danoff
^^ See what I mean? Americans hate America. This thread is filled with Americans b*tching about America. It's really quite odd. You'd expect that such a powerful country with a long noble history of success would be patriotic.
You're a bit off base there -- I'm not bitching about America, I'm remarking funny that the price is higher (doubled and tripled in some cases) for the same product, only that it's in a different location.
I'm not calling for regulation. I'm not burning the flag. I'm not calling for the President's head. I'm not even calling you a complainer. But your complaint is totally unfounded based on my posts about home prices. It's a market economy...don't like it, find another market, obviously. It's far cheaper in Iowa or Kansas than here, that's for sure.
I like it here (meaning S. Florida); it's not perfect, but what is? Nice weather, nice beaches, not too far to experience a different culture, parks and nature is everywhere. With the exception of home prices, goods and services aren't all that badly priced (well, maybe a drink in a nightclub is outrageous).
Americans buy crap because it was made by Native Americans (whose culture is necessarily superior). Americans will tell you that Canada's health care system is superior (despite never having seen it in action, and ignoring the Canadians that cross the boarder for health care). Americans will tell you that other nations are superior for having signed the Kyoto treaty (despite the fact that they aren't complying with the treaty and have no understanding of the science involved). Americans will tell you that Americans are fat and lazy and blame it on our culture - then they'll tell you it's a disease that's nobody's fault. Americans will visit Africa because they feel guilty that they don't live in huts and die of malaria.
Huh? None of this applies to me, since I have no grounding in these situations. My health care's fine, don't care about the fine points of the Kyoto, and I avoid the casinos the Native Americans have set up around here. I'm 10-20 pounds overweight, but I don't blame anyone but myself. Since I'm in no pain, not worried, and don't care what others think about my figure, and doctors aren't urging me to make many changes, this is another non-issue. I haven't visited Africa; no guilt there.
Americans believe in the power of government and regulation. They believe, despite the fact that it goes against everything the country stands for, that central planning is the key to society. They'll tell you our public schools are a mess and a failure and will simultaneously tell you that the government is the best organization to run schools. They'll tell you that redistribution of wealth programs like welfare and social security are a dismal failure and will simultaneously tell you that the government is the best organization to run charity. They'll tell you that the rich are greedy and just get richer the same day one of the richest men in the world donates 30 billion dollars to charity.
No argument there; when polled, Americans generally very paradoxical about these sorts of issues. But I agree, I'm disgusted with people who voices contradiction feelings, and want the rest of the world to fix all their problems, only to complain about the results or means of achieving those things.
As for the nation's educational system, you get what you put into it.
If I have enough for one Big Mac meal each month with Social Security when I'm 65, then I'll get what I imagined I'd get when I was 12 and figured out the mystery of inflation.
The rich aren't greedy, they're just rich. I dislike how there's a "death tax" that re-taxes income. Why should there be a penalty for getting a pay raise for your efforts?
If the government wants to be a charity, I will not buy anything from their bake sale; the pies will have an aftertaste from the permitted 0.5% of tobacco, and the cakes might have an aftertaste of 1% acceptable used banana peels. Not to mention, the FDA will delay production of said baked goods for 5 years.
thank you thank you 
