Is hating the US a mental illness?

[opebo]

No, but apparently being Mexican is.

I can't wait for Opebo to turn up here and say, "Of course not.  Hating the US is a perfectly respectable position to take, and should be encouraged among all terrorists."  I wonder if he even types with a straight face any more.

Of course the term 'terrorist' is a joke-term, Joe Republican.  But certainly hating the US is reasonable for 1) foreigners who have been harmed by it - this includes a huge portion of the worlds population, and 2) Americans who have had to live under the bootheel of its police state all their lives.  This includes all freedom-loving Americans, though admittedly only a minority of citizens.  Lastly, 3) Americans could also hate it for purely aesthetic reasons - it is ugly, the food is atrocious, it makes you fat, it involves endless driving, is poorly designed, the culture is prudish sh**t, etc.

[opebo]

BTW, the US is one of the best nations on Earth, if not the best. If nothing else, everything to the south of us is worse.

In what sense?  The food is better and the women are hotter down there.. there is less prudery..  better weather obviously.   So, I guess you are just talking about money.  I guess one can get a little more by being a worker in the US than 'down there, but then again the cost of living is much higher so it pretty much equals out.

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Actually Thailand is way better, but is gradually being Americanized (ruined).

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Not sure what 'the Pacific' is.  Eastern Europe does have some drawbacks, but still has far better food and beer, and hotter women than the US. 

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All those are superior to the US by a significant margin.

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The ascendency of the Right - your side - in national politics is rapidly making the US a miserable place for all but the wealthiest residents.

[opebo]

Okay, Thailand is a very nice country, all told, by Asian standards - it is more accurately a second-world country than a third-world country - but offer unlimited visas to the US and you'd get a lot of takers.

You would get some, from among the poorest.  I'm sure if the poorest Americans were offer Dutch or Swedish citizenship they'd grab it.  Thais are actually not very prone to desiring emmigration - they really, really hate cold weather, western food, and simply being outside of their rather idyllic culture and in an inferior one.

84    Thailand    2,521

Opebo, here's Thailand for you. About average, actually. Insanely poor by US standards, but the envy of much of the African continent.

72    Thailand    7,901

Thailand does better... but PPP-adjusted, Thais are still earn 1/5th as much as Americans do.

I think that PPP is underestimating the amazing cost of living here - My apartment here is $125/month!  That is about 1/4 the cost of the worst apartments in St. Louis.  A typical Thai apartment (they don't particularly care for air conditioning) is about $50/month, which is about 1/10th the cost of a St. Louis apartment (the cheapest ones).  Of course the cost of living is even cheaper upcountry in the provinces and rural areas.

My meals are not only far better than those available in the US, they cost from fifty cents to two dollars - about 1/10th the cost of similar meals in US restaurants.  Again, meals are naturally cheaper upcountry - about 1/2 to 2/3 the cost of meals here in the central, developed region.  

Of course there is little or no need for a car here, which is a wonderful savings.  Motorbike ownership is preferrable in a country that has excellent weather, and there is the efficient and cheap bus and train service for intercity transport.

In any case, these generalization have little meaning, since the working class is fairly miserable in either country, and the wealthy live in bliss in any land.  

[opebo]

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THe real question is: Give me something JUST ONE good thing about Canada, besides bacon, hockey and Geddy Lee.

Canada provides a role model for the benighted U.S. - a humane, livable, and tolerant North American State. 

[opebo]

I'll wager KillerPollos is a lot richer than StatesRights...