@@alfaeco15 In truth, prosperity is more about how well poor people live. Success is another matter. And I think, people mix the meanings of success and prosperity. Success and prosperity don't exclude each other but also don't need each other.
@@borisnegrarosa9113 , I don't see the US military as any kind of a plus. It is too large and too vast and a huge drain on the population. The American military industrial complex is making too much money to ever let the world live in peace. It will always be looking to create and perpetuate wars so that it continues to make as much money off of the suffering of people as possible. You get no bonus points for that response.
@@alfaeco15 "So 2+2 is not equal to 4 for you?" - Yes, but so is 3+1! And are your 2s really 2s so that adding them really equals 4? "I am not even there" - Neither am I. I'm German. "And... how do you got what you got about me?" - Not being allowed to say something "true" like 2+2=4 is what right-wingers say when their bullshit is being called out. So I just guessed you are referring to migration as the current favorite issue where Nazis feel "silenced". But feel free to enlighten me what you meant with 2+2=4! Do you still have grievances about Covid? Do you deny human made climate change? Do you want Russia to annex all of Ukraine? Do you feel pressed to be "woke"? Do you think the earth is flat? What do you think you can't say without consequences? Tell me! And I'll tell you if I come to the same conclusion as you.
My wife and I moved to Italy 16 years ago. We love it here and can't imagine ever living in America again. We have more time to enjoy each other and life in general. People are just kinder to each other and less judgemental of others. We have smaller cars, a smaller home, but a bigger life.
Yet the American movie Equaliser 3 is set in Italy & is filled with gun violence, just another example of American entertainment industry selling Americanisation of foreign countries to American audiences. Is it any wonder that Americans are gun obsessed when almost every movie ( definitely every action movie ) is filled with gun violence?
Theres an irony in gun ownership. Would you rather be free to own a gun, or live somewhere where owning a gun is not needed? I’ve lived in both, I prefer the latter.
Owning a gun in the US is not needed for anything (I am 69 and have never owned a gun, nor even a car for 45 years - but I have always lived in cities).
Yeah who do they call to save them time and time again. It's easy to spot the cowards who have their freedom because other like ME shed the blood to keep us free. I don't even have to ask if you served.
My eyes were opened when I got a job with a German company and had to spend a lot of time in Germany on business. I started seeing that America isn't first in anything except the belief that we're first in everything.
@@mrmercury9286 A lot of that military technology wasnt developed in the us though.. a lot of it was developed in collaboration with other nato powers (or outright purchased from other nations arms companies and produced under licence).. from the main gun on the abrams tank to lots of the high tech components in the f22 and f35 etc.. its a huge circle of codependencies and international cooperation
@kmortensen9312 , I didn't know that, but it's nice to find out. To me it seems that Trump doesn't like that spirit of cooperation and wants to isolate America. Kinda like it was before WW2.
To me carrying a gun is not a sign of freedom it is a sign of fear. I ask a Texan a few years ago” why are Americans so afraid of each other?” His answer” I’m not afraid of no one , I have a twelve gauge next to my front door!” My point exactly.
Are you aware that not even 40 percent of Americans own guns? We aren't all afraid or paranoid. Many of us would love changes to our gun laws. I have never in my 58 years even held a gun to shoot, nor do I want to. My husband used to enjoy hunting and owns guns. They aren't in our hone for protection, but could be used if necessary. American states, much like European countries, are all different and have different cultures, and even different laws. I have never in my life been forced to say the pledge of allegiance or sing the national anthem. I do not have a flag on my home. I do not wear patriotic clothing, except on the 4th of July. I have never believed the USA to be better than any other country, and I don't really care if other countries are more free or less free than mine. I also don't live to have bigger or better things than others. We live within our means. Just as I assume people elsewhere do. These people are projecting their own BS on all other Americans, and it's just not accurate.
@@jonok42 There are currently at least 25 million gun owners in the EU, mainly men. Together, they own approximately 79.8 million guns. This means an average gun ownership rate of 15.7 guns per 100 people in the EU. Arms possession varies between Member States. The United States has the highest rate of civilian gun ownership at 120.5 firearms for every one hundred civilians. Switzerland ranks second with only 27.58 firearms for every 100 civilians. Japan has the fewest guns per capita, at 0.33 per 100 civilians.
@wim907 you really can't count Zwitserland for gun ownership... their military is based upon drafting, and everyone who has trained for military surface has his gun at home.
@@jonok42are you aware of how silly it sounds to Europeans to say "only" 40% of Americans owns guns? In most European countries the gun ownership is a few percent of the population! Most people don't know anyone who owns a gun. In my whole life, I have met 1 EU person who owns a gun... he's a hunter, and has a hunting rifle. I know of no-one who owns a gun for self-defense.
I’m a Brit and I lived in Texas for a couple of years and found that, at least in Texas, societal expectations were so ingrained practically everybody was chained to achieving the expected goals and, to my eyes, were far from being free because of it. I also came to realise that a civilised society is at least partially defined by how the “haves” treat the “have nots” .ie how ,as a society, we support those in need. The USA, sadly, falls far below what most of Europe would regard as civilised in this respect.
Yep, the cry of "individualism" has created the slow decline of American humanity. You fall off the tree of success in the US, you're on your own. It's a dog eat dog world. A good example is post health and trauma care for returning vets. As a Canadian vet, I've spoken with many American vets, some as good friends. Most of their stories are abysmal. Their Dept. of Defense puts considerable energy into recruitment, training and on-going benefits, but the moment you become physically or mentally deficient over the long term, you're disposable.
Canadian here, whilst in the military, I had the pleasure of being stationed in Germany for 7 consecutive years. During that time I lived on the second floor of a German family home (they turned out to be my family away from home) I also traveled to many European countries.Having done so with an open mind and heart has made me a more accomplished human being. Seeing how others do things differently is refreshing and makes you realize that WE are not better or superior to anyone else. Now, almost 30 later I still do some things the European way, enjoy European cooking, and live in a more European way. Travel = education. Everyone should try it!☺️
Hi there! From Belgium, living in the US. Was also stationed in Germany. Anyway to your point: I find it strange when telling a youngster they should learn another language (doesn't matter which one) to be rebuffed by them or their parents that there is no need since "everybody" speaks English. To which I try to make them understand that it is not all about the "mechanics" of learning the language itself, but you also start learning the culture behind it. To no avail though... . It's a shame.
I'm planning on it now that the bottom has dropped out of the Morality, Real Patriotism, and the abject Stupidity of the general populace to grasp the dire need to seriously address Climate Change and that it's a humanity killing event. It's going to take me a year to get ready. I'm elderly, but I'm DONE.. OVER. Assuming I can get the finances in line it's Hosta LaVista Baby! And it is literally the failing by Merrick Garland and his Goodie Two Shoes take on Trumplforeskin and his criminal empire.
One of my childhood memories is that of Canadian soldiers in our town (in Lower Saxony in the 80s; not entirely sure why we met them; maybe some drill or so). They had really nice big stickers of Canadian flags, one of which took a prominent place on the headpiece of my bed. Thank you for your service, Sir!
@@Harm10412 Probably one of the NATO Reforger maneuvers. We were "next door" in the Lüneburger Heide by the Elbe. Got to wave to the Russians/East Germans on the other bank once lol. (mid 70's)
When my daughter was born here in Switzerland 14 years ago, pretty much our only expense was parking at the hospital. Now we're looking toward college, and she neither suffers through the overwhelming stress teens in America go through about college admissions (she'll get a fine education), nor will we need to come up with north of 100k to pay for it. Meanwhile, when she walks out the door to go to school in the morning, I've never once worried that she'll come home with bullets in a body bag. But yeah, our fridge is really small.
@@tomfields3682 Um... No, that's only at *some* hospitals. Of the 4 area hospitals my family's had to visit in the past decade, two charge hourly parking fees, and one of the other two is now "surveying" to see how people would react to paying for parking.
Australians would applaud this. A friend of mine moved back to Australia from the US purely based on wanting to feel safe. If your kids aren’t safe at school, you’re not ‘free’.
As an Australian, having school shooting drills is a bizarre manifestation of US "freedom", and an indication of how backward the thinking apears to be there.
I've met a number of Americans who have moved here because it's a better place to raise their kids. Australia has its own problems, but not on the scale of the US. My kids' secondary school has one fence - the one behind the footy goals to try to stop the ball going on the road. The kids compete for who can successfully kick a ball over that fence. There are no other fences on the campus, and the security cameras only operate outside school hours.
Funny how Australia is totally isolated yet we know what's going on with the rest of the world. And we're not that egotistical to believe nothing needs improvement 😊
@@moi01887as an American I would also give us a d+ lol. I don’t know where all the hardcore patriotism comes from personally. Often times people that have it refuse to see the issues we need to work on here. Doesn’t mean I hate the US, because both things can exist at the same time. I notice many things in our country are viewed as black and white, which is likely why everything feels so polarized and/or political, failing to see the nuance in things. It’s sad to see how people become more and more divided as the years pass
@@lorena.e It’s not “hardcore patriotism”, it’s faux patriotism. All of this flag-waving started in earnest during the first Iraq war. When the Iraq situation started, it was a chance to go shoot some “sand ni__ers”, with the backing of the strongest military in the world (so they had very little fear that they would wind up like their targets). I think even a celebrated sniper had been accused of racist attacks while deployed in Iraq. Anyway, I can’t tell you how many times I heard that derogatory term used to describe the people over there. So in many cases it wasn’t really patriotism, it was racism. Ask those so-called “patriots to go to war against other white folk and with a capable military and see how quickly they line up. Hell, they’re now cowering to Russia, for Pete’s sake!
As a retired member of the US Armed Forces serving the United States Navy I think I had one view of the country that I grew up with. However, 12 years ago, I decided to change jobs when I got divorced and I went to work for Carnival Cruise Line on board ships. I lived and worked with people from Europe and Asia and got their perspective on things. It made me a much better person. It gave me a much different perspective on other cultures as a whole. This last election I think has brought out some of the worst in America. the thought of American exceptionalism left me many years ago as I learned more about other cultures. so I enjoy videos like yours. They give a perspective of somebody who was raised here but now lives abroad thank you for a great video
I agree with you as an American living in Japan. My wife (Japanese) and I, for example see elections completely different. My wife says that Americans are too stressed over elections, and I agree with you that this last election has brought the worse in people. After reading your comments, it's changed some of the bad mannerisms I had with that election. I also enjoyed this video. My parents (in the US) have seen some changes in me, both physically and mentally since I've lived in Japan; mostly good. The only real bad thing is that I don't visit the US as much as before (mostly because of my job and my family here in Japan). If anything, Japan has taught me that a good healthy life and good access to affordable health care, and people are more important than material things. When buying things, I buy high quality things that I know I will use for a long time, rather than to show off. When buying less expensive things, I've learned to take care of them.
I think you hit the nail on the head. These kind of discussions should not be on "Who is best", but how can we take the best part of each view and combine them into an even better view. The sum should always be bigger than the adding up of individual parts.
Everyone around the world should try and engage with other cultures. It opens oneself up to other points of view, its not just the US that is narrow minded, people in europe or asia fall for the same stuff. As a world we need to understand that borders arent real, the world is shared and only together can we tackle the problems of the future
I'm an American who moved to the UK 28 years ago at the age of 40. I've travelled in Europe and experienced the cultures in different countries as well. The points made in this vid are spot on. The quality of life, free time, work life balance, food, healthcare and feeling content far outweigh anything monetary.
100% - and if we step back it's possible to see that US is showing the rest of the world what failed capitalism looks like. There needs to be a balance between social care and infrastructure, and capitalist business and progress. USSR showed us pure socialism doesn't work as there's little progress, US shows us pure capitalism doesn't work because it leaves too many poor and doesn't look after those with health issues. Both show that there's too much corruption at the top.
I don't argue with Americans anymore because they are brainwashed on a central system that fires commercial at them everyday. But after visiting 81 countries, working and living in 4 ,now in France there is just no comparison, gladly over 9 million Americans are now living abroad, good for them good for you, and good for me. Salut!
There are a lot more of us who aren't living abroad (yet) who realize how much better other countries are treating their citizens and how much better the quality of life is. A great number of us get it more than you think (those of us that have traveled that is lol).
@@NikkieMullet yeah I am among them. BUT the impetus was that I did have the luxury of a sort of immersive traveling experience when I was in my teens and that was PURE luck. It's easy for people not to "get it" when they have not experienced other options first hand. Even traveling in a touristy way doesn't give most that kind of insight but with the lack of paid leave and cost of living factors that hit the majority in the US, it's not too hard to understand how it is that many never get out for a different view of things. It's quite sad. I do feel so lucky to have "seen" it myself, and I am also exceptionally lucky that I (accidentally) chose a career path that is very marketable in the EU (which is key to getting a residence permit - a lot of people don't seem to understand that you can't just move wherever you like - you will be an immigrant and you need to fulfill the requirements like anyone else)
Great video! I love the US. I'm a veteran, was born and raised here, but have also lived extensively overseas, including long stays in Germany, Italy and Japan. The problem with America in my opinion, can be summed up with the pervasive attitude that most Americans want all the rights that come with freedom, but none of the responsibilities. Our reaction to COVID and the politicization of wearing a mask is the most stark example that comes to mind.
"all the rights that come with freedom, but none of the responsibilities" Here here! It's like people don't want to admit freedom comes with responsibility. Too many think the "freedom to be obnoxious and offend others" is absolute then they get angry when they are the ones offended.
In my entire life I've always felt like rights and responsibilities are joined at the hip. You can't have a right without a responsibility, and you can't give up a responsibility without giving up a right.
And when somebody tell you that you have to "pay the bill," we scream that someone's taking away my freedom. The US has some great assets, but we are both terrified of looking in the mirror to see what we're really like, and dismissive of the good in other countries, because "they can't be as good as us, right?"
This Canadian was shocked that the so-called 'patriots' wouldn't lift a finger to help protect their communities. I wouldn't want tto go to war with them.
As a European watching a lot of US vs. Europe content lately, I've learned to appreciate how living debt-free is much more common here. Now that's the kind of wealth I wish upon everyone.
European states have a lot of depts though. And much less growth than the US. So all europeans will still have to pay back with higher taxes and costs.
@@OptLab Europeans pay less taxes on average than Americans, if you also include indirect taxes paid in the US that are not paid or paid less in Europe (like premium insurance or high cost of schooling).
@@RaduRadonys True except for the brutto/netto. But eu wages have not increased as much as in the US for 30 years. In general the european economies are running bad compared to the US. (Of course quality of life is another topic)
@@OptLab Euhm... the US ranks in the global top ten of countries with the highest debt. You are correct about European economic growth though. We work less hours per week and we have 5 weeks of paid holiday. That means lower productivity, thus less growth. Europeans are fine with that :-)
@@RaduRadonys That's exactly the opposite: Americans have lower prices and part of the reason is because their equivalent of VAT is less than half what we have in Europe. Another reason is energy price. ...and on top of that, their income is on average well above 60k/year and *they do have much lower direct taxes over income*. ...If you get a half decent job, you will get closer to 100k year. ...I'm talking about USD, but the different to EUR is not that big anyway. You should rethink that idea that Europeans pay less taxes. Europeans probably pay more taxes than everywhere else on the planet.
Rick Steves sums it up nicely - "Americans...I think we think we're exceptional, and I think, the only thing exceptional about us is our ability to think we're exceptional."
I really don't think we do. I think that most English people know that we're a small country in a small island with other small countries. In fact, since you are separating England from the rest of the UK, it's a tiny country. The little Englanders who think this is the greatest country on Earth are an embarrassment to the rest of us.
@@Lightw81 the English don’t think that. The have had some horrible things happen in the UK. One thing that puts the UK above the USA is the fact that the UK actually learn from their mistakes. It only took 1 school shooting for those guns to be banned. America have had so many now it is insane. Seriously you only need a gun if you live on a farm. About town are do you need a gun in case the lion in the local zoo makes a break for it.
I'm a European who used to live in the States. Discussing how things are in Sweden, my home country, usually ment we were labeled as scary socialists and liberals = shunn the non-beliver! Most Americans are so proud about their freedoms such as freedom of speech, as if no other country has that. It's been a part of the Swedish constitution since 1766 when the Freedom of printing act was made into law. THat is the basis of both freedom of the press and freedom of speech laws world wide. The main difference between the US and Europe is that European laws and values are based on the Declaration of Universal Human Rights, while the US treats those as a "how not to" govern. USA and North Korea are the only countries in the world who have not rattified the declaration of CHildren's Rights. Stuff like livable wage, free or at least affordable schools, unions and many more are basic human rights. I saw a comment once where one American was tired of Europeans telling them to travel more. " We do travel. All across the US" What he failed to see is that even though the scenery and climate may have changed, it's still the US. Still the same values, ideas and culture. You don't experience anything new unless you leave the US borders, preferably visiting another continent than your own. I know it's not possible for most Americans since it's quite expensive, but those who can really should.
I'm an American that has lived in Europe. I realize the US Constitution was a poorly written document. I know that US Conservatives use European countries to scare middle and lower class Conservatives of "Socialists" and "Communists." I also understand how Conservative leaders love to keep their constituents uninformed and dumb. I also know how horrible the Democrats are at the game called politics. They let Trump kick their ass twice because he was running against a woman. Europe has had Thatcher and Merkel and whoever else I don't know about. And the US news does it's best to filter out stories about strong foreign state leaders. I know the US doesn't care about children, women, or minority rights because it isn't profitable. I also know how willfully stupid Americans can be. Basically, the US is a hellhole where only the rich escape.
A former first lady from the US (Eleanor Roosevelt) was the chairman/person at the UN when the universal human rights where created. The US never signed it into law.
@@aventureraclette ? Please explain. I'm an American living in France for 10 years and I see people protesting and demonstrating more than in the US with no problem
@@geoffoakland In France we are free to protest but not free to say whatever we want. If someone says "most of the prisoners are strangers or from foreigner ancestry" he can be sued and he will be fined because it is viewed as "incitement to hatred" even though it's true. It's something I hate about my country because even though we disagree with a point of view, I think it's important to discuss about it. We shouldn't immediately condemning it and closing the door to the debate (which is worse in the end because it creates many frustration and distrust toward elites).
I lived in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire England for thirty some years of my life. It was wonderful. I really regret, especially now, having gone back to the US. The reason I went back was because my husband came down with mesothelioma, and wanted to live his last days near his parents. While here, I was hit by a drunk driver as I walked down a sidewalk in his home town. I was in hospital for over a year, and then in rehab for quite awhile. The medical bills and rehab bills piled up, and I had to take bankruptcy after my traveller's insurance ran out. I am now too disabled to have a job, and after a severe kidney infection which I got because my care aides were not trained to do my catheter care properly, I am now dying of stage 5 kidney failure. I'm not saying that such an accident would not have happened in the UK. It's entirely possible. But I would not have had to declare bankruptcy because I'd be covered by the National Health. I'd paid into it all the while I was there, and it was a comfort to know that it was always there as long as I was in the UK. In the United States, you are always an instant away from becoming impoverished by the medical system, which is very messed up, and even dead because of ill trained medical care personnel. In the city I live in, they do not have enough doctors, and the time it takes between calling your primary care physician and the time you can schedule an appointment can be as much as a year. There are so many other things which make life in just about any other European country better that it's hard to name them all. As they hinted at in the video, if you're someone who thrives on gross consumerism, you probably will have a hard time living in Europe, but if you don't need a lot of things, and enjoy spending time with a few friends, you're going to be really well off. Being back here in the States, I find myself constantly put of by former friends always talking about their this, and that, and the other, and kind of looking down their nose at me because I don't have any interest in that game. I'm plenty happy with my small disability accessible apartment, my computer, and a library card which gets me all the books I care to read. I live in a decent neighbourhood where I can roll around during the day if the weather permits. I wish I had a few more friends here. It seems that having "things" is the price of admission for having lots of friends, so I settle for the few that I have, which more often than not are expats working at the local University. That means they come and go. No one very permanent, but at least they are folks who are interesting, and are more interested in discussing things other than just their "things". There are times when it's very lonely over here. I'm definitely still experiencing culture shock, and having a bit of a time readjusting to life here. Since life draws short, I'll just have to make do with life as it is. I think it would be much worse now if I hadn't learned to live as people do in much of the rest of the world. With the recent elections having turned out the way that they have, things are certain to get worse. A lot worse. I'm really having a difficult time with the way people are behaving in the United States, but it will get worse as people figure out what they voted for, and how much less they are going to have in all ways. I expect that the medical care that I need won't be available, and once the president elect becomes the president, some of the things he has said he will do will make it difficult even to acquire food if you're unable to work. I now live in fear of what my government may do to me, but also what other people might do. I probably will not be going outside a lot more, for fear of being an easy target. I don't watch TV, and they are talking about cutting funds to the city library. This country isn't what it likes to think it is, and I can assure you, it's going to get worse. If I could move back to Cambridge, I'd do it in a heartbeat, but that isn't going to happen. Best of luck to those of you who made, or will make the jump on time, and are enjoying a peaceful, safe, and fulfilling life.
I am truly sorry you’re going through all that. I know this may be a long shot but if you’re able to travel, would you be able to ask some expats or students from the university to help you get a “go fund me” and also popularize it on social media? Have you also thought about reaching out to the UK consulate or embassy or even your old town hall or old social services and see what they say?
This is a very sad comment. I wish you could come back to Britain. Are you still in touch with anyone in Cambridge? Perhaps someone could help you. Like the last person, I will pray for you, especially after what has just happened. The woman in the video mentioned having to buy insulin. I am now injecting insulin and I get it free, thanks to the NHS. Of course, I paid for it in taxes when I was working. I hope things work out for you. The thought of being too frightened to go outside, is just unbelievable. God bless.
I am so, so, so sorry to read your situation. I myself left the US after I was hit by a drunk driver, eventually hit the limit of my insurance, and was homeless. Sending you big hugs and courage.
Plenty of both freedom from and freedom to in the UK. We can walk across a road anywhere so long as we've looked to see that it's safe - no jaywalking charge. We can let our gardens ("yards") grow wildflowers and long grass without being charged with neglect. We can burn a national flag without that in itself being a crime (not that I'm recommending that!). The list goes on. I've visited the US on a number of occasions for various lengths of time and found it felt more restricted than Scotland where I live, especially re trespass - we have a "right to roam" in Scotland, a landowner here can't have freedom from me walking on his land.
You just have to consider the E numbers in US food (They have the freedom to add them by the scoop full) V's the lack of E numbers in the rest of the world. I've just watched another Vid that showed the ingredients in EU V's US McDonald's Burgers. The EU ones had three ingredients (NO E Numbers) the US ones had eight (majority E Numbers).
I've been an American living in rural Japan for the last 30+ years in one of the poorest prefectures in country. Still, the quality of life here is amazing: affordable health care, high-quality, affordable food, trains that run on time, super-fast internet, pristine rivers and mountains, great waves, and some of the friendliest people on the planet. Japan has its share of problems, but life is better here than in the US.
@@g.n.b.3351 I’ve been to Japan and you are correct. Japanese people are very polite. What I like most about Japan is the respect Japanese show each other. Their awareness and attention to how their own actions affect others is sorely missing in the US. Once you begin traveling, your mind is forever opened. I would love to be able to immigrate to Japan.
I wonder why, if their country and culture is so great, the Japanese don't want to get married, have kids, and keep everything moving forward? What's missing? What's the problem?
@@brianbieron4733 Because their society is incredibly racist and backward. A popular saying is "The nail that sticks out gets pounded down". Even if you learn their language, you are nothing more than a talking dog. Courtesy prevents them from showing this to tourists.
Yes I think it was opposite people moving in 1930s to US obviously found it more appealing. People here in Europe now move to Australia and New Zealand.
After spending 3 years in the Netherlands while in the US military in the early 80s, I took me years to realize how much I’ve missed Europe. I’m 71 and yearning for enjoying life in my golden years and I can’t do that in the states. Convincing my wife ( who hasn’t lived outside the US) to immigrate is my priority. She’s scared. Hopefully, she’ll come around. We have the resources to move so I’m going to keep trying. Wish me luck!
I'm from Houston, Tx and now I living in Vienna for 30 years and it's so crazy! I can't even begin to break it down, but to avoid negative words, I will just say I love Europe.🙂
to be fair a little, Vienna was awarded the most liveable city title, and it's a gem. Regardless, even less developed Eu cities can have great things like free public transport for locals in Tallinn
@@kalo924 , you can eat healthily here--even if you are frugal. There is a wide range of accommodations from cheap air B&B to 5 star hotels, with lots of sites to see for free to moderate pricing.
In America it your right to own a gun and health care is a privilege in Europe health care is your right and to own a gun is a privilege just about sums it up really
It's pretty easy to own a weapon in France but a "useful" weapon like a hunting weapon, a sport weapon or if your job can be exposed to attacks. But I agree with you, it will never be automatic assault rifles or SMGs (which apart from being a police officer in an intervention or military brigade is not much use).
The first question is "do you wish to own a gun?" If the reply is yes then clearly you should never own a gun. Inspector Fowler The Thin Blue Line TV series. Sums up British attitudes to guns.
Excellent video. I'm an Australian who has spent time in many countries including the US. I always find it amusing that a country which doesn't teach its citizens about the rest of the world thinks it is the best country. From safety, healthcare, income equality and freedom perspectives the US has a lot to learn. Just being indoctrinated that you are the best doesn't make it so.
I’m American, and I see things pretty clearly I believe. I would only consider the U.S. “The best” in a military and technology sense. As far as quality of life, I’d rather live in Australia or the U.K.
I will add that the indoctrination actually tends to allows the powerful to oppress the less powerful, thus reducing the freedom of the masses. The US is losing their middle class, and has a growing poverty class.
I have a certain gastrointestinal issue that I’ve dealt with for years. I recently vacationed in Spain. The food there is unbelievably delicious-better than your average American food. And that health issue I have; it literally went away overnight. I really came to the horrifying conclusion that whatever American companies are being allowed to put in our food supply is literally poisoning us, and so many health problems that Americans have are caused by our government permitting these big corporations to use inferior ingredients (and chemicals) in what we eat.
So true. I don't like the food here. I live a healthy lifestyle, and we do have some health food stores, but they are few and far between.I eat mostly raw vegetables, fruit and some vegetarian protein. I drink a lot of water. I take vitamins daily. I can't find anything to eat in restaurants because there aren't many healthy choices. The candy and junk food is out of control here. It's frustrating.
Even the wine in America made me ill. LOL. Seriously however I doubt that one night in Europe is going to cure your gastrointestinal problems. A little halo effect goes a long way.
To be fair, it was a strong tool of freedom when colons were stealing lands and resources from other people, and when bears and other Nature niceties could be a daily encounters. Plus, a tool to feed yourself. But despite what the fascist there are claiming, these times are over. If there is a need for legitimate (hopefully) violence they call 911. Like 2000 years ago when there was still lions in Greece, outside the settlements carrying a bow or a spear or a large knife could make sense. But not in the 21st century.
As an American who lived in Europe for several years, the way I've tended to explain the difference in QoL is that in the US you live to work, in Europe you work to live.
@@mikeoglen6848 From what I see, some people are doing a pretty good job here of living to eat. Just hope they are not sitting next to me on an airplane.
It seems we (Aussies) tend to follow and adopt a lot of what the US does but what may save us going down the same route as them is that an awful lot of us do travel overseas and experience other places, cultures and ideas. Maybe because Aus, and NZ for that matter, are truly physically isolated, and not just mentally isolated, so we have the need to reach out and feel connected.
@@susugordy I think also although Australia is quite Americanised in many ways, as a member of the Commonwealth Realm, Australian culture still has strong cultural links to the UK which has its own influence.
Oh that's such a good point. Australia smashes all the excuses the US always state while being not so arrogant and doing many thing the better way. The US is big - yea, Australia is too. The US is sparsely populated in places - yea, Australia even more so. The US population is of many different origin - Australia too. Traveling to another country is far - in Australia it's the same.
I’m from a small country in Latin America, Uruguay, and even with all the things we need to improve as a nation, we have more rights as citizens than Americans. Our healthcare system is free and universal. There is also private healthcare, but no one is left without medical attention. The same goes for education-everyone has the right to study, including attending university. We have unions, and the right to strike is unquestionable. We may not have high salaries compared to the U.S., but there are many social laws that provide support to access housing. We’ve faced major economic crises and there’s still much to be done, but despite everything, we are freer.
As an Australian soldier, in 1966 I did a 2 week exchange duty in Vietnam with the US Army. While standing in the meal queue I was complimented on my English. This was followed by did I do an English language course prior to my posting to Vietnam? I’m sure these guys could not tell the difference between Austria and Australia. And I’m positive they could not identify either country on a map. American troops would always say that at the end of their tour, they were going back to the world ie. USA. So insular, nothing else existed outside of the continental USA. Most Americans would not know that Australia, New Zealand, South Korea and the Philippines all sent troops to that bloody awful war.
The Seps view "America" as the entire world. The Irish are in Boston, the French in Louisiana, the Swedes in the Midwest, etc. This is why they constantly refer to themselves "I'm Irish/Dutch/Italian/German" even though their family not set foot in those countries for a hundred years. The idea of anything existing outside of America is about as plausible to them as universal health care, or rifle ranges that don't have classrooms.
Canadian here. Living next door to the USA is like the teacher making you sit beside the obnoxious kid in your class and your job is to ignore him/her while he talks non-stop into your ear.
@@Michelle.1952 German here. I watch lots of videos from America because on the one hand they are one of our most important partners, both economically and politically, and I want to know what's going on there unfiltered. That doesn't have to do anything with obsession. But on the other hand: What actually is going on there is worrying me, and especially with who the United States citizens elected as their next president. At his first term he did have adults in the room who prevented him from following his worst instincts. That won't be the case in his second term. And with him in the White House the term 'bully' is frighteningly appropriate.
Hello. A Brit here .... I have to say, that is one of the best "America Compared to ...." videos I have ever seen on here. I know it's easy to say that when you give European viewers a 'feel good' factor, 'talking UP' your life in France, and (by implication) Europe, compared to the US. But you are both so articulate in your explanations, your comments so insightful (the comparisons around "Freedom to ..." and "Freedom from ..." were revelatory / genius!). Genuinely, a really interesting set of observations. Thanks guys!
I totally agree with you. I grew up in the US in a very "conservative" household and thought the the things you discuss. Then as an adult I have traveled to 22 European countries, and have seen first hand that there are countries with higher standards of living and more care for the citizens than in the US.
@@janetpartyka5968 Canada and France, but to get citizenship in either one you have to speak French. Go visit a few European countries and talk to the locals. I was very impressed by my trip to France. Get a book or two on how to relocate overseas.
What do you mean by higher standard of living?Earning 2k Euros a month,Having low purchasing power and living in Tiny apartments Isn't a Good living Standard
I love how you flipped “freedom to…” with “freedom from…”. That is how I feel about Canada. I don’t worry about medical bills, lack of clean water, mass shootings, etc. We have our issues for sure! But there’s a peace of mind I have being a Canadian…even having that passport while travelling!
@@janetpartyka5968 I'm not living in Canada but in Germany. I can attest that wait times here for all docs, especially with specialists, is far, far less than it was in the US when I left 13 years ago. In the US I could not see my pcp unless I booked 6 months in advance. If I got sick I had to go to an urgent care or other "revolving door" clinic. I had to wait over 6 months to have shoulder surgery which was non-elective, to the extent that my left arm was fairly useless during that waiting period. I was once sent home from a hospital after a car accident with a gaping wound on my foot and ankle (no joke it was literally skinned down to the tendons) and told to visit a "local" hospital the next day for insurance reasons. Now. In Germany I have had two non-urgent surgeries that I waited 2 and 6 weeks for, respectively, and both included overnight hospital stays (in the US I would have been booted out the door as soon as I was awake, as happened with my shoulder surgery). I was admitted to the hospital for a week for a bad case of eczema, same day (yes I thought this was a bit extreme but I did get excellent care). I can *always* see my pcp same day. Specialist appointments range from 2 to 4 weeks in my experience - dermatologists seem to the be the worst with maybe a 6 week wait. I just had cataract surgery on one eye, with a 4 week total turnover (from first exam to measurement/planning exams to surgery) and I will have the other eye done in early December. The hospital stays cost 10 euros per day (with a 200 euro max per year), and aside from 5 euro copay on prescriptions, I paid nothing beyond that for any of this care. I "could" have private health insurance here but there is zero reason to choose that, because public care is so good.
@@janetpartyka5968 I live in Canada and don't have a doctor, like millions of other Canadians. My old doctor reduced his patient load so he could set up an online health business. Don't believe that Canada's public health care system is all wine and roses, it isn't. A doctor appointment for me means waiting in a clinic for hours. Emergency waits in my city are 12 hours to see someone - likely a nurse. Why? Pecause thousands of people go to the emergency department for health issues now. Specialist appointments? That takes months at the very least. Canada needs to adopt a combination public / private system of healthcare like France has - as well as most high performing health care systems. My eye doctor (not a public specialty) also has no doctor. Welcome to what Canada has become under it's grotesquely incompetent far-left current government.
@@janetpartyka5968 I live in Montreal. Usually, a day or two for a doctor (depending on the issue). Surgeries and things that can be scheduled ahead of time, you have to wait, but I did that when I lived in the US too.
In 1979, we did a land journey from the UK to Australia, so experienced many countries with many different cultures. One thing I noticed, looking back at the West, was how wasteful and greedy we were. In those days, there was no rubbish in the poorer countries, I had one plastic bag, which was received as a wonderful item. Now, they are inundated with our rubbish.
I've been living in New Zealand 🇳🇿 for 30yrs. Salary low. Own modest house. Government - trusted. No guns (gun violence very rare). Work hard. Personal play/social networks - amazing. Quality of life is awesome.
NZ is a dream country. No overpopulation, stable democracy, health care, marvellous landscapes. And the country is far away from all the trouble in the world! If I were to be born again, I'd like it to be in New Zealand!
Yeah, as a kiwi living in Sweden I'm not so sure NZ is a dream country. It is certainly not as extreme as the USA, but it is heading in the same direction. A lot of what they said in the video applies here in Sweden too.
From Texas and living in Barcelona Spain for about 32 years, never regret my decision. Love the people, the culture, especially socialized medicine. So happy.
I have always thought Canada was quietly freer than the U.S., but I grew up in Maine and both sides of my family are French Canadian. My family migrated recently enough before my birth that we learned both sets of national anthems.
👍Mark Twain wrote, “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness..." and I'd like to add "... ignorance of what turns out to be good for you"
Hi nice to see your video. I am an American living in Norway and been here for 26 years.. haven't been in the USA since 98. I feel so much better than living in the anxiety driven usa. Enjoy your life in France :)
As an American who has been lucky enough to travel a lot, we have no clue what we’re missing. We think we’re free to be rude and voice uneducated opinions and cut in line.
I’ve lived in France for six years now, and I agree with every point you made. One thing I would add is that mutual respect is very high on the list of qualities of people here. Even as an immigrant from the U.S., I have never felt so welcomed and comfortable as I do here.
En tant que français, je suis très content d’entendre cela,merci à vous. J’ai un cancer ,je suis bien aidé à tout point de vue et je pense aux américains avec un handicap ou un cancer,ont t il de bonnes aides sociales ? Et ce projet 2025 à venir m’effraye pour eux !
@@philippe_grosvenor_le_normand I think Americans make up for social assistance using community assistance in many cases. Of course that is not guaranteed, but it is a somewhat special American quality that I sometimes miss - at the community level people are very willing to help each other via donations of money or time, whereas here in Europe I think people have the feeling of "that's not my responsibility, get help through the normal channels". Which is fair - I just think this community level support is easy to miss if you aren't *in* the community.
@@lisar3944as a fellow American I think it depends on what community you live in….medical debt is crushing. Drugs are often exorbitant to the point that people do actually die from affordability
Canadian here. We have always known this, but as your "little cousin upstairs", very few people in the U.S. see our democracy or recognise what they see, with Michael Moore and Bernie Sanders being two VERY rare exceptions. I could rant on for an hour about U.S. misperceptions of itself and other countries, but you hit the main idea with the distinction between "freedom from" vs. "freedom to". The biggest idea that the rest of us are waiting for the U.S. to understand is that YOU CAN MODERATE A FREEDOM AND STILL BE FREE. Absolutism is the bane of U.S. society. Freedom of speech does NOT have to include lies and hate speech; capitalism can function very well with regulations and social welfare in the mix. Democracy can be much more responsive and flexible - much more democratic - without your incredibly cumbersome system. The brilliant thinkers in the 1770s never intended their ideas to be immutable Holy Writ. Re-electing Trump because half the voters believe in a fictitious reality has brought a catastrophe down on most of the world.😢
I notice at the sidebar, there is a video about how Canada has become unliveable. What's up with that. I met an fed up Canadian expat recently. He has been in the states for some years now, and now he has other family emigrating to the US. I have a Serbian friend here who had done well in the US. I met his brother, who lived in Tornonto and came down to Dallas on a visit earlier this year. He went back to Serbia since then. He gave up on Canada after 3 years, deciding Serbia is a better place to live. Serbia? What's up with that, Miss Patriotic Canuck?
@@clintfalkMaybe your pal is a fascist, and wants to get in on fat donny’s institutional misogyny, racism, and economic buffoonery. Since everything you wrote is obviously only one person’s opinion though, that’s just a thought… 🧐
@@theatomic430Canadians think it’s always good to have the USA’s gun-toting rape culture and its brain-washed believers, on the other side of the border - especially post-06 November. Have a swell autocracy!
As an American expat (for almost 20 years) in Germany and previously the Netherlands, I enjoy your channel. You hit the key points that led me to stay… I can’t imagine ever returning to the US to live. “Freedom from” is just as important as “Freedom of”…. I feel safe, secure, relaxed and at peace. In the US I was always on guard.
Lived in Japan for 15 years and these two are so right about so many things. Americans are me, mine and I. The rest of the free world is us, we, and ours.
I spent four years in the US and found much to admire.But it amused me when American friends asked me to stay in the US. They said it was the greatest country on earth. So I learned to ask them, 'how many countries have you visited' and most said none. So how would they know? Interesting!!
Hello from Ireland , A few quotes from my late father. 'What can you do with a table only eat from it' 'You can only sit in one chair at a time' You don't need walls to define how much space you have. The world is outside .It's not inside your house
I am German and have many relatives in the USA. I also have some American friends who stayed here after their military service (there was a large American garrison stationed in my town). Many people find it difficult to understand that social policy does not mean socialism or communism. In my opinion, the education system in the USA is not willing to teach this important distinction because the two major parties and the super-rich do not approve of it! Am I right or am I wrong?
Definitely agree. The US definitions of certain political movements mean something else entirely in Europe. I'm from the Netherlands and our Liberals are pretty much rightwinged capitalists, the complete opposite of what the average American thinks liberalism is (to them).
@@TeddyRumble We Brits actually had to pay you for your help in WW2. We were still paying you back until around the year 2000. Don't get me wrong, we appreciated the sacrifice of individual citizens. But as a country you did FA for us for years until YOU got attacked, even though some nights in the blitz we lost more in a night than you lost in '9/11'. And then sent us a bill.
Yes! I'm celebrating £32K stock portfolio today... Started this journey with £3K.... I've invested no time and also with the right terms, now I have time for my family and life ahead of me.
Excellent video. Try telling that to the average American. You will not be believed. When I returned to the US after 17 years in Zurich, I tried to tell people that other countries had better standard of living, health care, education, etc. I was not believed, people called me a traitor. I stopped talking. Wooo 😱 After 10 years in the US experiencing insane Trump politics, mass shootings on a daily basis, ridiculously expensive health care, people wearing weapons in public places and racism, I returned to Switzerland. Best decision of my life.
This is why I don't regret my decision to never return to the states for anything---not even family, all of which still believe the propaganda (though that may have changed a bit in the last week).
Just the difficulty that these guys are having defining quality of life is so incredibly telling. As a European, it's so obvious. It's just looking at my life and thinking, yeah, this is nice. I'm enjoying this.
I was fortunate to live in Germany and Italy in the 90s and I saw how much more advanced in their thinking they were than the U.S. I was introduced to recycling, and an awareness for the environment. They were focused on community, and education, with huge chunks of rest and slow down time. When I returned to the U.S. after 5 years, I experienced culture shock. In the wake of our most recent election I feel like Americans voted for money and had NO concern for their fellow citizens.
Americans are raised on the doctrine of me, me, me - just like the orange trumpy buffoon. Everything is about me, me, me and who cares about anyone else. This is why americans never want "universal health care" because they dont want to pay for other people. They dont give a s**t about other people - except maybe their own kids - and even that is debatable.
That first myth is really ingrained. I'm french, and went to the university in the US. The "USA #1" syndrome is one of the things that really struck me. I perfectly get that one can be proud of their country and that the US has a long list of things to boast about (I wouldn't have been there, if I had thought it was the worst place on earth). But I was always flabbergasted, how often out of nowhere someone would drop that the US was the best about the most mundane stuff. You could be talking about something absolutely unexciting, like the groceries shopping list. And somehow, a roommate would make a statement like: "in the USA, we have the best broccoli". I'd raise an eyebrow, and feels obliged to point out that none in the room knows anything about broccoli culture, that it's certainly not something that the US is famous for, and honestly who cares? But each time the person making the assertion would sincerely believe it, that some random country could be the best at something was unfathomable. Sometimes it led to the weirdest conversations...🤣
It's really simple and don't blame them. If you were never told anything about 'outside' the USA this is what you believe. Paternalism, poor and restricted education are at the bottom of this. It's like brainwashing.
Next time tell them that the best broccoli is in Italy. That broccoli comes from the Broccoli region of Tuscany. Then you can puzzle them by telling them that the name "America" also comes from Tuscany. Then you can drive off on your Vespucci.
You guys get it. I moved to Europe in 1985. How about Fresh Veg and bread from the market a short walk from your house? A coffee and croissant over a chat with the neighbors. If the local Gendarmerie joins you for an espresso, odds are all will get a spot of Brandy in the coffee. Yacht, airplane, moto, etc.,etc., clubs, state sponsored, for the kids? A functional Health System, hi-speed rail, adult education. And across Europe, super friendly, kind hearted people who will welcome you into their home, asking nothing in return.
You are being very nice but life has changed here in europe too. Murrican politics have trickled down on us and muddied everything we had that was good. We are not perfect either.
lol your life is so good yet you are screeching about America on TH-cam comments…I’d rather be envied and resented than spend my time envying and resenting as Eurotrash do.
One of our greatest American writers, Samuel Clemens aka Mark Twain, wrote the following: “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.”
Three people I know from Ohio, Kentucky and Florida have already started the process of selling up to emigrate to Europe. They started the process on the sixth of November . . . I wonder why . . .? Very informative video and well presented. Having worked with a great many Americans I can say that all of them were shocked that Europeans have a very high standard of living, especially healthcare and education.
If only that were actually true. For nations that are as poor as France and Germany to think they have it better than Americans is some Grade A brainwashing, also true of the Scandinavian countries. Norway has a tax burden at 44% of GDP, here I thought it was steep paying 27% as we do in the USA.
The irony of this is half the country thinks immigrants to the US are degenerated criminals but Americans emigrating into other country's are gods gift to the other country because an American is enriching it
As an American I never thought America was the greatest country in the world and always knew much of Western Europe was the best place to live in the world. I also never felt free in this country. My point of view probably shifted because I spent 3 months in Europe when I was 10, then kept up with current events and read the newspaper at a very young age and knew that most Western countries except the U.S. have national healthcare, little to no gun violence, a better quality of life and much longer vacations, and were much less materialistic. I then served in the U.S. Army for 3 years and was incredibly envious of the over 2 dozen paid holidays and 6 to 8 weeks paid vacation in Europe. I also adore the massive train system they have all through Europe and great public transportation system.
@@Ru_1963 , and so much more. Simple things, like I can take a walk at night, alone, in the middle of a city of about 2 million population and feel pretty confident (confident to do it every day) that I won't get mugged, or worse yet---killed. I could never do that in any part of the USA, city or rural. People can leave things outside and not worry that they will get stolen, in fact, people will put your valuables up off the ground so that you can find it better (or won't get wet or dirty) when you come back to look for it. I could go on and on. I will never consider going back to hate and crime infestation of the USA.
@@CabinFever52 I grew up in suburbia and lived most of my adult life in suburban and rural areas and I always felt safe without any qualms about my safety. I lived in an urban area for a few years and I was always careful at night, so I know what you mean. But, other than those three years in a city, I have never felt unsafe. It all depends on location and the local demographics.
Americans have no true public transportation systems, except in a few major cities. Amtrak which the government tries to starve into non-existence annually cannot in anyway compare to the European rail system. Instead, the US government and states spend billions on the highway system, with contracts going to those who donate the most money to political campaigns. And what do the American taxpayers get, a never-ending road construction obstacle course. It would be wonderful to not need to own a car especially as one ages.
I'm from The Netherlands an I think social security actually provides more freedom. If you have a safety net that will catch you if you fall, you are more free to fly. You can take more risks.
Sadly the American right-wing virus is catching hold everywhere. For some reason, the right is intent on destroying the social safety net (and in the States, at least, they are call themselves "christians"!)
@@levihornqvist9191 This is patently untrue. This is just a silly right-wing argument with no basis in fact. It's part of the propaganda campaign designed to shift more wealth to the wealthy (who are the true lazy sods out there, since most of wealth is inherited).
UK guy with a US son-in-law. What I see generally gives me the impression that the US demand is "Don't tax me. Give me the freedom to spend my money how I want." Then they have to spend more on what we get from our taxes. A survey of world approaches to health provision 10 years ago concluded that the US pays double per capita for health care compared to the UK - and achieves poorer outcomes. But it seems that US politicians put out the message that healthcare - = North Korea, whereas it really = Scandinavia. PS you can drink the water there as well 😉
Thank you for this! Lived in Europe for 20 years, I've been back in the states for 15 years. I've tried to explain this to friends and family here, but it's quite hard to get through to a brainwashed mind. One needs to live it to understand. I'm definitely moving back once I sell my house. The states are becoming less and less free and intolerable to anyone that's experienced what freedom truly is.
@@heatherhoward2513 we always had a few of our own, but generally the weirdos are not home grown, they have been corrupted by crazy US conspiracies or religions. Generally speaking a lot of us Aussies tend to like individual Americans they meet, but often dislike "America the country" and what it stands for
That and medical debt are truly a constant fear for Americans that I don't thing we notice until it's not there. When I was laid off in the NL, I was really worried about the moving back, if only because I didn't think I could even afford to. Between paying for US insurance, finding an apartment that would take someone without a job, buying a car... and then having to sustain that long enough to get a new job which may involve moving again.
I knew an undocumented American who moved back to the UK. She worked 3 jobs in the USA and was a lone parent living in her parents basement. Now in the UK for 10 years. She has 1 full time job. Has had a free education scotland. Now owns a 4 bedroom home, free education and health care for her children x
I remember GW Bush in a campaign town hall (I think it was), where one lady stated that she worked multiple jobs to support herself. Bush responded, "Only in America!" with a huge smile on his face---like it was a thing of pride.
Great job on your video. You're spot on with your observations. in 1963 as a 14 year old I was able to experience Europe (winning a paperboy contest). It was one of the greatest experiences of my life. I too, made the same observations. We are all being conditioned. So, in spite of my American conditioning, I tried to lead a simple European-type life. I never chased money (had a very modest income), had a job with lots of time off and made life-style changes according to my core beliefs. It's still painful living in a society where people around you have a different value system than you. What makes my day complete is family, a bike ride, and a good book. Simple!
I've lived, worked and spent significant time in France, Italy, Spain, Australia and NZ. Quality of life is so much better in every one of those countries than the experience I had living, working and travelling for a year in the US.
@@georgestockwell7305 To be fair, for example the fire department services, the police department services, libraries and public schools are free in the US, and financed through taxes. There are other things too.
As a Brit who spent some time living in the US (West Virginia) I was shocked by the lack of awareness and ignorance people in the US have of other countries and also how pervasive the law and law enforcement is. It's certainly not the 'Land of the Free'. Just one interaction with law enforcement will show you that! I was accused of being a communist because apparently the UK is a communist country because we have 'socialist' sic healthcare. They just don't seem to get it.
Let me disagree with your statement. There is such a thing as the best place. But not for an entire society, only for individuals or small groups of people. "Best place" will always differ depending on your expectation, so on the individual desires you can only have in common with very few people. Though, I get your meaning. There is no such place as "best place" decided by high instances.
There actually are. We’re the ones living quietly all over the world - keeping our heads down. I live in Germany with a Czech husband. Our daughters are fully acculturated & unlikely to make a home in the US - especially after the last 9 years. Here we have a great quality of life. Violence is rare, education levels are very high, public health is a priority. Pace of life is sane. No place is perfect, but I’ll take this over the grotesque extremism & dysfunction in the US any day. It seems though that Europe will now need to readjust & figure out how to go it alone. As a veteran, I find that tragic.
I agree that there is no such thing as the "best place in the world" in an objective sense. What defines "best place" has a vast range of parameters, and the weighting given to each parameter will vary from person to person, so by definition the "best place" is entirely subjective.
After I had been to Britain and the Continent I wondered why I felt so relaxed there. When I was in my 20s, I had the idea of more is better. I have become more sensible. Time is the thing we don't have enough of. When visiting Koln, Germany one winter's night two of my companions and I thought we'd cut across a wooded park. At 10:30 p m.. We huddled together in fear as this would have been extremely dangerous in Indianapolis. We saw a young mother with her baby in a stroller walking calmly alone and a little bit later a teenager on her bicycle riding by herself along a path. I understood what wealth was.
What schocked me the most in the US, is how extensive the homelessness is. I mean, under every highway brridge, on the pavements, in the parks, living in cars and where not. Having been around much of the world, this stands out as very USA... Extreme prosperity, and extreme poorness. But free to be a poor pariah, or a few percent extremely rich - living in a gated community..with armed guards...separating them from the "waste of the failed" I am, due to failing healt, not working anymore. Still have 2 cars (old) a motorcycle and my own debt-free house. Travelling once a year to the far east, Africa or elsewhere is possible. Healt care costs (and necessary meds) is limited to USD 300 / year. Have lots of guns, locked in a gun safe - for recreational shooting. Not needed for self defense. But, what do I know...
A French historian and professor told us while we were visiting France that the American Revolution was more about Liberty (personal freedom) and the French Revolution was more about Equality (things being equal for all people) Something to ponder. Enjoy your videos!
The USA and Russia have so much in common, above all the inhabitants are convinced that they have it much better than in other countries when in fact they don’t. Either of them.
Seems to me the media in both nations are brainwashing people and withhold a lot of facts. American media normally love to write about the biggest, highest largest etc but I have yet to meet an American that knew about the worlds largest transition project away from fossil/nuclear fuel. It were signed in january 2023 and will transition 220 million Europeans in a decade by raising offshore windmills in the North Sea. On top produce more green hydrogen per year than there ever have been produced green hydrogen in the entire world. A small one digit percentage of the green hydrogen will be used to make sure there are plenty of emission free energy available even when the wind does not blow. Funny how US media do not write about it at all. Not least because USA have same great conditions for creating cheap bulk energy, that on top is emission free. NOTHING but bought politicians by the fossil fuel industry and media owned by same circles, US lobby laws, stand in the way for USA to make a simple scaled copy/paste. SO sad.
I'm a European living in the US for 18 years! I came to this country with a lot of dreams. All my teenage years I believed everything the movies portrayed. I used to love and admire this country, but after a couple of years in the US, I realized that this is not the same country I see in the movies. I was so wrong! I can't wait to retire and go back to Europe! Let Americans believe whatever they want! They have what they deserve and they have to stay here, in their country but the rest of us, we have a country to go back to and live happily.
Went to US to study, carrying the notion of the idealized America portrayed on screens. Quickly realized that reality is way different, but somehow Americans don't see that. And most refuse to accept the possibility that quality of life in other parts of the world, like my developing country, can be better than the US. Learned very quickly to spot which are the utterly brainwashed ones to avoid having pointless conversations with.
@@adrianamartins5479 Lol how insecure can someone be….if you want to go back to Europe, just go, you don’t have to jingoistically screech about it online.
Thanks for sharing this. For the last few years, I am realizing I want more freedom from violence, freedom from astronomical health care costs and freedom from car dependent cities!
yeah, im italian and i live in Italy, i got my driver license at 39 years old because i dont needed it. i took it just to have more freedom in my movements but i still use my car once or twice per week 💪👍
It's all down to how you define freedom. Its a cultural thing. For me, am old norwegian, freedom is to know I will get help if i lose my job, if i lose a leg or lose my health. That insurance is also a kind of freedom.
It's funny. I can afford a large luxury car, but neither need nor want it. Ditto huge plasmascreen, massive fridge, and so on. My wealth to me is a matter of security, not something I wish to flaunt.
How anyone can seriously claim the country with the highest amount of its population in prison can possibly be the most free baffles me. If you're so free, how can so many of you end up in prison? That doesn't work.
"The freedom of one person ends where the freedom of another begins." This phrase expresses the principle that individual freedom should be respected as long as it does not infringe on the freedom of others. Indeed, for a harmonious society, our actions must respect the rights and freedoms of others. Balancing personal liberty with social responsibility is essential.
Sadly a sentiment being lost in the modern world. Less so in the EU, but certainly in the UK where ‘my rights’ to do what the 🤬 I want, when I want, where I want, for however long I want etc etc, to the exclusion of all those around me, now seems to be the prevailing mentality. The single biggest reason I wouldn’t move back to the UK is this utterly self serving mentality. Anti-social behaviour writ large.
I am so happy to have found your channel (I am french) After what happened this week this is refreshing to hear this from Americans and we are happy to welcome you in our beautiful country 👌🏻
I love the US and am so relieved that we may have the possibility to once again survive and thrive. However, I want the French lifestyle. I have been cleansing myself and my environment of all the excesses we are expected to accumulate. I have reduced my living space by three quarters and find that I love my environment so much more now. That said, it’s my preparation for moving my life to France!!! ❤. Thank you for getting down to the real fundamentals of life in your videos.
Hi Jason and Raina, I completely agree with your observations. I always cringe when I hear Americans claiming their country is superior to all others even though they do not have a clue about the world outside the US. The violence, the toxic masculinity and misogyny, the racism, the polarisation, the inequality, the crude views about how God somehow selected the country as his own and the perverted view that God played a role in the election of a convicted rapist and criminal, all of this makes me and many other people I know shudder in disbelief. Another thing that is very hard for civilised people to grasp is the idolatry around the U.S. Constitution, a deeply flawed historic document that many Americans misunderstand, or don’t even know, and should long have been rewritten. The way many Americans believe, without knowing any better, in the US being superior to other countries borders on the infantile. From the six years of my childhood and teenage years I spent there, what I remember most is the institutionalised ignorance and downright idiocy being forced upon people through the education system and the media. You referred to it as brainwashing, and that is exactly what it is. I say this because when you try to inform and explain to Americans what is actually going on in other countries, they refuse to believe it, as other commentators have also pointed out. Yes, Germany has a constitution. No, Australians are not communists. The amount of extremely stupid views I have heard from Americans in my life is staggering. In the US, freedom is understood as the maximum assertion of your own free will upon other people without regard for the consequences it has for others and the rest of society - let alone the environment or climate. Everything is based on greed and the pursuit of material possessions, and in the midst of it is an immature and completely baseless view that the US is somehow special. From afar, it now looks as if the US as a mass social experiment started in 1776 has gone horribly wrong, where a majority have voted in favour of their own exploitation. It has turned into a sinister joke on the world stage, looking like nothing more than a vast corporation run for the benefit of its millionaire and billionaire shareholders. Let’s hope people will one day wake up and see it. I’m happy for you that you made the right choice to move to a civilised European country and wish you all the best!
" In the US, freedom is understood as the maximum assertion of your own free will upon other people without regard for the consequences it has for others and the rest of society - let alone the environment or climate." ^^ This...... so this. ^^^
Nobody with any standing or future left Eu. for America , of those who did , nobody could afford an 8-12 week passage or food to sustain them for that time , plus seed money IF you landed safely . Nearly all the ships were chartered by govts or rich arseholes clearing their lands for profit , sad as it is they shipped off their dross , the French donated a big fuck-off statue in appreciation of taking the contents of their jails and asylums . Our journalists and authors wrote all about this New World , and coined the phrase "wild wild west" . 95% were indentured , i.e. slaves .
I agree with everything you are saying, and so eloquently as well. Institutionalized ignorance, that is spot on. I guess an American counterpoint to this is that mere existence has got to be a high risk high stakes game for excellence to emerge. And those who fall by the wayside, well they just chose to be losers or they have ended up where God intended them to be. Another thing that comes to mind is just how drab and downright ugly most of built up America is. I think that accounts for the hysterical colorfulness of their politics, their entertainment, their polarisation, all those facets you evoke.
![ลองสุ่มไอโฟน 990 โกงมั้ย? [ โกงมั้ยครับ ep.101 ] | DOM](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/bfsWe0j492k/mqdefault.jpg)
The measure of the prosperity of a country is not how many ultra-rich people there are but how few poor people there are.
And how those poor people live.
…how few poor people there are *relative to the number of people* living in the country.
@@alfaeco15 In truth, prosperity is more about how well poor people live. Success is another matter. And I think, people mix the meanings of success and prosperity.
Success and prosperity don't exclude each other but also don't need each other.
@@Belaziraf
'Success' is achieving what one sets out to achieve.
'Prosperity' is a measure of success ONLY if one sets out to be prosperous.
The measure of the prosperity of a country can't be measure with one metric. Situations are complex, you can't sum them up with one number.
I from Denmark. The best is I never have to worry about health care. No matter if loose my job or not, I will have access to high quality health care.
Your country is about 6 million people.
@@emerybaybluesI don’t get the logic in this statement: after all 6 million people paying for 6 million‘s people health vs. …?
@@emerybayblues , and??
@@CabinFever52 Look at US military expenses, why don't you?
@@borisnegrarosa9113 , I don't see the US military as any kind of a plus. It is too large and too vast and a huge drain on the population. The American military industrial complex is making too much money to ever let the world live in peace. It will always be looking to create and perpetuate wars so that it continues to make as much money off of the suffering of people as possible. You get no bonus points for that response.
Freedom does not mean that you can do what you want, but that you are not forced to do what you don't want.
(Jean-Jacques Rousseau)
Freedom is also to be able to say that 2+2=4 without consequences.
@@alfaeco15 … and also to be called out if your calculation doesn't add up. Yours doesn't.
(And yes, I got that you are talking about immigration.)
@@hape3862 So 2+2 is not equal to 4 for you?
And... how do you got what you got about me? US migration is none of my concerns, I am not even there.
@@alfaeco15 "So 2+2 is not equal to 4 for you?" - Yes, but so is 3+1! And are your 2s really 2s so that adding them really equals 4?
"I am not even there" - Neither am I. I'm German.
"And... how do you got what you got about me?" - Not being allowed to say something "true" like 2+2=4 is what right-wingers say when their bullshit is being called out. So I just guessed you are referring to migration as the current favorite issue where Nazis feel "silenced". But feel free to enlighten me what you meant with 2+2=4! Do you still have grievances about Covid? Do you deny human made climate change? Do you want Russia to annex all of Ukraine? Do you feel pressed to be "woke"? Do you think the earth is flat? What do you think you can't say without consequences? Tell me! And I'll tell you if I come to the same conclusion as you.
« Our freedom ends where that of others begins. »
My wife and I moved to Italy 16 years ago. We love it here and can't imagine ever living in America again. We have more time to enjoy each other and life in general. People are just kinder to each other and less judgemental of others. We have smaller cars, a smaller home, but a bigger life.
Yet the American movie Equaliser 3 is set in Italy & is filled with gun violence, just another example of American entertainment industry selling Americanisation of foreign countries to American audiences.
Is it any wonder that Americans are gun obsessed when almost every movie ( definitely every action movie ) is filled with gun violence?
Theres an irony in gun ownership. Would you rather be free to own a gun, or live somewhere where owning a gun is not needed? I’ve lived in both, I prefer the latter.
Yes ! It's, evidently the only right answer
Owning a gun in the US is not needed for anything (I am 69 and have never owned a gun, nor even a car for 45 years - but I have always lived in cities).
You don't need them, until you do. Lifetimes are short. Governments are filled with humans.
"where owning a gun is not needed"
For the moment.
@@JimC And with MAGA winning, that "moment" seems a helluva lot closer in the US right now than aywhere in the EU.
The biggest laugh is that the rest of the world does not see the USA as the greatest country in the world.
The US is not even number 1 anymore. It hasn't even been number 1 for a long time.
1. China.
2. EU.
3. USA
Now that Trump has won the election the world’s opinion of America has plummeted and rightly so.
SO TRUE!!
Yeah who do they call to save them time and time again. It's easy to spot the cowards who have their freedom because other like ME shed the blood to keep us free. I don't even have to ask if you served.
Have you seen the first seven minuted of “The Newsroom”?
My eyes were opened when I got a job with a German company and had to spend a lot of time in Germany on business. I started seeing that America isn't first in anything except the belief that we're first in everything.
America is the first in military technology but I am not sure if that is an achievement.
@@mrmercury9286 A lot of that military technology wasnt developed in the us though.. a lot of it was developed in collaboration with other nato powers (or outright purchased from other nations arms companies and produced under licence).. from the main gun on the abrams tank to lots of the high tech components in the f22 and f35 etc.. its a huge circle of codependencies and international cooperation
@kmortensen9312 , I didn't know that, but it's nice to find out. To me it seems that Trump doesn't like that spirit of cooperation and wants to isolate America. Kinda like it was before WW2.
Clothes or candles?!
YES!!
To me carrying a gun is not a sign of freedom it is a sign of fear.
I ask a Texan a few years ago” why are Americans so afraid of each other?”
His answer” I’m not afraid of no one , I have a twelve gauge next to my front door!”
My point exactly.
Are you aware that not even 40 percent of Americans own guns?
We aren't all afraid or paranoid. Many of us would love changes to our gun laws. I have never in my 58 years even held a gun to shoot, nor do I want to. My husband used to enjoy hunting and owns guns. They aren't in our hone for protection, but could be used if necessary.
American states, much like European countries, are all different and have different cultures, and even different laws.
I have never in my life been forced to say the pledge of allegiance or sing the national anthem. I do not have a flag on my home. I do not wear patriotic clothing, except on the 4th of July.
I have never believed the USA to be better than any other country, and I don't really care if other countries are more free or less free than mine. I also don't live to have bigger or better things than others. We live within our means. Just as I assume people elsewhere do.
These people are projecting their own BS on all other Americans, and it's just not accurate.
@@jonok42 There are currently at least 25 million gun owners in the EU, mainly men. Together, they own approximately 79.8 million guns. This means an average gun ownership rate of 15.7 guns per 100 people in the EU. Arms possession varies between Member States. The United States has the highest rate of civilian gun ownership at 120.5 firearms for every one hundred civilians. Switzerland ranks second with only 27.58 firearms for every 100 civilians. Japan has the fewest guns per capita, at 0.33 per 100 civilians.
@@wim907 I'm Hungarian. I don't think I've ever met anyone who owns a gun (except hunters and professionals)
@wim907 you really can't count Zwitserland for gun ownership... their military is based upon drafting, and everyone who has trained for military surface has his gun at home.
@@jonok42are you aware of how silly it sounds to Europeans to say "only" 40% of Americans owns guns? In most European countries the gun ownership is a few percent of the population! Most people don't know anyone who owns a gun. In my whole life, I have met 1 EU person who owns a gun... he's a hunter, and has a hunting rifle. I know of no-one who owns a gun for self-defense.
I’m a Brit and I lived in Texas for a couple of years and found that, at least in Texas, societal expectations were so ingrained practically everybody was chained to achieving the expected goals and, to my eyes, were far from being free because of it. I also came to realise that a civilised society is at least partially defined by how the “haves” treat the “have nots” .ie how ,as a society, we support those in need. The USA, sadly, falls far below what most of Europe would regard as civilised in this respect.
calling social programs entitlements, as if people don't deserve them
Yep, the cry of "individualism" has created the slow decline of American humanity. You fall off the tree of success in the US, you're on your own. It's a dog eat dog world. A good example is post health and trauma care for returning vets. As a Canadian vet, I've spoken with many American vets, some as good friends. Most of their stories are abysmal. Their Dept. of Defense puts considerable energy into recruitment, training and on-going benefits, but the moment you become physically or mentally deficient over the long term, you're disposable.
Where in Texas were you? I lived in Houston, which was dull and awful, and San Antonio which was fun and lovely. Big place Texas .. :)
It's about to get worse.
Britain is not a country ffs you either come England, scotland , Wales , or n Ireland Britain is not a country you brain dead clown alba shaor a nis
Canadian here, whilst in the military, I had the pleasure of being stationed in Germany for 7 consecutive years. During that time I lived on the second floor of a German family home (they turned out to be my family away from home) I also traveled to many European countries.Having done so with an open mind and heart has made me a more accomplished human being. Seeing how others do things differently is refreshing and makes you realize that WE are not better or superior to anyone else. Now, almost 30 later I still do some things the European way, enjoy European cooking, and live in a more European way. Travel = education. Everyone should try it!☺️
Hi there! From Belgium, living in the US. Was also stationed in Germany. Anyway to your point: I find it strange when telling a youngster they should learn another language (doesn't matter which one) to be rebuffed by them or their parents that there is no need since "everybody" speaks English. To which I try to make them understand that it is not all about the "mechanics" of learning the language itself, but you also start learning the culture behind it. To no avail though... . It's a shame.
@@saulnier100%
I'm planning on it now that the bottom has dropped out of the Morality, Real Patriotism, and the abject Stupidity of the general populace to grasp the dire need to seriously address Climate Change and that it's a humanity killing event. It's going to take me a year to get ready. I'm elderly, but I'm DONE.. OVER. Assuming I can get the finances in line it's Hosta LaVista Baby! And it is literally the failing by Merrick Garland and his Goodie Two Shoes take on Trumplforeskin and his criminal empire.
One of my childhood memories is that of Canadian soldiers in our town (in Lower Saxony in the 80s; not entirely sure why we met them; maybe some drill or so). They had really nice big stickers of Canadian flags, one of which took a prominent place on the headpiece of my bed.
Thank you for your service, Sir!
@@Harm10412 Probably one of the NATO Reforger maneuvers. We were "next door" in the Lüneburger Heide by the Elbe. Got to wave to the Russians/East Germans on the other bank once lol. (mid 70's)
When my daughter was born here in Switzerland 14 years ago, pretty much our only expense was parking at the hospital. Now we're looking toward college, and she neither suffers through the overwhelming stress teens in America go through about college admissions (she'll get a fine education), nor will we need to come up with north of 100k to pay for it. Meanwhile, when she walks out the door to go to school in the morning, I've never once worried that she'll come home with bullets in a body bag. But yeah, our fridge is really small.
But they huge fridge in local grochery shop.
spectacular, you are absolutely correct
@@pirateprofessor Well, at least the USA has free parking at the hospital.🙃😉
@@tomfields3682 Um... No, that's only at *some* hospitals. Of the 4 area hospitals my family's had to visit in the past decade, two charge hourly parking fees, and one of the other two is now "surveying" to see how people would react to paying for parking.
Bravely spoken by somebody who's country has the population size and management challenges of Connecticut.
Europe is looking at America now and the feeling is not envy.
I just want to give my usa brothers a big hugg & a schoulder to cry on.
I still envy their income and tax levels which has a direct impact on anyone's quality of life.
@@miks564Except, it isn't enviable. The US sucks in many ways that can be solved with higher taxes, especially for the rich (higher incomes).
Australians would applaud this. A friend of mine moved back to Australia from the US purely based on wanting to feel safe. If your kids aren’t safe at school, you’re not ‘free’.
As an Australian, having school shooting drills is a bizarre manifestation of US "freedom", and an indication of how backward the thinking apears to be there.
I've met a number of Americans who have moved here because it's a better place to raise their kids. Australia has its own problems, but not on the scale of the US.
My kids' secondary school has one fence - the one behind the footy goals to try to stop the ball going on the road. The kids compete for who can successfully kick a ball over that fence. There are no other fences on the campus, and the security cameras only operate outside school hours.
Funny how Australia is totally isolated yet we know what's going on with the rest of the world. And we're not that egotistical to believe nothing needs improvement 😊
Did exactly the same….but back to UK
The best freedom to be appreciated in Europe as opposed to the USA is 5 more years of life expectancy!!!
The measure of the quality of a society is in how it treats the weakest amongst them.
IMHO in letter-grade terms right now the USA gets a D+ but we're working hard to make it an F.
@@moi01887as an American I would also give us a d+ lol. I don’t know where all the hardcore patriotism comes from personally. Often times people that have it refuse to see the issues we need to work on here. Doesn’t mean I hate the US, because both things can exist at the same time. I notice many things in our country are viewed as black and white, which is likely why everything feels so polarized and/or political, failing to see the nuance in things. It’s sad to see how people become more and more divided as the years pass
@@moi01887 quite disheartening 😢
@moi01887 A throw away society that is conditioned to throw away people and condemn its indigent elderly to die in death camps.
@@lorena.e It’s not “hardcore patriotism”, it’s faux patriotism. All of this flag-waving started in earnest during the first Iraq war. When the Iraq situation started, it was a chance to go shoot some “sand ni__ers”, with the backing of the strongest military in the world (so they had very little fear that they would wind up like their targets). I think even a celebrated sniper had been accused of racist attacks while deployed in Iraq. Anyway, I can’t tell you how many times I heard that derogatory term used to describe the people over there. So in many cases it wasn’t really patriotism, it was racism. Ask those so-called “patriots to go to war against other white folk and with a capable military and see how quickly they line up. Hell, they’re now cowering to Russia, for Pete’s sake!
As a retired member of the US Armed Forces serving the United States Navy I think I had one view of the country that I grew up with. However, 12 years ago, I decided to change jobs when I got divorced and I went to work for Carnival Cruise Line on board ships. I lived and worked with people from Europe and Asia and got their perspective on things. It made me a much better person. It gave me a much different perspective on other cultures as a whole. This last election I think has brought out some of the worst in America. the thought of American exceptionalism left me many years ago as I learned more about other cultures. so I enjoy videos like yours. They give a perspective of somebody who was raised here but now lives abroad thank you for a great video
I agree with you as an American living in Japan. My wife (Japanese) and I, for example see elections completely different. My wife says that Americans are too stressed over elections, and I agree with you that this last election has brought the worse in people. After reading your comments, it's changed some of the bad mannerisms I had with that election. I also enjoyed this video. My parents (in the US) have seen some changes in me, both physically and mentally since I've lived in Japan; mostly good. The only real bad thing is that I don't visit the US as much as before (mostly because of my job and my family here in Japan). If anything, Japan has taught me that a good healthy life and good access to affordable health care, and people are more important than material things. When buying things, I buy high quality things that I know I will use for a long time, rather than to show off. When buying less expensive things, I've learned to take care of them.
Rah Shipmate, what country did you move to? My family is looking now
I think you hit the nail on the head. These kind of discussions should not be on "Who is best", but how can we take the best part of each view and combine them into an even better view.
The sum should always be bigger than the adding up of individual parts.
Really well put! As a Canadian, I think diversity enhances a country, its people, its culture and its opportunities.
Everyone around the world should try and engage with other cultures. It opens oneself up to other points of view, its not just the US that is narrow minded, people in europe or asia fall for the same stuff. As a world we need to understand that borders arent real, the world is shared and only together can we tackle the problems of the future
I'm an American who moved to the UK 28 years ago at the age of 40. I've travelled in Europe and experienced the cultures in different countries as well. The points made in this vid are spot on. The quality of life, free time, work life balance, food, healthcare and feeling content far outweigh anything monetary.
The US is not a country. It’s a business.
I was just typing that same sentiment…it’s so sad…
And soon to be run by a crooked business man.
Underrated comment!
100% - and if we step back it's possible to see that US is showing the rest of the world what failed capitalism looks like.
There needs to be a balance between social care and infrastructure, and capitalist business and progress.
USSR showed us pure socialism doesn't work as there's little progress, US shows us pure capitalism doesn't work because it leaves too many poor and doesn't look after those with health issues.
Both show that there's too much corruption at the top.
@@garryhancock3394😰
I don't argue with Americans anymore because they are brainwashed on a central system that fires commercial at them everyday. But after visiting 81 countries, working and living in 4 ,now in France there is just no comparison, gladly over 9 million Americans are now living abroad, good for them good for you, and good for me. Salut!
There are a lot more of us who aren't living abroad (yet) who realize how much better other countries are treating their citizens and how much better the quality of life is. A great number of us get it more than you think (those of us that have traveled that is lol).
@@NikkieMullet There is a minority that do but most don't get it.
@@NikkieMullet yeah I am among them. BUT the impetus was that I did have the luxury of a sort of immersive traveling experience when I was in my teens and that was PURE luck. It's easy for people not to "get it" when they have not experienced other options first hand. Even traveling in a touristy way doesn't give most that kind of insight but with the lack of paid leave and cost of living factors that hit the majority in the US, it's not too hard to understand how it is that many never get out for a different view of things.
It's quite sad. I do feel so lucky to have "seen" it myself, and I am also exceptionally lucky that I (accidentally) chose a career path that is very marketable in the EU (which is key to getting a residence permit - a lot of people don't seem to understand that you can't just move wherever you like - you will be an immigrant and you need to fulfill the requirements like anyone else)
not all of us are brainwashed.. sadly most are.
lol if you’re insecure about being a vassal state of America, just say it. You don’t have to hide behind “monsieur ze Americans are brainwashed.”
Great video! I love the US. I'm a veteran, was born and raised here, but have also lived extensively overseas, including long stays in Germany, Italy and Japan. The problem with America in my opinion, can be summed up with the pervasive attitude that most Americans want all the rights that come with freedom, but none of the responsibilities. Our reaction to COVID and the politicization of wearing a mask is the most stark example that comes to mind.
"all the rights that come with freedom, but none of the responsibilities"
Here here! It's like people don't want to admit freedom comes with responsibility. Too many think the "freedom to be obnoxious and offend others" is absolute then they get angry when they are the ones offended.
In my entire life I've always felt like rights and responsibilities are joined at the hip. You can't have a right without a responsibility, and you can't give up a responsibility without giving up a right.
And when somebody tell you that you have to "pay the bill," we scream that someone's taking away my freedom.
The US has some great assets, but we are both terrified of looking in the mirror to see what we're really like, and dismissive of the good in other countries, because "they can't be as good as us, right?"
This Canadian was shocked that the so-called 'patriots' wouldn't lift a finger to help protect their communities. I wouldn't want tto go to war with them.
Forced wearing.
As a European watching a lot of US vs. Europe content lately, I've learned to appreciate how living debt-free is much more common here. Now that's the kind of wealth I wish upon everyone.
European states have a lot of depts though. And much less growth than the US. So all europeans will still have to pay back with higher taxes and costs.
@@OptLab Europeans pay less taxes on average than Americans, if you also include indirect taxes paid in the US that are not paid or paid less in Europe (like premium insurance or high cost of schooling).
@@RaduRadonys True except for the brutto/netto. But eu wages have not increased as much as in the US for 30 years. In general the european economies are running bad compared to the US. (Of course quality of life is another topic)
@@OptLab Euhm... the US ranks in the global top ten of countries with the highest debt. You are correct about European economic growth though. We work less hours per week and we have 5 weeks of paid holiday. That means lower productivity, thus less growth. Europeans are fine with that :-)
@@RaduRadonys That's exactly the opposite: Americans have lower prices and part of the reason is because their equivalent of VAT is less than half what we have in Europe. Another reason is energy price.
...and on top of that, their income is on average well above 60k/year and *they do have much lower direct taxes over income*. ...If you get a half decent job, you will get closer to 100k year. ...I'm talking about USD, but the different to EUR is not that big anyway.
You should rethink that idea that Europeans pay less taxes. Europeans probably pay more taxes than everywhere else on the planet.
Rick Steves sums it up nicely - "Americans...I think we think we're exceptional, and I think, the only thing exceptional about us is our ability to think we're exceptional."
Lots of countries think they're exceptional. The English for one.
@Lightw81 we're exceptionally good at pageants and ceremonial stuff. Other than that, we're pretty ordinary.
@@Lightw81 nope
I really don't think we do. I think that most English people know that we're a small country in a small island with other small countries. In fact, since you are separating England from the rest of the UK, it's a tiny country.
The little Englanders who think this is the greatest country on Earth are an embarrassment to the rest of us.
@@Lightw81 the English don’t think that. The have had some horrible things happen in the UK. One thing that puts the UK above the USA is the fact that the UK actually learn from their mistakes. It only took 1 school shooting for those guns to be banned. America have had so many now it is insane. Seriously you only need a gun if you live on a farm. About town are do you need a gun in case the lion in the local zoo makes a break for it.
I'm a European who used to live in the States. Discussing how things are in Sweden, my home country, usually ment we were labeled as scary socialists and liberals = shunn the non-beliver!
Most Americans are so proud about their freedoms such as freedom of speech, as if no other country has that. It's been a part of the Swedish constitution since 1766 when the Freedom of printing act was made into law. THat is the basis of both freedom of the press and freedom of speech laws world wide.
The main difference between the US and Europe is that European laws and values are based on the Declaration of Universal Human Rights, while the US treats those as a "how not to" govern. USA and North Korea are the only countries in the world who have not rattified the declaration of CHildren's Rights. Stuff like livable wage, free or at least affordable schools, unions and many more are basic human rights.
I saw a comment once where one American was tired of Europeans telling them to travel more. " We do travel. All across the US" What he failed to see is that even though the scenery and climate may have changed, it's still the US. Still the same values, ideas and culture. You don't experience anything new unless you leave the US borders, preferably visiting another continent than your own. I know it's not possible for most Americans since it's quite expensive, but those who can really should.
I'm an American that has lived in Europe. I realize the US Constitution was a poorly written document. I know that US Conservatives use European countries to scare middle and lower class Conservatives of "Socialists" and "Communists." I also understand how Conservative leaders love to keep their constituents uninformed and dumb. I also know how horrible the Democrats are at the game called politics. They let Trump kick their ass twice because he was running against a woman. Europe has had Thatcher and Merkel and whoever else I don't know about. And the US news does it's best to filter out stories about strong foreign state leaders. I know the US doesn't care about children, women, or minority rights because it isn't profitable. I also know how willfully stupid Americans can be. Basically, the US is a hellhole where only the rich escape.
A former first lady from the US (Eleanor Roosevelt) was the chairman/person at the UN when the universal human rights where created.
The US never signed it into law.
what freedom of speech? not in all european country.
USA and Sweden maybe, not in France
@@aventureraclette ? Please explain. I'm an American living in France for 10 years and I see people protesting and demonstrating more than in the US with no problem
@@geoffoakland In France we are free to protest but not free to say whatever we want. If someone says "most of the prisoners are strangers or from foreigner ancestry" he can be sued and he will be fined because it is viewed as "incitement to hatred" even though it's true. It's something I hate about my country because even though we disagree with a point of view, I think it's important to discuss about it. We shouldn't immediately condemning it and closing the door to the debate (which is worse in the end because it creates many frustration and distrust toward elites).
I lived in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire England for thirty some years of my life. It was wonderful. I really regret, especially now, having gone back to the US. The reason I went back was because my husband came down with mesothelioma, and wanted to live his last days near his parents. While here, I was hit by a drunk driver as I walked down a sidewalk in his home town. I was in hospital for over a year, and then in rehab for quite awhile. The medical bills and rehab bills piled up, and I had to take bankruptcy after my traveller's insurance ran out. I am now too disabled to have a job, and after a severe kidney infection which I got because my care aides were not trained to do my catheter care properly, I am now dying of stage 5 kidney failure. I'm not saying that such an accident would not have happened in the UK. It's entirely possible. But I would not have had to declare bankruptcy because I'd be covered by the National Health. I'd paid into it all the while I was there, and it was a comfort to know that it was always there as long as I was in the UK. In the United States, you are always an instant away from becoming impoverished by the medical system, which is very messed up, and even dead because of ill trained medical care personnel. In the city I live in, they do not have enough doctors, and the time it takes between calling your primary care physician and the time you can schedule an appointment can be as much as a year.
There are so many other things which make life in just about any other European country better that it's hard to name them all. As they hinted at in the video, if you're someone who thrives on gross consumerism, you probably will have a hard time living in Europe, but if you don't need a lot of things, and enjoy spending time with a few friends, you're going to be really well off. Being back here in the States, I find myself constantly put of by former friends always talking about their this, and that, and the other, and kind of looking down their nose at me because I don't have any interest in that game. I'm plenty happy with my small disability accessible apartment, my computer, and a library card which gets me all the books I care to read. I live in a decent neighbourhood where I can roll around during the day if the weather permits. I wish I had a few more friends here. It seems that having "things" is the price of admission for having lots of friends, so I settle for the few that I have, which more often than not are expats working at the local University. That means they come and go. No one very permanent, but at least they are folks who are interesting, and are more interested in discussing things other than just their "things". There are times when it's very lonely over here. I'm definitely still experiencing culture shock, and having a bit of a time readjusting to life here. Since life draws short, I'll just have to make do with life as it is. I think it would be much worse now if I hadn't learned to live as people do in much of the rest of the world.
With the recent elections having turned out the way that they have, things are certain to get worse. A lot worse. I'm really having a difficult time with the way people are behaving in the United States, but it will get worse as people figure out what they voted for, and how much less they are going to have in all ways. I expect that the medical care that I need won't be available, and once the president elect becomes the president, some of the things he has said he will do will make it difficult even to acquire food if you're unable to work. I now live in fear of what my government may do to me, but also what other people might do. I probably will not be going outside a lot more, for fear of being an easy target. I don't watch TV, and they are talking about cutting funds to the city library. This country isn't what it likes to think it is, and I can assure you, it's going to get worse. If I could move back to Cambridge, I'd do it in a heartbeat, but that isn't going to happen.
Best of luck to those of you who made, or will make the jump on time, and are enjoying a peaceful, safe, and fulfilling life.
I am truly sorry you’re going through all that. I know this may be a long shot but if you’re able to travel, would you be able to ask some expats or students from the university to help you get a “go fund me” and also popularize it on social media? Have you also thought about reaching out to the UK consulate or embassy or even your old town hall or old social services and see what they say?
Thank you for your post. Sincerely praying for you including a positive turn in your medical situation.
This is a very sad comment. I wish you could come back to Britain. Are you still in touch with anyone in Cambridge? Perhaps someone could help you. Like the last person, I will pray for you, especially after what has just happened. The woman in the video mentioned having to buy insulin. I am now injecting insulin and I get it free, thanks to the NHS. Of course, I paid for it in taxes when I was working. I hope things work out for you. The thought of being too frightened to go outside, is just unbelievable. God bless.
It is remarkable that you, even after living there for decades,
still refers to the place in the 'Murrican way.
I am so, so, so sorry to read your situation. I myself left the US after I was hit by a drunk driver, eventually hit the limit of my insurance, and was homeless.
Sending you big hugs and courage.
I’m from Norway 🇳🇴
This is the most intelligent video I have seen in a long time. It’s so true.
I moved my family out of the US in 2023. I didn't want my kids to grow up ignorant and arrogant.
🙄
@@Michelle.1952 Nice rebuttal, dip shit
Same. Looks like I got out just in time.
Welcome to the world.
So where did you move?
"Freedom to" vs "freedom from" is a great observation and distinction.
It's basically Isaiah Berlin's "2 concepts of Liberty".
Plenty of both freedom from and freedom to in the UK. We can walk across a road anywhere so long as we've looked to see that it's safe - no jaywalking charge. We can let our gardens ("yards") grow wildflowers and long grass without being charged with neglect. We can burn a national flag without that in itself being a crime (not that I'm recommending that!). The list goes on. I've visited the US on a number of occasions for various lengths of time and found it felt more restricted than Scotland where I live, especially re trespass - we have a "right to roam" in Scotland, a landowner here can't have freedom from me walking on his land.
true
You just have to consider the E numbers in US food (They have the freedom to add them by the scoop full) V's the lack of E numbers in the rest of the world.
I've just watched another Vid that showed the ingredients in EU V's US McDonald's Burgers. The EU ones had three ingredients (NO E Numbers) the US ones had eight (majority E Numbers).
G'day yanks! And welcome to the free world!
Here's a thought. "Freedom to..." is my freedom. "Freedom from..." is *our* freedom.
I've been an American living in rural Japan for the last 30+ years in one of the poorest prefectures in country. Still, the quality of life here is amazing: affordable health care, high-quality, affordable food, trains that run on time, super-fast internet, pristine rivers and mountains, great waves, and some of the friendliest people on the planet. Japan has its share of problems, but life is better here than in the US.
Everywhere except religious fanatics countries, is better that the USA
What I hear from those who have travelled to Japan is that the Japanese are also incredibly polite.
@@g.n.b.3351 I’ve been to Japan and you are correct. Japanese people are very polite. What I like most about Japan is the respect Japanese show each other. Their awareness and attention to how their own actions affect others is sorely missing in the US. Once you begin traveling, your mind is forever opened. I would love to be able to immigrate to Japan.
I wonder why, if their country and culture is so great, the Japanese don't want to get married, have kids, and keep everything moving forward? What's missing? What's the problem?
@@brianbieron4733 Because their society is incredibly racist and backward. A popular saying is "The nail that sticks out gets pounded down". Even if you learn their language, you are nothing more than a talking dog. Courtesy prevents them from showing this to tourists.
You guys got it right. My wife and I moved to Spain in 2017 and have never looked back. I really love life in Europe.
Yes I think it was opposite people moving in 1930s to US obviously found it more appealing.
People here in Europe now move to Australia and New Zealand.
After spending 3 years in the Netherlands while in the US military in the early 80s, I took me years to realize how much I’ve missed Europe. I’m 71 and yearning for enjoying life in my golden years and I can’t do that in the states. Convincing my wife ( who hasn’t lived outside the US) to immigrate is my priority. She’s scared. Hopefully, she’ll come around. We have the resources to move so I’m going to keep trying. Wish me luck!
good luck
Just try living with her in Europe for a limited period, say, 6 months. And have her talk to expats. Chances are this will convince her
How's your health? This is my number one priority because I have a little difficulty getting around and I'm a veteran under care with the VA.
@ My health is good . Arthritis in my knees but no issues. I get around and play golf and walk almost everyday.
Do it guys you won't regret it.
I'm from Houston, Tx and now I living in Vienna for 30 years and it's so crazy! I can't even begin to break it down, but to avoid negative words, I will just say I love Europe.🙂
You can break it down! Most of the world already knows it besides brainwashed Americans 😂✌️
American also in Vienna, here. I second that.
Is Vienna expensive? I've never been. But would love to
to be fair a little, Vienna was awarded the most liveable city title, and it's a gem. Regardless, even less developed Eu cities can have great things like free public transport for locals in Tallinn
@@kalo924 , you can eat healthily here--even if you are frugal. There is a wide range of accommodations from cheap air B&B to 5 star hotels, with lots of sites to see for free to moderate pricing.
In America it your right to own a gun and health care is a privilege in Europe health care is your right and to own a gun is a privilege just about sums it up really
It's pretty easy to own a weapon in France but a "useful" weapon like a hunting weapon, a sport weapon or if your job can be exposed to attacks. But I agree with you, it will never be automatic assault rifles or SMGs (which apart from being a police officer in an intervention or military brigade is not much use).
@@CROM-on1bz Try to have a gun bearing licence ... then we'll speak about " easiness " to have a gun ;)
Owning a gun isn't a privilege (at least not in Great Britain) -- people don't want to own them & don't understand why other people do.
The first question is "do you wish to own a gun?" If the reply is yes then clearly you should never own a gun.
Inspector Fowler The Thin Blue Line TV series.
Sums up British attitudes to guns.
Ditto CANADA
I wouldn't describe the United States as insular, but many Americans don't know where Canada is.
Yup, if you ask them to point in the direction of North they wouldnt have a clue either🫣
Most people in most countries are terrible at geography. People in Europe have no idea where anything in the US is.
Excellent video. I'm an Australian who has spent time in many countries including the US. I always find it amusing that a country which doesn't teach its citizens about the rest of the world thinks it is the best country. From safety, healthcare, income equality and freedom perspectives the US has a lot to learn. Just being indoctrinated that you are the best doesn't make it so.
I’m American, and I see things pretty clearly I believe. I would only consider the U.S. “The best” in a military and technology sense. As far as quality of life, I’d rather live in Australia or the U.K.
@@ericray7173 I'll give you military, but for technology I refer you to Germany, Japan and the Netherlands (ASML).
I'm also Australian.
The USA is a very indoctrinated country, and a lot of Americans don't challenge it!!...
@@apveening...and Taïwan .
I will add that the indoctrination actually tends to allows the powerful to oppress the less powerful, thus reducing the freedom of the masses. The US is losing their middle class, and has a growing poverty class.
I have a certain gastrointestinal issue that I’ve dealt with for years. I recently vacationed in Spain. The food there is unbelievably delicious-better than your average American food. And that health issue I have; it literally went away overnight. I really came to the horrifying conclusion that whatever American companies are being allowed to put in our food supply is literally poisoning us, and so many health problems that Americans have are caused by our government permitting these big corporations to use inferior ingredients (and chemicals) in what we eat.
So true. I don't like the food here. I live a healthy lifestyle, and we do have some health food stores, but they are few and far between.I eat mostly raw vegetables, fruit and some vegetarian protein. I drink a lot of water. I take vitamins daily. I can't find anything to eat in restaurants because there aren't many healthy choices. The candy and junk food is out of control here. It's frustrating.
@ Even with fruits and vegetables, God knows what they spray on all that.
had similar experience. Been having gastro issues for last few years. Spent 10 days in Japan. After 1st 2 days I felt fine rest of the trip
Even the wine in America made me ill. LOL. Seriously however I doubt that one night in Europe is going to cure your gastrointestinal problems. A little halo effect goes a long way.
Freedom to have convicted felons running your country doesnt sound like the sort of freedom that sounds good to me
Carrying a gun is not a sign of freedom.
Guns are for scared people, not tough guys
Only for the person holding it 😂
@@krissyg7026 But are they free of fear or captured by fear?
To be fair, it was a strong tool of freedom when colons were stealing lands and resources from other people, and when bears and other Nature niceties could be a daily encounters. Plus, a tool to feed yourself.
But despite what the fascist there are claiming, these times are over. If there is a need for legitimate (hopefully) violence they call 911.
Like 2000 years ago when there was still lions in Greece, outside the settlements carrying a bow or a spear or a large knife could make sense. But not in the 21st century.
@@krissyg7026 No it is a sign of paranoia and ignorance
Greetings from an American living in Germany since 1985. You are absolutely right. Great video 👍
As an American who lived in Europe for several years, the way I've tended to explain the difference in QoL is that in the US you live to work, in Europe you work to live.
david:
Ben Franklin said : "Some people eat to live, and other people live to eat."
@@rdelrosso1973 living to eat is not a good thing, surely?
Live to work is not a life .
@@mikeoglen6848exactly
@@mikeoglen6848 From what I see, some people are doing a pretty good job here of living to eat. Just hope they are not sitting next to me on an airplane.
I grew up in a big isolated country.
Australia and I truly hope we never end up believing as Americans do.
It seems we (Aussies) tend to follow and adopt a lot of what the US does but what may save us going down the same route as them is that an awful lot of us do travel overseas and experience other places, cultures and ideas. Maybe because Aus, and NZ for that matter, are truly physically isolated, and not just mentally isolated, so we have the need to reach out and feel connected.
And who's responsible for the greatest international villan of the late 20th and early 21st centuries? Or is Rupert Murdoch not a son of Ozz?
@@susugordy I think also although Australia is quite Americanised in many ways, as a member of the Commonwealth Realm, Australian culture still has strong cultural links to the UK which has its own influence.
It because you retained your Head of State....
Oh that's such a good point. Australia smashes all the excuses the US always state while being not so arrogant and doing many thing the better way. The US is big - yea, Australia is too. The US is sparsely populated in places - yea, Australia even more so. The US population is of many different origin - Australia too. Traveling to another country is far - in Australia it's the same.
Always good to see Americans speaking this way like fully fledged members of the grown up society and world we all live in . thanks .
@@shadow-Sun Please don't listen to our loudest mouths!
@@tomfields3682 Sadly, our loudest mouths are the majority. I have been fighting all my life for things to get better. It is time to peace out.
LMAO how insecure can you be….are you really so obsessed with Americans?
I’m from a small country in Latin America, Uruguay, and even with all the things we need to improve as a nation, we have more rights as citizens than Americans. Our healthcare system is free and universal. There is also private healthcare, but no one is left without medical attention. The same goes for education-everyone has the right to study, including attending university. We have unions, and the right to strike is unquestionable. We may not have high salaries compared to the U.S., but there are many social laws that provide support to access housing. We’ve faced major economic crises and there’s still much to be done, but despite everything, we are freer.
As an Australian soldier, in 1966 I did a 2 week exchange duty in Vietnam with the US Army. While standing in the meal queue I was complimented on my English. This was followed by did I do an English language course prior to my posting to Vietnam? I’m sure these guys could not tell the difference between Austria and Australia. And I’m positive they could not identify either country on a map. American troops would always say that at the end of their tour, they were going back to the world ie. USA. So insular, nothing else existed outside of the continental USA. Most Americans would not know that Australia, New Zealand, South Korea and the Philippines all sent troops to that bloody awful war.
Enlisted are extremely uneducated.
The draft didn't pull guys out of college either.
The slackers went to Vietnam.
I recently had a US company refuse to send a part for my lathe as NZ was on a 'do not send terrorist supporting country list'.
@@GSimpsonOAM Oh, you Kiwis and your blatant support of the Stewart Island Separatist Movement!
The Seps view "America" as the entire world. The Irish are in Boston, the French in Louisiana, the Swedes in the Midwest, etc. This is why they constantly refer to themselves "I'm Irish/Dutch/Italian/German" even though their family not set foot in those countries for a hundred years.
The idea of anything existing outside of America is about as plausible to them as universal health care, or rifle ranges that don't have classrooms.
And keep in mind that those sent to fight in Vietnam were mostly lower income. Those with money found a way to get out of it for the most part.
Canadian here. Living next door to the USA is like the teacher making you sit beside the obnoxious kid in your class and your job is to ignore him/her while he talks non-stop into your ear.
King of burns, right here
But sitting next to and befriending the biggest bully has its perks. He won't bully you, as long as you help him bully others.
The US so obnoxious that in your spare time you choose to click on, watch and comment on a video about America. Obsessed much?
@@Michelle.1952 German here. I watch lots of videos from America because on the one hand they are one of our most important partners, both economically and politically, and I want to know what's going on there unfiltered. That doesn't have to do anything with obsession.
But on the other hand: What actually is going on there is worrying me, and especially with who the United States citizens elected as their next president. At his first term he did have adults in the room who prevented him from following his worst instincts. That won't be the case in his second term. And with him in the White House the term 'bully' is frighteningly appropriate.
@@Michelle.1952 The arrogance in your rebuttal simply proves lynnedenault8195's point.
I've lived in both continents. Europe made me feel human. America made me feel like an industrial machine.
@@greyswandir2807 leave the USA. Please!
@@TeddyRumbleDo you think he still does? 😂 Why would he?
@@TeddyRumble So long as you and your ilk stay there.
@@TeddyRumble Grow up please....
@MickH60 Leave. America's full up.
I’m from the UK. This is an excellent video. Especially the point on freedom to vs freedom from.
Hello. A Brit here .... I have to say, that is one of the best "America Compared to ...." videos I have ever seen on here. I know it's easy to say that when you give European viewers a 'feel good' factor, 'talking UP' your life in France, and (by implication) Europe, compared to the US. But you are both so articulate in your explanations, your comments so insightful (the comparisons around "Freedom to ..." and "Freedom from ..." were revelatory / genius!). Genuinely, a really interesting set of observations. Thanks guys!
The "freedom to, freedom from" - thing is from frenchman Rousseau, around 1750.
I totally agree with you. I grew up in the US in a very "conservative" household and thought the the things you discuss. Then as an adult I have traveled to 22 European countries, and have seen first hand that there are countries with higher standards of living and more care for the citizens than in the US.
Which countries care more for their citizens? I'm looking at other places to live. Thank you.
@@janetpartyka5968start with the dart board and a map of the world. Put a blindfold on and throw a dart. Ossie.
@@janetpartyka5968 Canada and France, but to get citizenship in either one you have to speak French. Go visit a few European countries and talk to the locals. I was very impressed by my trip to France. Get a book or two on how to relocate overseas.
@@brianniegemann4788 You don't need to speak French; English is fine, either official language
What do you mean by higher standard of living?Earning 2k Euros a month,Having low purchasing power and living in Tiny apartments Isn't a Good living Standard
I love how you flipped “freedom to…” with “freedom from…”. That is how I feel about Canada. I don’t worry about medical bills, lack of clean water, mass shootings, etc. We have our issues for sure! But there’s a peace of mind I have being a Canadian…even having that passport while travelling!
What happens when you set up a doctor's. appointment? How long do you have to wait?
@@janetpartyka5968 Had to wait 2 weeks for my last appointment. That was in September.
@@janetpartyka5968 I'm not living in Canada but in Germany. I can attest that wait times here for all docs, especially with specialists, is far, far less than it was in the US when I left 13 years ago. In the US I could not see my pcp unless I booked 6 months in advance. If I got sick I had to go to an urgent care or other "revolving door" clinic. I had to wait over 6 months to have shoulder surgery which was non-elective, to the extent that my left arm was fairly useless during that waiting period. I was once sent home from a hospital after a car accident with a gaping wound on my foot and ankle (no joke it was literally skinned down to the tendons) and told to visit a "local" hospital the next day for insurance reasons.
Now. In Germany I have had two non-urgent surgeries that I waited 2 and 6 weeks for, respectively, and both included overnight hospital stays (in the US I would have been booted out the door as soon as I was awake, as happened with my shoulder surgery). I was admitted to the hospital for a week for a bad case of eczema, same day (yes I thought this was a bit extreme but I did get excellent care). I can *always* see my pcp same day. Specialist appointments range from 2 to 4 weeks in my experience - dermatologists seem to the be the worst with maybe a 6 week wait. I just had cataract surgery on one eye, with a 4 week total turnover (from first exam to measurement/planning exams to surgery) and I will have the other eye done in early December. The hospital stays cost 10 euros per day (with a 200 euro max per year), and aside from 5 euro copay on prescriptions, I paid nothing beyond that for any of this care.
I "could" have private health insurance here but there is zero reason to choose that, because public care is so good.
@@janetpartyka5968 I live in Canada and don't have a doctor, like millions of other Canadians. My old doctor reduced his patient load so he could set up an online health business. Don't believe that Canada's public health care system is all wine and roses, it isn't. A doctor appointment for me means waiting in a clinic for hours. Emergency waits in my city are 12 hours to see someone - likely a nurse. Why? Pecause thousands of people go to the emergency department for health issues now. Specialist appointments? That takes months at the very least. Canada needs to adopt a combination public / private system of healthcare like France has - as well as most high performing health care systems.
My eye doctor (not a public specialty) also has no doctor. Welcome to what Canada has become under it's grotesquely incompetent far-left current government.
@@janetpartyka5968 I live in Montreal. Usually, a day or two for a doctor (depending on the issue). Surgeries and things that can be scheduled ahead of time, you have to wait, but I did that when I lived in the US too.
I hope this video reaches a lot of Americans, they really nead a reality check
American culture's tombstone will read:
Too much was not enough
You did somehow put: American & Culture in one sentence.
I'll be gone before that happens. I'll be back in Europe being treated like I'm a person.
In 1979, we did a land journey from the UK to Australia, so experienced many countries with many different cultures. One thing I noticed, looking back at the West, was how wasteful and greedy we were. In those days, there was no rubbish in the poorer countries, I had one plastic bag, which was received as a wonderful item. Now, they are inundated with our rubbish.
There is an old joke that America is a six year old girl and everyday is her birthday.
"WHERE'S MY PRESENTS !?"
It took a lot of hard work to make an entire country that's a spoiled brat, but we did it!
I've been living in New Zealand 🇳🇿 for 30yrs. Salary low. Own modest house. Government - trusted. No guns (gun violence very rare). Work hard. Personal play/social networks - amazing. Quality of life is awesome.
NZ is a dream country. No overpopulation, stable democracy, health care, marvellous landscapes.
And the country is far away from all the trouble in the world! If I were to be born again, I'd like it to be in New Zealand!
@@ruhri0411
Move here, plenty of room! I’m obviously biased but it’s pretty freaking awesome!
@@NZRic001 Ideal life for me. All most Americans think of is the almighty dollar. So tired of this mentality. Need to get away from that toxicity.
@@NZRic001What’s the immigration policy to get there?
Yeah, as a kiwi living in Sweden I'm not so sure NZ is a dream country. It is certainly not as extreme as the USA, but it is heading in the same direction. A lot of what they said in the video applies here in Sweden too.
From Texas and living in Barcelona Spain for about 32 years, never regret my decision. Love the people, the culture, especially socialized medicine. So happy.
I thought the locals were tired of foreigners in Bracelona?
What’s the difference between the USA and yogurt?
If you leave yogurt alone for 300 years, it develops a culture.
We moved from Texas to near Valencia in 2017. Zero regrets.
Tourists, not people living there, and mainly because of things like Airbnb reducing the amount of affordable homes.
Thank you so much for your insights. The "freedom to" vs "freedom from" part was eye opening. I never thought of it this way.
Man, that was defined by french J.-J. Rousseau around 1750 ;-)
As a Canadian I've always had the impression that Americans think they are the only free country in the world.
They are compared to their neighbours
As an American who's lived and traveled overseas, I have the same impression. :-\
I have always thought Canada was quietly freer than the U.S., but I grew up in Maine and both sides of my family are French Canadian. My family migrated recently enough before my birth that we learned both sets of national anthems.
@@ro.stan.4115maybe WITHIN a small village in Appalachia.
But they are not even more free compared to Mexico and Canada
😂😂
@@AxGerm756 Ridiculous comment.
No offense but the USA is a 3 world country with an Armani belt
The US is 50 third world countries in a trench coat with a military budget big enough to fight god
Apt very apt
Wow, I like how you put that. And that Armani belt is the 1% that are the absurdly rich.
Armani is Italian. It is a Nike gun belt.
@sonyphotoguy6601 I thought you said a "nice" gun belt, I misread it, I hope it's at least a nice one
👍Mark Twain wrote, “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness..." and I'd like to add "... ignorance of what turns out to be good for you"
Where was Twain from again? Missouri?
Mark Twain. 😊
So true
100% agree!
Half of the US citizens don’t hold a passport…and I kind of have an idea of who they voted for
Hi nice to see your video. I am an American living in Norway and been here for 26 years.. haven't been in the USA since 98. I feel so much better than living in the anxiety driven usa. Enjoy your life in France :)
As an American who has been lucky enough to travel a lot, we have no clue what we’re missing. We think we’re free to be rude and voice uneducated opinions and cut in line.
I’ve lived in France for six years now, and I agree with every point you made. One thing I would add is that mutual respect is very high on the list of qualities of people here. Even as an immigrant from the U.S., I have never felt so welcomed and comfortable as I do here.
En tant que français, je suis très content d’entendre cela,merci à vous.
J’ai un cancer ,je suis bien aidé à tout point de vue et je pense aux américains avec un handicap ou un cancer,ont t il de bonnes aides sociales ? Et ce projet 2025 à venir m’effraye pour eux !
@@philippe_grosvenor_le_normand I think Americans make up for social assistance using community assistance in many cases. Of course that is not guaranteed, but it is a somewhat special American quality that I sometimes miss - at the community level people are very willing to help each other via donations of money or time, whereas here in Europe I think people have the feeling of "that's not my responsibility, get help through the normal channels". Which is fair - I just think this community level support is easy to miss if you aren't *in* the community.
@lisar3944 merci pour votre réponse,
@@lisar3944as a fellow American I think it depends on what community you live in….medical debt is crushing. Drugs are often exorbitant to the point that people do actually die from affordability
Project 2025 scares those of us who’ve bothered to read it. @@philippe_grosvenor_le_normand
Canadian here. We have always known this, but as your "little cousin upstairs", very few people in the U.S. see our democracy or recognise what they see, with Michael Moore and Bernie Sanders being two VERY rare exceptions. I could rant on for an hour about U.S. misperceptions of itself and other countries, but you hit the main idea with the distinction between "freedom from" vs. "freedom to".
The biggest idea that the rest of us are waiting for the U.S. to understand is that YOU CAN MODERATE A FREEDOM AND STILL BE FREE. Absolutism is the bane of U.S. society. Freedom of speech does NOT have to include lies and hate speech; capitalism can function very well with regulations and social welfare in the mix. Democracy can be much more responsive and flexible - much more democratic - without your incredibly cumbersome system. The brilliant thinkers in the 1770s never intended their ideas to be immutable Holy Writ. Re-electing Trump because half the voters believe in a fictitious reality has brought a catastrophe down on most of the world.😢
Well said!
I notice at the sidebar, there is a video about how Canada has become unliveable. What's up with that. I met an fed up Canadian expat recently. He has been in the states for some years now, and now he has other family emigrating to the US. I have a Serbian friend here who had done well in the US. I met his brother, who lived in Tornonto and came down to Dallas on a visit earlier this year. He went back to Serbia since then. He gave up on Canada after 3 years, deciding Serbia is a better place to live. Serbia? What's up with that, Miss Patriotic Canuck?
@@gmkbelanger Always good to have you as the 51st state. 👍
@@clintfalkMaybe your pal is a fascist, and wants to get in on fat donny’s institutional misogyny, racism, and economic buffoonery. Since everything you wrote is obviously only one person’s opinion though, that’s just a thought… 🧐
@@theatomic430Canadians think it’s always good to have the USA’s gun-toting rape culture and its brain-washed believers, on the other side of the border - especially post-06 November. Have a swell autocracy!
As an American expat (for almost 20 years) in Germany and previously the Netherlands, I enjoy your channel. You hit the key points that led me to stay… I can’t imagine ever returning to the US to live. “Freedom from” is just as important as “Freedom of”….
I feel safe, secure, relaxed and at peace. In the US I was always on guard.
As an American over in the NL, hallo and hello!
@ 🙂Germany is great, but I do miss Den Haag. Except the weather. The Sun shows itself much more often here in Germany.
Lived in Japan for 15 years and these two are so right about so many things. Americans are me, mine and I. The rest of the free world is us, we, and ours.
Wonderfully put .... bravo !
When our daughter moved to Europe and after numerous trips visiting her, we are now thinking of getting a house there.
Where? Europe is not one country and all the countries are different.
@@murpho999 in sure they're aware seeing as how they've visited her numerous times. Not everyone wants to tell the Internet everything.
What job do you or your wife have? In Germany we offer many different jobs!
No immigrants please ;)
@@hoedenbesteller I heard they won't mind but I can't qwhite figure out why ;)
I spent four years in the US and found much to admire.But it amused me when American friends asked me to stay in the US. They said it was the greatest country on earth. So I learned to ask them, 'how many countries have you visited' and most said none. So how would they know? Interesting!!
@@woff1959 So many of my fellow citizens don't know what they don't know.
@@tomfields3682 'Afraid so!
Great point.
They heard that on TV they are the greatest country in the world.
@@andyb8989 And Hollywood BS.
Hello from Ireland ,
A few quotes from my late father.
'What can you do with a table only eat from it'
'You can only sit in one chair at a time'
You don't need walls to define how much space you have. The world is outside .It's not inside your house
I am German and have many relatives in the USA. I also have some American friends who stayed here after their military service (there was a large American garrison stationed in my town). Many people find it difficult to understand that social policy does not mean socialism or communism. In my opinion, the education system in the USA is not willing to teach this important distinction because the two major parties and the super-rich do not approve of it! Am I right or am I wrong?
Definitely agree. The US definitions of certain political movements mean something else entirely in Europe. I'm from the Netherlands and our Liberals are pretty much rightwinged capitalists, the complete opposite of what the average American thinks liberalism is (to them).
Get out, and stay out.
And pay for your own defense.
@@TeddyRumble Hahaha, the ignorant guy arrived 😂
@@TeddyRumble We Brits actually had to pay you for your help in WW2. We were still paying you back until around the year 2000. Don't get me wrong, we appreciated the sacrifice of individual citizens. But as a country you did FA for us for years until YOU got attacked, even though some nights in the blitz we lost more in a night than you lost in '9/11'. And then sent us a bill.
Hit 200k today. Thank you for all the
knowledge and nuggets you had thrown my way over the last months. Started with 14k
Wow that's awesome
But I still love my mentor Sophia
I'm glad you made this video, it reminds me of my transformation from nobody to a good home, $80k bi weekly and a good daughter full of love
Yes you are right I have been trading under Mrs Sophia for a year now, and I can say she really made me who I'm today ❤
Yes! I'm celebrating £32K stock portfolio today... Started this journey with £3K....
I've invested no time and also with the right terms, now I have time for my family and life ahead of me.
Excellent video.
Try telling that to the average American. You will not be believed.
When I returned to the US after 17 years in Zurich, I tried to tell people that other countries had better standard of living, health care, education, etc.
I was not believed, people called me a traitor. I stopped talking. Wooo 😱
After 10 years in the US experiencing insane Trump politics, mass shootings on a daily basis, ridiculously expensive health care, people wearing weapons in public places and racism, I returned to Switzerland. Best decision of my life.
Congrats! Switzerland looks so beautiful.
A few comments here prove your stand entirely! Vive la Suisse!
This is why I don't regret my decision to never return to the states for anything---not even family, all of which still believe the propaganda (though that may have changed a bit in the last week).
theres is more gun per citizen in Switzlerland then in US .
@@pierre5238 but no gun crime, big difference.
Just the difficulty that these guys are having defining quality of life is so incredibly telling. As a European, it's so obvious. It's just looking at my life and thinking, yeah, this is nice. I'm enjoying this.
I was fortunate to live in Germany and Italy in the 90s and I saw how much more advanced in their thinking they were than the U.S. I was introduced to recycling, and an awareness for the environment. They were focused on community, and education, with huge chunks of rest and slow down time. When I returned to the U.S. after 5 years, I experienced culture shock. In the wake of our most recent election I feel like Americans voted for money and had NO concern for their fellow citizens.
Self hating Americans are such cringe freaks
No kidding!
Americans are raised on the doctrine of me, me, me - just like the orange trumpy buffoon. Everything is about me, me, me and who cares about anyone else. This is why americans never want "universal health care" because they dont want to pay for other people. They dont give a s**t about other people - except maybe their own kids - and even that is debatable.
@@renepena3024 please move. Or you might be arrested.
And the sad thing is, they end up with less money as well.
That first myth is really ingrained. I'm french, and went to the university in the US. The "USA #1" syndrome is one of the things that really struck me. I perfectly get that one can be proud of their country and that the US has a long list of things to boast about (I wouldn't have been there, if I had thought it was the worst place on earth). But I was always flabbergasted, how often out of nowhere someone would drop that the US was the best about the most mundane stuff. You could be talking about something absolutely unexciting, like the groceries shopping list. And somehow, a roommate would make a statement like: "in the USA, we have the best broccoli". I'd raise an eyebrow, and feels obliged to point out that none in the room knows anything about broccoli culture, that it's certainly not something that the US is famous for, and honestly who cares? But each time the person making the assertion would sincerely believe it, that some random country could be the best at something was unfathomable. Sometimes it led to the weirdest conversations...🤣
And they do it in a very faux friendly (intentional or not) manner that is very condescending. It will bite them in their pussies very soon.
It's really simple and don't blame them. If you were never told anything about 'outside' the USA this is what you believe. Paternalism, poor and restricted education are at the bottom of this. It's like brainwashing.
This made me smile. The confidence of that statement.
Next time tell them that the best broccoli is in Italy. That broccoli comes from the Broccoli region of Tuscany. Then you can puzzle them by telling them that the name "America" also comes from Tuscany.
Then you can drive off on your Vespucci.
"Sometimes it led to the weirdest conversations." Reminds me on Germans.
You guys get it. I moved to Europe in 1985. How about Fresh Veg and bread from the market a short walk from your house? A coffee and croissant over a chat with the neighbors. If the local Gendarmerie joins you for an espresso, odds are all will get a spot of Brandy in the coffee. Yacht, airplane, moto, etc.,etc., clubs, state sponsored, for the kids?
A functional Health System, hi-speed rail, adult education.
And across Europe, super friendly, kind hearted people who will welcome you into their home, asking nothing in return.
Hello, Madam, Sir,
Best comment, until bankers and politicians have to "talkblablatalk"...
You are being very nice but life has changed here in europe too. Murrican politics have trickled down on us and muddied everything we had that was good. We are not perfect either.
lol your life is so good yet you are screeching about America on TH-cam comments…I’d rather be envied and resented than spend my time envying and resenting as Eurotrash do.
@@JohnArktorTHAT'S the way the trickle-down effect works...
Europeans are not all the same, and they, too, know where and when to set borders in relationships.
One of our greatest American writers, Samuel Clemens aka Mark Twain, wrote the following: “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.”
Three people I know from Ohio, Kentucky and Florida have already started the process of selling up to emigrate to Europe. They started the process on the sixth of November . . . I wonder why . . .?
Very informative video and well presented. Having worked with a great many Americans I can say that all of them were shocked that Europeans have a very high standard of living, especially healthcare and education.
If only that were actually true. For nations that are as poor as France and Germany to think they have it better than Americans is some Grade A brainwashing, also true of the Scandinavian countries. Norway has a tax burden at 44% of GDP, here I thought it was steep paying 27% as we do in the USA.
The irony of this is half the country thinks immigrants to the US are degenerated criminals but Americans emigrating into other country's are gods gift to the other country because an American is enriching it
We don't want them.
@@billgeorge7804 My comment got deleted. I wrote nothing offensive but TH-cam censorship is getting wild now.
As an American I never thought America was the greatest country in the world and always knew much of Western Europe was the best place to live in the world. I also never felt free in this country. My point of view probably shifted because I spent 3 months in Europe when I was 10, then kept up with current events and read the newspaper at a very young age and knew that most Western countries except the U.S. have national healthcare, little to no gun violence, a better quality of life and much longer vacations, and were much less materialistic. I then served in the U.S. Army for 3 years and was incredibly envious of the over 2 dozen paid holidays and 6 to 8 weeks paid vacation in Europe. I also adore the massive train system they have all through Europe and great public transportation system.
Actually, Austria has the maximum amount of vacation days and holidays at 38.
@@Ru_1963 , and so much more. Simple things, like I can take a walk at night, alone, in the middle of a city of about 2 million population and feel pretty confident (confident to do it every day) that I won't get mugged, or worse yet---killed. I could never do that in any part of the USA, city or rural. People can leave things outside and not worry that they will get stolen, in fact, people will put your valuables up off the ground so that you can find it better (or won't get wet or dirty) when you come back to look for it. I could go on and on. I will never consider going back to hate and crime infestation of the USA.
@@CabinFever52 I grew up in suburbia and lived most of my adult life in suburban and rural areas and I always felt safe without any qualms about my safety. I lived in an urban area for a few years and I was always careful at night, so I know what you mean. But, other than those three years in a city, I have never felt unsafe. It all depends on location and the local demographics.
Americans have no true public transportation systems, except in a few major cities. Amtrak which the government tries to starve into non-existence annually cannot in anyway compare to the European rail system. Instead, the US government and states spend billions on the highway system, with contracts going to those who donate the most money to political campaigns. And what do the American taxpayers get, a never-ending road construction obstacle course. It would be wonderful to not need to own a car especially as one ages.
Self hating Americans are so cringe and weird
I'm from The Netherlands an I think social security actually provides more freedom. If you have a safety net that will catch you if you fall, you are more free to fly. You can take more risks.
Sadly the American right-wing virus is catching hold everywhere. For some reason, the right is intent on destroying the social safety net (and in the States, at least, they are call themselves "christians"!)
That's a good argument
Or you do not make the most of your abilities because you dont have to, Therese is always 2 sides
@@levihornqvist9191 This is patently untrue. This is just a silly right-wing argument with no basis in fact. It's part of the propaganda campaign designed to shift more wealth to the wealthy (who are the true lazy sods out there, since most of wealth is inherited).
UK guy with a US son-in-law. What I see generally gives me the impression that the US demand is "Don't tax me. Give me the freedom to spend my money how I want." Then they have to spend more on what we get from our taxes. A survey of world approaches to health provision 10 years ago concluded that the US pays double per capita for health care compared to the UK - and achieves poorer outcomes. But it seems that US politicians put out the message that healthcare - = North Korea, whereas it really = Scandinavia. PS you can drink the water there as well 😉
America is the only country to go from barbarism to decadence without civilization in between - said Oscar Wilde and he was spot on
From childhood to senility without ever reaching maturity.
Thank you for this! Lived in Europe for 20 years, I've been back in the states for 15 years. I've tried to explain this to friends and family here, but it's quite hard to get through to a brainwashed mind. One needs to live it to understand. I'm definitely moving back once I sell my house. The states are becoming less and less free and intolerable to anyone that's experienced what freedom truly is.
I was born there and lived there on and off for 20 yrs and I am in the process of going back myself, I justt renewed my EU passport!
I have visited the US. No thanks to living there. I am Australian, and our lives are so much better in every sense.
To be fair, we do have a crop of weirdos here too, but I'm hoping we can keep 'em under control!
@@heatherhoward2513 we always had a few of our own, but generally the weirdos are not home grown, they have been corrupted by crazy US conspiracies or religions. Generally speaking a lot of us Aussies tend to like individual Americans they meet, but often dislike "America the country" and what it stands for
In what points that you didn't like US?
I been told and experienced the best dr is in Australia.
If you’re insecure about being an American colony, just say it
Losing your job here won’t mean you instantly become homeless. Just for that, points for Europe.
That and medical debt are truly a constant fear for Americans that I don't thing we notice until it's not there. When I was laid off in the NL, I was really worried about the moving back, if only because I didn't think I could even afford to. Between paying for US insurance, finding an apartment that would take someone without a job, buying a car... and then having to sustain that long enough to get a new job which may involve moving again.
I knew an undocumented American who moved back to the UK. She worked 3 jobs in the USA and was a lone parent living in her parents basement. Now in the UK for 10 years. She has 1 full time job. Has had a free education scotland. Now owns a 4 bedroom home, free education and health care for her children x
Because the U.S. Tax Payer has been footing their Military Defense costs since 1945.
America is a corporation, not a country.
My American daughter has lived in Newcastle for 18 years. At least we can go there for 6 months every year. We love the Brits!
I remember GW Bush in a campaign town hall (I think it was), where one lady stated that she worked multiple jobs to support herself. Bush responded, "Only in America!" with a huge smile on his face---like it was a thing of pride.
Undocumented? Living in the UK. And there are people in the UK actual citizens who can’t get housing. No wonder people are saying “we’re full”.
Great job on your video. You're spot on with your observations. in 1963 as a 14 year old I was able to experience Europe (winning a paperboy contest). It was one of the greatest experiences of my life. I too, made the same observations. We are all being conditioned. So, in spite of my American conditioning, I tried to lead a simple European-type life. I never chased money (had a very modest income), had a job with lots of time off and made life-style changes according to my core beliefs. It's still painful living in a society where people around you have a different value system than you. What makes my day complete is family, a bike ride, and a good book. Simple!
You really understood! Good job!
Please note that since 1963 Europe has made huge steps forward
An American who rides a bicycle! A rare breed indeed. Well done to you sir, from someone who cycles every day (with my dog on the bike with me). :)
@@citizenwolf8720 Isn't that a bit hard on the dog?
@@johnkicak6187 From another long retired paperboy here, you, Sir, have your head on straight! I admire you!
I've lived, worked and spent significant time in France, Italy, Spain, Australia and NZ. Quality of life is so much better in every one of those countries than the experience I had living, working and travelling for a year in the US.
Taxes in US and Norway is about the same. The difference is that here in Norway most public services are free including pension.
Yes, I was thinking the same thing. US citizens pay their taxes and get nothing for it. Nothing.
@@georgestockwell7305 To be fair, for example the fire department services, the police department services, libraries and public schools are free in the US, and financed through taxes. There are other things too.
As a Brit who spent some time living in the US (West Virginia) I was shocked by the lack of awareness and ignorance people in the US have of other countries and also how pervasive the law and law enforcement is. It's certainly not the 'Land of the Free'. Just one interaction with law enforcement will show you that! I was accused of being a communist because apparently the UK is a communist country because we have 'socialist' sic healthcare. They just don't seem to get it.
You may be right, but please don’t judge the whole US based on West Virginia! 😅
Gosh, if only there were more Americans like you guys. There’s no such thing as the ‘best’ place in the world. Lots of places are lovely.
Let me disagree with your statement. There is such a thing as the best place. But not for an entire society, only for individuals or small groups of people.
"Best place" will always differ depending on your expectation, so on the individual desires you can only have in common with very few people.
Though, I get your meaning. There is no such place as "best place" decided by high instances.
@Jeff034.."the best place in the world" refers to US exceptionalism.
There actually are. We’re the ones living quietly all over the world - keeping our heads down. I live in Germany with a Czech husband. Our daughters are fully acculturated & unlikely to make a home in the US - especially after the last 9 years. Here we have a great quality of life. Violence is rare, education levels are very high, public health is a priority. Pace of life is sane. No place is perfect, but I’ll take this over the grotesque extremism & dysfunction in the US any day. It seems though that Europe will now need to readjust & figure out how to go it alone. As a veteran, I find that tragic.
I agree that there is no such thing as the "best place in the world" in an objective sense.
What defines "best place" has a vast range of parameters, and the weighting given to each parameter will vary from person to person, so by definition the "best place" is entirely subjective.
@@SN-sz7kw It will probably mean "Europe" will have to spend more on Defence - to protect us from an expansionist ruzzia...
After I had been to Britain and the Continent I wondered why I felt so relaxed there. When I was in my 20s, I had the idea of more is better. I have become more sensible. Time is the thing we don't have enough of. When visiting Koln, Germany one winter's night two of my companions and I thought we'd cut across a wooded park. At 10:30 p m.. We huddled together in fear as this would have been extremely dangerous in Indianapolis. We saw a young mother with her baby in a stroller walking calmly alone and a little bit later a teenager on her bicycle riding by herself along a path. I understood what wealth was.
What schocked me the most in the US, is how extensive the homelessness is. I mean, under every highway brridge, on the pavements, in the parks, living in cars and where not.
Having been around much of the world, this stands out as very USA...
Extreme prosperity, and extreme poorness.
But free to be a poor pariah, or a few percent extremely rich - living in a gated community..with armed guards...separating them from the "waste of the failed"
I am, due to failing healt, not working anymore.
Still have 2 cars (old) a motorcycle and my own debt-free house.
Travelling once a year to the far east, Africa or elsewhere is possible.
Healt care costs (and necessary meds) is limited to USD 300 / year.
Have lots of guns, locked in a gun safe - for recreational shooting. Not needed for self defense.
But, what do I know...
A French historian and professor told us while we were visiting France that the American Revolution was more about Liberty (personal freedom) and the French Revolution was more about Equality (things being equal for all people)
Something to ponder.
Enjoy your videos!
He based his argument on Arendt's books about Revolutions. Definitely worth reading if you'd like to know more.
The USA and Russia have so much in common, above all the inhabitants are convinced that they have it much better than in other countries when in fact they don’t. Either of them.
The US and Russia have nothing in common.
25% of Russians don't even have an indoor toilet, which partly explains why a lot of them would move to "the West" in a heartbeat if they could.
You probably can add China.
As a Russian, I agree.
Still, not everyone in Russia thinks that, even though we are almost forced to. Far from it.
Seems to me the media in both nations are brainwashing people and withhold a lot of facts. American media normally love to write about the biggest, highest largest etc but I have yet to meet an American that knew about the worlds largest transition project away from fossil/nuclear fuel. It were signed in january 2023 and will transition 220 million Europeans in a decade by raising offshore windmills in the North Sea. On top produce more green hydrogen per year than there ever have been produced green hydrogen in the entire world. A small one digit percentage of the green hydrogen will be used to make sure there are plenty of emission free energy available even when the wind does not blow. Funny how US media do not write about it at all. Not least because USA have same great conditions for creating cheap bulk energy, that on top is emission free. NOTHING but bought politicians by the fossil fuel industry and media owned by same circles, US lobby laws, stand in the way for USA to make a simple scaled copy/paste. SO sad.
I'm a European living in the US for 18 years!
I came to this country with a lot of dreams. All my teenage years I believed everything the movies portrayed. I used to love and admire this country, but after a couple of years in the US, I realized that this is not the same country I see in the movies. I was so wrong! I can't wait to retire and go back to Europe! Let Americans believe whatever they want! They have what they deserve and they have to stay here, in their country but the rest of us, we have a country to go back to and live happily.
Seems you are still dreaming.....you never woke up
Went to US to study, carrying the notion of the idealized America portrayed on screens. Quickly realized that reality is way different, but somehow Americans don't see that. And most refuse to accept the possibility that quality of life in other parts of the world, like my developing country, can be better than the US. Learned very quickly to spot which are the utterly brainwashed ones to avoid having pointless conversations with.
@@adrianamartins5479 Lol how insecure can someone be….if you want to go back to Europe, just go, you don’t have to jingoistically screech about it online.
@@dfdf-rj8jr Found the youtube warrior who is trying to defend the undefendable. Crawl back into your american brainwashed hole, yank
@@dfdf-rj8jroh yeah just quit a job and move continents. Fool
I have been drinking water from wells and pipes here in Austria for 50 years and the water is perfect and good.
Thanks for sharing this. For the last few years, I am realizing I want more freedom from violence, freedom from astronomical health care costs and freedom from car dependent cities!
You would like Europe.
yeah, im italian and i live in Italy, i got my driver license at 39 years old because i dont needed it. i took it just to have more freedom in my movements but i still use my car once or twice per week 💪👍
It's all down to how you define freedom. Its a cultural thing. For me, am old norwegian, freedom is to know I will get help if i lose my job, if i lose a leg or lose my health. That insurance is also a kind of freedom.
Good point, but "lose" your job, "lose" your health, "lose a leg" etc.
💯
"being visibly wealthy is just a stand in for quality of life in the U.S." ....NAILED IT.
It's funny. I can afford a large luxury car, but neither need nor want it. Ditto huge plasmascreen, massive fridge, and so on. My wealth to me is a matter of security, not something I wish to flaunt.
How anyone can seriously claim the country with the highest amount of its population in prison can possibly be the most free baffles me. If you're so free, how can so many of you end up in prison? That doesn't work.
"The freedom of one person ends where the freedom of another begins."
This phrase expresses the principle that individual freedom should be respected as long as it does not infringe on the freedom of others.
Indeed, for a harmonious society, our actions must respect the rights and freedoms of others. Balancing personal liberty with social responsibility is essential.
Sadly a sentiment being lost in the modern world. Less so in the EU, but certainly in the UK where ‘my rights’ to do what the 🤬 I want, when I want, where I want, for however long I want etc etc, to the exclusion of all those around me, now seems to be the prevailing mentality. The single biggest reason I wouldn’t move back to the UK is this utterly self serving mentality. Anti-social behaviour writ large.
I am so happy to have found your channel (I am french)
After what happened this week this is refreshing to hear this from Americans and we are happy to welcome you in our beautiful country 👌🏻
I love the US and am so relieved that we may have the possibility to once again survive and thrive. However, I want the French lifestyle. I have been cleansing myself and my environment of all the excesses we are expected to accumulate. I have reduced my living space by three quarters and find that I love my environment so much more now. That said, it’s my preparation for moving my life to France!!! ❤. Thank you for getting down to the real fundamentals of life in your videos.
Hi Jason and Raina, I completely agree with your observations. I always cringe when I hear Americans claiming their country is superior to all others even though they do not have a clue about the world outside the US. The violence, the toxic masculinity and misogyny, the racism, the polarisation, the inequality, the crude views about how God somehow selected the country as his own and the perverted view that God played a role in the election of a convicted rapist and criminal, all of this makes me and many other people I know shudder in disbelief. Another thing that is very hard for civilised people to grasp is the idolatry around the U.S. Constitution, a deeply flawed historic document that many Americans misunderstand, or don’t even know, and should long have been rewritten. The way many Americans believe, without knowing any better, in the US being superior to other countries borders on the infantile. From the six years of my childhood and teenage years I spent there, what I remember most is the institutionalised ignorance and downright idiocy being forced upon people through the education system and the media. You referred to it as brainwashing, and that is exactly what it is. I say this because when you try to inform and explain to Americans what is actually going on in other countries, they refuse to believe it, as other commentators have also pointed out. Yes, Germany has a constitution. No, Australians are not communists. The amount of extremely stupid views I have heard from Americans in my life is staggering. In the US, freedom is understood as the maximum assertion of your own free will upon other people without regard for the consequences it has for others and the rest of society - let alone the environment or climate. Everything is based on greed and the pursuit of material possessions, and in the midst of it is an immature and completely baseless view that the US is somehow special. From afar, it now looks as if the US as a mass social experiment started in 1776 has gone horribly wrong, where a majority have voted in favour of their own exploitation. It has turned into a sinister joke on the world stage, looking like nothing more than a vast corporation run for the benefit of its millionaire and billionaire shareholders. Let’s hope people will one day wake up and see it. I’m happy for you that you made the right choice to move to a civilised European country and wish you all the best!
" In the US, freedom is understood as the maximum assertion of your own free will upon other people without regard for the consequences it has for others and the rest of society - let alone the environment or climate."
^^ This...... so this. ^^^
Nobody with any standing or future left Eu. for America , of those who did , nobody could afford an 8-12 week passage or food to sustain them for that time , plus seed money IF you landed safely . Nearly all the ships were chartered by govts or rich arseholes clearing their lands for profit , sad as it is they shipped off their dross , the French donated a big fuck-off statue in appreciation of taking the contents of their jails and asylums . Our journalists and authors wrote all about this New World , and coined the phrase "wild wild west" . 95% were indentured , i.e. slaves .
I agree with everything you are saying, and so eloquently as well. Institutionalized ignorance, that is spot on. I guess an American counterpoint to this is that mere existence has got to be a high risk high stakes game for excellence to emerge. And those who fall by the wayside, well they just chose to be losers or they have ended up where God intended them to be. Another thing that comes to mind is just how drab and downright ugly most of built up America is. I think that accounts for the hysterical colorfulness of their politics, their entertainment, their polarisation, all those facets you evoke.
Fantastic post. Sums up my views on the USA perfectly
Great post; problem is, most USAnians won't see this 😢
Happiness is not having what you want but wanting what you have.