"Why I'm Leaving America", an article

Actually, the Bahamas are pretty well off. Most of the Caribbean has a lot of issues though.

Can his boat make it to Sweden?

Fiscal paradises, fellas.

Fiscal paradises.

Well, America sucks. You know what else sucks? The rest of the first-world. Maybe Australia not so much. But generally, the rest of the first-world.

Canada is pretty cool.

Well, I think 'MY GOVERNMENT IS A PIECE OF SHIT' is universal.

Well, seeing the rest of the world, I think mine could be worse.

Could be much better, of course, but could be much, MUCH worse.

You could be Hungary. You think Canada has a psuedo-authoritarian government? You've got nothing on Hungary. There are African 'democracies' that are more open than Hungary.

Which is a shame, since if I recall correctly it was one of the countries behind the Iron Curtain that was a bit more relaxed in its crazy-strictness.

I have to say that it is kind of creepy that America makes its children take a loyalty oath and reinforces that 'greatest country in the world!' thing over and over without question (and when New Yorkers apply it to their no-debit-card-taking patch of ground it gets frankly hilarious - it's like they've never heard of Paris). But as people in this thread have said of his other complaints, every country tries to tell its children that theirs is the best nation to one degree or another, with the possible exception of Germany ('Bad things happen when I'm proud!' : <). In Canada the constant chant among adults is, "Things are going to shit, but at least we're still better than the Americans!"

Italy is more along the lines of "things have gone to shit, but at least we still have the best food and the best art!"

edited 1st Sep '12 11:51:54 AM by Carciofus

I think people way overestimate the effectiveness of the "Pledge of Allegance". They only really make you say it in elementary school, once you get to middle and high school most teachers can barely get the kids to calm down enough to say it. So it's not that big a deal.

Rather disgusting to me...

As an American, I must ask exactly what "loyalty oath" do we swear from childhood, and exactly how many Americans do you know who refrain from questioning it?

edited 1st Sep '12 12:44:06 PM by Leradny

I have as little affection for this country as he does, but Jesus Christ brevity is a virtue.

I do hope to leave the country eventually, though. Culturally and economically it has little to offer and I have no strong attachments here.

Australia is meh. Either the rules are too tight or they aren't tight enough; whichever one's the case, someone's not doing their job properly.

And the government can barely leash in the people; people are pissing and moaning about a carbon tax that barely does anything. Yeah, it's $15 a ton. If you knew how much carbon dioxide could take up a ton's equivilent of air-space, you'd be a goddamn environmentalist. Plus, it's barely doing anything to local prices; a recent survey has concluded that prices haven't gone up significantly on anything. Whilst America might have to suffer through whatever government they have, at least they don't have half a dozen idiots yelling "CARBON TAX IS RUININ STRAYA FOREVAH" in their ear.

Oh, we do, just with different, equally-stupid things.

edited 1st Sep '12 4:55:04 PM by RTaco

Lera: The Pledge of Allegiance. The one most of us can't actually remember by the time we graduate.

That's just Tony Abbot being Tony Abbot though, and we all know he's crazy.

I still remember it!

He wouldn't want to go to Sweden, surely... doesn't it have even more taxes?

I remember the pledge. It's hard to forget something you said 1,980 times.

Which leads me to say: No one ever forced you to say it. Hell I stopped saying it in 11th grade (because I figured I was never going to say it again after I graduated, so why not just get a jump on not saying it? Plus, by then it lost any meaning, like when you say a word too many times and it starts sounding weird). The FBI didn't come and lock me in a secret prison for not saying it. I wasn't executed for treason. Nothing happened.

edited 1st Sep '12 7:35:47 PM by Malph

I remember it too. Even thought i just pretended to say the words...

The guy's just pretentious. If he thinks living in the first world is so bad, then he hasn't seen jack of other places.

I'm fine in America. I don't care much for politics or the economy, but I know it could be a lot worse. I'm happy with what I have, really. And it makes me generally frustrated this guy think he's above it.

edited 1st Sep '12 6:29:01 PM by Monta

Ah.

Well, that proves the point that no one forces people to say the pledge. I haven't done it since elementary school.

I didn't read the article I don't need too. All the tropers gave me a run-down of the parts that mattered the most and I'm already getting a headache so I must thank you all for sparing me the migraine if I had read it myself.