Zone1 Is Living in the U.S. A Life Wasted?

[GLASNOST]

You might want to edit your writing.

You might want to check your reading comprehension. I wrote "United Snakes" you replied "continent". Do you know the difference?

 

[beautress]

I belong to a group on Facebook for people who have or are interested in dual citizenship. My mother is an immigrant from Singapore and my wife and I have discussed the likelihood of us retiring outside the U.S. when we reach that age. Someone posted a question today simply asking why people wanted dual citizenship. Most people had very short and basic answers: the ease of visiting family, staying longer, wanting a second home abroad, but this one individual wrote something far more intuitive and rather profound.

View attachment 830667

Note: I can't link to this post as it is a private group, so I took a screenshot.

It's hard for me to argue with many of her points. I've travelled all over the world and most people live substandard lives compared to those us in the United States, but there are also plenty of places where people have it better than us, depending on what's most important to you. We do work harder than our industrial counterparts. We do spend less leisure time and less time with our families. We do have a lot of chemicals in our food that other countries do not allow. It does seem like in the United States we're all in a constant rat race, whereas my experience in many European countries is that people live more relaxed and less stressed lives, even if they don't have all the commodities we're accustomed to. I brought up in a thread a few months ago that while Americans make up only 5% of the world population we consume 50% of the world's pharmaceuticals. That's a damning statistic regarding our people.

Are we doing it wrong? I'm curious as to everyone's thoughts.

I didn't know you were unhappy with the country, DTMB, and that you didn't realize what a positive human being and the good peacemaker that you have been all this time at USMB. All I can say is that you're a very even-handed person who has done a stellar job as a moderator, and you are so conscientious that your posts make others think. When you make people of a different background than yours think, trust me, that is a very rare and precious gift. May I please thank you at this late date for sharing your kind wisdom with us? I hope you find a retirement place that you love and benefits you and your family. I have a feeling that wherever you go, you will be a big benefit to others in every way. My obligation to my country as a member of my family's military travels when I was young is to try to be a part of the problem-solving community, both sides of which love this country, but see things quite differently from anyone else. Best wishes as you make decisions that you feel would best benefit your family and yourself. May God watch over you and your family always. Love, beautress

 

[sparky]

When you make people of a different background than yours think, trust me, that is a very rare and precious gift.

exactly what attracts me here Beaut.....~S~

 

[sparky]

~S~

 

[beautress]

~S~

Hey, sparky, nice song. Thanks.

 

[Unkotare]

You might want to check your reading comprehension. I wrote "United Snakes" you replied "continent". ...

You also wrote "discovered," and "United Snakes."

 

[iamwhatiseem]

What do you think cost of living means?

Deflect much?
You are the one who admires a rant saying life in America is a waste and how bad it all is... not me.
That is ridiculously selfish and petulant.

 

[Harpy Eagle]

You wanna cross that data with income and taxation??

Do you know the tax rate in Portugal on money earned outside of Portugal (i.e. retirement income)...it is a lot less than you will be paying in the US.

Or one can go to a place like Panama and pay 0% Panamanian tax and 0% US tax on anything under 110 grand.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Do you know the tax rate in Portugal on money earned outside of Portugal (i.e. retirement income)...it is a lot less than you will be paying in the US.

Or one can go to a place like Panama and pay 0% Panamanian tax and 0% US tax on anything under 110 grand.

You wanna live in Portugal?? HAHAHA
The average wage in Portugal is slightly over $1000 a month.
Average in America is 5 times that amount.
1 in 5 in Portugal live in grinding poverty, poverty in America is half that, and being poor in America is almost like living middle class in Portugal.

 

[Harpy Eagle]

You wanna live in Portugal?? HAHAHA

I do not want to live in Portugal, I do not want to live in Europe at all. I was just pointing out they have a low tax rate for money not earned there.

We are looking at Panama as our first choice.

The average wage in Portugal is slightly over $1000 a month.
Average in America is 5 times that amount.

So, just imagine what a great life a retiree could have there making $5000 a month or $8000 a month compared to that same amount in most of the US.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

I do not want to live in Portugal, I do not want to live in Europe at all. I was just pointing out they have a low tax rate for money not earned there.

We are looking at Panama as our first choice.



So, just imagine what a great life a retiree could have there making $5000 a month or $8000 a month compared to that same amount in most of the US.

And there is a level of bureaucracy in Portugal that most of America could only imagine.
Crime is only reportedly low in Portugal, but that is because most people don't involve the police because that is a waste of time. Small time theft is rampant, and that is complicated by the fact that many areas of Portugal only accept cash, so thieves know everyone is carrying money - especially white Americans.

 

[Harpy Eagle]

And there is a level of bureaucracy in Portugal that most of America could only imagine.
Crime is only reportedly low in Portugal, but that is because most people don't involve the police because that is a waste of time. Small time theft is rampant, and that is complicated by the fact that many areas of Portugal only accept cash, so thieves know everyone is carrying money - especially white Americans.

Good thing I am not planning to retire there. Though we did take a close look at Malta.

 

[GLASNOST]

You also wrote "discovered," and "United Snakes."

Let's see now:
1). The title of this thread "Is Living in the U.S. A Life Wasted?"
2). My reply included the name "United Snakes".
3). You somehow read "continent".
4). I reminded you that I said "United Snakes", not "continent".
5). But you still insist that I am referring to "continent"?


I don't understand what the problem is. Do you not know the difference between a country and a continent? Seriously?

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Good thing I am not planning to retire there. Though we did take a close look at Malta.

Maybe someday we may expat somewhere after the grandkids are in their teens etc.
I have watched many videos with people who have retired to "X" and lived there for at least a couple years. I never saw one of them say there was not significant problems, and plenty that they had to "give up" in order to live in a weather paradise.
Personally I am not a "beachy-oceany" person. I prefer mountainous areas, so I am not attracted to island living etc.
I would say it is more likely we will retire in a mountain community in the U.S. instead of off shore.

 

[Harpy Eagle]

Maybe someday we may expat somewhere after the grandkids are in their teens etc.

We will do so in just about 5 years.

I have watched many videos with people who have retired to "X" and lived there for at least a couple years. I never saw one of them say there was not significant problems, and plenty that they had to "give up" in order to live in a weather paradise.

There are significant problems in this country. But yes, those that had not lived overseas before will have struggles with things they see as "giving up". It is all about the mindset.

Personally I am not a "beachy-oceany" person. I prefer mountainous areas, so I am not attracted to island living etc.
I would say it is more likely we will retire in a mountain community in the U.S. instead of off shore.

I love both, not sure which we will choose. One of the benefits of Panama is we can have both. We can live in a mountain community and travel 50 km and be at the beach if we choose to. Or we can live at the beach till we tire of it and move to the mountains and then back to the beach a few years later.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

We will do so in just about 5 years.



There are significant problems in this country. But yes, those that had not lived overseas before will have struggles with things they see as "giving up". It is all about the mindset.



I love both, not sure which we will choose. One of the benefits of Panama is we can have both. We can live in a mountain community and travel 50 km and be at the beach if we choose to. Or we can live at the beach till we tire of it and move to the mountains and then back to the beach a few years later.

Panama is too politically unstable for me. It's stability has declined in the past 3 years, not so much that anyone is thinking another revolution is going to occur soon... but the possibility over the next few decades is real. And who knows what kind of power would step in it's place?
Currently it is one of the friendliest to Americans to retire in, the government LOVES Americans to retire there because they do not seek employment, and they bring their own money. Win-win for them.
But... you get another communistic regime take over and all bets are off. Afterall the Panamanian government is near the top in corruption. And their ties to China is suspect to say the least. China has pumped $2.5 billion into Panama just in the last year.

 

[GLASNOST]

Maybe someday we may expat somewhere ...

We will do so in just about 5 years ...

”I’ve been everywhere”, as they say, and with the exception of South America, it’s true. And I did it all overland and that means that I’ve been to nearly 100 countries around the globe. I have lived in about 10 of them, so that should make me an expert, right? Well yes, I am an expert traveller but nothing stays the same so what I thought was perfect is no longer perfect anymore. I can choose to live just about anywhere I want and not many people can say that. The thing is that I live where I chose to live because it had the best of everything. It doesn't anymore and now I’m too old to pick up and change. That applies to everyone eventually. So, I make the best of things and I am happy that I didn’t end up in some of the other countries that are real shitholes. That is to say that I am fortunate to have made my own choices in life. I know what’s good and I know what’s bad and I know what I am doing to make the best of what I’ve got. Life doesn't get any better than that if you've learned how to roll with the punches.

 

[cnm]

This is not true.

The narrative doesn't care...

 

[marvin martian]

I belong to a group on Facebook for people who have or are interested in dual citizenship. My mother is an immigrant from Singapore and my wife and I have discussed the likelihood of us retiring outside the U.S. when we reach that age. Someone posted a question today simply asking why people wanted dual citizenship. Most people had very short and basic answers: the ease of visiting family, staying longer, wanting a second home abroad, but this one individual wrote something far more intuitive and rather profound.

View attachment 830667

Note: I can't link to this post as it is a private group, so I took a screenshot.

It's hard for me to argue with many of her points. I've travelled all over the world and most people live substandard lives compared to those us in the United States, but there are also plenty of places where people have it better than us, depending on what's most important to you. We do work harder than our industrial counterparts. We do spend less leisure time and less time with our families. We do have a lot of chemicals in our food that other countries do not allow. It does seem like in the United States we're all in a constant rat race, whereas my experience in many European countries is that people live more relaxed and less stressed lives, even if they don't have all the commodities we're accustomed to. I brought up in a thread a few months ago that while Americans make up only 5% of the world population we consume 50% of the world's pharmaceuticals. That's a damning statistic regarding our people.

Are we doing it wrong? I'm curious as to everyone's thoughts.

"Is living in the US as terrible as I want to believe it is?" - Guy living on a shitty little racist island with terrible weather and ugly people.

LOL

 

[cnm]

America is the most diverse nation on the planet on every level. None even come close.

Lol. American exceptionalism. It's another name for American parochialism...