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So you’re telling me that Italy is a failed system?? How about Sweden? What about Holland? And no I don’t want to live in a commune with anyone, but I also don’t want my governement officials putting themselves first before they take care of their constituency and work on our behalf, which seems to be an antiquated concept. As for the pollution, nearly every expert in the world points the wagging finger of blame on global warming at the US. As for your statements about ghettos being a failed experiement grace a LBJ, where do people live when they make minimum wage? Certainly not in MY neighborhood, but if $5.15 an hour was all I could make, I’d be living in Five Points!
Great post. Your firm view on life is admirable. It is, however, limited to what you can see.
1. they seem to be searching for something that they can not find
Aren’t we all? On the other hand, one way to avoid dwelling on the issue is to stay busy. Thinking? That’ll hurt.
2. I have a feeling some are just not getting it done in US
Those that “don’t get it done” in the US generally come to CR with few resources, and leave after a short while after discovering that it’s quite hard to “get it done” there as well.
Those that “got it done” in the US, on the other hand, may believe that the rat race is something to endure in order to create the means to retire to a more tranquil, and perhaps more meaningful way of life.
Then there are those, evidently like Joseph, who are highly productive individuals that are either not ready to dismount that exercise wheel, or never will be. God bless ’em, as they definitely pull the rest of us along. There’s no doubt, however, that precious few of them have the patience to deal with the highly fortified barriers to productivity existing in CR.
3. Tree huggers who drive me nuts.
Me too. If it’s between me and the tree, the tree’s goin’ down.
But then there are those many corporate entities that will not flinch at damaging the environment, or causing harm to people, if it will make them a buck and they can get away with it. Laisser faire capitalism is extreme. The world should not be a game of Monopoly.
4. Socialist who want someone else to pay for their way of life especially healthcare.
Socialism is the other extreme of the continuum. A people which looks to its government to take care of them is a people who will never be able to fend for themselves. A system which does not reward individual achievement cannot compete with systems that do.
5. Do not want to compete in the real world anymore.
If I had my druthers, yeah, I’d cash in my chips and step away from the table now… What, after all, does “real” mean?
On the other hand, many gringos do try to take their entrepreneurial spirit to CR to make a go of it (only to have it slowly, but inexorably, crushed by the every-day grind of actually trying to get something done&)
6. No one owes anybody a living, get a job pay your taxes
Most gringo ex-pats already had that job, paid those taxes, been there, done that. Now they’re earning retirement income in dollars, and paying bills in colones.
Let’s see, this, or the rat race? Hmm, let me think!
You know, everybody is right. There are no “polar” opposites, simply positions on the political continuum. The extremists, like goal posts on a soccer field, help us to find the middle ground for our time and in our culture (after all, democratic Athenians were extremists). We’re really much closer politically than we think. Consider:
The Soviet Union and the United States, so called “polar” superpowers, adopted similar economic models for the creation of their respective military-industrial complexes. These economies were nether completely socialistic, nor capitalistic. They were somewhere in the middle, unholy marriages of government and the private sector. They had to be in order to fulfill their military mission. This clearly “mixed” economic model was copied for various other, non-military industries, such as pharmaceuticals, energy, and communications, none of which could exist as they do today without it.
Over time the Soviet Union made free-market revisions to its economy, such as the ability to make a profit. Likewise, over time the US made socialistic revisions – social security, medicare, progressive taxation (the recognition that governments in “capitalistic” countries must use taxation as a means to smooth out the rough economic edges caused by a free market).
There’s political rhetoric, and there’s human reality. We love to argue, and it’s so much easier if I’m white and you’re black. Much less exciting to acknowledge the gray tones, hard to get across in sound bites.
The developed world will surely continue to push Costa Rica to become more productive. Costa Rica, in its own small way, will continue to pull us all back to the days of a simpler life, one less bent on “getting ahead”. Ying & yang.
C’mon Joseph, what would you have to pull if it weren’t for all us riders?
Edited on Jul 30, 2006 14:28
Very thoughtful, I am glad you responded. What is always needed is a real dialog. I have found, guys like me, have to pin prick people to get them to come out of the closet, and tell me what they really think.
This has been fun and some good exchanges. I am gringo you never had indoor pluming until I was 17. I now have made a great deal of money through my own hard freaking work(and that of my wife).
I will one day kick back maybe even CR although some who responded may want to leave CR if I arrive. Thanks for your input.
Maravilla you might want to take a few of those Prozac…
“Capitalist pigs”? No doubt there are a few who value $$ more than the people that work for them. Just as there are at least a few welfare cheats who are gaming the system from the other end. But the great majority of jobs and wealth in the U.S. is created on the backs of the small business owners. Minimum wage is a red herring that most liberals cling to. Even fast food restaurants pay more than that VOLUNTARILY. Unemployment is at historically low levels. Only those who voluntarily leave the workforce or are truly “unemployable” go without jobs. With all of the opportunities for education in this country, if you can’t get a job that pays you a decent wage then I would suggest that the fault lies with you and not the government or corporate America.
And if you really think that the war in Iraq is about oil after two bombings at the World Trade Center, bombings in England, Spain and elsewhere and the current Hezbollah uprising in Lebanon, then you really need to turn off Air America, take off the liberal glasses and get an objective look at the world we live in.
I disagree with much of the original post in this thread. I am in the process of “cashing in my chips” here in the U.S. and will be in CR by this time next year. I don’t like where either major party is “leading” this country. I have voted diligently, created jobs and worked hard against the “victim” and “government mentality” that pervades this country to no avail. So, I will vote now with my wallet, choosing a more peaceful, relaxed and (hopefully) meaningful life.
The War in Irag has nothing to do with the world trade center bombings. there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Saddam was not a threat. But the Central Asian pipeline project is a major priority. Are fast food restaurants paying $15.00+ an hour? Because if they are not you are still way below the poverty line. As for the oil crisis, you might want to read “Sleeping With The Devil — How the US Sold Its Soul for Saudi Oil” by former spook Bob Baer.
“Saddam was not a threat.” You are totally wrong.
SoDamn Insane was a threat, along with his two sons.
How many Kurds did SoDamn Insane kill with gas? How long did it take for him to let the inspectors into his country, while he was shipping those weapons of mass destruction into Syria?
How many women did his sons rape and kill before they to lost their lives.
You are misinformed – congress rarely votes themselves a hike in pay.
You lose credibility when you make false statements.
Saddam was NOT a threat to the US. He was not going to invade our country and spray us all with weaponized anthraw. Yes, he and his degenerate sons were despicable, but so is that little twerp in North Korea so why haven’t we invaded that country? If there was oil we might. And IF he had any biological weapons he got them from the US. Remember, we used to be Saddam’s pal when it was in our best interest to be so. But this is a board about Costa Rica, not geo-politics, so I’m not going into any other details, but it does shock me that so many people still believe this was is about terrorism. It might be now though.
Give it a rest.
Hiati is ahead of Austrilia, Kuwait, France and the list goes on and on… HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TO HIATI? Go to Hiati and the list is proved very very very wrong – worthless. I have to give it to them though, they sure went about making it look official. Man oh man, the crap that people give credibility to in this world just makes me sick.
And where did you say the USA was on the list? 150 and if given the chance, all of those people in Hiati, at number 85, would be very happy getting to 150. Does that make ANY sense? Cubans, at number 6, are trying to get to 150!!! Does that make ANY sense? Cubans, risking life to get to the land of unhappy people? WOW!!!!! I’m really impressed with the list.
I don’t think the war was about terrorism or oil – how about that one?
I’m could be wrong, but I’m thinking that it was more about keeping terrorist so busy in the middle east that they wouldn’t have time planning any attacks in the USA despite the fact that our southern border is wide open. Of course, just as you think it is about oil, I just have a different feeling.
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In the USA – I wouldn’t want 50 years of dems or 50 years of repubs. Don’t think about the short term in politics, because it will drive you crazy! Think that over the long term, we maintain a balance in the middle which is a good thing. I have plenty to thank the libs for and plenty the thanks the repubs for.
Since I’m more focused on the long term, I’ll judge the war 10 years from now, not as it is happening.
They vote themselves pay hikes, but NOT EVERY YEAR as you said.
I’m not going to do your research for you, but if you don’t know that they actually seldom vote themselves a pay hike then you really don’t know much about Washington (no offense, just matter of fact).
I can tell you that I think that they are UNDER PAID for what they do. Many a people who work way less hours in less responsible positions actaully make more than our leaders. My GF’s daughter who is a loan officer and who is only 23 made over 200,000 last year in California and she is on target for the same again this year.
Maravilla, you sound like one big sound bite.
It seems you think the world outside the USA is great and the USA is awful. This is sad. Instead of bad mouthing the USA, try to give her one compliment for every negative that you are so good at dispensing.
The USA isn’t perfect, but there is a reason why the world wants into the USA… beating down the door to the country at 150 on the “happy country” list (what a joke). The world wants to go to our colleges. Have you ever been in a taxi in SJ? Did you hear the AMERICAN music playing in ENGLISH (this happens to me all the time)? How about our consideration for handicapped people…. any handicap parking in SJ, any sidewalk corner cut down for wheelchairs?
Costa Rica – hasn’t the last 3 presidents of CR ended up in jail?
Give it a rest Maravilla. The USA isn’t all that bad Maravilla.
Edited on Jul 30, 2006 20:13
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