Why would anyone ever want to leave America?!?

The aggressive tone is due to it’s being written by an American who’s spent too much time in the US. People are people, no matter where they’re from. That is one of the joys, and occasional detriment, of travel.

As for quality arguments, I don’t think there are any. It’s basically a mass ad hominem. His argument is he’s better than Americans in general with an implication that he’s better than anyone who disagrees with his opinion.

-Opinion of a Lurker

I left the States in 2001 to travel for a year. I have not been back since. Instead, I have been living and working in Budapest, Hungary, for the most part happily. However, now my partner feels it is time to return, so we are investigating possibilities for late summer 2010. Culture shock in reverse has me nervous, but it has been a good run.

I’m an American living in Australia and hopefully not returning anytime soon. I am proud of the change in direction and happy about the new leadership, but the author is right. While there are MANY smart people in American (mostly in urban centers like my home, SF Bay Area- and even a few liberal and intelligent people in rural areas) there is a MASSIVE proportion of stupids in the states. Maybe it’s because the population is so big. Every country has its version of “hicks” uneducated country folk who just reproduce and pass on their ignorance to future generations. England has them. France has them. Australia has them (they call them “bogans”). But the thing is, America has SOOOO many!! Like i said, maybe it’s just due to the massive population and more people living in rural areas. I’m not sure.

The post is very negative, but I think there’s truth in it, and who is going to argue him? An idiot?

The sad thing is that even with Obama in power and putting in place more socialist policies to fix our terrible health care and education systems, America is still extremely capitalist and consumer-driven and always will be. So keep on traveling, I suppose!!!

I have traveled extensively both in the US and other countries, and i have to say that there is a country and life style for everyone, what might be good for me may not be for another.
It has been my experience that American do tend to stand out in other cultures when they travel, not so much because of the skin color but because of their attitude towards the “natives’. We tend to think that because we are Americans we can take our ways were ever we go and expect the people of another culture to be just like us, we place our beliefs and standards and expect them to fall in line and be just like us because we are civilized and know everything. I have seen many Americans get upset if the natives do not speak English, eat the same food etc.
why travel if u want to be treated the same as back home.

I remember living in Nepal and pretending not to be American when encountering a tourist because of the crass behavior and the disrespect to the ways of other cultures. i think that it is important to read something about the country that u are to visit, if the women do not wear short shorts then please do everything in your power to dress accordingly so as not to insult. When tourist come to our country we expect them to follow our rules, so have the same curtacy. i have lived most of my adult life overseas and that is the reputation that we Americans have.

Of course not all American tourist are this way there is always the exception.

As for Americans being spoilt and all that, well there is nothing wrong with it if that is the way u want to live your live, i know many spoiled Americans who give if not of their time at least of their wallets to help others less fortunate all over the world. I have notice that the more we travel the more compassionate and tolerant we are towards others. I have seen way to much poverty and intolerance in my life time and this is one of the best countries in the world.
Do i want to live here right now? No, but i will always be greatful to be able to return when ever i want. There are people in other country that don’t have a choice but to stay where they were born. I am glad that I am an American there aren’t many other countries that give u the right to travel to just about any where in the world and all u need is the ability to buy a plane ticket, without the hustle of having to spend hours in a line if not years waiting for “permission” from your government.

Remember that The United States is a very young country compared with the rest of the world and we have a long ways to go but we are getting there one step at a time.

So as a traveler i thank my parents for having the foresight of making me a US citizen, and giving me a passport with a visa to experience this wonderful planet that we are very fortunate to live in.

So would that also apply to the Germans during the Hitler regime? Nonsense. A person doesn’t have to “love their country” and blindly accept the destructive influences or habits of its government or its people. That idea is the same as saying a spouse should love their partner and never criticize (implying no matter how bad it is). I don’t think any of us personally want to stick ourselves into a terrible situation. The facts are clear. Americans (well, at least about 40% of them) are ignorant, boorish but passive big mouth armchair war-mongers who blindly and passively allow our nation to become a third world economy and our nation-state to be bankrupt under the conservative ideology that does not work for anyone except the very uber-rich, who incidentally DO leave this country – often – to enjoy the bounties of other nations. They, unlike us poor working folks, experience other cultures, obtain the health care we cannot afford and that is not allowed in the U.S. and many are actually living in other countries and yes, very happy.

We are American, so yes, we are who we are, we are raised and cultured in our history, and the greatness which made us the ideal around the world. In fact, our ideals have been adopted by many nations, so that we no longer hold those ideal principles exclusively. Other nations are now way ahead of us, while we have been degenerating into a mean, cruel, hard place to live with people scrapping for the scraps while a small but powerful elite has risen similary to the royalty of the past, The new lords of the corporate executive class and the aristocracy of these new princes and kinds once again control most of the resourses, while the working people are similar to serfs.

We are mainly “owned” by our corporate masters. When a corporation is sold, we are “sold” along with the company, and how many really have a choice about leaving? We need the paycheck. It is nonsense to call ourselves free when we are slaves to those who “allow” us to draw a paycheck in order to live? We have become slaves because we have no health care and cannot afford to leave; cannot afford to retire, and cannot afford to chance starting a business without fear of a major illness (or even one small trip to the emergency room) destroying everything we have worked for.

Correction, America is the greatest racist country in the world. Not to mention, the most diabolical. It even engineered the virus for which they are forcing children to receive.

Just google:

Mexican Swine Flu Outbreak 2009: SPECIAL REPORT by Dr Leonard Horowitz

or

TERRORSTORM

Please get me out of this vile , soul-less nation.

He makes a great point but his tone destroys his validation. He could have made his point without sounding rude.

I don’t agree with this at all. I find it insulting actually. I have traveled the world and although America does tend to lean more materialistically, I don’t think that is the true America at all. We are intelligent, loving, god-fearing people who have lost our way.
I think that many people have been jaded because of the media, Hollywood and our politicians who are incredibly lacking in integrity and sincere respect for our Constitution. We forget that our country was founded on and by the little man. As America wakes up to see what true government control means, I believe we will see our nation turn back to it’s roots of individual freedom and true neighborly and brotherly love.

America offered me the opportunity to travel freely, but at the same time its changing in a direction I don’t like. I’ve promised myself that I will never settle there. I told my mom this. I told my dad this and he opposes the fact that I Want to live abroad. He thinks AMerica is #1 always witht he best and the brightest. Yet they are finding opportunities overseas. I feel like he wants me to stay here after I finish my degree and be unemployed. ITs certainly not milk and honey overseas, but it certainly is not about a culture forcing you to get a mortgage and pay it for 20 to 30 yrs. I feel like that’s effectively keeping mne a prisoner here… Trust me people say you aren’t forced into a mortgage, but in America its socially unaccepted to be at a certain age, and not be a home owner. because being a home-owner shows responsibility, and having kids at a really young age shows that too. According ot american culture.
I don’t completely agree with this article though, and like always a blog article has comments that are more interesting to read than the article itself.
Anyway will be doing graduate school abroad(people keep thinking”why you doing this, and once you get back remember you’s a nigger and you ain’t never gonna get anything decent unless you work 4 times harder for it than the white guy next to you, ooo and remember you will be constantly discreditted.” yea when you see this you think to yourself.. fuck this place then) WHy I say that? mainly because it feels as if to move to a place where I Can atleast be considered human is well a relief. Where people simply aren’t thinking you’re out of place based on your skin colour ignoring your income level. America is a cool place, but at the same time its starting to become a plantation that can’t even keep up with the rest of the developed world. I still hear people telling me that there is no other place in the world that gives you the freedom, but I’ve already found those places, and have no clue what they are talking about.. someone told me to just goto N.Korea then.. I’m wondering why do that when I can goto S.Korea, or maybe Germany, or maybe Singapore. Those are decent places to live in.

I’ve thought this same thing, and have written many musings on it, only to be criticized and jumped on by my friends who have never traveled.

My issue is this: If settling in a grey, boring subdivision in middle America is for you, that’s fine. Go for it. But don’t do it until you’ve been somewhere totally opposite of where you’ve grown up.

I’m from a very small town, which is full of generations of families who have just gotten married straight out of high school to the boy down the street and started popping out babies right away. I don’t think that everyone should be like me, and I recognize that’s the life some people want. But you don’t really know what you want until you’ve seen the other side of the coin!! Don’t condemn me for being anti-family and anti-American because I choose to leave the country every chance I get! Different strokes and all that, but everyone needs to experience something different. There’s no other way to make an informed decision. And while I’m constantly being put down by my miserable, pregnant, married friends for being immature, I still think there’s a little part of them that keeps them up at night wondering how it feels to be living my life instead of their own.

It’s aggressive because it’s a rant. I like to believe that I’m quite tolerant and open-minded, but at times it’s incredibly difficult not to hate the capitalist consumerist shit I’m surrounded by at home. I love Canada and I think it’s a wonderful country but there are times I get so frustrated by it all I want to run away and live in the woods or escape to Peru or something!

I think there are times we all feel like the writer is describing, and I think we have the right to express it!

Hi Sarah,

I’d be very interested to read your texts on Ecuador – are they on the web?

So in short, you’re tolerant toward every culture except your own. I know a lot of people living in poorly made, vinyl-sided houses, all of whom are more open-minded then you. I doubt you’ll find any friends while living “the simple life.” People are people wherever you go.

“…regardless of the quality of the argument.” Well, now, this is supposing a quality argument at all. I don’t think that it is quality nor that it is developed enough to have to properties of being an argument. Perhaps only a truncated version of the weird, and simply that this author has the quality of liking to argue.

I do agree with the basic sentiment of reasons, albeit not necessary and imperative, to leave the States, but the author’s delivery puts me off. It seems that the author is guilty of the same generalization and wand-waving that is being condemned (about crime-ridden and on-the-verge-of-coups foreign countries) except on the other end of argument’s spectrum. Certainly someone I would not enjoy discussing this topic with further, and I am sure a more mature version of said argument would include many logical fallacies (probably some appeal to inappropriate authority, and that authority would be their own angry ego – but this is simply my own wand-waving – presto chango!). Hail King Idiot.

Bottom line is that every country has some good and some bad. Criticizing America’s faults without giving credit to its global contributions is being as short-sided and ignorant as the “morons” you’re describing.

I would normally side with this view if it weren’t for the blatant generalizations and determination to offend even the most neutral reader. This “greater-than-thou” approach is certainly a surefire way to gain foes, both internationally and domestically.

I think it’s a shame the so-called intelligent tolerant people of our country are taking it upon themselves to create a further divide by jumping ship. What does that say about Americans?

I loved this post, I was starting to think that I was the only one who thought that way although I don’t have the money to travel a whole lot I have been to foreign countries and try to learn about the different cultures, even in the U.S. this has helped me broaden my mind on the culture differences that we have within our communities. And why not maybe one day when I retire I’ll move somewhere calm and quiet with my feet up sitting on a rocking chair, drink in my hand listening to the nature.

Yeah…Everybody gets frustrated with people that they don’t agree with but that tone was so totally out of line. (And it makes sense that it was a comment and not an actual article – comments trend toward vitriol.) It makes me wonder why you would even posted it, Matador. Reading it, I couldn’t believe that you had. A response piece about how travel expands the mind (and how people with “closed” minds should try it, might have been better.

New York City (believe it or not) is the 2nd foreign friendly city. If you visit and go their it is suppose to be very friendly.

I love living outside America. It’s opened my eyes and made me seen my country in a different light – for better, but mostly for worst. If everyone at one point lived abroad they would definitely benefit.

It is quite interesting that the people who wrap themselves in the flag are oftentimes the very ones who have been fooled by corporate america into thinking that things such as universal health care are bad things, are the same ones that would benefit the most by these policies. It is quite surreal actually. I would love to live in Canada or the U.K. if the opportunity presented itself. Have visited both and loved it. I am trying to sell one of my two houses right now here in the states. Once I’m down to owning just one house, I’ll be in a stronger position to get the heck out.

America is not a country but a continent. Your country is called United States; it is just the same history; the US invades countries and steals the name of a continent. Christopher Colombus discovered America not the US.

how about i want my own country back. the one called BELARUS that the Americans helped the soviet JEWS steal.

Don’t have web. Am a non citizen of US

I hate America, it is an artless corporate nightmare run by Racists. And it will NEVER change. I want out of this place badly and am looking into renouncing my citizenship soon. I have Never experienced this so called american dream. All I have ever seen and experienced has been racism and a total hatred for people who seek to give as opposed to take. Opportunities here are not for what you know but who you know. it is a closed system that is not open to innovation or change. America is a lie and I hate it. And want to leave this place now. I hate it here and feel like I am in a cage every day. I hate htis place so much you can not imagine. There is nothing here but ignorance and people who worship materialism. That is America. This other place so many talk about. I’ve never seen it. America is heaven for those who come to it. But horror or those born in it.