Zone1 Is Living in the U.S. A Life Wasted?

[Dont Taz Me Bro]

I loved Singapore, but I wouldn't be able to afford a fraction of what I have here in size of real estate holdings and lots of room to move around, plus the varieties of choices in everything from food to big toys like tractors and trucks, and choices of self-employment options.

Singapore has one of the highest standards of living in the world, but it's also one of the most expensive. Plus, their laws are very authoritarian. I have spent plenty of time there, but not really interesting in living there.

 

[Harpy Eagle]

I belong to a group on Facebook for people who have or are interested in dual citizenship. My mother is an immigrant from Singapore and my wife and I have discussed the likelihood of us retiring outside the U.S. when we reach that age. Someone posted a question today simply asking why people wanted dual citizenship. Most people had very short and basic answers: the ease of visiting family, staying longer, wanting a second home abroad, but this one individual wrote something far more intuitive and rather profound.

View attachment 830667

Note: I can't link to this post as it is a private group, so I took a screenshot.

It's hard for me to argue with many of her points. I've travelled all over the world and most people live substandard lives compared to those us in the United States, but there are also plenty of places where people have it better than us, depending on what's most important to you. We do work harder than our industrial counterparts. We do spend less leisure time and less time with our families. We do have a lot of chemicals in our food that other countries do not allow. It does seem like in the United States we're all in a constant rat race, whereas my experience in many European countries is that people live more relaxed and less stressed lives, even if they don't have all the commodities we're accustomed to. I brought up in a thread a few months ago that while Americans make up only 5% of the world population we consume 50% of the world's pharmaceuticals. That's a damning statistic regarding our people.

Are we doing it wrong? I'm curious as to everyone's thoughts.

My wife and I are planning to retire outside of the US. Right now the leading country is Panama. They have an amazing retiree visa program. We are also thinking about getting a dual citizenship once we are there. I listen to a lot of podcast on living overseas and they talk about the benefits of having one. One of the biggest is you can travel on something other than an US passport.

 

[Dont Taz Me Bro]

My wife and I are planning to retire outside of the US. Right now the leading country is Panama. They have an amazing retiree visa program. We are also thinking about getting a dual citizenship once we are there. I listen to a lot of podcast on living overseas and they talk about the benefits of having one. One of the biggest is you can travel on something other than an US passport.

Correct. A lot more countries are accessible without obtaining a visa first.

 

[toobfreak]

One thing I like about the prospect of living in Europe is the ability to travel so much more easily to different places. I'm an avid traveler and have been all over the world, but it's hard from North America,

True. Europe offers many places of truly old world charm, especially around the Mediterranean, the Alps and elsewhere, but one distinction between the USA is that the USA preserved and federalized public parks for all to see and enjoy forever held in their pristine state whereas most such places in Europe were grabbed up long ago by Barons, Dukes, and other royality for their own personal use.

I've always loved London.

I was mostly in the East Sussex area south of London in the country avoiding the big city there to attend a funeral of a dear friend. Dreadful weather most of the time and shocking curbs on some freedoms compared to the USA. As for food, what you really want to avoid most here that places in Europe don't have is the use here of seed oils. Most seed oils are bad for you, but the FDA allows them because the agricultural industry here lobbies the government and as you know, everything here is controlled by money and special interests.

Are Seed Oils Bad For You? The Pros, Cons & Whether They're Safe | mindbodygreen

A nutritionist breaks down the pros and cons of seed oils, translates the research on their inflammatory properties, and summarizes if they're unhealthy.

www.mindbodygreen.com

 

[DudleySmith]

Singapore has one of the highest standards of living in the world, but it's also one of the most expensive. Plus, their laws are very authoritarian. I have spent plenty of time there, but not really interesting in living there.

There success started in the 1960's, when the rulers began their massive anti-corruption drive and succeeded, so that 'authoritarian' thing is what makes their standard of living very high. It's a trade off, sure, but the two are inter-related. Endemic corrpution is what is killing the U.S.

 

[DudleySmith]

Has anybody here visited Or lived in Thailand? . What was your experience in a place like Bangkok or pattaya beach?

Not recently, but back in the 1970's and a month or so in the 1980's. Corruption is rampant, worse than South America's. Lots of gangsters, many of them wearing police uniforms. As Bro said, ;lots of poverty.

 

[DudleySmith]

I have never wanted to live anywhere but Wales.But if I had to I would move to France. Its not Wales but its beautiful and the culture puts people over profit.

I like visiting the US. The standard of living is great. The air con is amazing and there is always something to see or do. But I wouldnt move my family there. It is too dangerous.

Rubbish. The white and Asian dominant areas of the U.S. are safer than most of Europe.

 

[Harpy Eagle]

Has anybody here visited Or lived in Thailand? . What was your experience in a place like Bangkok or pattaya beach?

I made a few deployments there with the Marines back in the early 90s and again in the late 90s. Fun place to be if you are not married.

 

[FranklinRoosevelt_FTW]

Not recently, but back in the 1970's and a month or so in the 1980's. Corruption is rampant, worse than South America's. Lots of gangsters, many of them wearing police uniforms. As Bro said, ;lots of poverty.

That is interesting thank you. I will say I looked up the safety index of major cities around the world, and I was surprised to see Bangkok scored 38 out of 100. Same thing with my city Buffalo New York.

of the 10 most dangerous cities in the world there was at least two of them from America.

 

[FranklinRoosevelt_FTW]

I made a few deployments there with the Marines back in the early 90s and again in the late 90s. Fun place to be if you are not married.

Asian women are incredibly beautiful

Thanks for your service brother

My uncle was in the army back in the first gulf war. He also visited Thailand and had great things to say about it. Although he got robbed, but he said that was his fault. I guess it’s just about keeping your wits up. Same thing in any major city in America. I lived in Las Vegas for four months. And there are so many scammers in Vegas It’ll put other major cities to shame when it comes to scams

 

[Harpy Eagle]

Asian women are incredibly beautiful

Thanks for your service brother

My uncle was in the army back in the first gulf war. He also visited Thailand and had great things to say about it. Although he got robbed, but he said that was his fault. I guess it’s just about keeping your wits up. Same thing in any major city in America. I lived in Las Vegas for four months. And there are so many scammers in Vegas It’ll put other major cities to shame when it comes to scams

I have great memoires of Thailand. My last trip there was to Korat with an FA-18 squadron for a small exercise called Cope Tiger. Just us, a Tahi AF squadron and a Singapore AF squadron.

We were put up in the Royal Thai Princess Hotel, cost all of 28 bucks a night for a 5 star hotel.

 

[FranklinRoosevelt_FTW]

I have great memoires of Thailand. My last trip there was to Korat with an FA-18 squadron for a small exercise called Cope Tiger. Just us, a Tahi AF squadron and a Singapore AF squadron.

We were put up in the Royal Thai Princess Hotel, cost all of 28 bucks a night for a 5 star hotel.

That’s excellent.


Prices are going up a little bit since the lockdowns. But even with that you can still find a great deal and places like Bangkok in Pattaya beach. You’re going to pay way way less there compared if you want to go on a vacation anywhere in America or most places in Europe, that’s for sure.


Take the Excalibur hotel in Las Vegas, which is now known among locals as the ghetto caliber hotel. It’s $20 for a cheeseburger there. No thanks. … rather go to Thailand and spend two dollars on an incredible noodle meal with some chicken and rice.

 

[DudleySmith]

That’s excellent.


Prices are going up a little bit since the lockdowns. But even with that you can still find a great deal and places like Bangkok in Pattaya beach. You’re going to pay way way less there compared if you want to go on a vacation anywhere in America or most places in Europe, that’s for sure.


Take the Excalibur hotel in Las Vegas, which is now known among locals as the ghetto caliber hotel. It’s $20 for a cheeseburger there. No thanks. … rather go to Thailand and spend two dollars on an incredible noodle meal with some chicken and rice.

Vegas has turned into a giant rip off recently. I usually get comped at the Bellagio and Caesar's and pretty much never stray out of those the last few years except for a couple of restaurants my wife wanted to try, as they still have the best shows over all. I think about trying out other places until I see their prices, then just stay with the comps. We get a couple of weeks a year at both, plus free air service both ways from Ft. Worth.

 

[Dont Taz Me Bro]

Vegas has turned into a giant rip off recently.

It was better when The Mob ran it.

 

[DudleySmith]

It was better when The Mob ran it.

Yes. The service was better and the food both better and cheaper. I was young back then but went with my parents several times in the 1960's. The Bellagio and Ceasars' are the only places still holding up a fairly high standard, but they're all sliding, especially since the Asian whales can go to Macao and the drug money south of the border is afraid to come north like they used to. I love playing cards with Asians and rich Mexicans; most of them still believe a lot in luck. I make money two out of every three years there. I don't like the long flights over the Pacific so don't go there any more. I can barely stand the flights to Germany to see the grandkids once a year. If I had to fly commercial to Vegas I probably wouldn't go half the time.

 

[FranklinRoosevelt_FTW]

Vegas has turned into a giant rip off recently. I usually get comped at the Bellagio and Caesar's and pretty much never stray out of those the last few years except for a couple of restaurants my wife wanted to try, as they still have the best shows over all. I think about trying out other places until I see their prices, then just stay with the comps. We get a couple of weeks a year at both, plus free air service both ways from Ft. Worth.

Vegas used to be a great place for a middle class family to take the kids to. Now it’s degradation.

Many hotels are charging Tourist for parking, which is absurd. You could still get free parking at the Wynn at the Orleans, which is nice but I think pretty much all the MGM properties are charging for parking.

You used to be able to get steak and eggs for like three dollars. The prices are out of control at the hotels. The cost of living in Las Vegas is astronomical because many people have fled California. They sold their homes in California and bought homes in Vegas was jacked up the prices for everybody..

If you can get comped the Bellagio and Caesars are still wonderful properties to stay at.

I give the Wynn a lot of credit, because they still have areas where if you wanna go into it you have to be dressed nicely.

Crime and homeless this is a big problem in Las Vegas nowadays. If you go down to Fremont street to old Las Vegas. You see the homeless people under the bridge. They got a lot of work to do to clean up that city and bring it back to what it used to be.

 

[odanny]

I have great memoires of Thailand. My last trip there was to Korat with an FA-18 squadron for a small exercise called Cope Tiger. Just us, a Tahi AF squadron and a Singapore AF squadron.

I was at the airstrip in Korat for 30 days in 1987, we slept in quonset huts near the flight line on our army cots with mosquito netting and took outdoor showers. It was one of the most amazing month's of my entire enlistment.

One day I was walking down the flight line and an F-5 buzzed me, creating a sonic boom. I was the only one on the flightline at the time, and later I was told that the pilot was probably the ruling king's son, who was in the Thai Air Force. Now that son might be ruling the kingdom, because we are about the same age, and the timeline kind of adds up, just speculating but it is possible.

 

[cnm]

I could say "of course we are", but instead of that being a subjective statement, just look at about every available metric that one can use to define prosperity, health, and happiness in industrialized, first world nations, and Americans will likely be dead last, or close to last, in all of them.

C'mon. First in gdp, incarcerated population, offence spending.

 

[cnm]

and learn to appreciate slowing down and pursuing the Smelling of the roses....

 

[westwall]

I belong to a group on Facebook for people who have or are interested in dual citizenship. My mother is an immigrant from Singapore and my wife and I have discussed the likelihood of us retiring outside the U.S. when we reach that age. Someone posted a question today simply asking why people wanted dual citizenship. Most people had very short and basic answers: the ease of visiting family, staying longer, wanting a second home abroad, but this one individual wrote something far more intuitive and rather profound.

View attachment 830667

Note: I can't link to this post as it is a private group, so I took a screenshot.

It's hard for me to argue with many of her points. I've travelled all over the world and most people live substandard lives compared to those us in the United States, but there are also plenty of places where people have it better than us, depending on what's most important to you. We do work harder than our industrial counterparts. We do spend less leisure time and less time with our families. We do have a lot of chemicals in our food that other countries do not allow. It does seem like in the United States we're all in a constant rat race, whereas my experience in many European countries is that people live more relaxed and less stressed lives, even if they don't have all the commodities we're accustomed to. I brought up in a thread a few months ago that while Americans make up only 5% of the world population we consume 50% of the world's pharmaceuticals. That's a damning statistic regarding our people.

Are we doing it wrong? I'm curious as to everyone's thoughts.

Yes. We are doing it wrong. We need to shrink government and eliminate the vast majority of government programs so that the people can keep the money they earn.

Then they won't have to work as hard.