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  #11  
Old 03-03-2014, 02:48 PM
MrPots MrPots is offline
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Arguing on how to fix it or fighting over whatever scraps are left?
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  #12  
Old 03-03-2014, 07:57 PM
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Boreas Boreas is offline
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Originally Posted by finnbow View Post
There are certainly aspects of the northern European social-democratic model that I prefer to ours though. From healthcare to primary education to crime rates to vacation time to the quality of basic foodstuffs, they do a lot of things better than we do.
Not just primary education. Their universities are excellent and there you get paid to go to college. Here you go into crushing debt and spend the first half of your working life paying it off...... if you can find a job.

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South of the Alps is a different story though (except for the food, which is even better than northern Europe).
My daughter, in the Alps rather than south of them, has gone from thinking about returning to the States to planning to open a business in Merano (Meran - in the Sud Tyrol - to you Germanophiles).

John
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  #13  
Old 03-03-2014, 08:18 PM
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finnbow finnbow is offline
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Not just primary education. Their universities are excellent and there you get paid to go to college. Here you go into crushing debt and spend the first half of your working life paying it off...... if you can find a job.

Unquestionably so, but our university system is still excellent, if overpriced. Also, university studies there (at least in Germany and the UK) are a lot more formal than here with a lot of dry lecturing and less give-and-take with the professors.

My daughter, in the Alps rather than south of them, has gone from thinking about returning to the States to planning to open a business in Merano (Meran - in the Sud Tyrol - to you Germanophiles).

John
Südtirol (aka Alto Adige) is one of the most beautiful and enjoyable places on the planet. Great food, great wine, beautiful scenery and fantastic skiing and windsurfing. What's not to like? When I lived in Augsburg, my best friend lived in Vicenza. We'd frequently met halfway to ski, windsurf at Lake Garda, or just eat and drink wine. We met there a few times during "Toerggelen" times in the Fall. Good fun, though full of German tourists at that time.
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  #14  
Old 03-03-2014, 09:46 PM
4-2-7 4-2-7 is offline
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  #15  
Old 03-03-2014, 09:57 PM
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The area in that picture is home to some fine skiing. The nearby and justly famous Sella Ronda is one of the world's great ski adventures. I've done it a number of times and my son did it last year.
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  #16  
Old 03-04-2014, 03:20 PM
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Wasillaguy Wasillaguy is offline
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I got a kick out of the suggestion that Costa Rica or the Phillipines would be good places to find more freedom. What a hack.
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  #17  
Old 03-04-2014, 03:33 PM
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d-ray657 d-ray657 is offline
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Originally Posted by Wasillaguy View Post
I got a kick out of the suggestion that Costa Rica or the Phillipines would be good places to find more freedom. What a hack.
How's it going up north in the home of rugged individualism? Yeah, it has been comical over the last few years to hear people complain that are under the control of a dictator.

Regards,

D-Ray
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  #18  
Old 03-04-2014, 04:10 PM
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Wasillaguy Wasillaguy is offline
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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.
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  #19  
Old 03-04-2014, 04:25 PM
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Sounds like Nome Was.
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  #20  
Old 03-05-2014, 07:54 AM
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piece-itpete piece-itpete is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Wasillaguy View Post
....

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
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