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Happy Thanksgiving
Chizz
Posts: 28,327
14
Comments
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😎4 -
We got the better part of the deal when we sailed away. I'm sure there are some really sane Americans but there are plenty of gun toting lunatics over there.
And their sport, Rounders or a sort of Rugby in fancy dress.6 -
Never been but would love to go to the US and as someone raised on 80s movies as a kid it's always seemed a magical place from a far.
Seems to have some of the worst aspects of excess capitalism and vapid culture but also some of the greatest things and achievements that mankind have ever done and the pinnacle of many areas of modern life.
Love their patriotism and can do attitude and think from a far it's a wonderful country.
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They ditched tea for coffee..........so I'm out !2
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It's not Thanksgiving, that's in the late autumn/early winter .. July 4th is American (USA) Independence Day .. also the day when the UK electors blessed us with the Starmer 'Government' in 2024
Like it or not the USA is the most influential nation on the planet0 -
Lovely country, horrible people!3
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I'm thankful for not being American.
For the record I've been to 12 of the states.2 -
They call it Independence Day.Lincsaddick said:It's not Thanksgiving, that's in the late autumn/early winter .. July 4th is American (USA) Independence Day .. also the day when the UK electors blessed us with the Starmer 'Government' in 2024
Like it or not the USA is the most influential nation on the planet
But their decision to quit is something we should gives thanks for, at least annually.4 -
In all seriousness it is a nice country but for me certain aspects of it I find a bit too much. Like their obsession with money and patriotism which I feel is a little forced and over the top but thats probably the Britishness coming out in me, we don't generally like discussing our money or telling the world how great we are, we don't have toRodneyCharltonTrotta said:Never been but would love to go to the US and as someone raised on 80s movies as a kid it's always seemed a magical place from a far.
Seems to have some of the worst aspects of excess capitalism and vapid culture but also some of the greatest things and achievements that mankind have ever done and the pinnacle of many areas of modern life.
Love their patriotism and can do attitude and think from a far it's a wonderful country.
I do love their wild life which is everywhere but seldom mentioned. The country is so vast it has nearly everything you can think of, from natural resources to good way of life, (for some). .
With better management and some improvements to their food maybe we could, one day, allow them back into the civilised world to be rule over by a single man.0 -
In America apparently Doctors will cure your fractured eyelash if you buy them a golf course.2
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The place where they measure in inches expect in the classroom where they used 9mm.2
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Please change the title to happy 4th July - it is not thanksgiving!0
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SporadicAddick said:Please change the title to happy 4th July - it is not thanksgiving!Chizz said:
They call it Independence Day.Lincsaddick said:It's not Thanksgiving, that's in the late autumn/early winter .. July 4th is American (USA) Independence Day .. also the day when the UK electors blessed us with the Starmer 'Government' in 2024
Like it or not the USA is the most influential nation on the planet
But their decision to quit is something we should gives thanks for, at least annually.
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You are so clever with your wit. Are you actually Stewart Lee?1
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I'm not really sure why people think this though.charltonkeston said:We got the better part of the deal when we sailed away. I'm sure there are some really sane Americans but there are plenty of gun toting lunatics over there.
And their sport, Rounders or a sort of Rugby in fancy dress.
- Average income is significantly higher
- Lower Tax
- Cheap energy
- Cheap Gasoline
- Lower Sales Tax
Sure it has its own problems, but the average american has a higher quality of life than we do, yet we look down on them?
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A lot of people only know what they see on the news.cafcnick1992 said:
I'm not really sure why people think this though.charltonkeston said:We got the better part of the deal when we sailed away. I'm sure there are some really sane Americans but there are plenty of gun toting lunatics over there.
And their sport, Rounders or a sort of Rugby in fancy dress.
- Average income is significantly higher
- Lower Tax
- Cheap energy
- Cheap Gasoline
- Lower Sales Tax
Sure it has its own problems, but the average american has a higher quality of life than we do, yet we look down on them?I've been to Texas and some remote parts of Oklahoma and found the Americans to be friendly, helpful and curious.2 -
Not for much longer.cafcnick1992 said:
I'm not really sure why people think this though.charltonkeston said:We got the better part of the deal when we sailed away. I'm sure there are some really sane Americans but there are plenty of gun toting lunatics over there.
And their sport, Rounders or a sort of Rugby in fancy dress.
- Average income is significantly higher
- Lower Tax
- Cheap energy
- Cheap Gasoline
- Lower Sales Tax
Sure it has its own problems, but the average american has a higher quality of life than we do, yet we look down on them?1 -
I have the pleasure of spending a lot of time in the USA.cafcnick1992 said:
I'm not really sure why people think this though.charltonkeston said:We got the better part of the deal when we sailed away. I'm sure there are some really sane Americans but there are plenty of gun toting lunatics over there.
And their sport, Rounders or a sort of Rugby in fancy dress.
- Average income is significantly higher
- Lower Tax
- Cheap energy
- Cheap Gasoline
- Lower Sales Tax
Sure it has its own problems, but the average american has a higher quality of life than we do, yet we look down on them?
All of what you say above is correct, BUT that doesn't necessarily translate into quality of life for all.
The levels of poverty / deprivation / mental health issues that I see are at a minimum on a par with what we have in the UK, and I'd suggest deeper and wider.
It is a divided society to the extent that (from my experience), there is an unwritten rule now that there is simply no discussion on politics in polite society. It's our Brexit division on steroids.
Bad food is cheap, good food is expensive. Obesity is a problem for a reason (although now everyone is simply jabbing themselves to thinness).
The knowledgeable American is a relatively small percentage of the population. Their broader lack of any awareness of anything happening outside of their own worldview is remarkable. That leads to a superiority complex that has no foundations, and which causes problems globally, in politics and in business.
They are, as individuals, generous, friendly and kind. In groups they are loud and brash. Confidence in any walk of life is a useful trait, and they have it in bucket loads.
I love it over there, but I'm also enormously grateful when my plane lands back in Blighty.10 -
Its not to be taken seriously what I wrote apart from the gun bit which is not a problem it seems to them.cafcnick1992 said:
I'm not really sure why people think this though.charltonkeston said:We got the better part of the deal when we sailed away. I'm sure there are some really sane Americans but there are plenty of gun toting lunatics over there.
And their sport, Rounders or a sort of Rugby in fancy dress.
- Average income is significantly higher
- Lower Tax
- Cheap energy
- Cheap Gasoline
- Lower Sales Tax
Sure it has its own problems, but the average american has a higher quality of life than we do, yet we look down on them?
I don't know if the average person has a better quality of life, that's a bit hard to define. I'm certainly happy with my life here. I don't know if you wrote your comments or copied and pasted them, (the gasoline word, we don't use that word), but you have mention tax twice and that is an obsession with Americans, they don't like paying it no matter how much. Their income is higher for similar jobs but if you are poor in the USA you really are in trouble.2 -
A really balanced and well-informed post, and this last line sums it up perfectly for me. America is a wonderful place to visit (and I wish I could afford to do so more), but I wouldn't want to live there.SporadicAddick said:
I have the pleasure of spending a lot of time in the USA.cafcnick1992 said:
I'm not really sure why people think this though.charltonkeston said:We got the better part of the deal when we sailed away. I'm sure there are some really sane Americans but there are plenty of gun toting lunatics over there.
And their sport, Rounders or a sort of Rugby in fancy dress.
- Average income is significantly higher
- Lower Tax
- Cheap energy
- Cheap Gasoline
- Lower Sales Tax
Sure it has its own problems, but the average american has a higher quality of life than we do, yet we look down on them?
All of what you say above is correct, BUT that doesn't necessarily translate into quality of life for all.
The levels of poverty / deprivation / mental health issues that I see are at a minimum on a par with what we have in the UK, and I'd suggest deeper and wider.
It is a divided society to the extent that (from my experience), there is an unwritten rule now that there is simply no discussion on politics in polite society. It's our Brexit division on steroids.
Bad food is cheap, good food is expensive. Obesity is a problem for a reason (although now everyone is simply jabbing themselves to thinness).
The knowledgeable American is a relatively small percentage of the population. Their broader lack of any awareness of anything happening outside of their own worldview is remarkable. That leads to a superiority complex that has no foundations, and which causes problems globally, in politics and in business.
They are, as individuals, generous, friendly and kind. In groups they are loud and brash. Confidence in any walk of life is a useful trait, and they have it in bucket loads.
I love it over there, but I'm also enormously grateful when my plane lands back in Blighty.
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No doubt that you need greater financial disclipline over there to thrive.
The benefit the US has over us in terms of tax is competition. Different states set different tax rates, and people have agency to move anywhere in the country. No state could get away charging the obsence levels of tax that the UK does over there. As California is finding out, people just move away.0 -
cafcnick1992 said:No doubt that you need greater financial disclipline over there to thrive.
The benefit the US has over us in terms of tax is competition. Different states set different tax rates, and people have agency to move anywhere in the country. No state could get away charging the obsence levels of tax that the UK does over there. As California is finding out, people just move away.Whether or not that's a benefit depends on your outlook, though. If you view tax as an obscenity, then it's a benefit; if you view tax as a necessary means to a fair and functioning society, then it's not. I think it's fair to say that different nations tend to view tax differently, and the US approach will appeal to some more than others.
Also, without wishing to take this thread down too political a path, the tax burden in the UK isn't that great in comparison to some countries. Obviously there are different ways of calculating and presenting tax burden (lies, damn lies and statistics and all that), and different people will try to spin these things based on their own biases, but here are a couple of illustrations:
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Americans love the country so much that a large portion of them sleep on its streets at night.0
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Total tax wedge (OECD definition) of the average worker in the UK is approximately 31%. In the US, it's 28.7%.
So, what do we get for that extra 2.3%?
- Universal health care, free at the point of need (in the States, the average cost of health insurance is $6,500)
- Tuition fees capped at £9,250 (in the States, there is no such cap)
- 28 days' annual leave, by law (no equivalent in the US)
- Far greater welfare support
- Subsidised public transport
And, of course, in the US, there are State and local taxes of up to 10% to pay.
The reason Americans loudly and repeatedly claim to be the greatest country in Earth is, in part, to convince themselves they're a better country than the UK, which is.5 -
What's this about then? I thought they have their thing in November. John candy and Steve Martin trying to get home for it.0
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The average Mongolian has a higher quality of life than we docafcnick1992 said:
I'm not really sure why people think this though.charltonkeston said:We got the better part of the deal when we sailed away. I'm sure there are some really sane Americans but there are plenty of gun toting lunatics over there.
And their sport, Rounders or a sort of Rugby in fancy dress.
- Average income is significantly higher
- Lower Tax
- Cheap energy
- Cheap Gasoline
- Lower Sales Tax
Sure it has its own problems, but the average american has a higher quality of life than we do, yet we look down on them?0 -
They have better weather, and its cheaper, but They have lower stability, fewer rights, lower health outcomes, and lower personal safety levels.eaststandmike said:
The average Mongolian has a higher quality of life than we docafcnick1992 said:
I'm not really sure why people think this though.charltonkeston said:We got the better part of the deal when we sailed away. I'm sure there are some really sane Americans but there are plenty of gun toting lunatics over there.
And their sport, Rounders or a sort of Rugby in fancy dress.
- Average income is significantly higher
- Lower Tax
- Cheap energy
- Cheap Gasoline
- Lower Sales Tax
Sure it has its own problems, but the average american has a higher quality of life than we do, yet we look down on them?
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I stumbled upon job vacancies at Blue Origin while YouTubing at lunchtime.
https://blueorigin.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/BlueOrigin/job/Seattle-WA/Sr-Machinist-Programmer-Kent-R-D---A-Shift_R52723
Basically they really do have some well made stuff in America and manufacturing kit which they don't make the best of IMO. It is something I've robbed a living at since I left school, so I often look at what's about in the world, work and pay wise, (getting close to the end now so is just curiosity now). There were lots of job across many states that I could or could of done and they all paid about double and some what I earn now ($45.64-$63.90). They come with health benefits, eyes and teeth included. Also life insurance, none of which I have ever thought of needing from an employer over here but obviously the average American has to.
Even when I was younger I never had it in me to work anywhere other than south east England and then I wasn't too keen on it. But what I always and more so nowadays look at is the fact America has moved on with manufacturing, (also the rest of the world), while we decided its was not for us. They do tend to innovate and take a more long term view, something we defiantly lost the knack of years ago.
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Chizz said:Total tax wedge (OECD definition) of the average worker in the UK is approximately 31%. In the US, it's 28.7%.
So, what do we get for that extra 2.3%?
- Universal health care, free at the point of need (in the States, the average cost of health insurance is $6,500)
- Tuition fees capped at £9,250 (in the States, there is no such cap)
- 28 days' annual leave, by law (no equivalent in the US)
- Far greater welfare support
- Subsidised public transport
And, of course, in the US, there are State and local taxes of up to 10% to pay.
The reason Americans loudly and repeatedly claim to be the greatest country in Earth is, in part, to convince themselves they're a better country than the UK, which is.
These are all perfectly legitimate points. I would counter it by saying that going to university is not a necessity. A store manager at Walmart makes over 100k a year and doesn't need a degree.
Some states are obviously below the 28.7 - particularly those that do not charge state income tax (Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and Wyoming) albeit they have varying property taxes. What the US lacks in public transport infrastructure, it makes up for with cheap cars, cheap petrol and no road tax.
The most interesting statistic i've seen is that the property price to income ratio in the USA is just 3.4. By comparison, the UK is at 8.7. Just look at this house for example: https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/3430-Aspen-Bend-Dr_Houston_TX_77068_M80034-29375?from=srp-list-card
4 bedrooms, swimming pool, and a 20 minute drive from DT Houston all for £240,000!0 -
If you're over 21, in the UK the minimum wage is £12.21 per hour. In the US, it's £5.51. So, it's great if you can climb the ladder at Walmart to become a store manager, but, whatever you do, don't become ill on your way there.cafcnick1992 said:Chizz said:Total tax wedge (OECD definition) of the average worker in the UK is approximately 31%. In the US, it's 28.7%.
So, what do we get for that extra 2.3%?
- Universal health care, free at the point of need (in the States, the average cost of health insurance is $6,500)
- Tuition fees capped at £9,250 (in the States, there is no such cap)
- 28 days' annual leave, by law (no equivalent in the US)
- Far greater welfare support
- Subsidised public transport
And, of course, in the US, there are State and local taxes of up to 10% to pay.
The reason Americans loudly and repeatedly claim to be the greatest country in Earth is, in part, to convince themselves they're a better country than the UK, which is.
These are all perfectly legitimate points. I would counter it by saying that going to university is not a necessity. A store manager at Walmart makes over 100k a year and doesn't need a degree.
Some states are obviously below the 28.7 - particularly those that do not charge state income tax (Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and Wyoming) albeit they have varying property taxes. What the US lacks in public transport infrastructure, it makes up for with cheap cars, cheap petrol and no road tax.
The most interesting statistic i've seen is that the property price to income ratio in the USA is just 3.4. By comparison, the UK is at 8.7. Just look at this house for example: https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/3430-Aspen-Bend-Dr_Houston_TX_77068_M80034-29375?from=srp-list-card
4 bedrooms, swimming pool, and a 20 minute drive from DT Houston all for £240,000!
Yes, some states will have a total tax wedge below 28.7% - and a proportionately equivalent number of states are above that average. I imagine those states would be the ones in which it's most comfortable to live, at the cost of paying as much of your income in tax as you would do here. (But without those benefits listed above).
That looks a nice house in Harris County for only £240,000. I suppose the downsides are the six assaults, one robbery, one burglary, fifteen reported thefts, eight arrests and one act of vandalism in the last thirty days within a half-hour walk of that property. Not to say the shootings in Harris County this year (15-year old shot in Cinnamon Lane, 35-year old shot and killed in Homestead Road, the five people shot in Wilmer-Hutchins High School, the gun killing at Hwy 290 & Spring Cypress Exxon and the drive-by shooting in Ella Blvd & Barren Springs). Even though that property is really inexpensive, comparatively, I would always turn that down in favour of the county where I live, where there hasn't been a shooting - fatal or otherwise, this year.
Or last year.
Or the year before that. Or the year before that. Or the year before that...6
