I have a good American friend here in Germany who has a great chance of getting a permanent status and later citizenship. She’s already pretty good at German after 2 years and was offered a permanent local contract. She told me last week she’s probably not taking the offer and going back to the US because she earns more and pays less taxes there. I asked about healthcare cost and all she talked about was how contraception was completely free in her american insurance and she has a copay here, how much less taxes she paid and she didn’t like how the German law handles paternity issues (it’s harder to get out of your obligations if your wife cheated and the kid isn’t yours).
It was so weird. So many American women wish they were in her position and all she talked about was going back to the US due to paternity laws and the 10€ copay on her contraception which made her really angry for some reason.
No, actually she worked on one of Kamala Harris’ campaigns and proudly wears the campaign tshirt. Which is why her attitude confused me so much. I’m not sure what’s going on with her other than that even a well educated American can still have a lot of indoctrination and believe the American way is always the best way.
Leftist groups in China have learned not to engage with American leftist groups since the 2020 Pride fiasco in Shanghai. American groups always act as if they know better than locals what local conditions are, what local culture will or will not tolerate, and what tactics will or will not work under local conditions. The LGBT community spent decades on patient diplomacy winning all kinds of victories (like queer sex being removed from criminal law and queerness being removed as a mental disorder) for themselves. Then in 2009 they got persuaded by American LGBT groups to hold Pride events. And when that didn’t get stomped, to get more and more confrontational and strident in them.
Until in 2020 the authorities had had enough and stomped. Hard. Undoing at least three decades of the patient diplomacy in the process.
Now leftist groups in China do the polite “nod, smile, ignore” cycle when told by Americans how to run their affairs.
I guess… But why even care about that unless you plan to cheat? I feel like most people would never even know that’s a thing. There’s really only one reason someone would look that up.
Its USA brainwashing, they feel they are fighting the “enemy” by not paying tax. Even though that extra take home pay ends up going to health care, or car expenses due to lack of transit etc.
It comes from the idea that our government is so inherently corrupt that they can’t be trusted to do anything correctly with our money, so people would rather keep their money and spend it on themselves directly.
And I have to say these people are justified, our government doesn’t spend our money on worthwhile things.
I think the systems where people pay higher taxes usually work better, tho.
We don’t even need to raise taxes. All the money we need for social services is in the military budget that hasn’t passed a successful audit this century.
I’d be fine with our military expenditures if we used them for civil engineering in peacetime… And I guess we would have to stop those pesky undeclared wars as a happy knock on effect.
I never did have that fear. I’ve never lived in the USA.
Now if things get much hotter I might have a minor niggling fear that a US bomb will drop on my head, but for now not even Trump and his coterie are stupid enough to let things get that far.
I have a good American friend here in Germany who has a great chance of getting a permanent status and later citizenship. She’s already pretty good at German after 2 years and was offered a permanent local contract. She told me last week she’s probably not taking the offer and going back to the US because she earns more and pays less taxes there. I asked about healthcare cost and all she talked about was how contraception was completely free in her american insurance and she has a copay here, how much less taxes she paid and she didn’t like how the German law handles paternity issues (it’s harder to get out of your obligations if your wife cheated and the kid isn’t yours).
It was so weird. So many American women wish they were in her position and all she talked about was going back to the US due to paternity laws and the 10€ copay on her contraception which made her really angry for some reason.
Yikes. Does she wear a MAGA hat? She sounds like the type.
No, actually she worked on one of Kamala Harris’ campaigns and proudly wears the campaign tshirt. Which is why her attitude confused me so much. I’m not sure what’s going on with her other than that even a well educated American can still have a lot of indoctrination and believe the American way is always the best way.
Leftist groups in China have learned not to engage with American leftist groups since the 2020 Pride fiasco in Shanghai. American groups always act as if they know better than locals what local conditions are, what local culture will or will not tolerate, and what tactics will or will not work under local conditions. The LGBT community spent decades on patient diplomacy winning all kinds of victories (like queer sex being removed from criminal law and queerness being removed as a mental disorder) for themselves. Then in 2009 they got persuaded by American LGBT groups to hold Pride events. And when that didn’t get stomped, to get more and more confrontational and strident in them.
Until in 2020 the authorities had had enough and stomped. Hard. Undoing at least three decades of the patient diplomacy in the process.
Now leftist groups in China do the polite “nod, smile, ignore” cycle when told by Americans how to run their affairs.
Major red flag for her partner lol
I don’t believe this would be a major opinion by any woman I have ever known. This is likely a fictitious post.
Why? She thinks it should be more in favor of the man and he should be able to easily up and leave anytime after finding out the kid isn’t his.
I guess… But why even care about that unless you plan to cheat? I feel like most people would never even know that’s a thing. There’s really only one reason someone would look that up.
I’m afraid this one reason might be much more common that you seem to think.
Didn’t say it was uncommon
Right, just pointing out that if it’s common then it might be worth caring about even if it doesn’t affect you personally.
Its USA brainwashing, they feel they are fighting the “enemy” by not paying tax. Even though that extra take home pay ends up going to health care, or car expenses due to lack of transit etc.
It comes from the idea that our government is so inherently corrupt that they can’t be trusted to do anything correctly with our money, so people would rather keep their money and spend it on themselves directly.
And I have to say these people are justified, our government doesn’t spend our money on worthwhile things.
I think the systems where people pay higher taxes usually work better, tho.
We don’t even need to raise taxes. All the money we need for social services is in the military budget that hasn’t passed a successful audit this century.
we spend more on healthcare than the military last i checked (but again, no audit on DoD spending so…)
Even so, that’s ~800 billion that could be used for social services and improving lives.
Also if we’re so skint that we can’t afford to take care of the basics…how did we find all that ICE money? After a massive revenue cut, also!
Yeah, we have literally all the money we need to pay for all our social services.
We spend as much as the next 7 largest militaries COMBINED.
It’s such a massive grift, and we can’t touch the military budget because it’s the only form of welfare that works and tons of Americans NEED it.
I’d be fine with our military expenditures if we used them for civil engineering in peacetime… And I guess we would have to stop those pesky undeclared wars as a happy knock on effect.
People are emotional creatures.
People also don’t seem to accept that you often get something for paying taxes. Infrastructure, schools, food inspectors, whatever.
People be stupid, yo! I decided in 1999 I’d never again set foot on US soil because I’d rather pay higher taxes and have a sane society around me.
And now I pay lower taxes than a USAnian and have a sane society around me.
Don’t you miss it sometimes, not living in constant fear that someone with an AR15 could have a bad day near you or your loved ones?
I never did have that fear. I’ve never lived in the USA.
Now if things get much hotter I might have a minor niggling fear that a US bomb will drop on my head, but for now not even Trump and his coterie are stupid enough to let things get that far.
Where is this magical place, if you don’t mind saying? I’d love to live there. :)
Me personally, I live in Wuhan.
Awesome, thanks for answering!