Am I the only one,

[BabyBlueSusie 1]

My SO actually heard it coming from her mom "He probably wants a greencard and is using you for it".. that was until I explained and show her mom it's actually better in a lot of ways over here than there lol... Well, maybe not always but at least in my case it is.. I am pretty well settled over here in the Netherlands and will give up a sh*tload in order to be able to be with my future wifey.. after that we didn't hear it ever again that I might have been using her lol

Oh well, it is understandable in a way, they try to protect people coz what if they are truely in love but the foreign fiance is actually only using the USC? Then it is very sad if they all the sudden break up or something, the USC might be heartbroken and some people just try to protect them from that

umm...

quality of life in the netherlands > quality of life in the usa

americans are so arrogant

why do you hate america?

it's my right as an american

i was just joking ..and i like your #######.....

and yes, Netherlands, FTW!

haha luckily i was just joking as well...not about the quality of life thing, thats still true, but ya know the ranting smiley didnt 100% accurately portray my emotions at the time

[DeadPoolX 9]

My SO actually heard it coming from her mom "He probably wants a greencard and is using you for it".. that was until I explained and show her mom it's actually better in a lot of ways over here than there lol... Well, maybe not always but at least in my case it is.. I am pretty well settled over here in the Netherlands and will give up a sh*tload in order to be able to be with my future wifey.. after that we didn't hear it ever again that I might have been using her lol

Oh well, it is understandable in a way, they try to protect people coz what if they are truely in love but the foreign fiance is actually only using the USC? Then it is very sad if they all the sudden break up or something, the USC might be heartbroken and some people just try to protect them from that

umm...

quality of life in the netherlands > quality of life in the usa

americans are so arrogant

why do you hate america?

it's my right as an american

i was just joking ..and i like your #######.....

and yes, Netherlands, FTW!

haha luckily i was just joking as well...not about the quality of life thing, thats still true, but ya know the ranting smiley didnt 100% accurately portray my emotions at the time

I don't think you can definitively say the "quality of life is better" anywhere than anywhere else since it depends on the person and their own circumstances and situation. To someone who's living on the street, it won't matter what country he's in -- he's still broke, jobless and homeless! If someone is very wealthy, they'll also be living it up quite nicely, regardless of what country they're in (although some more than others, perhaps).

So I believe it's incorrect to state that the Netherlands has a "better" quality of life than the United States as fact. For some people, I'm absolutely certain that would be true and for others, it would be the exact opposite.

Edited May 6, 2008 by DeadPoolX

[Caladan 19]

Come on, DeadpoolX. That's a silly argument. The existence of one rich person or one homeless person is not the way to compare the *average* quality of life. By that measure, it's incorrect to state that the U.S. has a better quality of life than Mexico. Or Kenya. On that measure, we may beat out Antarctica.

[DeadPoolX 9]

Come on, DeadpoolX. That's a silly argument. The existence of one rich person or one homeless person is not the way to compare the *average* quality of life. By that measure, it's incorrect to state that the U.S. has a better quality of life than Mexico. Or Kenya. On that measure, we may beat out Antarctica.

It may be a bit extreme, perhaps, but certainly not silly.

Define "average" for me. You can't and if you say you can, you'll be incorrect, since that'll be your interpretation of what "average" is as opposed to someone else's idea of "average." One person may feel "average" is earning $60,000 a year while another might see an annual income of $250,000 as "average." Both could be right, since it would depend on their own circumstances and situation.

It does, after all, cost a whole lot more to live in New York City than it does in Austin, Texas, This doesn't mean Austin is a bad city (on the contrary, it's a very nice place and a lot people I know like it far more than NYC), but what would be considered an "average" income in Austin wouldn't pay the rent in NYC.

[Caladan 19]

Usually 'average' is defined on a number of factors common to both countries. Things like educational attainment of citizenry, access to health care, quality of health care, infant and child mortality, GDP per capita, income distribution, life expectancy, pollution, crime rate, infrastructure, all manner of things. One has to watch what's being measured, of course, when assigning 'better' and 'worse' to it, but that's a lot different from 'I'm sure there is one person in Amsterdam who is homeless and there is a rich person in the U.S. so any comparison of average lifestyle is meaningless.'

(And indeed, on this vast and wonderful internet, there are cost-of-living calculators that would tell you how much you would need to make in New York to live in your accustomed style in Austin. Comparisons aren't meaningless.)

[DeadPoolX 9]

Usually 'average' is defined on a number of factors common to both countries. Things like educational attainment of citizenry, access to health care, quality of health care, infant and child mortality, GDP per capita, income distribution, life expectancy, pollution, crime rate, infrastructure, all manner of things. One has to watch what's being measured, of course, when assigning 'better' and 'worse' to it, but that's a lot different from 'I'm sure there is one person in Amsterdam who is homeless and there is a rich person in the U.S. so any comparison of average lifestyle is meaningless.'

(And indeed, on this vast and wonderful internet, there are cost-of-living calculators that would tell you how much you would need to make in New York to live in your accustomed style in Austin. Comparisons aren't meaningless.)

I never said "comparisons are meaningless." All I'm stating is that it's wrong to assign a static number to a concept as fluid as "average," that's all. If you wish to do so, that's fine by me. I can't force you to change, but in the meantime, don't expect me to believe anything you or anyone else says simply because "this number here says so!" I'd need to know the background behind that number before I could come to any sort of conclusion.

[Ahmed & Sue 0]

8 pages, and still going.....a hot topic.

My 22 year old son works with a woman that had an Egyptian "court" her online 2 years, get a visa, come here, and stay with her long enough to get his greencard and then leave, never telling her or leaving a forwarding address. She is still now trying to file for divorice and find him.

My coworker's mother had an Egyptian marry her, get the visa, come here, wait out the time frame to get the greencard, and then told her he was leaving, because he got what he wanted.

2 cases where yes, both parties said something to me, and I can rightfully understand why. Has this influenced my choice? Well, I see plenty marriages right here in my town with two American couples, age appropriate, that make it a very short time, and divorice. In fact, right now, I can not think of any of my kids' friends parents that are not divoriced or separated. It happens. I guess you just have to try and know your partner when you make a choice.

As far as the comments, I just told them........well, if it happens, I guess I am gonna deal with that, ain't I?

My SO, he would rather I go there with him, but with 2 kids in grade school, and the three of us not knowing Arabic, at this point, that would not be a wise choice. He even went as far as to suggest recently we think later about immigrating to Canada where the ecomony is better. He said he heard Canada has more to offer than America. Never thought about that.

Only you can decide how much you can handle.

You have two ears.......one ear to hear it with, and the other to let it slide right through.

Best of luck to you,

Sue

[StillThePrettiest 3]

I don't think you can definitively say the "quality of life is better" anywhere than anywhere else since it depends on the person and their own circumstances and situation. To someone who's living on the street, it won't matter what country he's in -- he's still broke, jobless and homeless! If someone is very wealthy, they'll also be living it up quite nicely, regardless of what country they're in (although some more than others, perhaps).

So I believe it's incorrect to state that the Netherlands has a "better" quality of life than the United States as fact. For some people, I'm absolutely certain that would be true and for others, it would be the exact opposite.

averages aside, I still think this statement (above) is misleading... one of the things I've read, a number of times, about the US (as just one example), is that for people who are reasonably well off or above, life is great compared to most of the rest of the world, but the poor are VERY poor, compared to what constitutes 'poor' in other 'developed' countries

so yeah, sure; IF you end up on the streets you may be in the same situation regardless of country, but the LIKELIHOOD of you ending up there, and what safety nets are there to support you, get you back on your feet, et cetera et cetera, are a whole different ball game

therefore, while it will still be making a generalisation of some sort, I think it IS valid to say, in broad terms, that the quality of life is better in some countries than others, for the majority of people

[rebeccajo 14]

......averages aside, I still think this statement (above) is misleading... one of the things I've read, a number of times, about the US (as just one example), is that for people who are reasonably well off or above, life is great compared to most of the rest of the world, but the poor are VERY poor, compared to what constitutes 'poor' in other 'developed' countries

so yeah, sure; IF you end up on the streets you may be in the same situation regardless of country, but the LIKELIHOOD of you ending up there, and what safety nets are there to support you, get you back on your feet, et cetera et cetera, are a whole different ball game.....

Ooooh, that's one of the things I love about the UK. If life hands you a curveball, you aren't going to lose it all because you can't recover 'quickly enough'.

I'm quite ashamed of many in my country anymore. The whole attitude is 'if I'm okay that's all that matters to me'! It's always been the 'American way' that you work hard and you reap the rewards. Nowadays I see and hear so many people pounding their chests about how hard they've worked for their comfort and how nobody damned well try to take it away from them. I wonder whatever happened to 'but there by the Grace of God go I'?

It's as if the poor are symbolic to these people of their own success - like a public scourge that's a testament to sloth and laziness rather than a widening gap between the haves, the have nots, and the nasty little thing called 'life' that sometimes spells the difference between the two. Sad really.

Edited May 7, 2008 by rebeccajo

[AlHayatZween 2]

One person may feel "average" is earning $60,000 a year while another might see an annual income of $250,000 as "average."

i wish i was the person who thought an annual income of $250,000 was average.

oh what great things i'd be!! [insert super-girl smiley here]

hz

[panamania79 2]

as well? It's really getting old. Let's say it's true, so what. Isn't it as much my right to marry a shallow man from another country as it is to marry one here? Why is it ok to marry for money or looks but not citizenship if both parties are ok with it? Let me clarify though, that is not the case for my relationship but if it was so da #### what.

All the time.Don't worry about it.Opinions are like a$$h0les,everybody has one.Somebody just recently told me that my fiance getting his visa denied was a message from God to dump him and find myself an American man.

Ok can someone post a link of one of these age inapropriate couples so I can know what you all are talking about.

Just look for the old men with beet red faces that resemble Teddy Kennedy and you'll see.

[Heracles 417]

Until recently, he vowed never to set foot on American soil and dam.n, the rants.

The number of times I have heard that is not even funny.

[Heracles 417]

Come on, DeadpoolX. That's a silly argument. The existence of one rich person or one homeless person is not the way to compare the *average* quality of life. By that measure, it's incorrect to state that the U.S. has a better quality of life than Mexico. Or Kenya. On that measure, we may beat out Antarctica.

It may be a bit extreme, perhaps, but certainly not silly.

Define "average" for me. You can't and if you say you can, you'll be incorrect, since that'll be your interpretation of what "average" is as opposed to someone else's idea of "average." One person may feel "average" is earning $60,000 a year while another might see an annual income of $250,000 as "average." Both could be right, since it would depend on their own circumstances and situation.

It does, after all, cost a whole lot more to live in New York City than it does in Austin, Texas, This doesn't mean Austin is a bad city (on the contrary, it's a very nice place and a lot people I know like it far more than NYC), but what would be considered an "average" income in Austin wouldn't pay the rent in NYC.

Someone unemployed in Australia receives over $800 USD per month, in cash infinitely, until they find a job. Which is actually more than someone working a minimum wage job here. And that does not even include rent assistance, discounted medicine etc.

NYC is extremely overrated if you ask me. In terms of disposable income the average Joe there is not left with much after paying ridiculous amounts of rent for what a 650sq foot apartment; in an apartment probably built in the 60's or prior. Aesthetically the city is stuck in the 70's / 80's.

The biggest mistake made when comparing a countries wealth is by adding everyone's wealth together and then dividing it by the population. Yes there are a lot of extremely rich people here. But the reality is that there are millions and millions living in poverty in the United States.

Edited May 7, 2008 by Boo-Yah!

[mawilson 2,133]

i wish i was the person who thought an annual income of $250,000 was average.

I'm pretty sure it is around here (or at least $150,000).

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

I live in a very middle class town in central Jersey and average household income here is around 150k. You can't afford much at all with 150k.

Edited May 7, 2008 by VJ Troll