to send the people who want redistribution to places where they have that sort of thing. That would be great! But guess what: Norway doesn’t want these people :(. They have enough people jockeying for the dole.

curiousgal 8y ago
Well, this isn't the 80s anymore, no one talks of Russia anymore. What I meant was based on looking at European countries like Sweden and Finland or even France. Also, I am not saying the U.S. is a horrible place to live in, I am just saying that it has the potential to be more liveable for all citizens, not just the very "best".
- strictnein 8y ago
  > Well, this isn't the 80s anymore, no one talks of Russia anymore. What now?
- linkmotif 8y ago
  Well the same is true for the rest of the world. I live in Queens, NY surrounded by the world’s best who came here from all over the place. For every 100,000 people from Bangladesh here in Queens, I wonder whether these is even 1 American living permanently in Bangladesh. I wonder how many expats there are out there total, and which country has the closest immigration balance to the United States, which probably leads the world by a lot in any metric of incoming immigrants. I focus on immigration because where you choose to live seems like the single greatest vote of confidence that you can make. So I wonder why people here in the states want to make the states more like other places when clearly people from other places want to come here. > I am just saying that it has the potential to be more liveable for all citizens, not just the very "best". Yeah it definitely could and should be. There is a lot of low hanging fruit.
tjr225 8y ago
You're presenting a false dichotomy where the US can't have social welfare programs and be great - this is simply not the case. FDRs social programs and the labor movements of the last century arguably improved our country in its most noticeable way of all time - at least until it was dismantled by the people who benefited from it the most (the baby boomers).
- chimeracoder 8y ago
  > FDRs social programs and the labor movements of the last century arguably improved our country in its most noticeable way of all time You can't discuss either of those two things without also recognizing the other half of those policies: the massive xenophobia, racism, and outright genocide that motivated and fueled them, all under FDR's watch.

curiousgal 8y ago

Well, this isn't the 80s anymore, no one talks of Russia anymore. What I meant was based on looking at European countries like Sweden and Finland or even France. Also, I am not saying the U.S. is a horrible place to live in, I am just saying that it has the potential to be more liveable for all citizens, not just the very "best".

strictnein 8y ago
> Well, this isn't the 80s anymore, no one talks of Russia anymore. What now?
linkmotif 8y ago
Well the same is true for the rest of the world. I live in Queens, NY surrounded by the world’s best who came here from all over the place. For every 100,000 people from Bangladesh here in Queens, I wonder whether these is even 1 American living permanently in Bangladesh. I wonder how many expats there are out there total, and which country has the closest immigration balance to the United States, which probably leads the world by a lot in any metric of incoming immigrants. I focus on immigration because where you choose to live seems like the single greatest vote of confidence that you can make. So I wonder why people here in the states want to make the states more like other places when clearly people from other places want to come here. > I am just saying that it has the potential to be more liveable for all citizens, not just the very "best". Yeah it definitely could and should be. There is a lot of low hanging fruit.

tjr225 8y ago

You're presenting a false dichotomy where the US can't have social welfare programs and be great - this is simply not the case. FDRs social programs and the labor movements of the last century arguably improved our country in its most noticeable way of all time - at least until it was dismantled by the people who benefited from it the most (the baby boomers).

chimeracoder 8y ago
> FDRs social programs and the labor movements of the last century arguably improved our country in its most noticeable way of all time You can't discuss either of those two things without also recognizing the other half of those policies: the massive xenophobia, racism, and outright genocide that motivated and fueled them, all under FDR's watch.