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Jeff Hickcox just about said it all. If some of us won’t say it, we do feel it.
In my wildest dreams I would have never thought the possibility of wanting to live in another country would be attractive. Given the current political and social climate in the US, this is becoming a reality for us. More and more are sharing the same sentiments back here, but still hope we can turn it around. I won’t give up trying, and hope for a better situation here for those who stay. For those of us who decide to leave, we are looking for a better life, while still loving the country that was once a beacon to so many.
Pura Vida, Jeff
I share your hopes for our country, Alfred, and Jeff’s expressed concerns, but I have no expectation that anything will change in this lifetime or the next. The power balance (money, political power, military might, etc) is so totally skewed in favor of those who are in control that I can see nothing that will influence them to change.
In the late 1940s, Costa Rica had a bloody revolution that was finally resolved with a new constitution that provided some safeguards for the masses. The United States might experience such a bloody revolution, as Jeff implies, but the blood will all come from one side, and we all know which side that will be.
This theme began to be articulated in the 1960s by the Black Power movement, the radical left, and others, and look where it has gotten us. Much as I love my native country, I have little hope for its future and have chosen not to witness its downfall firsthand. It’s too painful.
It’s comforting to know that we have some very astute neighbors keeping up with the political pulse back in the USA.
Jeff writes like a pro and certainly understands economics.
If a fraction of the tax payer paid USA politicians would work on behalf of the American public instead of in the interest of themselves and their chorizero buddies, the majority of us might still feel confident in contrast to mass sentiments of distrust.
Jeff’s article is at [ https://www.welovecostarica.com/members/1633.cfm ]]
And yes! If “90% of our citizens disapprove of our government and 3 out of 4 people dislike our President” then a LOT of people are very unhappy with what’s going on – Thank God!
Is it too late though?
Scott Oliver – Founder.
WeLoveCostaRica.comJust from my reading in the last twenty minutes this morning:
“Deficit spending and promised benefits for federal entitlement programs have put every man, woman, and child in the United States on the hook for $175,000, says a new report by David Walker, comptroller general of the United States.
On Tuesday, Walker sent the results of his audit of the federal debt to Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson. The audit revealed that, as of Sept. 30, the last day of fiscal year 2007, the U.S. government owed $8.993 trillion.” [ http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewNation.asp?Page=/Nation/archive/200711/NAT20071108b.html ]
“The number of homes entering some stage of foreclosure jumped almost 100% in the third quarter from the same time a year ago and 30% from last quarter, according to RealtyTrac…” http://realestate.msn.com/buying/Article2.aspx?cp-documentid=5658441>1=10632
“Think the estimated subprime debt load carried by the big international banks is big, at $1 trillion? [ http://moneynews.com/money/archives/st/2007/11/6/155431.cfm?s=st ]
How about this: Americans now owe nearly as much – a record $915 billion – on their credit cards alone. “
“U.S. Says Attack Plans for Iran Ready” [ http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,155821,00.html ]
George Carlin as always – clear cut no BS sums it up at: [ http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article18690.htm ]
Scott Oliver – Founder
WeLoveCostaRica.comThe George Carin piece was from his last HBO appearance. It encapsulates everything I have come to believe over the last twenty years. And I agree with his most salient point; that is is too late to turn things around. It has been too late for decades.I don’t love the United States and have no second thoughts about leaving. I pity the citizens and fear the powerful, moneyed controllers. I consider my decision to move to Costa Rica as the more the action of a refugee, not a retiree. The only problem is, that when this mammoth hits the ground, the vibrations are going to shake a lot of things loose all over the world.
The “constant fear and insecurity” that Hickcox is referring to, consumes all of you who are afraid of America and climate change. America is a force for good in the world and climate change is a big scam.
I would be genuinely interested in seeing why you feel “America is a force for good in the world and climate change is a big scam.”
And who exactly benefits from this big climate change ‘scam’?
Scott Oliver – Founder
WeLoveCostaRica.comRoark: I don’t think anyone would disagree that the earths temperature is rising, although they may disagree with the cause. There is more to this than to just state that it is a scam. Yes during the known history of our planet there have been minor to major temperature changes. But even if you don’t agree with the why, wanting a cleaner planet benefits all of us.
Roark,
It appears that you have missed the entire point of my article for you to zero in on “fear” and “climate change”. it appears that you may be one of the people too busy downloading ringtones and watching reality TV to actually read and pay attention to the REAL world.
I would like to address climate change further. Even the current Administration, an arm of BIG OIL, has had to finally admit to climate change. Bush just made a major speech about it at the UN only weeks ago. It is happening and the argument is over. Some may argue that it is a natural cycle, but what they like to leave out is the natural cycle is caused by increased (natural) CO2 levels in our atmosphere. So it is a pretty simple assumption to make that humans adding CO2 will only accelerate a natural cycle.
I would like to know, along with Scott, how invading, destroying, and displacing a country (Iraq) without being threatened or attacked by that country, and being WRONG about the information that “justified” our invasion, results in being a force for good?
Jeff Hickcox
I am sorry but I have to disagree with all of this ——–.
In my new position in Paraguay I have seen a side of the U.S.A that most of the people in this Forum have never seen. The average American gringo will live their life and not know really how much impact the U.S.A really has.I have seen and help facilitate projects that save life’s in Paraguay and if it was not for our country no one else would do the hard work. (china, Russia, U.K don’t have the will or the power to help in the magnitude) I have seen fire trucks, mammogram machines, ex ray machines donated to Paraguay with no costs attached.
You don’t see China, Russia, the U.K or any other countries give as much as the gringos of U.S.A! Either they don’t have the strength or the will to do what we do on a daily bases to help countries all thru out Latin America.This is not only in Paraguay, Costa Rica has been touched by the generosity of U.S. with projects that most of you don’t even know about and if it wasn’t for the U.S. those projects would never have happened!
So yes, you as the baby boomers that want to cry because you feel that you have lost what you think the U.S.A should look like go right a head, because as Gringos you came from the land of the free where you have choices that most countries wish they had.
You came from the ME generation, the generation of don’t trust the government because they are evil and this shows today by your actions!You know Scott, this information is great and it is informational but you might also want to show the history of how the U.S. has had its financial problems and have always bounced back! Do you believe that the problems of today will make the U.S. fall to its knees and collapse? Or do you think that the U.S. will be able to rise above this and in 20 years from now be the most productive country in the world?
History shows that the U.S. has always been able to bounce back, look at the great depression! Even during that time we were able to save Europe’s bacon!
I look at all of the statistics and am reminded of how you need to be carful of how you interpolate them, look at the sources and then look at reality!
http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2006/06/us_not_most_gen.html
U.S. not ‘most generous’ by many calculations Uwe Reinhardt, James Madison Professor of Political Economy, Princeton University – Princeton, N.J.
USA TODAY presents data on foreign aid and asserts that “the United States is the most generous country in the world when it comes to foreign aid.” It is a slogan repeated often by our presidents (“2 lessons on foreign aid,” Editorial, Friday).
By that logic, however, the United States is also the most athletic nation in the world because it regularly wins more medals in the Olympics than do tiny nations such as Israel or Denmark.If you adjust the dollar figures on foreign aid that USA TODAY presents for population size or gross domestic product, then Denmark, for example, is found to devote 1.12% of its GDP and $385 per capita to foreign aid, both in purchasing power parity dollars. The comparable figures for the United States are only 0.22% of GDP and $92 per capita.
Any college freshman would judge the Danes to be the more generous people when it comes to foreign aid, and so should USA TODAY. I invite you to make similar calculations for other nations, and you’ll discover that the United States is way down in the rankings on foreign aid.@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
The March 4-10, 2006 issue of The Economist gives a table of private donations to poor countries by country, as a percentage of GDP (for 2003). The data comes from the OECD, which tracks 22 countries’ aid (but only 21 of which are listed). The graph supplied shows the percentage of the giving attributed to tax breaks, which appears to be close to half for the top 14 countries. The top percentage of GDP is 0.20%, for Norway, where somewhere between a fourth and a third is attributed to tax breaks.
The 21 countries, from most to least generous:
1. Norway (0.20%)
2. Ireland
3. Switzerland (just under 0.10%)
4. Netherlands
5. Canada
6. Australia
7. United States (just over 0.05%)
8. Belgium (about 0.05%)
9. Germany
10. Austria
11. Britain (just under 0.025%)
12. Spain
13. France
14. New Zealand
15. Denmark
16. Sweden
17. Finland
18. Japan
19. Portugal (no visible bar on the graph)
20. Greece
21. ItalyScott Oliver – Founder
WeLoveCostaRica.comIn managing close to US$100 million for my private investment clients, studying the markets for over 20 years professionally and dealing with investors from all over the world who are fleeing from the US dollar and practically all US based investments, I feel that I have slightly more experience than some people in these matters.
But in answer to your question, I would suggest that financially the US is already on it’s knees however, I would love to know what miraculous shenanigans you think the US has up it’s sleeve to get out from under this ENORMOUS financial burden.
Scott Oliver – Founder
WeLoveCostaRica.com
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