A comment by Melancholicus,

after my latest:

 

Most Americans have no idea how bad their country has become, nor how great it can be in foreign lands. Their cities have been brought to ruin practically, but hey, as long as the government can keep throwing funny money around I guess it's still a rich and prosperous country, right? A poverty level salary in the US lets you live an upper middle class lifestyle in many parts of the world. It's better to make 25K a year in Thailand, Philippines, or China than 100K a year in New York, Chicago, or San Francisco. And I know it's a cliche, but the greatest wealth these poor countries have is their family life. That's the natural state of humanity in the absence of a massive government edifice. Children, teenagers, adults, and the elderly all have a place and a purpose. I can't say the same is true of the US. As an adult, life can in some regards be OK, sometimes. But better not be too old, too young or too poor to drive though. Better live where there are jobs too. And affordable houses. Where the cost of living won't make you poor by default. You want to have a family here? Forget about it. Want to live in a city? You might be taking your life in your hands, if you can afford to make such a move in the first place. I think it's funny how conservatives will say the US is OK as long as you stay away from the cities. Yup, my country is totally fine, just don't go near civilization! The new American dream is to escape the cities and live in the woods.