I was just reading posts and thinking alot and came up with some conclusions... I think I have talked about living a great deal overseas. From the age of 8 years old, I spent several months a year in Europe and then a few years later moved to Northern Europe. I lived in Sweden, Portugal, Greece and the Middle East during my childhood and teenage years before going in the military at 18. I began travelling back a few years later and then most of my time was in France and North Africa. I would beg to say that I have seen all kinds of living situations, social situations, how women are treated..... I have experienced a whole boondoggle of things. From all of this, as exciting as it is to travel, this is why I love the USA

HEALTH CARE..... The insurance situation is an absolute disaster, but if I have a sick baby, which I had in Algeria, there is no place I have seen in the world with the first class trauma units as the USA. Our doctors are amazing. Our hospitals are amazing. After my daughter getting stiches the size of yarn with no anaesthesia and this was a private clinic. I would rather get sick here than anywhere else. I sure as hell cannot pay for it, but I think I stand a much better chance of surviving a heart attack here than in North Africa

Womens Rights...... I have seen forced abortions in North Africa, women relegated to just doing what their family tells them, divorced with very little future. As an American, I can reinvent my life, go back to school, change communities, live without stigma. I am more than a wife or a mother. I am American and with those opportunities, there is no reason that I should not be successful


Santitation

For as much as I hate to say this. the US system of sanitiation is much better than many places I visited in the World. While Europe is pretty clean, it also does not have as many wide open spaces as the US. It actually felt conjested to visit Europe this last time. You get used to wide open spaces.

there was no regular garbage pickup in several of the places I lived. it laid in the streets

OPPORTUNITY AND THE GENERAL COMPASSION OF AMERICANS

Americans are extremely compassionate. Yes our soldiers have done some pretty horrific things during the IRaQ occupation. But americans for the most part as irriatated as i get with our government, are EXTREMELY charity oriented and compassionate people .... dollar for
dollar, much more than many people I have seen in the world. You just do not see the huge level of compassionate giving in many places in the world, organ donation,, charity in general. Its part of American culture to be giving.


I see alot of america bashing going on and frankly, I think i am in a position to say that we have alot more rights in this country and access to help here than many places in the world. I am not forced by law here to abort a baby if I am not married . My children belong to me and I can get them a passport ( not so in several countries in the world where a father can prevent his wife and children from leaving the country)

I am not thrilled with the immigration system and many of my current governments policies. But its absolute hogwash to constantly bash the USA. This is a great place to live and has wonderful qualtities for all that I have seen in my years, Europe might be cleaner, but there are alot more opportunities here to start a business and reinvent your life

I love the United States...

just a few of my thoughts

I also lived overseas most of my life and I agree with you that our country is the best every!! I too served in the military and I am and will always be proud of my country and our military.

Wahrania thanks so much for your wonderful commentary!!

i am waiting for the " america: love it or leave it" post

Now you've pointed out the cliche - I wonder if anyone will bite

I have to agree with this post as well.

My overseas travel is not as extensive as yours....Jamiaca is my only experience thus far. I have had medical care in Jamaica and while not horrific, I would not want to have anything more serious happen to me while I was there. I definately would not want to die there. I have nightmares about Jamaican morgue and funeral stories I've heard. Sanitation is a joke in Jamaica. Rights are iffy.....sometimes good, sometimes horribly wrong. And, don't even get me started on education.

I also get tired of America bashing. No country is perfect. And, yes, if people don't like America, they are FREE to leave!

Just because I disagree with how our government has handled themselves overseas for the last 50 years....I'm an "America basher"????

I do think some of our liberties are disappearing with the birth of the "Patriot Act", yet I've always acknowledged this is still the best country to live in.

Isn't that what makes this "America"...that I have a right to voice my opinions? I was under the impression that the ability to speak our differences is what constitutes democracy.

And since when did traveling/living overseas define someone's "Americanism"?

If you didn't come here from a 1st world country, the US would obviously a huge step-up in many respects and IMO you might be less likely to have or express concerns about things like the Healthcare or Education system.

The US is not a terrible country, by any stretch of the imagination - quite the opposite in fact.

I don't buy the whole "best country in the world" rhetoric - its a huge fallacy. Different countries handle different policy issues in different ways - is every aspect of the US infrastructure and services superior to every other country? Do we have the best healthcare and education system....? I rather doubt it.... In fact... I "know" that isn't the case.

i believe your post counts as that

I love this country, I am a veteran of the united states army, so I have served my country. But to say we are number one in health care is a little bit of a statement. We have the greatest health care for the RICH.


Peter Jennings’ last word on health care

In an ironic twist of fate, ABC News anchor Peter Jennings hosted a special on the health care crisis not long before his death from lung cancer last August. The special was aired last December.

It is a credit to Jennings and ABC News that the one-hour special was solid, balanced journalism featuring experts on the front lines of America’s health care system. The special made the following points:

Emergency rooms around the country are being closed by hospitals in major urban areas where emergency rooms are the primary source of health care for a large uninsured population. At the same time, the rate of admissions through the ER for expensive high-tech care for the uninsured has threatened to overwhelm hospitals financially.

As a result of this trend, the remaining hospitals providing emergency care in urban areas are increasingly “full up” at peak times. This means that if you have a heart attack or are seriously injured in an accident, you may not have access to life-saving emergency care even if you are fully insured or wealthy enough to pay $50,000-$100,000 for acute care out of your own pocket.

In 2004, about 174 million people got insurance through work. Nearly 79 million were covered by the government, including the elderly, the poor and those in the military. Everyone else who wants insurance must buy an individual policy. Only about 27 million people can get insurance that way.

Individual insurance can be extremely expensive or can be denied entirely or issued with exclusions to protect private insurance companies from higher losses.

In other words, the more you need health coverage, the less available it becomes unless you are insured through an employer or a government program.

“This fundamental tension about needing to avoid the sickest people, the most expensive people, is a real root problem in our system,” said Karen Politz of Georgetown University. “It raises questions about how long can we live with this system that can only survive when it disadvantages the people who are sick and need it most.”

Another pressing issue is the overuse of expensive diagnostic tests and treatments that may only have a marginal effect on improving health. In fact, some studies associate increased mortality with more expensive levels of care.

Upside-down diabetes treatment in New York City

Recently, The New York Times published a series of articles on medical care for diabetes patients in New York City.

One of the articles focused on the decision by several Manhattan hospitals to close down diabetes treatment centers because they were money-losers that jeopardized the hospitals’ financial condition.

From a pure business viewpoint, that was a rational decision for the hospitals. But from the viewpoint of health care in America as a “system” designed to produce the best outcomes, it was a disaster. Why? Because the treatment centers focused on helping diabetes patients monitor their condition and manage their health day-to-day. This “disease management” approach reduces serious complications and expensive hospital stays that are common in cases of uncontrolled diabetes.

But America’s health care “system,” such as it is, has the deck stacked against prevention. As the Times reported, insurers will often refuse to pay $150 for a diabetic to see a podiatrist who can help prevent foot ailments associated with the disease, yet all insurers cover amputations, which typically cost more than $30,000.

Similarly, patients have trouble securing a reimbursement for a $75 visit to a nutritionist to counsel them on controlling their diabetes, yet insurers don’t hesitate to pay $315 for a single session of dialysis, which treats one of the disease’s serious complications.

Not surprisingly, says the Times, as New York’s type 2 diabetes epidemic has grown, more than 100 dialysis centers have opened in the city.

“It’s almost as though the system encourages people to get sick, and then people get paid to treat them,” said Dr. Matthew E. Fink, a former president of Beth Israel Medical Center.

Missing leadership

From time to time, I’ve joined others in bemoaning the lack of local leadership on some key issues affecting the Charleston region. It often seems that no one will really take charge of an issue and everything is someone else’s responsibility—but when you look around to find that “someone else,” there’s no one there. The result is a fragmented decision-making process and a lack of regional direction and focus.

I see the same situation on a much larger scale with regard to health care in America. Because there has been no effort to create a coherent health care system, we have what we asked for—no system at all. This “non-system” has been failing for years, but the rate of failure is accelerating as companies drop or pare back employee benefits, undermining the 60-year-old foundation for most health coverage in this country. And while costs spiral, so does the growing burden of lifestyle-related disease resulting from poor diets and sedentary living.

The widely promoted idea that “consumer-driven health care” (which really means “health care paid out of your own pocket”) can unleash market forces that will fix this mess is delusional at best, dangerous at worst. While it makes sense to create incentives for individual consumers to make wise and prudent purchases of health care services, this is only one small part of the problem.

What’s really needed is responsible leadership from the medical, insurance and business communities, along with the nation’s political leadership at all levels.

Who, if anyone, will step up, face the facts, and take action?

The nation waits…and worries.

I'm not rich by any means, yet never had any over the top problems with health care for myself or my family. Sometimes you just have to keep at them to get them to pay up.

I dunno - I think as a patient, there's a lot of instances where having to fight the insurance company on every little thing is probably not too good for your health or stress levels.

Its a counter-productive system in a lot of ways.

Let me see, I have a full time job, a part time job, do work on the side for friends and now...to top it all off, I am expected to do someone else's full time job for them. Great.

America has the capacity to be the best country in the world but only if we stop being self indulgent, pull our heads out of the sand and get active in our country's politics.
What do we know about what our country is doing?
What do we know about the countries we are supporting?

I'm torn because I love German beer but also love French toast, Italian Pizza, Belgian Chocolate and Swedish bikinis, so I don't know which country I should defect to.

I like it here. The rest of y'all can move to Yoorup.

This post was not about you Allousa or anyone else in particular. It was in response to multiple postings I have seen over the last year and fervent anti americanism.

I do not know you. All I know is that you spent 4 years seperated from someone you are legally married to.

I also do not know ANY of the details of your case. I know I have been married to my husband and it will be a year in May and I have no former asylum case or overstay to deal or contend with and I CANNOT GET HIM HERE> I have to wait and wait for the bureaucratic rules to churn. THIS TOPIC WAS NOT DIRECTED AT YOU or anyone else. You have the right to voice your opinions and after what you have been put through, its enough to lose home in their system

Travelling overseas and living overseas extensively just means you have been more exposed to on a daily basis the bigger realities of living overseas versus going on vacation. You tend not to romanticise life outside of your country if you have actually faced hardships in foreign countries.

I prefer Belgian beer over German. By the way, you forgot brazilian wax.

What does "anti-americanism" actually mean?

From what I've seen the label seems to be applied to any and everyone who criticises anything about the govt or govt policy.

same here.,....also, French fries.....English muffins...Russian vodka...Armenian cognac ...i guess, i got to the country most socialistic...............

My family has seen debilitating health issues in the last 10 years. We have not had major issues with any health care provider nor insurance companies.

Now dealing with the EEOC and disability discriminiation........I could write a book of complaints on that system.




Cheap Tequila means I have to go to Mexico.

I usually just associate it with the people who are blindly opposed to everything american. There are certain people that just cannot take the good with the bad when it comes to America. To most of them, we're all Dubya cronies.

As far as I can see, a lot of people like criticizing the United States for few reasons other than it's a convenient target. Let's face it -- the U.S. is something of an "attention whore" and gets it's hands into practically everything around the globe. Whether or not the latter is a good thing is up for debate. The point is that, given the America's position on the world stage (i.e. "only surviving superpower") and the country's apparent "look at me, look at me!" attitude, it's really no wonder why many people from other nations find things to attack the U.S. on.

Or Houston.

Dammit....and I also love Chinese food.

hey brother stevie, your communism is showing

I wouldn't bet on that.

Well there are people like that... though as far as I know they don't tend to live here. I knew plenty of people in the UK who subscribed to stereotypes about american people and culture - the difference of course was that they had never visited the country, let alone lived here.

Still I think as a label the whole "anti-american" thing is overused - but then again I tend to view talk radio soundbites with the cynicism they deserve. Its just another way of dividing the public along arbitrary ideological lines.

I have traveled overseas several times now to visit my husband and meet his family. If anything it has made me more AWARE of the things that my own country's government has been doing for the last 50 years. I served in the military and used to be EXTREMELY patriotic. But since I've met my husband and met his family, I've seen how they themselves have suffered because of Western involvement. I'm speaking of the fact that they are Palestinian. My father-in-law still holds a deed to land that was bulldozed by the IDF. My husband's cousin was actually shot dead at his FRONT DOOR when soldiers came to the door looking for his brother. He knew his brother was innocent and argued with the soldier who shot them dead. They've had two family members that were killed, an elderly husband and wife, by tank fire as they rolled through their neighborhood. I won't even go into how they've been trying to get my sister-in-law out of there for over 4 years now, but she cannot get across the border to have travel documents issued by Israel.

While I have COMPLETELY lost hope in our government, I still have hope about the people of America. I still have hope that the people of the WORLD will someday say ENOUGH of all of this bombing, fighting, killing and make a change...a change for peace. I'm still clinging to the hope that somehow, someway, someday we can all get along.

I think the problem is that foreigners (and I don't mean to insult half the population here, but I really don't know what else to call individuals who aren't native to and don't live in your home country) often only see what our government is doing and therefore, come to associate the U.S. government with America. So if there's a president that's unpopular with much of the world (and Congress is backing him up), people in other countries will associate that administration's actions with the whole of the United States.

That's not exactly accurate (Americans, like any other group, tend to agree and disagree with different parts of their government), but since most foreigners probably have very limited exposure to the U.S. outside of the media, it's really not surprising they'd think this way. To be fair, Americans have a similar problem when concerning those outside the U.S. as well.

Fo sho. Either you are with us or you.........smell like an unusual mixture of bleu cheese and heineken.

Nah.......that village will be getting it's idiot back soon!

You can get cheap tequila in the barrios of Nueva Yerzey!

Is gross though.

I agree that the US are a great place to live - it is just not the ONLY great place in the world.

Exactly. And that's not a bad thing!

Another irony..... Peter Jennings was a Canadian who immigrated to the US, but never gave up his Canadian citizenship.

The United States is a great country. Canada is a great country. Denmark is a great country. England is a great country. Italy is a great country. You get my drift. Each country has exceptional qualities and exceptional people. Each country has less than savoury characters and disagreeable aspects. On VJ, alone, I have seen all kinds of countries "bashed" by members.... not just the US. I love this country too. But I also love Canada, Denmark, England, Italy..... DeadPool's post was right on the money, I think.

Can we bash France some more? Bashing America seems so yesterday.

i agree...so 1960s........

As far as the U.S. Healthcare system....

Ask the returning Iraq War veterans how they feel about our healthcare system?

my friend returned from iraq he laughs when we b*tch about insurance because he gets free healthcare for life

Now you are getting into the VA and that's a whole other ball of wax.

I don't think that was the response allousa was expecting.

My SIL lives up that way. No way in hell I need cheap tequila that bad.

and if you do partake with the homies... make sure you got good insurance!!

As a Brit, I am only too happy to be living in the US. My healthcare is better, my job and benefits are excellent, my standard of living is higher in terms of the property I own, and I can afford to run a nice car. I applaud the OP for this post as too often I hear people complaining about aspects of the US. I have travelled extensively, and I would choose the US anytime over some of the countries I have visited. I can say what I want, wear what I want, and within reason, do exactly as I choose.

I love the healthcare system here.

I pay absolutely nothing for it (my employer does), I've never had to fight with
my insurance company (doctor's offices seem to do it themselves), and the
quality of care has been outstanding. Much better than the NHS.

Goooooo USA!

i got an lcd tv, videogames and movies, and that's what makes america great, uberprocessed food with no nutritional value, but hey, it's higienic, cheap, and comes in bulk..

LOL

Costco ftw!

that's my only experience with returning veterans

Not necessarily true brother #6, if you think of folks from "3rd world countries" who had it in many instances better than they do once in the US (my own story being like that). Not the rule I know, but neither the exception. You have folks who are highly educated, well traveled and with successful careers who find themselves working at Kinko's or in less paying positions than the ones they used to have. This has been studied by folks in many areas (i.e. intercultural education, immigration studies, etc.).

Indeed, the "best country everrrrr" discourse is far from reality. Like all places, there are good and bad things: and a lot depends on where you stand in the food chain.

God bless America