Where did America go wrong?

nicholasIII · 10-03-2021 8:56pm #1

I just heard that a close friend of mine who lives in New York will be evicted and soon to be homeless. They don't have any close friends at the moment so they are staying in their car thankfully.

How can the "World's Greatest Country" have such a large homeless epidemic? And even have the largest number of its citizens incarcerated? When my dad was growing up in Egypt in the 70s, when you mentioned a "good, wealthy" country, America was the first thing that came to everyone's minds. He heard nothing but good things.

Today, nearly everyone has a negative opinion. Probably got worse since 9/11. And of course 2016-2020 was probably the four worst years America has ever had politically speaking.

Would anyone still move there? Assuming they don't come from a developing country?

I see sheep · 10-03-2021 8:57pm

It starting going wrong with the Mayflower

Batattackrat · 10-03-2021 8:59pm

If your poor and on welfare in Ireland you get by quite comfortably.

If your poor and on welfare in the States it's a whole different ball game.

blackvalley · 10-03-2021 9:03pm

I see sheep wrote: »

It starting going wrong with the Mayflower

AND Slaughtering the indigenous population wasnt a great start . :eek:

nicholasIII · 10-03-2021 9:04pm

Batattackrat wrote: »

If your poor and on welfare in Ireland you get by quite comfortably.

If your poor and on welfare in the States it's a whole different ball game.

America's homeless problem is actually ****ed up if you think about it.

Ireland at least has an excuse. This country has only been 'developed' for an incredibly short amount of time in it's 800 year history. (only 25+ years).

The United States has been a superpower since post WWII (70+ years). Yet they have a big homeless and prison population.

biko · 10-03-2021 9:07pm

Why will your friend be evicted?

Fritzbox · 10-03-2021 9:09pm

nicholasIII wrote: »

I just heard that a close friend of mine who lives in New York will be evicted and soon to be homeless. They don't have any close friends at the moment so they are staying in their car thankfully.

How can the "World's Greatest Country" have such a large homeless epidemic? And even have the largest number of its citizens incarcerated? When my dad was growing up in Egypt in the 70s, when you mentioned a "good, wealthy" country, America was the first thing that came to everyone's minds. He heard nothing but good things.

Today, nearly everyone has a negative opinion. Probably got worse since 9/11. And of course 2016-2020 was probably the four worst years America has ever had politically speaking.

Would anyone still move there? Assuming they don't come from a developing country?

A lot of Irish people still want to move to America - going through the misery of applying for visas and all that...

Quite possible to become homeless in Europe too, if not to the same extent as as in America.

Allinall · 10-03-2021 9:09pm

biko wrote: »

Why will your friend be evicted?

This.

Is he not paying his rent?

AdrianBalboa · 10-03-2021 9:11pm

The Reagan-era dismantling of the welfare state and demonisation of social welfare recipients along with the deregulation of financial institutions starting in the early 80s transferred wealth and power in the US from the people to the elite.

This has ensured that the living standards of Americans (along with the rest of the western world) has stagnated or declined while more and more wealth is hoovered up by a wealthy few.

Sonics2k · 10-03-2021 9:15pm

It was always a lie. American internal propaganda and movies were made to make the country seem a hell of a lot better than it is.

Ubbquittious · 10-03-2021 9:28pm

Fritzbox wrote: »

A lot of Irish people still want to move to America - going through the misery of applying for visas and all that...

Never really understood this unless they're going over for beours

Fritzbox · 10-03-2021 9:39pm

Ubbquittious wrote: »

Never really understood this unless they're going over for beours

I can understand it if the would-be emigrants had a profession or qualification which is in big demand in the US and where it is possible to really make it big if you were good at what you do, actor, film maker or something in the Hi-Tech industries.
If you earned your living as a barman or bricklayer, what attractions does the US hold?

Thelonious Monk · 10-03-2021 9:46pm

they have a laissez-faire standard towards welfare, and are of the belief that it's up to the individual to sort out their problems and not the state. They blame the poor for being poor.

Fr Tod Umptious · 10-03-2021 10:17pm

Fritzbox wrote: »

I can understand it if the would-be emigrants had a profession or qualification which is in big demand in the US and where it is possible to really make it big if you were good at what you do, actor, film maker or something in the Hi-Tech industries.
If you earned your living as a barman or bricklayer, what attractions does the US hold?

For trades people the money is very good and unlike Ireland, Americans have a habit of paying their trades people on time and in full.

People working in hospitality, bars etc, tend to be young and just over there for the adventure.
They are not too pushed about visas, healthcare etc, once they get tired of it they can just come home.

Options are very good for professional people as you say.

There is a great sense of value for the work you do in America.
You get payed well, taxes tend to be lower and you don't have the situation like you have in Ireland were people are not inclined to do extra work because it will kill them in tax.

Jinglejangle69 · 10-03-2021 10:20pm

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

they have a laissez-faire standard towards welfare, and are of the belief that it's up to the individual to sort out their problems and not the state. They blame the poor for being poor.

Ireland could do well with adopting this attitude to a large cohort in the country.

10-03-2021 10:22pm

nicholasIII wrote: »

I just heard that a close friend of mine who lives in New York will be evicted and soon to be homeless. They don't have any close friends at the moment so they are staying in their car thankfully.

How can the "World's Greatest Country" have such a large homeless epidemic? And even have the largest number of its citizens incarcerated? When my dad was growing up in Egypt in the 70s, when you mentioned a "good, wealthy" country, America was the first thing that came to everyone's minds. He heard nothing but good things.

Today, nearly everyone has a negative opinion. Probably got worse since 9/11. And of course 2016-2020 was probably the four worst years America has ever had politically speaking.

Would anyone still move there? Assuming they don't come from a developing country?

If I didn't have a child who is settled here and going to school, I would love to move to America.

America is so vast and outside of **** holes like California there are some beautiful states. Saying America is **** because of new York's problem is like saying don't go to Ireland because there are junkies on Talbot Street.

Arthur45 · 10-03-2021 10:24pm

Sonics2k wrote: »

It was always a lie. American internal propaganda and movies were made to make the country seem a hell of a lot better than it is.

When you see the recent event in US, I think it is one of the worst democracy in the world.

ToxicPaddy · 10-03-2021 10:35pm

I know a good few that went to the US to live and work, some loved it, some hated it.

They worked in everything from the trades, to finance to tech.

But they all said the same things. Don't get sick there and don't buy into the credit card culture there.

The average American home has an unbelievable amount of debt from mortgages and the car finance to credit cards and education fees. If you have the income to cover it, good for you but if you get sick that's it, you're pretty much finished unless you have a massive amount stashed away.

The debt you were able to handle is now overwhelming. The job you had is gone as they can get rid of you in a blink of an eye and any money you had is gone as when your job goes, your health cover goes.

This has merely been amplified over the years and the political views have become more extreme. Those who have wealth want to keep it and grow it, those who don't are being kept down but want to get it and all groups go to more extreme lengths to keep or get it. Hence the rise in crime both violent by the have nots and financial by the haves so nothing is really safe anymore.

I was very tempted to move there in my 20s but not a hope now. Nice to visit but that's about as much as I'd do, visit every few years.

10-03-2021 10:36pm

Around 1492 when Colombus arrived.

monkeysnapper · 10-03-2021 10:48pm

I visited America last January for 2 weeks .... family holiday... we were so lucky we had our holiday before everything went into lock down .

Anyway I wouldn't want to live there .... I remember a top gear episode where Jeremy said something like " in America their very fat, very stupid and very rude.... this isn't the holiday show ... its a fact.....

And I couldn't agree more ...

I'm not originally from Ireland but I've travelled a bit and Ireland is a great place to live and bring up a family .... obviously I suppose that depends where you live in Ireland but where I live its great.

Just wish the weather was a bit better

I see sheep · 10-03-2021 11:04pm

Jinglejangle69 wrote: »

Ireland could do well with adopting this attitude to a large cohort in the country.

Has a law been passed in Ireland that makes it mandatory to use this awful word in every bloody sentence now?

Jimbob1977 · 10-03-2021 11:04pm

An image that has remained with me for twenty years...

In 1998, I was over in the States on a J-1 visa.

It was near the end of the trip and we were staying at a motel in Waukegan, Illinois.

It was around 11pm and I was feeling a bit hungry, so I went to the petrol station around the corner for a drink and crisps.

Behind the counter (perspex or bullet proof) was an elderly cashier.

He looked around 75 years old. Possibly 80. He was shuffling around slowly, like he had arthritis. A customer waited impatiently and sighing (Americans are incredibly impatient) while the cashier prepared the bill.

I could not believe that a man of his age needed to work in a petrol station late at night. How did he end up like this? Did he need the money that badly? What did his family think about their Dad working a night shift?

I can't think of many countries on Earth where a septugenarian or octogenarian pensioner has to work a graveyard shift to make a few dollars. For all I know, he was a decorated World War 2 veteran.

Great for a holiday. Could never live there.

Ubbquittious · 10-03-2021 11:09pm

monkeysnapper wrote: »

I visited America last January for 2 weeks .... family holiday... we were so lucky we had our holiday before everything went into lock down .

Anyway I wouldn't want to live there .... I remember a top gear episode where Jeremy said something like " in America their very fat, very stupid and very rude.... this isn't the holiday show ... its a fact.....

And I couldn't agree more ...

I'm not originally from Ireland but I've travelled a bit and Ireland is a great place to live and bring up a family .... obviously I suppose that depends where you live in Ireland but where I live its great.

Just wish the weather was a bit better

There's plenty fat and stupid, thats for sure. However I don't think the majority are rude. I have been over a good few times and found most of them were very friendly, albeit in an insincere too good to be true sort of a way. Still I gave them the benefit of the doubt and none of them ever wronged me.

Jimbob1977 · 10-03-2021 11:11pm

Ubbquittious wrote: »

There's plenty fat and stupid, thats for sure. However I don't think the majority are rude. I have been over a good few times and found most of them were very friendly, albeit in an insincere too good to be true sort of a way. Still I gave them the benefit of the doubt and none of them ever wronged me.

Americans tend to view friendships as "what can I get out of this?"

Pleasant, but typically superficial

Smee_Again · 10-03-2021 11:12pm

Why’s he living in his car if he hasn’t been evicted yet?

Harry Palmr · 10-03-2021 11:13pm

States bus thier homeless to other states with a few grand in thier hand to fool them into moving

Yurt2 · 10-03-2021 11:20pm

Jinglejangle69 wrote: »

Ireland could do well with adopting this attitude to a large cohort in the country.

Oh don't worry Jingle there's more than enough of your sort to go around. Message received. Let's increase the amount of homelessness so there'll be less homelessness, right?

And we can all stand around our newly minted homeless shouting abuse and telling them pull yourself up by the bootstraps stories. We could even get Bill Cullen in as a guest speaker.

Your Face · 10-03-2021 11:27pm

Situation: Friend is to be evicted.

Reaction: dE WhoLE CoUntRy iZ gONe wROnG

10-03-2021 11:49pm

Jimbob1977 wrote: »

Americans tend to view friendships as "what can I get out of this?"

Pleasant, but typically superficial

TBF, that attitude is pretty common throughout the world. It's the friendships that last past the other people getting what they want, that tend to last. And be meaningful. (sorry about the wording.. a wine bottle in, and everything is going a bit sluggish)

Billy Mays · 10-03-2021 11:53pm

A massive amount of Americans just don't give a f*ck about anyone but themselves. Freedom to not wear a mask during a pandemic trumps other people's right to life. Freedom to own an assault rifle trumps the lives of school children etc...

Millions upon millions of people living paycheck to paycheck or working 2 or 3 jobs to get by. Crap labour laws (annual leave, maternity leave etc.). Going bankrupt from getting sick. The country politically divided more than ever. One party in particular doing their best to screw over the less fortunate.

Mate of mine is moving back to Ireland with his wife (American) and young kids having been over there for 25+ years as it's not a place he wants to bring them up in anymore.

Notmything · 10-03-2021 11:53pm

Look up your previous account's threads, im sure you'll find the answer there.

Where did America go wrong?

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