5 ms·

Not to be rude, but why do you chose to live there? If you value your health and friends, why live in a war zone.

by mibbitirc 12y ago

littletimmy 12y ago
Most people do not have the luxury of getting up and moving from the third world to the first world.
- adlpz 12y ago
  Agreed, but given the level of security the original commenter described, I'd say wealth is not the issue. Therefore mibbitirc's comment applies.
- adyus 12y ago
  Most people did not have that luxury during WW2, yet they did. Safety is safety.
  - linuxydave 12y ago
    Many people did leave the country - there was a large diaspora in the 2000s to Canada, NZ, Australia, and the UK. Many others wanted to but couldn't because they couldn't get visas or they simply couldn't afford it. I was only able to move the UK because I found out I could get a British passport (so I did) plus my company paid for most of the relocation.
  - Mandatum 12y ago
    As an American it would be much easier to move to another country, anywhere in the world, than it would be for someone from an undeveloped country. There are thousands of people looking to get into any country that is considered "safe". Asylum seekers are being denied every day at borders, whether they're crossing the border into the Southern US, or floating ashore on a raft in Australia. Your qualifications are meaningless, ask your next 10 taxi drivers where they're from and what they studied. More than half will have a degree from their home countries.
    - adyus 12y ago
      One doesn't necessarily have to move to the safest country, where naturally the competition to get in is higher. One only needs to try to move to a safer country. As a species, we've become very tied to our original locations. Stability had its advantages in the early days of agriculture. Today I wish we'd make our borders more porous, legally and bureaucratically. Why should a remote worker be paid less for the same created value, simply because they live in a "cheaper" country?
Mandatum 12y ago
If it was as simple as that notion sounds, I wouldn't be here. And believe me I know many of people who have decided to start families in other countries. I hate my government, the corruption, violence, bigotry.. But this is my home. I love the people, the culture, the food, my friends and family. I've traveled and I've lived in other areas in the world. But this place is my home. People wonder why anyone would want to live in the Middle East; Iraq, Afghanistan, the Gaza Strip? Because this is my land, these are my people, my tribe. I will stay, and I will fight and protest for a better life for everyone in this country. Sorry I feel this is too offtopic for HN, but I couldn't help but reply.
- disillusioned 12y ago
  This is a fantastic, powerful response to the question a lot of us without the context frequently ask ourselves. It must be so difficult to reconcile your love for your homeland, its culture, and your family, with the reality of a pervasive worry that the worst can and does happen with frightening frequency. We take for granted that we can typically feel safe here in the US, and I hope you stay safe and continue to contribute to making your home better for everyone.
  - Mandatum 12y ago
    It isn't all peaches and cream in the US. You guys have some pretty rough areas too, it's just they're known as ghettos. And of course there's Mexico right next to you, which even I felt unsafe in many areas (and I grew up near Soweto).
    - omegaham 12y ago
      What's surprising about certain cities is how close the ghettoes are to rich areas. Most people expect there to be a gradual decline in quality from the rich part to the poor part, but there are often dramatic cutoffs. You can literally take a wrong turn and go from zero crime to "Keep your doors locked and don't stop at red lights or stop signs."
    - buyx 12y ago
linuxydave 12y ago
Okay, here's the deal. Overall SA has a really big crime problem but it's not a complete warzone. It is heavily dependant on where you live. For example, Cape Town is statistically safer than Johannesburg and the area I lived in Cape Town is statistically safer than the areas around it - there are only a few break-ins a month and hell, my childhood home has only been broken into once and that was because someone opened up a 'troubled youth' centre a few streets away. However, I don't want to diminish what others have experienced - I just want to put it into perspective. It is still a dangerous country to live in. Even though I lived in a 'safe' area I had to travel through 'unsafe' areas to get to friends, family, and work. On top of this the judicial system is a shambles due to corruption and incompetence. Apathy and burnout is extremely common in the police so they don't really care anymore because why should they? They bust their balls off investigating, arresting, etc only to have the court case thrown out because, for example, important court documents go missing and no one is arsed enough to investigate why :/

Not to be rude, but why do you chose to live there? If you value your health and friends, why live in a war zone.

littletimmy 12y ago

Most people do not have the luxury of getting up and moving from the third world to the first world.

adlpz 12y ago
Agreed, but given the level of security the original commenter described, I'd say wealth is not the issue. Therefore mibbitirc's comment applies.
adyus 12y ago
Most people did not have that luxury during WW2, yet they did. Safety is safety.
- linuxydave 12y ago
  Many people did leave the country - there was a large diaspora in the 2000s to Canada, NZ, Australia, and the UK. Many others wanted to but couldn't because they couldn't get visas or they simply couldn't afford it. I was only able to move the UK because I found out I could get a British passport (so I did) plus my company paid for most of the relocation.
- Mandatum 12y ago
  As an American it would be much easier to move to another country, anywhere in the world, than it would be for someone from an undeveloped country. There are thousands of people looking to get into any country that is considered "safe". Asylum seekers are being denied every day at borders, whether they're crossing the border into the Southern US, or floating ashore on a raft in Australia. Your qualifications are meaningless, ask your next 10 taxi drivers where they're from and what they studied. More than half will have a degree from their home countries.
  - adyus 12y ago
    One doesn't necessarily have to move to the safest country, where naturally the competition to get in is higher. One only needs to try to move to a safer country. As a species, we've become very tied to our original locations. Stability had its advantages in the early days of agriculture. Today I wish we'd make our borders more porous, legally and bureaucratically. Why should a remote worker be paid less for the same created value, simply because they live in a "cheaper" country?

Mandatum 12y ago

If it was as simple as that notion sounds, I wouldn't be here. And believe me I know many of people who have decided to start families in other countries. I hate my government, the corruption, violence, bigotry.. But this is my home. I love the people, the culture, the food, my friends and family. I've traveled and I've lived in other areas in the world. But this place is my home. People wonder why anyone would want to live in the Middle East; Iraq, Afghanistan, the Gaza Strip? Because this is my land, these are my people, my tribe. I will stay, and I will fight and protest for a better life for everyone in this country. Sorry I feel this is too offtopic for HN, but I couldn't help but reply.

disillusioned 12y ago
This is a fantastic, powerful response to the question a lot of us without the context frequently ask ourselves. It must be so difficult to reconcile your love for your homeland, its culture, and your family, with the reality of a pervasive worry that the worst can and does happen with frightening frequency. We take for granted that we can typically feel safe here in the US, and I hope you stay safe and continue to contribute to making your home better for everyone.
- Mandatum 12y ago
  It isn't all peaches and cream in the US. You guys have some pretty rough areas too, it's just they're known as ghettos. And of course there's Mexico right next to you, which even I felt unsafe in many areas (and I grew up near Soweto).
  - omegaham 12y ago
    What's surprising about certain cities is how close the ghettoes are to rich areas. Most people expect there to be a gradual decline in quality from the rich part to the poor part, but there are often dramatic cutoffs. You can literally take a wrong turn and go from zero crime to "Keep your doors locked and don't stop at red lights or stop signs."
  - buyx 12y ago

linuxydave 12y ago

Okay, here's the deal. Overall SA has a really big crime problem but it's not a complete warzone. It is heavily dependant on where you live. For example, Cape Town is statistically safer than Johannesburg and the area I lived in Cape Town is statistically safer than the areas around it - there are only a few break-ins a month and hell, my childhood home has only been broken into once and that was because someone opened up a 'troubled youth' centre a few streets away. However, I don't want to diminish what others have experienced - I just want to put it into perspective. It is still a dangerous country to live in. Even though I lived in a 'safe' area I had to travel through 'unsafe' areas to get to friends, family, and work. On top of this the judicial system is a shambles due to corruption and incompetence. Apathy and burnout is extremely common in the police so they don't really care anymore because why should they? They bust their balls off investigating, arresting, etc only to have the court case thrown out because, for example, important court documents go missing and no one is arsed enough to investigate why :/