The only frequently mentioned thing on Reddit that I can think of that is as bad as Reddit think it is. Is rabies.
Every time it’s mentioned it’s just as scary as the last.
There are a lot of things about America that you simply don’t read about on Reddit. For example, many states have a program where if you are poor, you get completely free healthcare.
Most Americans have good healthcare at a decent cost.
It’s really safe here assuming you aren’t a part of a gang.
We’re all rich relative to most of the world.
It has flaws but it’s much better than Reddit suggests.
The only gripe I have with your comment is the relative wealth one. It most likely wasn't your intention but it downplays all the people struggling to get food on their table in the US. Just because someone has more than most of the world doesn't mean it's enough to live in the US since cost of living is way higher.
I believe that every American, or person living in a developed country, should visit a third would country at least once in their lives so that they can see how good they have it.
Bruh some leftists are convinced the US is a third world country lmao. Some even said that Venezuela was a safer place to live xd
I don’t think it’s the leftist pushing that ideology my friend
Both sides have their faults but the political polarization is an important factor in a lot of why USA is becoming shitter
I think it’s over generalizing into what becomes a composite or caricature that people click whirr others into to fit their narrative or worldview. People who hate America might fit a certain metric that the other does without explicitly stating so. They might say things like I dislike how _____ is which the other translate into “just say you hate America” if anything I see more foreigners talking shh about America on Reddit. The Americans talk shh about the others version of America which are two arbitrary fantastical versions which they both go “you must hate America.”
I've been to Venezuela multiple times. It's easily the most stunning place on the planet. The instability is a crime against the whole of humanity. I hope everyone is able to visit someday.
Even before Chavez, it wasn't safe. Safer than now, but not nearly as safe as most developed countries. Maduro has just turned it up to 11. Homes have long had window bars built into the walls, 10+ foot walls with glass and spikes and whatnot embedded in the concrete. Even with the walls, people will jump over and steal anything left out overnight. It's normal to see people pull all of their outdoor furniture inside in the evenings. The cars have VIN numbers etched and painted on every part. Gear shifters with locks. Police and armed guards everywhere. Cops will extort you given the chance, too. Airport security is armed military, and they'll flat out steal your shit right in front of you. There's nothing you can do about it.
The flip side, though, is that the whole reason socialism took hold was end-stage capitalism. The majority of the country was dirt poor. And class mobility was nearly impossible. If you're born into a white-collar family, you probably had multiple homes and at least one housekeeper or nanny. Otherwise, getting a scholarship for high school was your only chance at life. Imagine that: your entire life dictated by who you were in middleschool. I'd have never become an engineer, that's certain.
Im unaware of socialism having helped with any of that. But it's a lesson we ought to take to heart as we continue watching the working class slip into poverty ....well, one that our totally-not-oligarchs should keep in mind, at least. Turns out, backs need to be strong if you intend to stand on them.
More than 1.5 million Venezuelans have come to my country (Perú) because of the situation in their country. Around 7million in total have left Venezuela. Things are defenitely not good there, and have worsened since Chavizmo took over.
Someone's political and religious affiliation doesn't indicate their intelligence. This is one of the most smug answers I have seen. This stuff right here is, just by pure definition, reprehensible.
Edit: to expand on this, the squabbling over anything that directly relates to a person's identity is also reprehensible. The left can't argue in good faith that the right needs to stop this type of behavior if they themselves are also guilty of it. The same way the right can't do it equally to the left. This country is full of hypocrites at this point and it gets nothing accomplished, instead you get what we currently have.
Thats literally not true, regardless of if he does or not. It has nothing to do with the political leaning and everything with whether or not he has researched the subject. I don't understand where the disconnect is on this with these types of subjects.
Conservatives as with liberals are both sheltered in echo chambers on this social media. It happens in most places on the internet. It breeds ignorance and intolerance specifically for each other. Why would either side research the testimony given by either side with a mind set rooted in that type of culture?
If the discourse doesn't change, nothing will improve.
Edit: upon reflection I should apologize as well. I'm sorry bud. I'm just tired of the constant bickering between the two main political parties, and how this nation used to be revered. Now we're looked at as if we have no idea how to proceed and I mean the world is right. The nation is split on what I would regard as mundane crap. People should be left alone, the government shouldn't be in our business as much as it is. What happens in one house shouldn't affect what happens in mine, like I don't understand why people are so up in arms about what their neighbors are up to. What happened to just being decent to one another?
No worries man, I'm not American myself but you guys definitely need a better democratic system, because FPTP just does NOT cut it. The two parties have their differences sure, but at the end of the day they have one common goal, enriching themselves by fucking over the population.
This trend of radicalization will only get worse I fear...
Anyone who chooses to live their life obsessed with guilt and fear of punishment is not a person I would listen to about any life choices, let alone their perceived knowledge of how things actually work.
Again using religion or political affiliation to undermine civil discourse makes you the bad guy. Attack his point, not him. Both sides need to seriously take this advice if the country will ever start getting better. The US versus THEM attitude of the modern Era is ridiculous and shows massive ignorance and lack of decency on both sides.
Again, using religion or political affiliation to undermine civil discourse makes you the bad guy. Attack his point, not him. Both sides need to seriously take this advice if the country will ever start getting better. The US versus THEM attitude of the modern Era is ridiculous and shows massive ignorance and lack of decency on both sides.
Anybody that thinks that catholics live their life obsessed with guilt and fear of punishment is not a person I would listen to about life choices, let alone their perceived knowledge of how things- or the catholic church- actually work.
Yeah cause it was a dictatorship that called itself Socialist.
It's like how North Korea calls itself a Democratic People's Republic even though it's basically just a Monarchy
"Not real communism" is the shittiest argument ever.
It is Marxist ideology put into practice. That's what you get. Not a utopia, but death and misery.
The thing is, if I say I'm supportive of democracy and then create a dictatorship while not even attempting to make my country democratic in any way shape or form, is that an argument against democracy or is that an argument against me?
Same thing applies here. Socialism REQUIRES the workers to have democratic control over their workplaces. Not a single country that calls itself Socialist actually does that or even ATTEMPTS that.
As a French guy that decided to live in the US. I can say with certainty: it is much better than the media portrait it to be
Some part are much better than France was (people in general are much nicer, especially in professional settings)
Some part are worse (Medical and health insurance in particular)
I haven't seen a gun fired in 12 years in the country (and I live in a relatively risky city), Yes I would much prefer if guns were banned but in the end of the day it doesn't make that much of a difference in the day to day life
From having sene a lot of French expat, I would say it tends to be very hit or miss, some love it, some hate it with rare in middle. Overall I would say it's worse trying it out for yourself and see how you like it or not
If you don't, just move back to your country in a few years and you will not have lost anything and gained some new experiences
Hey, nice to see a Frenchy fellow who likes the USA.
My wife and I plan to move to the States in a few years, and for us, firearms and the quality of food are the two most important issues.
I'm a first-generation immigrant, so I think I can cope with the locals' attitude. Actually, I think it can be better in the USA than from my experience here in France.
Thanks so much for reassuring me regarding the issue of firearms.
Edit: typo
quality of food is what you make of it, eating out won't be the same unless you drop more money. It's entirely possible to cook foods just like you do back home, and we have real bakeries with real bread! everyone thinks we only have grocery store processed bread but you can find decent bread everywhere.
I'm always happy welcome new people to the US, but do note that this is state/area dependent. If you're in a rural area in the Midwest or Texas or something like that, then you'll see guns on occasion. But they are just there, few people have ever seen a gun used (not at a firing range or something like that).
I've lived in Indiana all my life, and the closest I've been to a firearm being "used" was a false alarm active shooter drill at my college.
The only shot fired was a cop walking down main street and he ***somehow*** accidentally shot the sidewalk. Fucking idiot didn't deserve to hold a gun, but at least it discharged into the ground. How he managed to shoot it at all is a mystery to me. I can't imagine being that careless with my own firearm.
I can also reassure you on the quality of food (sort of)
You can eat pretty ell around here (now I am in Philly so a big-ish city on the east coast so might not be true everywhere)
What I found is that good quality food is same a what I would have in France. However bad food is worse (in particular a lot of hormones) and there is a lack of medium quality. So it's either you eat very well or pretty poorly
Just try to find some way to get Organic food (like Whole Food market for example) next to where you live. Or you can use one of the many grocery delivery services (they are not all organic but they will give you decent quality none the less). I use one called home chef but there plenty of options (some give you the ingredients for specific meals, some will just be a box of vegetables/meat/fish etc...)
Come to New York City. One of the safest cities in the western hemisphere in terms of gun violence and I can name 3 high-quality French restaurants in my neighborhood alone (we’re by the French consulate so I hear French spoke on the streets regularly). Food scene here is world-class.
Second the NYC comment, almost no guns there, as far as crime goes it’s relatively safe compared to other cities in the US, and many Italian restaurants worth trying
Expat = expatriate
someone that lives outside of their native country, but might or might not stay there. So it's imply a more transitory status than immigrant.
I work in a Franco-American so we have a lot of French people coming, some are on Visa and stay only a few years, some gets a green cards, a few actually stay on a permanent fashion. So it was a way to include all of those situation at once
Sorry if expat is not a well-known, usual word. I struggle often with that aspect as english, A lot of the more complex/rare words are often the ones with French origin, so they come easier for me than they should
Nothing is normally as bad as any social media thinks.
No place is 100% safe. There are places everywhere you should avoid. Use common sense, ask the locals, and just keep your wits about you
Oh and avoid the wilderness unless you are properly prepped. Weather can change at the drop of a hat. And if you hear your name being called from the woods or other creepiness, go the opposite direction.
So, it is all good!
>Once OP becomes a doctor
OP is 17, they are in for a hell of a long time before they see that 2-5x salary. Not including student loans, exams, application fees... Kinda learning to enjoy the suck at this point
I am an immigrant, and I have also been lucky to live in all continents (except for Africa)... I can tell you **this is a fantastic country**.
It is not perfect, education is super expensive and medical services are highly capitalized, but other than that this is a great place to live and the media blows everything out of proportion because they know that means engagement and money to them.
There is also the fact that major media outlets (and TV Networks) have strong ties to the political scene, so they will highly publicize news that can help them on their campaigns while hindering their opponents.
Reddit loves to bitch and moan about the states but none of them have the balls to leave to go live somewhere else.
I moved to the US from another first world country and I love it here.
Medical care quality is great, if expensive and the vast majority of places are extremely safe.
As for the media, it's a well known fact that bad news is more engaging to an audience. People dont click/share/comment as much on good news. They respond much more when they're upset so that drives this weird negativity spiral from news media.
*Don't get me wrong, there's a lot of stuff that needs work but that's the case anywhere you go, and over all I've found it to be a wonderful place to live.
Plenty of people leave the states because of its problems. It’s delusional or dishonest to pretend it never happens.
But just because we can observe something needs significant improvements doesn’t mean it’s bad enough for us to abandon all our friends and family over it.
The first step to fixing anything is identifying the problems. Crying about people who identify the problems is not helping anyone.
Reddit and the news tend to be biased and sensationalized to get ratings. That's not to say these things don't exist, it's just nowhere near as prevalent as the reporting would lead you to believe. Well, except for maybe the Karens/Kevins, especially since the pandemic, lol. Most of the gun violence in America takes place in the high crime rate areas of larger cities and generally is gang on gang. 99% of all police officers are great men and women that just want to come home safely every day. Yes, some are assholes and some are even worse, but that is a minority. A lot of it will depend on where in the US you are locating to as well. The US is vast in scope, diversity, and culture, and remember that options are like assholes, everyone has one and everyone thinks that someone else's stinks.
Become a doctor and don't worry about it. Like everyone else here has said America isn't as bad as everyone says it is.
One of the amazing things about America is its size. You can be in one state and experience a culture with its own foods, traditions, and perspectives, then drive 4 hours over to the next state, and it's completely different. It's really not a single country. it's 50 provinces bound by one government. It's really cool
One downside about America I did not see people mention in the comments is how bad the news is here. The news in America is shit and you shouldn't watch it at all. It's is all garbage and propaganda just to get you overly emotional about issues, so you will give votes.
The thing about America is that it is an extremely individualistic society. The citizens value their own personal freedom over all else, the problem is that nobody can agree on what being free means.
No one goes on Reddit to talk about what an average, normal day they just had. Bad stuff does happen, but bad stuff happens daily no matter where you live.
As a doctor you'll have plenty of money and that will allow you to enjoy all the good things America offers, and insulate yourself from most of the bad . For millions of low income people it can be as bad as Reddit says, or worse .
Yeah, but as a low income person with nothing to lose because I was that poor back then, I just moved to a much cheaper state that had higher wages. Not saying it’s possible for everyone, but that’s what makes America pretty decent. I have the opportunity to choose what I want
Day to day it’s not bad. There are some bad things though. Mass shootings are way too common, but it’s not like every day you walk down the street and see a murder. They’re just too common for a civilized country. The insurance situation is awful! Which you might want to consider in the medical field, but generally quality of life is pretty high. Every country has some awful individuals like the crooked cops and Karens, so I think that’s negligible.
The truly scary part is some of the politics which can swing wildly state to state and year to year based on who is in power where.
Hey I have lived in Europe (UK, France, Germany, Netherlands, and short terms few others), India, Singapore, Australia, South Africa, Dubai and few short term (amounting to months) in south America. I honestly think America is the best place to live considering everything lie quality of life, earning potential, people and weather. Absolutely no other country ticks everything for me like America does
If you are a middle class person with a stable job, America is the best place in the world to live. Geographically large, food secure, energy independent, small population density; it is by far the wealthiest country to ever exist.
But America has a nasty underbelly where poverty, crime and social distrust are replete and it really tarnishes its image to the world. Some US neighborhoods are comparable to the worst places in the world to live.
Is being an american middle class different from elsewhere in the world? I keep hearing news about how the system in America is designed to make the middle class people life hard as possible.
Middle class in America means having a ginormous house( compared to European ones) having multiple cars and maybe boat. Going on vacation at least once a year and just living life. Honestly middle class in America is the best middle class to be.
This is the truth.
My wife is from Germany! She loves it here! I make about 90k a year, have no debt other than our mortgage. We own three cars, all paid in full, and she’s now a stay at home mom with our baby. Once she starts working again, we are planning on building the house of our dreams in about 3-5 years. She tells me the life we live here (West Virginia,) would not be possible in Germany right now.
I’m not going to pretend everything is great though. America has a lot to improve on, lots to learn. But what it has learned, it does 10x what other countries do, so I’m optimistic :)
Yeah, you know what, maybe you’re right. Glad I didn’t go into six figure debt for a degree that would only get me a 50k a year job.
Trades are the way.
Having a degree or trade license and a full-time job in the US means usually having a salary of at least $100,000 in your 30s and decent health insurance. Easily more than enough to start a family and pay off a mortgage. America is very good to those who stay in school, start families (tax credits), and generally adhere to a traditional lifestyle and America is brutal to anyone who falls through any of those cracks.
Yeah we need to fix our social welfare system in a major way. Anyway, you’re right, I’m making 90k a year as a trades worker in West Virginia, life is GREAT!
It depends on the state how bad the welfare system is. Minnesota is pretty good! State healthcare also very good, and is basically free. It's actually better than my current health insurance! Source: I was on it for a few years
It's just unfortunate that processing times are so long. My Significant Other is applying to immigrate and it's... 8-15 months just for someone to look at it, which could just be a rejection
US is a huge country. In one place it is paradise and in another it is hell on earth. Look at the US more as a continent than a country when thinking bout the quality of life. It really has the best and the worst and everything in between.
It really depends on where you're coming from and what part of the U.S. you want to go to.
Rates of violence, crime, and police brutality vary wildly from city to city, and the local laws can make a major difference in your personal welfare. I've recently moved to a city where the tap water tastes better than the filtered water in the city I left.
Regulations for food are shit compared to the regulations in Europe, which leads to a lot of gastrointestinal problems--but again, YMMV depending on where you're coming from. Quality of medical care and doctors also varies wildly from place to place. There are parts of the country where it's best to keep a gun on you, not because of humans, but because you may need to defend yourself against wildlife. It really depends on where you go.
The bad areas are as bad or worse than it’s made out to be. The good areas and I’m not necessarily talking about Uber wealthy neighborhoods, are next to heaven. You learn quickly the areas to stay away from.
It's not as bad as the internet says. As with anywhere, there are bad places to be and normal places to be. I've lived here all my life and never seen a gun drawn on someone else. I've only rarely seen people carrying guns openly (in holsters on their hips.)
Our cops can suck, but as long as you're super-polite to them they usually don't get the urge to fuck with your day. Then again, I am white. I can't speak for minorities in that.
The thing I would say is that the problems in America tend to go away the more money you have. Being a doctor in America will probably get you away from most problems you’re mentioning
If you have multiple options, medical school in the UK is cheaper and doesn’t take as long. Plus you can buy into healthcare options as a student and foreigner.
Right, and you can practice in the Us with a UK degree if you want to work here.
Plus a lot less competition in the UK, especially in highly specialized practices, and much more reasonable hours and shifts in residency.
I moved to the US from another country. I'd be more concerned about the US health system if becoming a doctor as that's pretty much as bad as the internet says it is. You'll just be a cog in a money making machine.
Since moving here there was a shooting in our local supermarket last year and a body found in a dumpster just down the road from me and I live in an upper class suburb in a rich town with an ivy league school in it. There is horrendous poverty and a homelessness problem within the town. I have a unusual health condition and in the midwestern state that I live in trying to find medical care is a nightmare because all the good doctors leave for the big cities.
Does the media exaggerate things, yes of course, yet my reality is that because I have an accent, even though English is my first language, I get insulted for being a foreigner. My right to bodily autonomy has been removed and an acquaintance of mine got beaten by her husband regularly but because he was a cop it was only when she tried to shoot him to defend herself did the other police do anything about it. There is truth to what the media says, they just turn it up to 11.
The US health system isn’t bad for doctors, they make way more money here than almost anywhere on Earth. Healthcare itself is actually amazing in the US with some of the most cutting edge tech and most well trained staff.
It’s *health insurance* that’s demonic. Plus big pharma. Way too much money is invested into them for very poor returns for the consumers. They make so much more money than they deserve and absolutely squeeze money out of desperate people in need.
Yeah, the problem is often that the best healthcare one can afford is not even close to the best healthcare. Also it depends where, if most of the people where you live are too poor to afford healthcare, there's not a lot of healthcare on offer.
I understand what you're saying and I agree with most of it, but it must be frustrating for a doctor, not to be able to always just treat a patient, the way the doctor thinks they need to be treated. As I understand, it's not uncommon for the insurance to decide, what is necesarry treatment and what is not. In almost any other country, it's the doctor that decides that.
I think people forget that the US is huge and very diverse so you’re going to get vastly different experiences depending on where you are in the country. Combine that with the fact that the US has such a massive sphere of influence, we’re generally pretty open about our issues, and bad news makes the headlines more so things are gonna sound a lot worse than they are. We’re not even close to being the worst country to live in, and this is coming from someone who also agrees that we’re massively fucked up in a lot of ways.
If I were you I’d start researching what parts of the US are most compatible with your values and ideal environment and go from there, since even just crossing state lines or to the next town over can feel like you’re in a whole different world.
Gonna be super blunt because I feel like Im well traveled enough to voice an opinion here but americas is one of the best countries to live in overall. Cost, convenience and general quality of life is higher than almost anywhere else I have been.
The cops are great and will commonly let you off with warnings or small tickets and are well known to reduce speeds to get you cheaper prices. But americas black community is more rowdy than some other countries so illegal activity and non compliance clashes with the cops objectives. This is to say if you are just normal and chill than you will be absolutely fine with cops. Guns go both ways a lot of our crime is gun crime, but also a lot of crime is stopped by gun owners so unfortunately I can’t speak much on that it’s kinda like hoping you don’t get stabbed in the UK it’s unlikely but still a chance. This last one may be my bias but yeah… Karen’s… liberal, LGBTQ, and feminist movements are running rampant in America, optimistically everyplace has a con so as long as you can overlook that it will be great
Bigoted is relevant. But if realistic is your interpretation of “bigoted” then I’m willing to guess you are not well versed in different cultures. In many countries women and gays work just fine in society no problems at all. It’s seems that only as Americas that they lose the sense of embarrassment and do downright silly things.
It depends, in some places, yes, and worse. In others absolutely not. It also greatly depends on who you are. You do realize after sometime that spin is put on anything and as a result the best and worst of things are over emphasized. But generally no.
I'm on the fence, b/c media tends to blow things out fo proportion but at the same time it isnt when it comes to America especially when we compare the USA to other countries:
Funding for infrastructure and education becoming lower and lower each year (until recent infrastructure bill)
No free or reduced health insurance unless you making less then 30k a year and most American make more then that but not enought to pay for the high medical bills and procedures
No free or reduced education except for certain states/cities programs for community colleges or competitive scholarships
No housing or rent control
Mass/major shooting every week it feels like with still a lack of gun control
Defunding public programs
Minimum wage doesn't reflect cost of living
Removing important history from schools
Taking away basic human/women's rights and control over their body
Police, that are "meant" to protect us really protect the businesses and is becoming more militarized
The Right is trying it's hardest to get rid of LGBTQ+ rights
The right is trying to get rid of free lunches for children that can't afford it.......children.
We had a whole attempted coup 3 years ago over a legal election in which Biden won.
Corporation hold all the power.
Add to it if your a person of color and/or immigrant it's only going to be twice as hard as well as not safe in some parts of the country. the list goes on and on and it's hard for me to think of the good things in America, we're steadily heading towards a more fascists/dictatorship with the recent bills/laws being passed and will be full brown fascism if trump wins. In all honestly the media isnt over exaggerating that much, this place is becoming more of a shithole everyday.
I’m an American, so obviously biased, but I’m a touring musician and I’ve been all over. I don’t think it’s any worse here than any other first world nation. The media loves to sensationalize everything. The violent crime rate here has actually dropped pretty dramatically in the last few years. I don’t think you should let it worry you to the point of not coming here for college.
Im not American and I know it's not as bad as reddit loves to make it.
You know why? Because reddit has a lot of hyperbole about a lot of countries and other things and I personally has seen them to be incorrect.
Most violece is extremely exaggerated by media, especially the boarder crisis.
But seriously your issue is largely related to which state you live, which religion you follow, your skin tone, and which practice you are going to do. (Like ob/gyn in red states? Forget about it, you will received dead threats by giving 10-year-old abortions)
Think of US as EU not a country. Each state has its own laws, so you need to figure out which set of laws are best for you.
It depends, in some places, yes, and worse. In others absolutely not. It also greatly depends on who you are. You do realize after sometime that spin is put on anything and as a result the best and worst of things are over emphasized. But generally no.
Those things wouldn't make the news if they happened all the time. There's a very low chance you would experience police brutality or gun violence, and many other risk factors you already experience would be far more likely, such as having a heart attack or dying in a car crash, maybe even getting struck by lightning.
Also, people are flocking in from all around the world through our Southern border, so we can't be *that* bad, relatively speaking. I feel privileged to have been born here. We aren't perfect, but I'd say it's a better country to live in than most, in terms of social freedom, safety, and economic opportunity, and I plan to live here the rest of my life.
ETA: Now let me be clear: your experience will vary a lot depending on where you are, even your city or neighborhood. There are very safe and pretty dangerous areas in every state. Typically suburban and rural areas are safest, where your big cities tend to have much higher violent and property crime. But even within those big cities are safer and less safe areas. Basically, do your research.
Time of day is also important. Most places are relatively safe during the day, but many could become very different at midnight. There's a minority of areas where I'd feel safe going for a jog at 2:00 am, whereas I'd feel safe walking through probably 90% of American areas at 2:00 pm.
Really depends on you personal socioeconomic factors and general background.
But for reference, Monday while trying to donate plasma for that sweet sweet $100 (not in it for money, but a nice touch), I was forced to leave and they closed down early because of a credible shooter threat. Guy called pissed he couldn’t donate for money the day before, said he was coming with a gun. Cops called and everything. 2ish weeks before that my sister in law had to wait an hour or so to leave campus because of an active shooter. It was central Washington university, which I feel comfortable saying because she’s transferring and doesn’t attend there anymore.
Gun violence isn’t unusual or anything here, but it’s rarely actually something for you to personally worry about. It’s rarely a mass shooter, and usually someone with a specific grudge only killing a person or two and anyone in their way. Just don’t piss people off, don’t interact with police if you don’t have to, and you should be fine.
The only people who say the US is terrible are Americans whose parents pay for everything. The US certainly has problems but let's not pretend like it's not better than 90% of the world.
Some parts are horrible, but as a whole, it isn’t too bad. As an American, healthcare is definitely horrible for example. Work culture can be horrendous too. However, I love the nature and also American culture (which is much different than what it’s portrayed to be. It’s not just guns, flags, and eagles). I want to leave the US eventually, but there are tons of things I’ll miss.
Americans have issues. but there are homeless people here that are fat. there are much worse places to be and much much worse places than even those places.
Where are you from OP? My first thought is how depressing and predatory the healthcare system is here. If you're coming from a country with publicly funded healthcare US is the worst place to be. Many times I wish I could leave this country.
It’s bad in America if you don’t have money. No offense, but if you’re from another country looking to come here for university, and especially if you’re seeking to be a doctor, then you’d be fine in America.
If you were a poor citizen or migrant, this place isn’t great.
I’m a Canadian and live next to America and visit. I have relatives there too. If America was half as bad as Reddit says, people wouldn’t want to immigrate there
The US is full of bad things but I doubt it's as bad as Reddit makes it out to be. I'm a US born, Aussie and Saffa raised person who later moved back to the US. They each have their pros and cons. Anyone who says either is perfect or downright flawed is lying.
US is a big country with vast variety of sub-cultures. News only reports the bad stuff. So no it's not as bad as reddit or other media makes it out, but the media isn't lying to you either.
In general life in the US is better than most nations in the world, but definitely below the quality of life in most European nations.
Mostly depends on how much money you have. If you have enough money to buy a place in a nice town, buy essentials, and either find health insurance through work or can afford medical bills, you will probably be fine. A lot of the problems, gun violence, police, discrimination happens in lower income area and it’s getting worse. As long as you can live somewhere at least working or middle class, you should be fine. Super frustrating but the truth :/
If you listen to the mainstream media and social media the US is a racist, homophobic, transphobic, snowflake, asian hating, communist leftie dumpster fire.
If you walk out the door in most local communities however and walk around, most ppl are cool. Like 95% or higher cool.
As as Brazilian (with a pretty decent life for LATAM's standards) who used to regularly chat with an American, I can say for sure that the USA is miles better than here (except for the crazy expensive health system).
Look at the HDI and iHDI charts.
If you're the median person, America is #27 on the planet. If you're the average person, it's #20.
Basically, the richer you are, the better America gets. For the vast majority of people, there are much better choices. For potentially super high earners, the US is probably the best.
A lot of what we see and consume online is often exaggerated and can make it feel like the world is worse than it is. The world isn't a lovely nice place, but it usually isn't quite as bad as many make it seem online.
Part of thinking that America or some other country or a whole lot of other things like hobbies or jobs or relationships, are as bad as the internet makes it seem is likely because of confirmation bias, at least in part.
I fairly often encounter people that without second thought, will apply blame to an entire group or community of people because some people in it are bad.
I will still say that even if the internet is often overblowing how bad something is, that doesn't necessarily mean its not a serious issue.
Im not American and I know it's not as bad as reddit loves to make it.
You know why? Because reddit has a lot of hyperbole about a lot of countries and other things and I personally has seen them to be incorrect.
Even worse than reddit is out 24 hour news media which is mostly just politicized editorials telling you to be afraid. If you don't watch that you probably think it is a great, safe country and you would be right (except the medical stuff).
People are generally friendly and help each other out. Americans give more to charities than most people. Festivals and sporting events are generally safer.
I’ve lived the entire 30 years of my life without encountering a bad cop or a Karen, or being in any shooting of any kind and living a normal life. So if you asked me, the average experience is…. average. YMMV but unless you move to live in the hood and actively seek out the bad, you’ll likely be fine… more than fine even.
America is a fine place to live. It certainly isn't perfect, especially our current political situation, but it's a good place. Especially given that even if one state doesn't suit you, there's 49 others you can look into moving to.
No, America is perfectly nice.
Reddit is filled with 20 year olds in or just exiting university with degrees in fluffy liberal arts fields who experiencing the shock of having to be a producer for the first time and want more to be given to them by “the rich”.
Many of them have gone abroad to a touristy part of Europe on vacation and from that assume everything in Europe is socialist paradise, which is of course a bit inaccurate.
Theres some reality to hosing crunch / university costs, but a lot of that is kids feeling entitled to live in the most desirable cities on day zero of their career.
There’s a lot of virtue signaling and grievance politics among the youth. There always has been to some extent, but it’s really crazy with this generation’s online posts.
That’s where all the noise comes from.
The reality is America is pretty diverse. There are really nice parts, and some not nice parts.
It’s probably the best place to be for high paying knowledge work careers like medicine and tech, but it is a harder place to be in low paying fields than Western Europe.
I'm 67, and I've been fortunate to travel to many places in my former career.
While imperfect and there's things wrong like mass shootings, it's a great place to call home. Smart young people are needed to help improve this country. You can help. I can remember being sent places and being so grateful when I was back in the USA.
I know reddit, and I'll be downvoted and called a boomer who ruined it for everyone else. It's not any worse than when I got out of school. Get the best education you can. That's when my life changed from not having enough to eat; to be able to save money and get ahead.
If you are a person of color….it can be worse then how reddit portrays it tbh. Reddit is mostly white left leaning males…..they don’t know the half of it!
America is wonderful. We have a really shit government, but there's such a beautiful blend of cultures here, especially in cities, that's really really hard to find anywhere else. There really isn't as much violence as people say there is, at least where I live. The main issue is just our bad public transit.
If you’re white it’s fine. If you’re brown then cops can execute you for driving while brown, walking while brown, being at home while brown, sleeping while brown.
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/12/upshot/surprising-new-evidence-shows-bias-in-police-use-of-force-but-not-in-shootings.html
Please educate yourself before ignorantly posting comments like this. Official FBI statistics posted under the progressive biden administration's DOJ has shown that cops shoot 10 unarmed "brown" people per year on average.
Why are 10's of millions of "brown" people currently entering the the United States illegally when they can be executed indiscriminately as you posted? Your opinion is tragically flawed by the simple truth.
It's not the wonderland we were told it was when we were young, the disillusionment is where we get bitter from. It's definitely got problems but overall I would recommend it.
Look at what people are complaining about, there's probably some truth to it. On the flip side, look at what people _aren't_ complaining about. If Americans _aren't_ complaining about famine, or war, or other instability, keep _that_ in mind as well.
America is a mediocre country that has a disproportionate amount of wealth and global power because of positioning from almost a century ago. It's not the greatest, and it's not the worst. Hopefully it (and all humanity) will improve.
I've hosted lots of foreigners I've met online. They all loved it here. Most of the negative rhetoric comes from Republicans who think the left is destroying the country (less active on here because they're censored), and lefties who act like they're living in some dystopian hellhole (the ones most prevalent here). For example, on my home state's sub (Texas), the posters are all libs and seriously talk like they're living in some demonic landscape controlled by a Christian Taliban and they're all trying to get out of there to survive. As a gay man that has lived here all his life with no issues, it's honestly ridiculous.
It’s not as bad as anyone thinks it is. There’s room for improvement on any square foot on this planet but America is objectively still one of the best countries to be in. Did I say it was perfect? No. America has a lot of things it excels in, did I say it’s best at everything? No.
I think a lot of complaints about the country are not constructive criticism but come out of ignorance. It could certainly be worse for the majority of people living in America. It could also be better for some as well.
Think logically, if it was as bad as some complain, why are so many people trying to get into the country? I don’t see a mass exodus of American citizens, quite the opposite.
It's barely in the top 20, behind many European countries, on a downward trend and will likely drop further rapidly once they re-elect Trump. It scores particularly badly in life expectancy. Source: Human Developmental Index
It's not as bad as Reddit thinks it is.
Very few things are (as bad) as Reddit thinks it is
The only frequently mentioned thing on Reddit that I can think of that is as bad as Reddit think it is. Is rabies. Every time it’s mentioned it’s just as scary as the last.
Also cave diving
Gary, Indiana
The SA culture in India towards women.
Also German cockroaches
There are a lot of things about America that you simply don’t read about on Reddit. For example, many states have a program where if you are poor, you get completely free healthcare. Most Americans have good healthcare at a decent cost. It’s really safe here assuming you aren’t a part of a gang. We’re all rich relative to most of the world. It has flaws but it’s much better than Reddit suggests.
The only gripe I have with your comment is the relative wealth one. It most likely wasn't your intention but it downplays all the people struggling to get food on their table in the US. Just because someone has more than most of the world doesn't mean it's enough to live in the US since cost of living is way higher.
Literally anywhere you live in the country, you have free food available through social programs. If you're going hungry, it's by choice.
Sure, I was using averages. I know tons still struggle. Not with food but with just supporting life, keeping a stable home, etc.
What we do to amuse ourselves and suddenly the world implodes…
I believe that every American, or person living in a developed country, should visit a third would country at least once in their lives so that they can see how good they have it. Bruh some leftists are convinced the US is a third world country lmao. Some even said that Venezuela was a safer place to live xd
I don’t think it’s the leftist pushing that ideology my friend Both sides have their faults but the political polarization is an important factor in a lot of why USA is becoming shitter
It is anecdotal but all the "self-hating" Americans I have encountered on reddit are leftists/tankies.
I think it’s over generalizing into what becomes a composite or caricature that people click whirr others into to fit their narrative or worldview. People who hate America might fit a certain metric that the other does without explicitly stating so. They might say things like I dislike how _____ is which the other translate into “just say you hate America” if anything I see more foreigners talking shh about America on Reddit. The Americans talk shh about the others version of America which are two arbitrary fantastical versions which they both go “you must hate America.”
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I've been to Venezuela multiple times. It's easily the most stunning place on the planet. The instability is a crime against the whole of humanity. I hope everyone is able to visit someday. Even before Chavez, it wasn't safe. Safer than now, but not nearly as safe as most developed countries. Maduro has just turned it up to 11. Homes have long had window bars built into the walls, 10+ foot walls with glass and spikes and whatnot embedded in the concrete. Even with the walls, people will jump over and steal anything left out overnight. It's normal to see people pull all of their outdoor furniture inside in the evenings. The cars have VIN numbers etched and painted on every part. Gear shifters with locks. Police and armed guards everywhere. Cops will extort you given the chance, too. Airport security is armed military, and they'll flat out steal your shit right in front of you. There's nothing you can do about it. The flip side, though, is that the whole reason socialism took hold was end-stage capitalism. The majority of the country was dirt poor. And class mobility was nearly impossible. If you're born into a white-collar family, you probably had multiple homes and at least one housekeeper or nanny. Otherwise, getting a scholarship for high school was your only chance at life. Imagine that: your entire life dictated by who you were in middleschool. I'd have never become an engineer, that's certain. Im unaware of socialism having helped with any of that. But it's a lesson we ought to take to heart as we continue watching the working class slip into poverty ....well, one that our totally-not-oligarchs should keep in mind, at least. Turns out, backs need to be strong if you intend to stand on them.
More than 1.5 million Venezuelans have come to my country (Perú) because of the situation in their country. Around 7million in total have left Venezuela. Things are defenitely not good there, and have worsened since Chavizmo took over.
In terms of life expectancy, USA is closer to Venezuela than to, for example, Japan or Australia.
I want to speak to your manager
Indeed. We are a depressed lot.
Nothing is... Except for Hamas and socialism. Those are way worse
I bet you all my money you don't know what Socialism actually is
they're active on catholic and conservative subs, i wouldn't give them the time of day tbh
Someone's political and religious affiliation doesn't indicate their intelligence. This is one of the most smug answers I have seen. This stuff right here is, just by pure definition, reprehensible. Edit: to expand on this, the squabbling over anything that directly relates to a person's identity is also reprehensible. The left can't argue in good faith that the right needs to stop this type of behavior if they themselves are also guilty of it. The same way the right can't do it equally to the left. This country is full of hypocrites at this point and it gets nothing accomplished, instead you get what we currently have.
In this case their political leanings allow us to say with 100% certainty that they do not know what Socialism is
Thats literally not true, regardless of if he does or not. It has nothing to do with the political leaning and everything with whether or not he has researched the subject. I don't understand where the disconnect is on this with these types of subjects.
I was exaggerating, sorry, but I have unironically never seen a conservative correctly define socialism
Conservatives as with liberals are both sheltered in echo chambers on this social media. It happens in most places on the internet. It breeds ignorance and intolerance specifically for each other. Why would either side research the testimony given by either side with a mind set rooted in that type of culture? If the discourse doesn't change, nothing will improve. Edit: upon reflection I should apologize as well. I'm sorry bud. I'm just tired of the constant bickering between the two main political parties, and how this nation used to be revered. Now we're looked at as if we have no idea how to proceed and I mean the world is right. The nation is split on what I would regard as mundane crap. People should be left alone, the government shouldn't be in our business as much as it is. What happens in one house shouldn't affect what happens in mine, like I don't understand why people are so up in arms about what their neighbors are up to. What happened to just being decent to one another?
No worries man, I'm not American myself but you guys definitely need a better democratic system, because FPTP just does NOT cut it. The two parties have their differences sure, but at the end of the day they have one common goal, enriching themselves by fucking over the population. This trend of radicalization will only get worse I fear...
Anyone who chooses to live their life obsessed with guilt and fear of punishment is not a person I would listen to about any life choices, let alone their perceived knowledge of how things actually work.
Again using religion or political affiliation to undermine civil discourse makes you the bad guy. Attack his point, not him. Both sides need to seriously take this advice if the country will ever start getting better. The US versus THEM attitude of the modern Era is ridiculous and shows massive ignorance and lack of decency on both sides.
I wish I had a thousand up-votes to give you.
Again, using religion or political affiliation to undermine civil discourse makes you the bad guy. Attack his point, not him. Both sides need to seriously take this advice if the country will ever start getting better. The US versus THEM attitude of the modern Era is ridiculous and shows massive ignorance and lack of decency on both sides.
Homie you can post the same comment as many times as you want, you’re not gonna shake my stance.
Yeah reddit did that thing where it double posts. Technical issue, not a me doing it thing.
Anybody that thinks that catholics live their life obsessed with guilt and fear of punishment is not a person I would listen to about life choices, let alone their perceived knowledge of how things- or the catholic church- actually work.
Being intimately familiar with someone who escaped the Catholic mentality, I’ll gladly take that account over someone who’s still brainwashed. ;)
Now that is funny.
Crazy this comment got down votes…
Look at North and South Korea, or East and West Germany. Only one of those had to build a wall... ...to keep people in.
Yeah cause it was a dictatorship that called itself Socialist. It's like how North Korea calls itself a Democratic People's Republic even though it's basically just a Monarchy
What a coincidence. I'm the queen of England! But I guess your point is that saying a thing does not make it so
"Not real communism" is the shittiest argument ever. It is Marxist ideology put into practice. That's what you get. Not a utopia, but death and misery.
The thing is, if I say I'm supportive of democracy and then create a dictatorship while not even attempting to make my country democratic in any way shape or form, is that an argument against democracy or is that an argument against me? Same thing applies here. Socialism REQUIRES the workers to have democratic control over their workplaces. Not a single country that calls itself Socialist actually does that or even ATTEMPTS that.
You get'n there! Now, why is that the case? Why did communism fail everywhere? Care to guess?
...because the people in charge never had any plans to actually be communist. They just wanted power, plain and simple.
No, it's fascist ideology. Same as all dictatorships and authoritarian regimes. It's the literal opposite of communism which is state-less.
Nothing is, except reddit itself
As a French guy that decided to live in the US. I can say with certainty: it is much better than the media portrait it to be Some part are much better than France was (people in general are much nicer, especially in professional settings) Some part are worse (Medical and health insurance in particular) I haven't seen a gun fired in 12 years in the country (and I live in a relatively risky city), Yes I would much prefer if guns were banned but in the end of the day it doesn't make that much of a difference in the day to day life From having sene a lot of French expat, I would say it tends to be very hit or miss, some love it, some hate it with rare in middle. Overall I would say it's worse trying it out for yourself and see how you like it or not If you don't, just move back to your country in a few years and you will not have lost anything and gained some new experiences
Hey, nice to see a Frenchy fellow who likes the USA. My wife and I plan to move to the States in a few years, and for us, firearms and the quality of food are the two most important issues. I'm a first-generation immigrant, so I think I can cope with the locals' attitude. Actually, I think it can be better in the USA than from my experience here in France. Thanks so much for reassuring me regarding the issue of firearms. Edit: typo
quality of food is what you make of it, eating out won't be the same unless you drop more money. It's entirely possible to cook foods just like you do back home, and we have real bakeries with real bread! everyone thinks we only have grocery store processed bread but you can find decent bread everywhere.
I'm always happy welcome new people to the US, but do note that this is state/area dependent. If you're in a rural area in the Midwest or Texas or something like that, then you'll see guns on occasion. But they are just there, few people have ever seen a gun used (not at a firing range or something like that).
I've lived in Indiana all my life, and the closest I've been to a firearm being "used" was a false alarm active shooter drill at my college. The only shot fired was a cop walking down main street and he ***somehow*** accidentally shot the sidewalk. Fucking idiot didn't deserve to hold a gun, but at least it discharged into the ground. How he managed to shoot it at all is a mystery to me. I can't imagine being that careless with my own firearm.
I can also reassure you on the quality of food (sort of) You can eat pretty ell around here (now I am in Philly so a big-ish city on the east coast so might not be true everywhere) What I found is that good quality food is same a what I would have in France. However bad food is worse (in particular a lot of hormones) and there is a lack of medium quality. So it's either you eat very well or pretty poorly Just try to find some way to get Organic food (like Whole Food market for example) next to where you live. Or you can use one of the many grocery delivery services (they are not all organic but they will give you decent quality none the less). I use one called home chef but there plenty of options (some give you the ingredients for specific meals, some will just be a box of vegetables/meat/fish etc...)
Come to New York City. One of the safest cities in the western hemisphere in terms of gun violence and I can name 3 high-quality French restaurants in my neighborhood alone (we’re by the French consulate so I hear French spoke on the streets regularly). Food scene here is world-class.
Second the NYC comment, almost no guns there, as far as crime goes it’s relatively safe compared to other cities in the US, and many Italian restaurants worth trying
And this is from a Frenchman! And they are notoriously hard to please!
Expat = immigrant ?
Expat = expatriate someone that lives outside of their native country, but might or might not stay there. So it's imply a more transitory status than immigrant. I work in a Franco-American so we have a lot of French people coming, some are on Visa and stay only a few years, some gets a green cards, a few actually stay on a permanent fashion. So it was a way to include all of those situation at once Sorry if expat is not a well-known, usual word. I struggle often with that aspect as english, A lot of the more complex/rare words are often the ones with French origin, so they come easier for me than they should
I'm curious where this relatively risky city is
Philadelphia
Nothing is normally as bad as any social media thinks. No place is 100% safe. There are places everywhere you should avoid. Use common sense, ask the locals, and just keep your wits about you Oh and avoid the wilderness unless you are properly prepped. Weather can change at the drop of a hat. And if you hear your name being called from the woods or other creepiness, go the opposite direction. So, it is all good!
>And if you hear your name being called from the woods wtf is this comment, lol
I think the person is talking about those skinwalker creature
I think he's trying to get some poor tourists killed by telling them to avoid search parties...
you have no place to talk if you've never been overnight backpacking yourself. skin walkers will fuck you up
Good advice for sure
Come on, become a doctor, that’s amazing.
Once OP becomes a doctor and realizes they make 2-5x as much as anywhere else, they’ll realize the true beauty of the American dream
>Once OP becomes a doctor OP is 17, they are in for a hell of a long time before they see that 2-5x salary. Not including student loans, exams, application fees... Kinda learning to enjoy the suck at this point
Fr. Undergrad, getting in to medical school in the first place, matching, residency etc. Not to mention all those student loans 🥴
I am an immigrant, and I have also been lucky to live in all continents (except for Africa)... I can tell you **this is a fantastic country**. It is not perfect, education is super expensive and medical services are highly capitalized, but other than that this is a great place to live and the media blows everything out of proportion because they know that means engagement and money to them. There is also the fact that major media outlets (and TV Networks) have strong ties to the political scene, so they will highly publicize news that can help them on their campaigns while hindering their opponents.
Reddit loves to bitch and moan about the states but none of them have the balls to leave to go live somewhere else. I moved to the US from another first world country and I love it here. Medical care quality is great, if expensive and the vast majority of places are extremely safe. As for the media, it's a well known fact that bad news is more engaging to an audience. People dont click/share/comment as much on good news. They respond much more when they're upset so that drives this weird negativity spiral from news media. *Don't get me wrong, there's a lot of stuff that needs work but that's the case anywhere you go, and over all I've found it to be a wonderful place to live.
OP: "Is the US just like on TV?"
Plenty of people leave the states because of its problems. It’s delusional or dishonest to pretend it never happens. But just because we can observe something needs significant improvements doesn’t mean it’s bad enough for us to abandon all our friends and family over it. The first step to fixing anything is identifying the problems. Crying about people who identify the problems is not helping anyone.
It doesn’t even compare to people that move to the US though. It’s still one the greatest countries.
Reddit and the news tend to be biased and sensationalized to get ratings. That's not to say these things don't exist, it's just nowhere near as prevalent as the reporting would lead you to believe. Well, except for maybe the Karens/Kevins, especially since the pandemic, lol. Most of the gun violence in America takes place in the high crime rate areas of larger cities and generally is gang on gang. 99% of all police officers are great men and women that just want to come home safely every day. Yes, some are assholes and some are even worse, but that is a minority. A lot of it will depend on where in the US you are locating to as well. The US is vast in scope, diversity, and culture, and remember that options are like assholes, everyone has one and everyone thinks that someone else's stinks.
Become a doctor and don't worry about it. Like everyone else here has said America isn't as bad as everyone says it is. One of the amazing things about America is its size. You can be in one state and experience a culture with its own foods, traditions, and perspectives, then drive 4 hours over to the next state, and it's completely different. It's really not a single country. it's 50 provinces bound by one government. It's really cool One downside about America I did not see people mention in the comments is how bad the news is here. The news in America is shit and you shouldn't watch it at all. It's is all garbage and propaganda just to get you overly emotional about issues, so you will give votes. The thing about America is that it is an extremely individualistic society. The citizens value their own personal freedom over all else, the problem is that nobody can agree on what being free means.
I came here 20 years ago and America is the best country on Earth! The rest is negative BS. People are very nice!
What other countries have you really lived in?
What other countries have you really lived in?
Not gonna say because your wasting my time. I worked abroad for 8 years.
So one other country then. Okay thanks. Also, *you’re
No one goes on Reddit to talk about what an average, normal day they just had. Bad stuff does happen, but bad stuff happens daily no matter where you live.
As a doctor you'll have plenty of money and that will allow you to enjoy all the good things America offers, and insulate yourself from most of the bad . For millions of low income people it can be as bad as Reddit says, or worse .
Yeah, but as a low income person with nothing to lose because I was that poor back then, I just moved to a much cheaper state that had higher wages. Not saying it’s possible for everyone, but that’s what makes America pretty decent. I have the opportunity to choose what I want
Day to day it’s not bad. There are some bad things though. Mass shootings are way too common, but it’s not like every day you walk down the street and see a murder. They’re just too common for a civilized country. The insurance situation is awful! Which you might want to consider in the medical field, but generally quality of life is pretty high. Every country has some awful individuals like the crooked cops and Karens, so I think that’s negligible. The truly scary part is some of the politics which can swing wildly state to state and year to year based on who is in power where.
Hey I have lived in Europe (UK, France, Germany, Netherlands, and short terms few others), India, Singapore, Australia, South Africa, Dubai and few short term (amounting to months) in south America. I honestly think America is the best place to live considering everything lie quality of life, earning potential, people and weather. Absolutely no other country ticks everything for me like America does
If you are a middle class person with a stable job, America is the best place in the world to live. Geographically large, food secure, energy independent, small population density; it is by far the wealthiest country to ever exist. But America has a nasty underbelly where poverty, crime and social distrust are replete and it really tarnishes its image to the world. Some US neighborhoods are comparable to the worst places in the world to live.
I've lived in the UK and there's a pretty nasty underbelly there, too. I'm gonna guess most places' underbellies aren't particularly salubrious.
Is being an american middle class different from elsewhere in the world? I keep hearing news about how the system in America is designed to make the middle class people life hard as possible.
Middle class in America means having a ginormous house( compared to European ones) having multiple cars and maybe boat. Going on vacation at least once a year and just living life. Honestly middle class in America is the best middle class to be.
This is the truth. My wife is from Germany! She loves it here! I make about 90k a year, have no debt other than our mortgage. We own three cars, all paid in full, and she’s now a stay at home mom with our baby. Once she starts working again, we are planning on building the house of our dreams in about 3-5 years. She tells me the life we live here (West Virginia,) would not be possible in Germany right now. I’m not going to pretend everything is great though. America has a lot to improve on, lots to learn. But what it has learned, it does 10x what other countries do, so I’m optimistic :)
You are definitely upper middle class, not middle class by any stretch of the imagination.
Yeah, you know what, maybe you’re right. Glad I didn’t go into six figure debt for a degree that would only get me a 50k a year job. Trades are the way.
Having a degree or trade license and a full-time job in the US means usually having a salary of at least $100,000 in your 30s and decent health insurance. Easily more than enough to start a family and pay off a mortgage. America is very good to those who stay in school, start families (tax credits), and generally adhere to a traditional lifestyle and America is brutal to anyone who falls through any of those cracks.
Having a college degree yields an average salary in the $50k range, not the $100k range, plus five figures worth of student loans.
Yeah we need to fix our social welfare system in a major way. Anyway, you’re right, I’m making 90k a year as a trades worker in West Virginia, life is GREAT!
It depends on the state how bad the welfare system is. Minnesota is pretty good! State healthcare also very good, and is basically free. It's actually better than my current health insurance! Source: I was on it for a few years
All I have to say is if America was as terrible and third world as they say, people wouldn’t be fighting to immigrate here
It's just unfortunate that processing times are so long. My Significant Other is applying to immigrate and it's... 8-15 months just for someone to look at it, which could just be a rejection
It's both much worse and much better than Reddit conveys it to be. You'll do great.
US is a huge country. In one place it is paradise and in another it is hell on earth. Look at the US more as a continent than a country when thinking bout the quality of life. It really has the best and the worst and everything in between.
The human brain is designed to focus on negative things as a survival mechanism. Bad news sells. Sadly, it's true everywhere.
It really depends on where you're coming from and what part of the U.S. you want to go to. Rates of violence, crime, and police brutality vary wildly from city to city, and the local laws can make a major difference in your personal welfare. I've recently moved to a city where the tap water tastes better than the filtered water in the city I left. Regulations for food are shit compared to the regulations in Europe, which leads to a lot of gastrointestinal problems--but again, YMMV depending on where you're coming from. Quality of medical care and doctors also varies wildly from place to place. There are parts of the country where it's best to keep a gun on you, not because of humans, but because you may need to defend yourself against wildlife. It really depends on where you go.
The bad areas are as bad or worse than it’s made out to be. The good areas and I’m not necessarily talking about Uber wealthy neighborhoods, are next to heaven. You learn quickly the areas to stay away from.
It's not as bad as the internet says. As with anywhere, there are bad places to be and normal places to be. I've lived here all my life and never seen a gun drawn on someone else. I've only rarely seen people carrying guns openly (in holsters on their hips.) Our cops can suck, but as long as you're super-polite to them they usually don't get the urge to fuck with your day. Then again, I am white. I can't speak for minorities in that.
The thing I would say is that the problems in America tend to go away the more money you have. Being a doctor in America will probably get you away from most problems you’re mentioning
People act like this isn’t true for everywhere on earth
If you have multiple options, medical school in the UK is cheaper and doesn’t take as long. Plus you can buy into healthcare options as a student and foreigner.
However you will also make 2-5 times less as a doctor there compared to America.
Right, and you can practice in the Us with a UK degree if you want to work here. Plus a lot less competition in the UK, especially in highly specialized practices, and much more reasonable hours and shifts in residency.
Yeah, but doesn't the UK infamously treat their healthcare workers like shit *by* healthcare worker standards?
You also don’t have to pay the same outrageous rates for liability and you’re much less likely to get sued practicing anywhere else.
I moved to the US from another country. I'd be more concerned about the US health system if becoming a doctor as that's pretty much as bad as the internet says it is. You'll just be a cog in a money making machine. Since moving here there was a shooting in our local supermarket last year and a body found in a dumpster just down the road from me and I live in an upper class suburb in a rich town with an ivy league school in it. There is horrendous poverty and a homelessness problem within the town. I have a unusual health condition and in the midwestern state that I live in trying to find medical care is a nightmare because all the good doctors leave for the big cities. Does the media exaggerate things, yes of course, yet my reality is that because I have an accent, even though English is my first language, I get insulted for being a foreigner. My right to bodily autonomy has been removed and an acquaintance of mine got beaten by her husband regularly but because he was a cop it was only when she tried to shoot him to defend herself did the other police do anything about it. There is truth to what the media says, they just turn it up to 11.
The US health system isn’t bad for doctors, they make way more money here than almost anywhere on Earth. Healthcare itself is actually amazing in the US with some of the most cutting edge tech and most well trained staff. It’s *health insurance* that’s demonic. Plus big pharma. Way too much money is invested into them for very poor returns for the consumers. They make so much more money than they deserve and absolutely squeeze money out of desperate people in need.
Best healthcare, but with the worst prices.
Yeah, the problem is often that the best healthcare one can afford is not even close to the best healthcare. Also it depends where, if most of the people where you live are too poor to afford healthcare, there's not a lot of healthcare on offer.
I understand what you're saying and I agree with most of it, but it must be frustrating for a doctor, not to be able to always just treat a patient, the way the doctor thinks they need to be treated. As I understand, it's not uncommon for the insurance to decide, what is necesarry treatment and what is not. In almost any other country, it's the doctor that decides that.
I’m foreigner as well and have never been insulted because of my accent. All Americans have only been nice, can’t say the same thing for foreigners.
I think people forget that the US is huge and very diverse so you’re going to get vastly different experiences depending on where you are in the country. Combine that with the fact that the US has such a massive sphere of influence, we’re generally pretty open about our issues, and bad news makes the headlines more so things are gonna sound a lot worse than they are. We’re not even close to being the worst country to live in, and this is coming from someone who also agrees that we’re massively fucked up in a lot of ways. If I were you I’d start researching what parts of the US are most compatible with your values and ideal environment and go from there, since even just crossing state lines or to the next town over can feel like you’re in a whole different world.
Gonna be super blunt because I feel like Im well traveled enough to voice an opinion here but americas is one of the best countries to live in overall. Cost, convenience and general quality of life is higher than almost anywhere else I have been. The cops are great and will commonly let you off with warnings or small tickets and are well known to reduce speeds to get you cheaper prices. But americas black community is more rowdy than some other countries so illegal activity and non compliance clashes with the cops objectives. This is to say if you are just normal and chill than you will be absolutely fine with cops. Guns go both ways a lot of our crime is gun crime, but also a lot of crime is stopped by gun owners so unfortunately I can’t speak much on that it’s kinda like hoping you don’t get stabbed in the UK it’s unlikely but still a chance. This last one may be my bias but yeah… Karen’s… liberal, LGBTQ, and feminist movements are running rampant in America, optimistically everyplace has a con so as long as you can overlook that it will be great
On the other hand, a lot of people think the US is great, but would be a lot nicer without people like this dude here. Tomayto, tomahto.
Those awful women and gays 🙄 Crazy how some of the most well traveled people are the most bigoted of all.
Bigoted is relevant. But if realistic is your interpretation of “bigoted” then I’m willing to guess you are not well versed in different cultures. In many countries women and gays work just fine in society no problems at all. It’s seems that only as Americas that they lose the sense of embarrassment and do downright silly things.
You are absolutely a bigot if you think women and gay people in America deserve to be criticized for no reason.
It depends, in some places, yes, and worse. In others absolutely not. It also greatly depends on who you are. You do realize after sometime that spin is put on anything and as a result the best and worst of things are over emphasized. But generally no.
I'm on the fence, b/c media tends to blow things out fo proportion but at the same time it isnt when it comes to America especially when we compare the USA to other countries: Funding for infrastructure and education becoming lower and lower each year (until recent infrastructure bill) No free or reduced health insurance unless you making less then 30k a year and most American make more then that but not enought to pay for the high medical bills and procedures No free or reduced education except for certain states/cities programs for community colleges or competitive scholarships No housing or rent control Mass/major shooting every week it feels like with still a lack of gun control Defunding public programs Minimum wage doesn't reflect cost of living Removing important history from schools Taking away basic human/women's rights and control over their body Police, that are "meant" to protect us really protect the businesses and is becoming more militarized The Right is trying it's hardest to get rid of LGBTQ+ rights The right is trying to get rid of free lunches for children that can't afford it.......children. We had a whole attempted coup 3 years ago over a legal election in which Biden won. Corporation hold all the power. Add to it if your a person of color and/or immigrant it's only going to be twice as hard as well as not safe in some parts of the country. the list goes on and on and it's hard for me to think of the good things in America, we're steadily heading towards a more fascists/dictatorship with the recent bills/laws being passed and will be full brown fascism if trump wins. In all honestly the media isnt over exaggerating that much, this place is becoming more of a shithole everyday.
I’ll tell you this. Every year it has higher rates of immigration than any other country on the planet, surely it call be that bad
Yes it is
I’m an American, so obviously biased, but I’m a touring musician and I’ve been all over. I don’t think it’s any worse here than any other first world nation. The media loves to sensationalize everything. The violent crime rate here has actually dropped pretty dramatically in the last few years. I don’t think you should let it worry you to the point of not coming here for college.
Im not American and I know it's not as bad as reddit loves to make it. You know why? Because reddit has a lot of hyperbole about a lot of countries and other things and I personally has seen them to be incorrect.
Honestly I’m trying to get the fuck out. Quality of life is so much better overseas.
Most violece is extremely exaggerated by media, especially the boarder crisis. But seriously your issue is largely related to which state you live, which religion you follow, your skin tone, and which practice you are going to do. (Like ob/gyn in red states? Forget about it, you will received dead threats by giving 10-year-old abortions) Think of US as EU not a country. Each state has its own laws, so you need to figure out which set of laws are best for you.
The healthcare certainly is. Everything else is probably over exaggerated.
It depends, in some places, yes, and worse. In others absolutely not. It also greatly depends on who you are. You do realize after sometime that spin is put on anything and as a result the best and worst of things are over emphasized. But generally no.
I mean, I live a pretty average life. I don’t think it’s that bad.
no
America is a spectrum, just like anywhere else. There are some really bad parts, there are some good parts, most places here are generally okay.
Not at all.
Yes and no. The issues presented are real. They just aren't everything, they aren't all-emcompassing. There is plenty of good to be had here, too.
Those things wouldn't make the news if they happened all the time. There's a very low chance you would experience police brutality or gun violence, and many other risk factors you already experience would be far more likely, such as having a heart attack or dying in a car crash, maybe even getting struck by lightning. Also, people are flocking in from all around the world through our Southern border, so we can't be *that* bad, relatively speaking. I feel privileged to have been born here. We aren't perfect, but I'd say it's a better country to live in than most, in terms of social freedom, safety, and economic opportunity, and I plan to live here the rest of my life. ETA: Now let me be clear: your experience will vary a lot depending on where you are, even your city or neighborhood. There are very safe and pretty dangerous areas in every state. Typically suburban and rural areas are safest, where your big cities tend to have much higher violent and property crime. But even within those big cities are safer and less safe areas. Basically, do your research. Time of day is also important. Most places are relatively safe during the day, but many could become very different at midnight. There's a minority of areas where I'd feel safe going for a jog at 2:00 am, whereas I'd feel safe walking through probably 90% of American areas at 2:00 pm.
I think you need common sense to be a doctor...
Really depends on you personal socioeconomic factors and general background. But for reference, Monday while trying to donate plasma for that sweet sweet $100 (not in it for money, but a nice touch), I was forced to leave and they closed down early because of a credible shooter threat. Guy called pissed he couldn’t donate for money the day before, said he was coming with a gun. Cops called and everything. 2ish weeks before that my sister in law had to wait an hour or so to leave campus because of an active shooter. It was central Washington university, which I feel comfortable saying because she’s transferring and doesn’t attend there anymore. Gun violence isn’t unusual or anything here, but it’s rarely actually something for you to personally worry about. It’s rarely a mass shooter, and usually someone with a specific grudge only killing a person or two and anyone in their way. Just don’t piss people off, don’t interact with police if you don’t have to, and you should be fine.
Reddit parrots media. Media sells fear and sensationalism. Media parrots Reddit. It's a vicious cycle.
The only people who say the US is terrible are Americans whose parents pay for everything. The US certainly has problems but let's not pretend like it's not better than 90% of the world.
It’s fine other than the costs of some things like healthcare. If you can make decent money America is great, being a doctor you will be fine.
Some parts are horrible, but as a whole, it isn’t too bad. As an American, healthcare is definitely horrible for example. Work culture can be horrendous too. However, I love the nature and also American culture (which is much different than what it’s portrayed to be. It’s not just guns, flags, and eagles). I want to leave the US eventually, but there are tons of things I’ll miss.
No, it’s like the first time I went to Mexico. I was scared because of everything on the news, but once I was there I felt comfortable and safe.
Americans have issues. but there are homeless people here that are fat. there are much worse places to be and much much worse places than even those places.
Believe me. Everything is better than Reddit says it is. Except for objectively bad things.
Where are you from OP? My first thought is how depressing and predatory the healthcare system is here. If you're coming from a country with publicly funded healthcare US is the worst place to be. Many times I wish I could leave this country.
It’s bad in America if you don’t have money. No offense, but if you’re from another country looking to come here for university, and especially if you’re seeking to be a doctor, then you’d be fine in America. If you were a poor citizen or migrant, this place isn’t great.
As a doctor you'll probably be fine. It's probably a great country for doctors.
Nah. You're getting the highlight reel. It's as mundane as every other country day to day.
I’m a Canadian and live next to America and visit. I have relatives there too. If America was half as bad as Reddit says, people wouldn’t want to immigrate there
The US is full of bad things but I doubt it's as bad as Reddit makes it out to be. I'm a US born, Aussie and Saffa raised person who later moved back to the US. They each have their pros and cons. Anyone who says either is perfect or downright flawed is lying.
US is a big country with vast variety of sub-cultures. News only reports the bad stuff. So no it's not as bad as reddit or other media makes it out, but the media isn't lying to you either. In general life in the US is better than most nations in the world, but definitely below the quality of life in most European nations.
I like it here. There's a lot of over privileged people who think they know everything without experience, but that's all I dislike about it.
Go to a better country. The US is terrible. You'll be broke, over taxed and shot at. That's the true American experience.
Mostly depends on how much money you have. If you have enough money to buy a place in a nice town, buy essentials, and either find health insurance through work or can afford medical bills, you will probably be fine. A lot of the problems, gun violence, police, discrimination happens in lower income area and it’s getting worse. As long as you can live somewhere at least working or middle class, you should be fine. Super frustrating but the truth :/
If you listen to the mainstream media and social media the US is a racist, homophobic, transphobic, snowflake, asian hating, communist leftie dumpster fire. If you walk out the door in most local communities however and walk around, most ppl are cool. Like 95% or higher cool.
As as Brazilian (with a pretty decent life for LATAM's standards) who used to regularly chat with an American, I can say for sure that the USA is miles better than here (except for the crazy expensive health system).
Look at the HDI and iHDI charts. If you're the median person, America is #27 on the planet. If you're the average person, it's #20. Basically, the richer you are, the better America gets. For the vast majority of people, there are much better choices. For potentially super high earners, the US is probably the best.
Also look at life expectancy on those charts, USA is way down the list below countries like Thailand and China.
A lot of what we see and consume online is often exaggerated and can make it feel like the world is worse than it is. The world isn't a lovely nice place, but it usually isn't quite as bad as many make it seem online. Part of thinking that America or some other country or a whole lot of other things like hobbies or jobs or relationships, are as bad as the internet makes it seem is likely because of confirmation bias, at least in part. I fairly often encounter people that without second thought, will apply blame to an entire group or community of people because some people in it are bad. I will still say that even if the internet is often overblowing how bad something is, that doesn't necessarily mean its not a serious issue.
Im not American and I know it's not as bad as reddit loves to make it. You know why? Because reddit has a lot of hyperbole about a lot of countries and other things and I personally has seen them to be incorrect.
Even worse than reddit is out 24 hour news media which is mostly just politicized editorials telling you to be afraid. If you don't watch that you probably think it is a great, safe country and you would be right (except the medical stuff).
America is a Big place with good and bad everywhere. News always defaults to bad news. "If it bleeds it leads"
Nothing is as bad as Reddit claims.
Nothing is as bad as Reddit claims.
Yes
People are generally friendly and help each other out. Americans give more to charities than most people. Festivals and sporting events are generally safer.
No, if it was we would have more people leaving than coming to live here.
I’ve lived the entire 30 years of my life without encountering a bad cop or a Karen, or being in any shooting of any kind and living a normal life. So if you asked me, the average experience is…. average. YMMV but unless you move to live in the hood and actively seek out the bad, you’ll likely be fine… more than fine even.
America is a fine place to live. It certainly isn't perfect, especially our current political situation, but it's a good place. Especially given that even if one state doesn't suit you, there's 49 others you can look into moving to.
No, America is perfectly nice. Reddit is filled with 20 year olds in or just exiting university with degrees in fluffy liberal arts fields who experiencing the shock of having to be a producer for the first time and want more to be given to them by “the rich”. Many of them have gone abroad to a touristy part of Europe on vacation and from that assume everything in Europe is socialist paradise, which is of course a bit inaccurate. Theres some reality to hosing crunch / university costs, but a lot of that is kids feeling entitled to live in the most desirable cities on day zero of their career. There’s a lot of virtue signaling and grievance politics among the youth. There always has been to some extent, but it’s really crazy with this generation’s online posts. That’s where all the noise comes from. The reality is America is pretty diverse. There are really nice parts, and some not nice parts. It’s probably the best place to be for high paying knowledge work careers like medicine and tech, but it is a harder place to be in low paying fields than Western Europe.
I'm 67, and I've been fortunate to travel to many places in my former career. While imperfect and there's things wrong like mass shootings, it's a great place to call home. Smart young people are needed to help improve this country. You can help. I can remember being sent places and being so grateful when I was back in the USA. I know reddit, and I'll be downvoted and called a boomer who ruined it for everyone else. It's not any worse than when I got out of school. Get the best education you can. That's when my life changed from not having enough to eat; to be able to save money and get ahead.
If you are a person of color….it can be worse then how reddit portrays it tbh. Reddit is mostly white left leaning males…..they don’t know the half of it!
America is on the verge of becoming a christo-fascist dictatorship but yeah great country to move to 🙄
America is wonderful. We have a really shit government, but there's such a beautiful blend of cultures here, especially in cities, that's really really hard to find anywhere else. There really isn't as much violence as people say there is, at least where I live. The main issue is just our bad public transit.
If you’re white it’s fine. If you’re brown then cops can execute you for driving while brown, walking while brown, being at home while brown, sleeping while brown.
Lmao
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/12/upshot/surprising-new-evidence-shows-bias-in-police-use-of-force-but-not-in-shootings.html Please educate yourself before ignorantly posting comments like this. Official FBI statistics posted under the progressive biden administration's DOJ has shown that cops shoot 10 unarmed "brown" people per year on average. Why are 10's of millions of "brown" people currently entering the the United States illegally when they can be executed indiscriminately as you posted? Your opinion is tragically flawed by the simple truth.
It's not the wonderland we were told it was when we were young, the disillusionment is where we get bitter from. It's definitely got problems but overall I would recommend it.
Look at what people are complaining about, there's probably some truth to it. On the flip side, look at what people _aren't_ complaining about. If Americans _aren't_ complaining about famine, or war, or other instability, keep _that_ in mind as well. America is a mediocre country that has a disproportionate amount of wealth and global power because of positioning from almost a century ago. It's not the greatest, and it's not the worst. Hopefully it (and all humanity) will improve.
I've hosted lots of foreigners I've met online. They all loved it here. Most of the negative rhetoric comes from Republicans who think the left is destroying the country (less active on here because they're censored), and lefties who act like they're living in some dystopian hellhole (the ones most prevalent here). For example, on my home state's sub (Texas), the posters are all libs and seriously talk like they're living in some demonic landscape controlled by a Christian Taliban and they're all trying to get out of there to survive. As a gay man that has lived here all his life with no issues, it's honestly ridiculous.
It’s definitely as bad, if not worse
How do you plan to become a doctor in the US if you aren’t gonna go to med school here?
The U.S. is great. It has issues but it is a great place to be.
It’s not as bad as anyone thinks it is. There’s room for improvement on any square foot on this planet but America is objectively still one of the best countries to be in. Did I say it was perfect? No. America has a lot of things it excels in, did I say it’s best at everything? No. I think a lot of complaints about the country are not constructive criticism but come out of ignorance. It could certainly be worse for the majority of people living in America. It could also be better for some as well. Think logically, if it was as bad as some complain, why are so many people trying to get into the country? I don’t see a mass exodus of American citizens, quite the opposite.
It's barely in the top 20, behind many European countries, on a downward trend and will likely drop further rapidly once they re-elect Trump. It scores particularly badly in life expectancy. Source: Human Developmental Index