EU countries attracts Americans

[Jike Ichi]

Found that article online today. Thought you may also find it interesting:

PalmBeachPost article

Don\'t know if living in Europe is any way easier than living in US. Never been to US so I have no idea how its in comparison.

Anyway for all considering going to Europe I would say: \"You\'re welcome\"

 

[mattsterbenz]

I am mostly German and Irish, don\'t know how easy it would be to track though. I always wanted to travel to Germany.

Not really sure about living anywhere other than the US. Never even been out of the country. As long as I can paint and do what I like for a living, I am perfectly happy. Doesn\'t matter to me if we have a Democrat or Republican in the White House, nothing gets done regardless. lol

-Matt

 

[squidders]

never been out of the country?

you are missing out on a lot of really amazing places.

 

[Jericho]

I mean no offense here, but I can\'t see why anyone would want to live in the States. The governments in a lot of other countries really take care of business when it comes to healthcare, education, etc. I\'m really a fan of democratic socialism though, so I expect the traditional American mindset doesn\'t line up with my own.

I\'ve always been pretty happy living in Canada, but I\'m probably going to look into getting my Masters/PhD in Europe and living over there somewhere. Spain and the UK are high up on the list, mostly influenced by the languages I speak and the painters I want to meet lol

 

[squidders]

The US is alright - I wouldn\'t mind living there.

 

[Jike Ichi]

One the other side many Europeans think about going to Canada/Australia you know.
Even had some TV shows showing the preparations of those families going abroad to try their luck.

Jericho, if you ever travel to Austria during your study years and want a tour guide for vienna just PM me. I would gladly take on that job.

 

[mattsterbenz]

Originally posted by Jericho
I mean no offense here, but I can\'t see why anyone would want to live in the States. The governments in a lot of other countries really take care of business when it comes to healthcare, education, etc. I\'m really a fan of democratic socialism though, so I expect the traditional American mindset doesn\'t line up with my own.

Well here\'s the way I see it: If the government were to take 50-60% of everyone\'s income for taxes to cover healthcare and such (as the European countries do), it doesn\'t give people any reason to work harder than anyone else.
Work hard = get the same benefits as everyone else, and get more of your well earned money taken away, or work less/not at all = still get the same benefits as everyone else. Of course there should still be a program for the seriously ill/handicapped who are not capable of working.

Maybe I\'m wrong on that whole situation. That\'s just the way I interpreted it at least. And for the record I don\'t make a lot of money (poor college student, in fact. To boot, going for a low paid career in teaching. So I\'m not just planning on being a rich snobby bastard lol). Way I see it is that you earn what you work for.

What do I know, though? That\'s exactly why I\'m not a politician!

-Matt

 

[frenchkid]

Originally posted by mattsterbenz

Well here\'s the way I see it: If the government were to take 50-60% of everyone\'s income for taxes to cover healthcare and such (as the European countries do),

I don\'t know about other countries, but in France 55% is the Max, of you income that can be taxed and that\'s for extremly wealthy people, and not counting all the various ways of avoiding the taxes you get. most people don\'t pay that much taxes.

 

[darklord]

but how many americans cant afford the medical insurance? the NHS here has a lot of problems but at least its free (for now!)
i may be wrong here but isnt half of america\'s budget spent on \'defence\'

there are a lot of good things in america but i wouldnt choose to move there, but in the same token i wouldnt choose to move to england

 

[mattsterbenz]

@darklord

I completely disagree with a good majority of what the US chooses to spend the budget on. There\'s a LOT of ways they could be spending better!

I am all for cheaper medications, cheaper doctor bills, etc. I just think that a line should be drawn , as far as what exactly would be \"free\".

-Matt

 

[mattsterbenz]

Just thought of this:

Of all the places in the world, where would I like to move?

Easy. A small island in the middle of nowhere. There would only be a computer, mini-painting desk, and a huge stockroom of root beer and art supplies!

-Matt

 

[generulpoleaxe]

firstly, the NHS isn\'t free, you pay for it out of your taxes (that bit that gets added on top of your taxable income as well as the set weekly amounts you pay.)

so your paying for healthcare to get the same benefits as the people who live their entire life on benefits and see no reason in working (then their are the ones who abuse the incapaity benefits which not only pay more but take up more of the doctors time)

their is a good reason why people like spacemunkie got out of the UK.
it has and still is been run into the ground by buffoons that screw the workers and open the flood gates for imigration.
(and that\'s the doing of the labour party!)

not to mention that most people at retirement can\'t afford to keep their houses in the UK (one of the biggest reasons for people leaving as they get a higher standard of living in retirement in other countries)

yes you have guessed correctly, i\'m another that\'s ready to jump ship when my various ventures have been set up.
and Canada or America are looking good (especialy as most of my painting customers are from those two countries)

christ, it\'s another day in grumpy town for me lol

 

[darklord]

well yeah the nhs isnt free in that respect and i agree about benefits people. there is a lot about this country i dont like (probably more than any other country simply because we experience first hand the problems) the stealth taxes we have here or even the upfront ones (60% tax on petrol) MP\'s that cant make a good decision (except they always find plenty of money for themselves!!) the decline of good parenting, the increasing amount of our business\'s screwing us over (banks, mortgage companies etc)

has the bus already left for grumpy town? might join you there now!!

 

[Jike Ichi]

Just make sure that bus doesn\'t drive to Austria. We have the same problems here.

Guess I\'ll be flamed for this, but you guys on your island have it easier then we do.
We are directly at the \"former\" eastern border. At least people have to swim to your country!

I work at a hospital and 80% of the names I see on probes are not Austrian ones...So if you ask me its just a matter of time until our health system falls apart here.

I\'m not against immigration at all, but politic failed to have any plans for it. They should have dealt with it in the beginning, that was mid 70s here with people from turkey. So its about 30-38 years of not doing anything worth giving the name \"immigration politics\".
Now all they do is raise the difficulty of getting into fortress Europa and there\'s nothing done to integrate the ones already living here. And now of course people on both sides are frustrated, citizens and (former) immigrants.

Well if your bus is going to a sunny island. keep a ticket for me! lol

 

[JohnC]

The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.....

 

[Sand Rat]

I think the funniest bit in the article was that its all about the global economy - yet I didn\'t see anyone they interviewed talking about getting Phillipean or Egyptian or Zimbabwean citizenship. Having worked with and talked with guys who have duel citizenship, I realize there are benefits to it. However, when I was working with a guy and I was paying no taxes and he was paying 40% because he lived in Germany, I could see some issues with the idea.

 

[supervike]

There is a big difference in the way that America is protrayed in the media, and the actual living conditions.

There are plenty of Gov. programs that cover the uninsured. The thing is they still call them \'uninsured\' even though they can get free health care.

And true, maybe it is my \'American\' mindset, but I feel the free market should prevail in most cases. Government needs to stick with what it is created for.

 

[Dragon Forge Design]

Originally posted by JohnC
The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.....

Booo Yeah!!!! Couldn\'t say it better..

As much as everyone loves to bash the good ol USA I can think of very few places in the world where people by the 10\'s of thousands try to sneak,run, swim and tunnel their way into it for the opportunities it offers every damn day of the year..

 

[CrookedEye]

I work for a British Company and have traveled to the UK 5 or 6 times for a week or two at a time in the last 2 years. I also have daily interactions with native English living both in the US and UK.

As with anything, there are advantages and disadvantages to both, however the majority of the Brits that have come over to work for any length of time generally say that they\'d rather stay here. Life is more convenient, and cheaper.

Of course all that may change if the price of travel keeps going up! That nice place out in the country isn\'t so nice when it costs you $12 just to get to the grocery store and back.


Zach

 

[darklord]

live anywhere long enough and you will find faults with it, but for all the faults with where i live there are a hell of a lot of worse places to live. there are millions if not billions of people in the world who would trade our worries about yobs or petrol prices for their own worries about how they will eat that day or not getting shot by some rebel faction