Non-Americans: Could you live in the United States?

[Soldati Senza Confini]

I'm not talking about insular territories. I'm talking about the 50 states, where we have imported people of various nationalities and have had them settle on our land, thus creating an empire.

Immigrants settling in our states does not an empire make.

I can agree with you here.

An Empire has a distinct government, which the U.S. lacks.

[-The West Coast-]

Please inform me of all the countries we invaded, conquered and annexed into the American Empire. The number will probably be around zero.

Does the land taken from the Cherokee Indians in the West count? Or Guam? Wake Island? Puerto Rico? The Virgin Islands? That's only if you count annexation. If you count colonialism and incorporating client states, you'd have to add the Philippines. And maybe all the puppet governments installed around the world, like the al-Maliki administration in Iraq or the Hamid Karzai regime in Afghanistan.

Nations with pro-United States leaders =/= empire.

Lands ceded to the United States at the end of warfare =/= empire.

Lands resettled =/= empire.

[Divitaen]

Does the land taken from the Cherokee Indians in the West count? Or Guam? Wake Island? Puerto Rico? The Virgin Islands? That's only if you count annexation. If you count colonialism and incorporating client states, you'd have to add the Philippines. And maybe all the puppet governments installed around the world, like the al-Maliki administration in Iraq or the Hamid Karzai regime in Afghanistan.

Nations with pro-United States leaders =/= empire.

Lands ceded to us at the end of warfare =/= empire.

Lands resettled =/= empire.

Even if those pro-US leaders were forcibly installed against the will of the people? Even if the majority of empires like the French empire in Indochina gained those territories at the end of warfare? Even if by forcibly 'resettled' you mean the inhabitants were killed or forcibly relocated and the land annexed?

[-The West Coast-]

Nations with pro-United States leaders =/= empire.

Lands ceded to us at the end of warfare =/= empire.

Lands resettled =/= empire.

Even if those pro-US leaders were forcibly installed against the will of the people? Even if the majority of empires like the French empire in Indochina gained those territories at the end of warfare? Even if by forcibly 'resettled' you mean the inhabitants were killed or forcibly relocated and the land annexed?

Cuba, the P.I. and many other places ceded to us at the end of open warfare are now currently independent nations. We fought no wars with them, they were given to us after the defeat of the Spanish Empire and willingly allowed to either stay aligned with the United States as an insular territory or begin a fully independent government with no corruption by the USA. Does that sound like something an Empire would do willingly? I don't think so.

[Nazi Flower Power]

Comparing the maps though it seems that throughout Mexico has a higher murder rate than the US.

I don't disagree with you, but regardless of what the maps say, you aren't going to get shot just because someone feels like it. Stabbed, maybe, but not shot.

You won't in the US either...

[Soldati Senza Confini]

Even if those pro-US leaders were forcibly installed against the will of the people? Even if the majority of empires like the French empire in Indochina gained those territories at the end of warfare? Even if by forcibly 'resettled' you mean the inhabitants were killed or forcibly relocated and the land annexed?

Cuba, the P.I. and many other places ceded to us at the end of open warfare are now currently independent nations. We fought no wars with them, they were given to us after the defeat of the Spanish Empire and willingly allowed to either stay aligned with the United States as an insular territory or begin a fully independent government with no corruption by the USA. Does that sound like something an Empire would do willingly? I don't think so.

OKay, that wasn't the case with Cuba if you recall.

We had to be literally kicked out by Castro himself because we made Cuba a shithole.

[Estenia]

It's a hard place to live in, with the tornadoes,hurricanes,earthquakes and tornadoes. I would probaly live in New York even if it's struck by hurricanes.

[-The West Coast-]

Cuba, the P.I. and many other places ceded to us at the end of open warfare are now currently independent nations. We fought no wars with them, they were given to us after the defeat of the Spanish Empire and willingly allowed to either stay aligned with the United States as an insular territory or begin a fully independent government with no corruption by the USA. Does that sound like something an Empire would do willingly? I don't think so.

OKay, that wasn't the case with Cuba if you recall.

We had to be literally kicked out by Castro himself because we made Cuba a shithole.

In 1933 the American military left the USA, and were allowed by Cubans to help in establishing an independent government. We were removed forcibly only because of an incredibly violent, Communist guerrilla and his farmer-soldiers were corrupted by another anti-American world power known as the USSR back in those days. We didn't make Cuba a shit hole, we worked to empower them. Che and Castro made Cuba a shit-hole.

So much for Cuba Libre.

[Nazi Flower Power]

Safe, yes, absolutely.

Nice depends on how you define nice. I think it's OK, but not quite as nice as the states around it.

One thing I will say is the state is geographically beautiful and it has no sales tax.

Yeah, that is true.

It still manages to be expensive though somehow.

It's New England.

[Saint Jade IV]

Give Tony Abbott time, and we won't be able to tell much difference.

After spending five weeks travelling from the west to the east, I can say it was a nice place to visit, but sooooooo many problems. One of the biggest ones being the whole tipping culture. I could never work out how much to pay people, and I felt continually guilty, knowing that they could be receiving as little as $2 an hour.

Why not just pay the people a decent damn wage?

[Nazi Flower Power]

Safe, yes, absolutely.

Nice depends on how you define nice. I think it's OK, but not quite as nice as the states around it.

Seems like you've been all over the states

I have moved around and traveled a good bit, but NH is practically in my backyard. I can ride my bike there. It takes maybe an hour or two.

[Divitaen]

Even if those pro-US leaders were forcibly installed against the will of the people? Even if the majority of empires like the French empire in Indochina gained those territories at the end of warfare? Even if by forcibly 'resettled' you mean the inhabitants were killed or forcibly relocated and the land annexed?

Cuba, the P.I. and many other places ceded to us at the end of open warfare are now currently independent nations. We fought no wars with them, they were given to us after the defeat of the Spanish Empire and willingly allowed to either stay aligned with the United States as an insular territory or begin a fully independent government with no corruption by the USA. Does that sound like something an Empire would do willingly? I don't think so.

The US didn't just benelovently allow Cuba independence unconditionally. It placed a lot of new restrictions on the new Cuban governments. It forbade them to establish treaties with other nations in the Platt Amendment, and the US reserved the right to militarily intervene in the new nation. Cuba was also forced to grant the US a permanent lease in Guantanomo Bay. Does that sound like granting complete, free independence with respect to Cuban self-determination.

Besides, that's just Cuba. The Spanish-American war is generally remembered for the beginning of US imperialism. The Philippines didn't have a choice. The Filipino wanted independence after the war, which was opposed by the US government, culminating in the Philippine-American war where the US defeated the Philippines independence forces by military force and killed more than 200,000 Filipino civilians.

[Soldati Senza Confini]

OKay, that wasn't the case with Cuba if you recall.

We had to be literally kicked out by Castro himself because we made Cuba a shithole.

In 1933 the American military left the USA, and were allowed by a Cuban government to help in establishing an independent government. We were removed forcibly only because of an incredibly violent, Communist guerrilla and his farmer-soldiers were corrupted by another anti-American world power known as the USSR back in those days. We didn't make Cuba a shit hole, we worked to empower them. Che and Castro made Cuba a shithole.

Until 1933, and even then most American industries in the island by the time of Batista had almost complete control over several industries

At the beginning of 1959 United States companies owned about 40 percent of the Cuban sugar lands—almost all the cattle ranches—90 percent of the mines and mineral concessions—80 percent of the utilities—practically all the oil industry—and supplied two-thirds of Cuba's imports.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fulgencio_ ... government

We also supported Batista's regime while he was making an authoritarian nation and killing dissenters as well as restricting individual freedoms. If Cubans hail Castro and the Castro family so high today is not because they are anti-American. After what we did down there we kinda deserved that one.

[Soldati Senza Confini]

To be fair on this. No, America wasn't an empire. It's not by the definition of an empire. But we sure were assholes.

[Nazi Flower Power]

Safe, yes, absolutely.

Nice depends on how you define nice. I think it's OK, but not quite as nice as the states around it.

I went to New Hampshire, and I talked to someone who's lived there their entire life and has never left. His name was Dan the Moose man, and he talked about how it is very easy to get a permit and gun to go Moose-shootin' in the Moose-shootin' season. I didn't know people like that existed, I thought it was a stereotype on American TV.

That's New Hampshire for you.

They are kind of hard to take seriously sometimes with the whole hickish "mountain man" schtick. I think they play up that image on purpose as a way to prove that they can't be pushed around and made to conform to other people's idea of civilized behavior, or maybe just to poke fun at themselves for amusement.

[Nazi Flower Power]

Give Tony Abbott time, and we won't be able to tell much difference.

After spending five weeks travelling from the west to the east, I can say it was a nice place to visit, but sooooooo many problems. One of the biggest ones being the whole tipping culture. I could never work out how much to pay people, and I felt continually guilty, knowing that they could be receiving as little as $2 an hour.

Why not just pay the people a decent damn wage?

I would prefer that.

[Fionnuala_Saoirse]

I wouldn't be able to stomach working in the American healthcare system (inefficient, ineffective, and uncaring) so that screws me up on the financial front which is fairly important to live in the US.

[Soldati Senza Confini]

Give Tony Abbott time, and we won't be able to tell much difference.

After spending five weeks travelling from the west to the east, I can say it was a nice place to visit, but sooooooo many problems. One of the biggest ones being the whole tipping culture. I could never work out how much to pay people, and I felt continually guilty, knowing that they could be receiving as little as $2 an hour.

Why not just pay the people a decent damn wage?

I would prefer that.

I think that would be better for everyone.

I mean tips shouldn't be a source of income. It should be like a "bonus" but it shouldn't be expected that that's their sole source of income.

[Saint Jade IV]

Give Tony Abbott time, and we won't be able to tell much difference.

After spending five weeks travelling from the west to the east, I can say it was a nice place to visit, but sooooooo many problems. One of the biggest ones being the whole tipping culture. I could never work out how much to pay people, and I felt continually guilty, knowing that they could be receiving as little as $2 an hour.

Why not just pay the people a decent damn wage?

I would prefer that.

I really found it quite disingenuous, the whole pricing system. Like, some states had to tell you how much sales tax, some didn't, and some did sometimes. And then there was the tipping, which overall, made prices not all that much different to Australia. You'd go out for like an $8 meal special, which would end up being like $15 once you added tax and tipping.

[Terra Novian Atlantis]

I stayed 3 months in the US, in time I grew accustomed to living there. Americans are very generous and I enjoy their lifestyle. Although I do not agree with most of their views I respect them. I stayed with an Republican family with strong christian ties. They are honest and friendly...however americans tend to be soft on the outside and hard on the inside.

As the OP, I concur on the Healthcare and Insurance. Living in Sweden I have to say I'd be bankrupt at the end of the month.


I could very well live there.

[Nazi Flower Power]

I would prefer that.

I really found it quite disingenuous, the whole pricing system. Like, some states had to tell you how much sales tax, some didn't, and some did sometimes. And then there was the tipping, which overall, made prices not all that much different to Australia. You'd go out for like an $8 meal special, which would end up being like $15 once you added tax and tipping.

The sales tax doesn't bother me because it's not that much and you don't have to guess how much you're supposed to pay; they'll tell you when they ring it up. Especially when you live in the US, it is not so confusing because you spend most of your time in one state with one set of rules -- though here in MA we do have sales tax on some items and not others.

But yeah, when you have to tip as well, it can add up.

[Saint Jade IV]

I really found it quite disingenuous, the whole pricing system. Like, some states had to tell you how much sales tax, some didn't, and some did sometimes. And then there was the tipping, which overall, made prices not all that much different to Australia. You'd go out for like an $8 meal special, which would end up being like $15 once you added tax and tipping.

The sales tax doesn't bother me because it's not that much and you don't have to guess how much you're supposed to pay; they'll tell you when they ring it up. Especially when you live in the US, it is not so confusing because you spend most of your time in one state with one set of rules -- though here in MA we do have sales tax on some items and not others.

But yeah, when you have to tip as well, it can add up.

Coming from a country where shops and restaurants have to show the full price including Goods and Services Tax in the display price (they then have a line that shows how much GST is), it was really surprising when I went to purchase something I thought was $20 to have $22 (or something like that) rung up and to be told that that is sales tax. I got used to it after a while, but it made me feel a little ripped off at first.

[Jetan]

I'd like to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there.

[Saint Jade IV]

I really found it quite disingenuous, the whole pricing system. Like, some states had to tell you how much sales tax, some didn't, and some did sometimes. And then there was the tipping, which overall, made prices not all that much different to Australia. You'd go out for like an $8 meal special, which would end up being like $15 once you added tax and tipping.

The sales tax doesn't bother me because it's not that much and you don't have to guess how much you're supposed to pay; they'll tell you when they ring it up. Especially when you live in the US, it is not so confusing because you spend most of your time in one state with one set of rules -- though here in MA we do have sales tax on some items and not others.

But yeah, when you have to tip as well, it can add up.

I will also add that I found it kind of hilarious to interact with Americans who hated on Obamacare, seemed to only know that Australia has very heavy gun restrictions (although their actual understanding of this was farcical), who couldn't shut up about the evils of welfare, and who then claimed they wanted to live in Australia for a while because of our high standard of living, and how safe it was.

[Nazi Flower Power]

The sales tax doesn't bother me because it's not that much and you don't have to guess how much you're supposed to pay; they'll tell you when they ring it up. Especially when you live in the US, it is not so confusing because you spend most of your time in one state with one set of rules -- though here in MA we do have sales tax on some items and not others.

But yeah, when you have to tip as well, it can add up.

Coming from a country where shops and restaurants have to show the full price including Goods and Services Tax in the display price (they then have a line that shows how much GST is), it was really surprising when I went to purchase something I thought was $20 to have $22 (or something like that) rung up and to be told that that is sales tax. I got used to it after a while, but it made me feel a little ripped off at first.

If any state actually has 10% sales tax, that is unusually high.

But I think some places also have a meal tax, so if you are going to a lot of restaurants it might feel like you're being bombarded with taxes.