America: The Grim Truth-----WOW!

[Wasillaguy]

We're still enjoying the favorable jet stream. Record highs last week (48F), supposed to get to 34F today.

I was just in San Jose, Costa Rica, where everyone decorates their homes with bars on every window and door, and concertina wire on the top of every roof and fence.
That is, until you get out in the farm country. Suddenly you see normal looking houses that haven't been turned into little personal prisons.

So it turns out that in a country of about 5 million people, only about 12,000 have permits to own weapons. Who? Why the farmers of course, so they can do farming type stuff where they need weapons. Nice side benefit for them is they also get to live like normal humans. They don't need razor wire and iron bars to lock themselves away every night, cuz the bad guys know they got firearms.

They also got them some socialized medicine. Guide said if you know someone in the government or the military, you can get treatment, but the average Jose' can wait 3 or 4 years for an operation.

No prices on any of the gas stations. Why? Cuz the gov owns the only refinery, and sets the price. Everyone must sell at the same price, no competition. Somewhere around $6 to $6.50 a gallon.

They've been trying to build a highway to the coast for a dozen years now. Still not done, budget busted long ago.

Stayed at a real nice hotel, with absolute squalor all around. Roads are hideous, electric and cable tv wiring strung like crepe paper at a party, and rusty corrugated tin used for roofing, siding, fences, signs, and anything else they can think of.

Runaway inflation- the exchange rate went up in the 3 days I was there.

They couldn't even play a soccer game. Cancelled it before it started due to rioting in the stands.

I wouldn't retire there even if someone else paid for it.

You know you're in a great place when they charge you to leave. $27 U.S. to get out.

[bobabode]

Sounds like Nome Was.

[piece-itpete]

Originally Posted by Wasillaguy

....

You know you're in a great place when they charge you to leave. $27 U.S. to get out.

Is it a bargain?

Pete

[bobabode]

Originally Posted by piece-itpete

Is it a bargain?

Pete

It's an exit visa, they're not uncommon. Just a bit of paperwork to keep track of the riff raff visiting their country.

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by bobabode

It's an exit visa, they're not uncommon. Just a bit of paperwork to keep track of the riff raff visiting their country.

Israel charged a pretty penny just to walk across the border into Jordan to visit Petra and Wadi Rum. I think it was upwards of $30 apiece. They didn't charge anything to fly out of the country from Ben Gurion airport, however. I think they just resent foreign tourists spending any money in Jordan.

[Wasillaguy]

Originally Posted by piece-itpete

Is it a bargain?

Pete

It certainly was. Would have been a bargain at twice the price.
Amusing to hear these advocates of "leveling the playing field" wax poetic of living somewhere they can be the rich, ruling class. Sure, you can go to Costa Rica or the Phillipines and live like a king.... on the backs of the extremely poor. I thought that was the problem here?
I also get a kick out of the people who take advantage of charities to fund their vacations (Houses for Humanity being one). Talked to a couple who came here to Wasilla on donated funds to help build houses, and oh yeah, also included were excursions to tourist spots on the weekends.
I'm thinking with the amount of money they put out in airfare, hotels, excursions, etc. they could have hired locals to build the houses. We have folks who do that here.

[merrylander]

Originally Posted by Wasillaguy

It certainly was. Would have been a bargain at twice the price.
Amusing to hear these advocates of "leveling the playing field" wax poetic of living somewhere they can be the rich, ruling class. Sure, you can go to Costa Rica or the Phillipines and live like a king.... on the backs of the extremely poor. I thought that was the problem here?
I also get a kick out of the people who take advantage of charities to fund their vacations (Houses for Humanity being one). Talked to a couple who came here to Wasilla on donated funds to help build houses, and oh yeah, also included were excursions to tourist spots on the weekends.
I'm thinking with the amount of money they put out in airfare, hotels, excursions, etc. they could have hired locals to build the houses. We have folks who do that here.

You are assuming that in order to be able to live on one's pension automatically means behaving like an asshole.

[BlueStreak]

Originally Posted by Wasillaguy

It certainly was. Would have been a bargain at twice the price.
Amusing to hear these advocates of "leveling the playing field" wax poetic of living somewhere they can be the rich, ruling class. Sure, you can go to Costa Rica or the Phillipines and live like a king.... on the backs of the extremely poor. I thought that was the problem here?
I also get a kick out of the people who take advantage of charities to fund their vacations (Houses for Humanity being one). Talked to a couple who came here to Wasilla on donated funds to help build houses, and oh yeah, also included were excursions to tourist spots on the weekends.
I'm thinking with the amount of money they put out in airfare, hotels, excursions, etc. they could have hired locals to build the houses. We have folks who do that here.

I meant "...live like a king." metaphorically, not as in "ruling over their lives" or running a slave wage plantation style business. It's just a fact that even a retirement income of less than $1,000 a month might be a strong income in a place such as the Philippines. Quite possibly better than living off of what our Scrooge Republicans think is a good working income here.

Dave

[icenine]

Originally Posted by Wasillaguy

We're still enjoying the favorable jet stream. Record highs last week (48F), supposed to get to 34F today.

I was just in San Jose, Costa Rica, where everyone decorates their homes with bars on every window and door, and concertina wire on the top of every roof and fence.
That is, until you get out in the farm country. Suddenly you see normal looking houses that haven't been turned into little personal prisons.

So it turns out that in a country of about 5 million people, only about 12,000 have permits to own weapons. Who? Why the farmers of course, so they can do farming type stuff where they need weapons. Nice side benefit for them is they also get to live like normal humans. They don't need razor wire and iron bars to lock themselves away every night, cuz the bad guys know they got firearms.

They also got them some socialized medicine. Guide said if you know someone in the government or the military, you can get treatment, but the average Jose' can wait 3 or 4 years for an operation.

No prices on any of the gas stations. Why? Cuz the gov owns the only refinery, and sets the price. Everyone must sell at the same price, no competition. Somewhere around $6 to $6.50 a gallon.

They've been trying to build a highway to the coast for a dozen years now. Still not done, budget busted long ago.

Stayed at a real nice hotel, with absolute squalor all around. Roads are hideous, electric and cable tv wiring strung like crepe paper at a party, and rusty corrugated tin used for roofing, siding, fences, signs, and anything else they can think of.

Runaway inflation- the exchange rate went up in the 3 days I was there.

They couldn't even play a soccer game. Cancelled it before it started due to rioting in the stands.

I wouldn't retire there even if someone else paid for it.

You know you're in a great place when they charge you to leave. $27 U.S. to get out.

The Koch Brothers would not mind an America like that if they could keep all the money they have. I can not talk about Costa Rica but I know about the Philippines because my wife is from there. There is no socialized medicine there I know from first hand experience....I pay for my in-laws health care all the time.

Your state of Alaska is kept afloat by my Federal tax dollars....imagine if Washington DC cut off your state from Medicare, Social Security, Obamacare and federal money in general? You r state would start to look like a very cold Costa Rica.


I find it funny how you conflate socialized medicine with poverty in developing nations.....a spurious correlation.

[Dondilion]

Originally Posted by Wasillaguy

I wouldn't retire there even if someone else paid for it.

You know you're in a great place when they charge you to leave. $27 U.S. to get out.

Thanks Wasi !

There is a city in Ecuador to which many Americans are retiring. However the leader of Ecuador has an anti-American streak.

Now why would an American retire to such a country?