Millennials would rather live in socialist or communist nation than under capitalism: Poll

[charmander 692]

8 minutes ago, Bill & Katya said:

I work with a lot of people that are foreign who came to the US for school, but did not come from rich families.  There is a reason they want to come to the US for secondary education, and though the US public school system may be poor, the secondary education system is definitely desirable to many people around the world.

Then I'd like to know how in hell they are able to afford the tuition/boarding/living expenses of $40-50K/year (some colleges cost even more)? Are we talking about middle class Norwegian/Luxembourger/Qataris here?

[Voice of Reason 10,298]

46 minutes ago, charmander said:

Then I'd like to know how in hell they are able to afford the tuition/boarding/living expenses of $40-50K/year (some colleges cost even more)? Are we talking about middle class Norwegian/Luxembourger/Qataris here?

I can’t respond to you vis a vis Bill’s experience, but in mine, often the students were on financial aid.  I remember a guy from India who lived a few doors down from me had come here using family money to fly (they had to take out a loan for him, his wife, and 2 kids to get here), his government paid some of the costs of education, and my university provided him free lodging and reduced-cost tuition.  All he had to pay for was books IIRC.  I know he was getting a lower-cost education than I was.

[charmander 692]

7 minutes ago, IDWAF said:

I can’t respond to you vis a vis Bill’s experience, but in mine, often the students were on financial aid.  I remember a guy from India who lived a few doors down from me had come here using family money to fly (they had to take out a loan for him, his wife, and 2 kids to get here), his government paid some of the costs of education, and my university provided him free lodging and reduced-cost tuition.  All he had to pay for was books IIRC.  I know he was getting a lower-cost education than I was.

Each country is different I guess. Turkish undergrads usually comes from very rich families, it is rare the kids qualify for full scholarships (except for the athletic ones). Grad school is a totally different story. There is still a portion that comes with family money (mostly the self-funded MBAs), but majority come here with full scholarships regardless of family's financial status.

 

 

[Dashinka 23,238]

2 hours ago, smilesammich said:

basically you'll only accept anecdotes that fit your opinions. idwaf said he knew a guy from denmark that said it was terrible there. i simply said i know people from denmark too and they don't feel that way. how is that minimizing?

You didn’t say they felt differently until now, you just stated you knew some Danes.  That is what I was asking about.

[Dashinka 23,238]

1 hour ago, charmander said:

Then I'd like to know how in hell they are able to afford the tuition/boarding/living expenses of $40-50K/year (some colleges cost even more)? Are we talking about middle class Norwegian/Luxembourger/Qataris here?

Who knows, but they are doing it.  I will ask my nephew as he works in the student financing department of a large university.

[Steeleballz 7,550]

2 hours ago, IDWAF said:

I know lower income Canadians pay less tax than their American counterparts.  Our tax margins go up faster here in the US than in Canada.  I also know that rich Americans are typically richer than their Canadian counterparts, and the US has more tax exemptions for the rich.  

 

State vs. provincial taxes becomes convoluted, because Canada simply does theirs as a percentage of the federal taxes I think, whereas each state in the US makes up their own income taxes (or has none).

 

Canada has employment insurance that the US does not have.  I heard that is somewhere between 1-2% annually.

 

So yes, it is hard to compare directly, but comparing my wages once upon a time with a Canadian who was kind enough to share the info, they grossed significantly more than I did, but with their taxes and the exchange rate, we were pretty similar when it came to net pay.

 

   I recall you posted that in the past. The person you listed was taking home only about ~40% of their income, IIRC,  and I think most of the people chiming in said that was out of the ordinary, since the highest marginal rate possible in Canada is not even that high.

[JimandChristy 1,689]

Many people feel like the capitalistic system has failed them. The middle class in this country haven't even grown in terms of real wages for decades despite a significant increase in productivity (Americans are working harder than ever but getting no reward for it) whereas the top 1% ers have seen a significant rise in income, they've taken it all for themselves. CEO's make a ridiculous amount of money and far beyond what any average worker makes today. 99% of the country are left to feed on scraps while the very few are all laughing at us.

The USA was the envy of the world pre-1970s because the middle class were thriving but those days are long gone because of the greed of the very few.

 

 

Anyone who defends these 1% ers remind me of this cartoon.

 

 

So it is not at all surprising to see Millennials are despondent with the capitalistic system here in the USA because it is rigged for the very few. So they're going to look elsewhere for fresh ideas or see beyond the falsehood that the USA is the greatest country on Earth to live in and see other first world countries around the world with more socialistic ideas/principles. It is why Bernie Sanders has rose to popularity in recent years. 

 

 

[The Nature Boy 7,659]

1 hour ago, charmander said:

Each country is different I guess. Turkish undergrads usually comes from very rich families, it is rare the kids qualify for full scholarships (except for the athletic ones). Grad school is a totally different story. There is still a portion that comes with family money (mostly the self-funded MBAs), but majority come here with full scholarships regardless of family's financial status.

 

 

totally off topic, but did you know Toyota builds cars in Turkey now, for import into the US and other countries. I never really heard much about Turkey manufacturing before i learned that 

[NikLR 13,220]

4 hours ago, IDWAF said:

Are you earning more now? (Gross pay)

no less... 

for instance when I first moved here I was paid 8.75/hr for a job I was paid 13.35/hr in Canada.  My EI cheques were only $100 less than my paychecks. 

In my current employment I will not make what I would in Canada either.  Which is why I am choosing not to go back to school.  The cost of schooling is the same but the end pay is about $10 less per hour at the top end. 

 

On the plus side my husband makes equal or slightly more.  Our cost of living is a little less.  Insurance costs means he makes about equal and he works for the DoT. 

 

4 hours ago, smilesammich said:

taxes + the cost of private american health insurance has to be much less here in the free market us of a as opposed to the socialist dark lords of canada, no?

nope. 

 

4 hours ago, cyberfx1024 said:

But do you make more or the same? 

see above.... 

 

 

to add... I also have less paid holidays, less PTO, less sick leave, etc... 

 

We are here until Hubs retires minimum.  I make the best of it.  We enjoy the nicer winters for sure. 

Edited November 7, 2017 by NikLR

[NikLR 13,220]

FWIW when you pay for health care you certainly dont have to wait for anything...

[NikLR 13,220]

3 hours ago, Bill & Katya said:

So Socialism/Communism is better where they just have three classes, the elite leaders with all the power, the poor masses, and those that are killed off by the government for speaking out?

so socialism and communism are two different things. 

too far left and history has shown that you end up far right. 

Edited November 7, 2017 by NikLR

[Voice of Reason 10,298]

6 minutes ago, NikLR said:

no less... 

for instance when I first moved here I was paid 8.75/hr for a job I was paid 13.35/hr in Canada.  My EI cheques were only $100 less than my paychecks. 

In my current employment I will not make what I would in Canada either.  Which is why I am choosing not to go back to school.  The cost of schooling is the same but the end pay is about $10 less per hour at the top end. 

 

On the plus side my husband makes equal or slightly more.  Our cost of living is a little less.  Insurance costs means he makes about equal and he works for the DoT. 

 

nope. 

 

see above.... 

I believe that equates to around $10.40 an hour USD?  So you made about 20% more gross in Canada than int he US, and brought home $100 less, if my math is correct.

[charmander 692]

6 minutes ago, Nature Boy Flair said:

totally off topic, but did you know Toyota builds cars in Turkey now, for import into the US and other countries. I never really heard much about Turkey manufacturing before i learned that 

It's actually not new. I believe Toyota started in mid-90s. Other than Toyota, there is Ford, Renault, Fiat, Hyundai, Honda, Opel has manufacturing facilities. Mercedes Trucks, Isuzu, MAN buses also manufacture in Turkey. Then there is also supply and spare parts industries for other European brands. I believe the annual export is around $25-30B or so.

 

 

[Steeleballz 7,550]

57 minutes ago, IDWAF said:

I believe that equates to around $10.40 an hour USD?  So you made about 20% more gross in Canada than int he US, and brought home $100 less, if my math is correct.

 

   EI checks are for unemployment. If I'm not mistaken it means a Canadian makes almost as much on unemployment as they would doing the same job in the USA. 

[NikLR 13,220]

1 hour ago, IDWAF said:

I believe that equates to around $10.40 an hour USD?  So you made about 20% more gross in Canada than int he US, and brought home $100 less, if my math is correct.

no my ei was $100 less.  EI was 55% of my pay gross pay. 

 

pretty much went home with less on two pay checks than i made on ONE in Canada.