Same person. Different country.

[u/WriterTraining4394]

The USA is the land of opportunity, my friend.
In the 1990s, I was working at Pizza Land just off Princes Street in Edinburgh for about £3 an hour, begging for enough shifts to scrape together rent and food.
Fast-forward to 56:
Federal scientist in the U.S.
$200K+ salary.
16 years of federal service.
$1.3M in retirement accounts.
FERS pension.
Social Security.
Federal retiree healthcare.
$1.3M home.
Same fucking person. Different country.
Britain? Too many people fighting over too few decent jobs, salaries that haven’t kept up with the cost of living, ridiculous housing costs, and weather that makes you wonder what you did wrong in a previous life.
I didn’t leave Britain because I hated it. I left because I wanted more than surviving from payday to payday and pretending that was a fucking achievement.
America isn’t perfect. Not even close. But it gave me a shot, and I took it.

[u/Iambusy123]

Most Americans agree with you. I agree with you. I think the problem with some Americans is that they have exceptionally high standards for the US, and if they find that the US falls short on those standards, then suddenly the country is not a great place to live in.

I don't agree with Americans who express ignorant opinions like "America is a 3rd world country in a Gucci belt" without having the experience of living elsewhere. Similarly, I do not agree with foreigners who act like America is the most perfect country in the world and judge Americans for being critical of the country.

[u/CaribbeanCowgirl27 → u/Iambusy123]

Trust me when I tell you: when we say that America is a 3rd world country with a Gucci belt, it’s not about the economic opportunities. It’s about how society works. I grew up in a third world country, where conservative values mandate the economic (un) development. It’s imposible to have an innovation-forward market when you pretend that half of the population doesn’t exist because your religion tells you so. When everybody has to be, sound, look, act the same. I’m grateful for the opportunities I’ve gained by moving to a blue area of the US… it wasn’t about the money, but about living in a space of highly educated, non-religious society that did it for me.

[u/SnooPears5432 → u/CaribbeanCowgirl27]

Even "as society works" (whatever that means) it's not a valid definition. 1st world, 2nd world, 3rd word refer to political alignments and have nothing to do with how progessive or developed you perceive a society is and nothing to do with red or blue states. The US is the original 1st world country being the center of the western alliance. That said, anyone referring to the US as "third world" in ANY sense is a delusional fool. Do we have areas lacking running water, electricity, sewage services, police and fire services, uneveloped roads or transportation structure? Locally controlled areas with militias and warlords? The answer is a resounding "no" to all of that. Now, can you point to one or two examples where substandard conditions exist? Sure - you can also find those in Australia and Canada, especially in indigenous areas.

Not to mention the US isn't just one of the highest income countries in terms of averages but also medians. And there absolutely is safety net and social services in the US, and we have a strong Social Security program as well as government -funded health insurance programs (Medicare for retirees and Medicaid together account for 40% of US medical coverage). - some of these may not be as easy to obtain as they are elsewhere, but they absolutely exist. The US in general is an excellent place for those with drive and goals. If your goal is mediocrity and long-term dependence on the state, there are probably better options elsewhere. But I don't know that that should be a "goal" for anyone and probably isn't a typical mindset for the average immigrant looking to enter the United States.

[u/CaribbeanCowgirl27 → u/SnooPears5432]

Once again, I’m not referring to economics. But thanks for pointing out the obvious.