Best place to live?

[Douchebaggerry]

So it would have to be UMSian.

Oh in that case ignore me then.

[Muravyets]

Arkansas, USA.


Low Crime level
People still speak English

They call it English.

It's fairly White, and bright

Well, you're half right.

Good Gun Laws
Good Hunting Laws
Lots of Natural beauty

Alot more as well.

Uh-huh, mm-hm, check, check, check. Sadly, the fact that it is Arkansas cancels all that good stuff out.

[Neesika]

Why is Arkansas pronounced Ark-en-saw, but Kansas isn't Kan-saw?

[RightLeaningChristians]

Why is Arkansas pronounced Ark-en-saw, but Kansas isn't Kan-saw?

Some folks do infact pronounce it our-can-sus.

No idea though.

[The Romulan Republic]

Including the Native Americans?

Yes, unless some divine creator dropped them here. Science says human beings originated in Africa.

And yet, if a Canadian or a Mexican claimed to be "American", the same people who decry the use of the phrase "USian" - which I loathe on an aesthetic base, and prefer the term "US citizen" - would similarly jump on those people for 'insulting' their entitlement to it.

Again, I try not to care too much which term people use. I can't speak for every nationalist jerk in the United States, of course, but I see nothing wrong with referring to a citizen of the United States of America as an American. I also see nothing wrong with a Canadian saying they are an American in the sense of being a resident of North America.

["The Romulan Republic"]Insisting on treating anyone in North America not of "First Nations" decent as an invader or outsider is not merely offensive, but socially damaging.

Please explain how any of this is derived from the use of the term "USian", a linguistic nitpick.[/quote]

I have no need to do so, because I do not derive it from the use of "USian." Rather, I derive it from your suggesting that only "indigenous" (which I took to mean First Nations) people have a claim to being called Americans.

I highly doubt that using the term "USian" is going to cause the USA to revert into a racially-determined hierarchial order.

Again, there are two separate (though related) conversations going on here: one about the use of the term "USian," and one about weather other groups besides First Nations should be referred to as "Americans." I can accept that it was a misunderstanding once. I hope I have clarified the matter. If this mistake reoccurs, however, I will be inclined to consider it a deliberate misrepresentation of my post.

Also, I would never argue that considering only First Nations people to have a claim to being called "Americans" will, in and of itself, turn America "into a racially-determined hierarchial order." Its merely an expression of an attitude that is, perhaps, a step in that direction, and offensive regardless.

[The Romulan Republic]

You espouse one particular theory of our (indigenous peoples') origin.

Yes. The one backed by science.

Other "theories" would presumably be "theories" in the same way Intelligent Design and Creationism are "theories."

[New Roccoland]

Smokey/Blue Ridge Mountains area in the Tri-state region of NC-TN-VA, U.S.A.

[Muravyets]

Am I the only person left on the planet who doesn't give a flying fuck about "USian", one way or the other? It doesn't bother me in the least if people call me a USian. I call myself an American. I really don't care how anyone feels about either term. We all know which country both are referring to.

[Neesika]

You espouse one particular theory of our (indigenous peoples') origin.

Yes. The one backed by science.

Other "theories" would presumably be "theories" in the same way Intelligent Design and Creationism are "theories."

There is a shocking paucity of information actually backing up the Bering Strait theory. A flaw you would be aware of if you've studied the issue. Even if you firmly support the Bering Strait theory, you need to recognise the problems, particularly with time frame and routes, both of which are still under great debate. I thought it was general practice to use the word 'science' in relation to facts, not hotly contested possibilities.

[Neesika]

Am I the only person left on the planet who doesn't give a flying fuck about "USian", one way or the other? It doesn't bother me in the least if people call me a USian. I call myself an American. I really don't care how anyone feels about either term. We all know which country both are referring to.

You're probably not a patriot then. *nods*

[The Romulan Republic]

There is a shocking paucity of information actually backing up the Bering Strait theory.

Straw man?

I never brought up the Bering Strait. I only referred to human beings originating in Africa. How they got from their to North America is a separate (if somewhat related) subject, is it not?

A flaw you would be aware of if you've studied the issue.

Insulting my education, on a topic I never brought up because it was at best tangentially related to the point I was making?

Incidentally I am aware of alternative theories on the subject. I just didn't bring it up, probably because I wouldn't have thought it was that relevant to discussing the origin point of humanity.

Even if you firmly support the Bering Strait theory, you need to recognise the problems, particularly with time frame and routes, both of which are still under great debate. I thought it was general practice to use the word 'science' in relation to facts, not hotly contested possibilities.

Unless you can show me how this is relevant to anything I said, I'm not sure why I should discuss it further.

[Kamsaki]

In my totally unbiased opinion, I agree fully with the latest HDI tables, and thank the UN Development program for their tireless efforts.

As an aside, In your Face, Sweden! Haha!

[Cabra West]

Arkansas, USA.


Low Crime level
People still speak English
It's fairly White, and bright
Good Gun Laws
Good Hunting Laws
Lots of Natural beauty

Alot more as well.

Sounds like a place I'd want to stay well away from, thanks.

[Virtud Tierra]

Arkansas, USA.


Low Crime level
People still speak English
It's fairly White, and bright
Good Gun Laws
Good Hunting Laws
Lots of Natural beauty

Alot more as well.

Sounds like a place I'd want to stay well away from, thanks.

Well, there is always

High crime level
People that don't speak English
Mostly blacks and hispanics
No gun rights
No legal hunting
Wasteland slums and neglected land as far as the eye can see.

You should move to Recife Brazil. You'd fit right in.

[Cabra West]

Arkansas, USA.


Low Crime level
People still speak English
It's fairly White, and bright
Good Gun Laws
Good Hunting Laws
Lots of Natural beauty

Alot more as well.

Sounds like a place I'd want to stay well away from, thanks.

Well, there is always

High crime level
People that don't speak English
Mostly blacks and hispanics
No gun rights
No legal hunting
Wasteland slums and neglected land as far as the eye can see.

You should move to Recife Brazil. You'd fit right in.

Or there's here :

Low crime level
People speak English and other languages
Slowly getting a good mix of colours
No gun rights (even regular police don't carry firearms)
No legal hunting
Lovely nature and thriving cities, so you can take your pick.

I think I'll be staying right here, thank you very much.

[Czardas]

America will have to be automatically discounted, as you have to share it with three hundred million complete idiots, and temperatures often exceed twenty-eight degrees celsius in many parts of the country. I guess I'll have to go with Canada, the suicide rate's not as high as Norway's and the economy isn't as crap as Iceland's, although I've never actually lived there to verify it.

[Barringtonia]

America will have to be automatically discounted, as you have to share it with three hundred million complete idiots, and temperatures often exceed twenty-eight degrees celsius in many parts of the country. I guess I'll have to go with Canada, the suicide rate's not as high as Norway's and the economy isn't as crap as Iceland's, although I've never actually lived there to verify it.

But... Canadians!

They're sooo, amm, so sort of just not anything about anything, other than the Quebecois, who are just French and annoying.

I think most people just die of boredom in Canada, they lose the will to live. I certainly get that feeling at any Canadian gathering.

[Lacadaemon]

And yet, if a Canadian or a Mexican claimed to be "American", the same people who decry the use of the phrase "USian" - which I loathe on an aesthetic base, and prefer the term "US citizen" - would similarly jump on those people for 'insulting' their entitlement to it.

I'm going to go with no here. I can think of plenty of people who just detest USian because it is awkward and ugly yet who are quite happy for Mexicans to claim that they are also American.

In fact, I've never actually heard of such a thing. I will grant that there probably is a very small minority of idiots who do react that way. But should we really be tailoring the language around them? I think not.

[Czardas]

America will have to be automatically discounted, as you have to share it with three hundred million complete idiots, and temperatures often exceed twenty-eight degrees celsius in many parts of the country. I guess I'll have to go with Canada, the suicide rate's not as high as Norway's and the economy isn't as crap as Iceland's, although I've never actually lived there to verify it.

But... Canadians!

They're sooo, amm, so sort of just not anything about anything, other than the Quebecois, who are just French and annoying.

I think most people just die of boredom in Canada, they lose the will to live. I certainly get that feeling at any Canadian gathering.

Canadians are basically Americans, but more spread out, so you don't have to deal with them as much.

Hell, live in the Northwest Territory and you probably won't see any of them for weeks.

In the US and Europe there are always lots of people everywhere, and they're always trying to get involved in your business. In Siberia and Mongolia, you can have that solitude with eighty square miles on your property, but it's harder to drive into town once a month to buy groceries, and they don't speak English at the register.

[Virtud Tierra]

America will have to be automatically discounted, as you have to share it with three hundred million complete idiots, and temperatures often exceed twenty-eight degrees celsius in many parts of the country. I guess I'll have to go with Canada, the suicide rate's not as high as Norway's and the economy isn't as crap as Iceland's, although I've never actually lived there to verify it.

Finland is up on that list and it is the per-capita suicide capital of the world.

Finnish people, from my experiences in Europe, are just fucking weird enough to make this fact completely solid and obvious from what I've seen with Finnish people. I dunno about Norway, but I've heard it is has the welfare-state-self destruction cycle coupled with the Scandinavian tendency for heavy alcohol consumption and long hikes through the woods in overcast skies and that sort of mental imagery.

[Maharlika Islands]

I guess the best place to live in is where people are far from pollution and corruption.

[Lacadaemon]

Finland is up on that list and it is the per-capita suicide capital of the world.

Finnish people, from my experiences in Europe, are just fucking weird enough to make this fact completely solid and obvious from what I've seen with Finnish people. I dunno about Norway, but I've heard it is has the welfare-state-self destruction cycle coupled with the Scandinavian tendency for heavy alcohol consumption and long hikes through the woods in overcast skies and that sort of mental imagery.

Yah. But they killed more Russians that smallpox tho'. That has to stand in their favor.

[Maharlika Islands]

I guess the best place to live in is where people are far from pollution and corruption.

There is hardly a place to find
LOW CRIME LEVELS
LOW POLLUTION LEVELS
NO CORRUPTION
Etc. Etc.

Life wouldn't be the same if we had NO PROBLEMS

[Callisdrun]

I don't really think that index denotes a good indication of best place to live, it's too generalised. The best place to live can depend heavily on your socio-economic status as well, so being poor in the USA is much worse than being poor in Sweden, but being rich in the US is far better than being rich in Sweden (speaking very generally here).

Also, it depends a lot on where in the country you live, especially with large countries like the USA. It's not a homogeneous nation in terms of living standards or price of living.

I can't honestly say that Nor-Cal is that great a place to be living right now. Unemployment is quite high, the state is bankrupt and the UC system seems like it's about to be dismantled, or made so inaccessible that it's irrelevant. It's in a drought, which might not be getting better any time soon and so water rationing will be ramped up. Such weather problems will become more and more frequent with climate change. Essentially, the way it looks right now, California is dying. It'll probably be long and slow, though.

That said, it's my home. I would never live anywhere else. I was born here, and while I love to travel and see other parts of the world, I intend on dying here, too. But I'm crazy.

[Czardas]

America will have to be automatically discounted, as you have to share it with three hundred million complete idiots, and temperatures often exceed twenty-eight degrees celsius in many parts of the country. I guess I'll have to go with Canada, the suicide rate's not as high as Norway's and the economy isn't as crap as Iceland's, although I've never actually lived there to verify it.

Finland is up on that list and it is the per-capita suicide capital of the world.

Finnish people, from my experiences in Europe, are just fucking weird enough to make this fact completely solid and obvious from what I've seen with Finnish people. I dunno about Norway, but I've heard it is has the welfare-state-self destruction cycle coupled with the Scandinavian tendency for heavy alcohol consumption and long hikes through the woods in overcast skies and that sort of mental imagery.

I think it's mainly that it's dark for six months of the year. SAD's a bitch.