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well regarding the 3,000 men and women that have died in battle I can tell you for certainty that over 99 percent of them would do it again for the cause of freedom.
I am proud to say that I am serving my country to protect your freedoms, and to ask me or my brotherns to come home before the job is done is a insult. This is why over 98% of us voted the way we did in the last election because we have seen and have been there.I don’t know if you had seen my posting before but I have been to the
Middle east in the 90’s (and as late as 2005 and looks like I might be voleentering to go back this next spring) when the U.S. people sat back and let things get out of countrol. Personaly I don’t want our country to ever become what it was like prior to 911 by putting on the rose colard glasses and sing cum by ya thinking the world is perfect and we can all hug a middle eastern muslim and think all is right. If we don’t look at the problem of mecca putting out fatawas to raise up against western values and create a atmoshper where sharia law will be established.99% of my brotherns don’t want war but we also don’t want our country to fall to another 911 atack and will gladly fall for your rights and to keep our children safe from a world that you can’t even think of.
Let me ask have you ever thought of why the Massacre at Beslan (where thy found that 6 of the terriorst were from Arab desent) happend? Why did inosent children that were no where near Iraq, Iran or Afghanastan had to die? This is just one example of thousands that have happend in the last 5 years of middle eastern vilonce that easly could happen in your home town!
Oh yes, we could focus on all of our energy to the subjects listed above, we could pay our doctors 300,000 dollars a year, we could pay our Ford, GM, Northwest, Delta, United Airlines, American Airlines ect great wages and bennifits, We could sing cum by ra and put our rose collard glases on. How ever the real fact is you, me, and every one else don’t want to pay the high price that would keep that system running. I don’t know of too many people that would be happy to pay 900 dollars a airline ticket or 20 percent more for a car to pay the health care and wages of the auto worker, or pay out of their own pocket 1500 dollars for health insurance (which they expect their own employer to pay). You are right we need to stop spending our tax money like it grows on trees. we need to cut spending on goverment employees like health care plans and retirment packages which are the two main reasons why local goverments are going broke. We need to cut programs like the one that the U.S. goverment is funding for Jaco, and thousands of others. Like you said we need a solution and stop focusing on things that mean absolutely nothing!
I guess that is why Costa Rica is differnt, do you think they spend more money on their poor? Do you think they pay their doctors competing wages like in the U.S.? Do you think they are trying to raise the wages for a supportable income? Do you think that Gringos will pay their house keepers 14 dollars a hour?
That is why they have a saying Pura Vida!
I am also a Christian as well as the majority of the Ticos. How ever the Majority of Ticos are also Roman Catholic. Many Ticos view the relation ship with many of the Baptist, LDS, Luthern and Evangelicals as a slap in the face attitude where the gringos think that ticos need to be saved.
One day when my wife and I were at the gym in Tres Rios we ran into a Gringo family. I struck up a converstation and found out they were living in CR as missionarys and had started a school. I though that is nice, then they started to ask if my wife and I would like to join them at their wensday night church service. I said thanks but no thanks we were busy. When I walked away my wife says that is common missionary and they all want to convert us ticos.
I know that Costa Rica for some churchs are the step off point to go to many other countries in Central and South America. They come to Costa Rica get educated in Spanish and then go out to the rest of the world to change them (as my wife and her friends would say). I don’t think that Ticos are ignorant and I do belive that many ticos are sick of the attitude that they need to be saved by the gringos.
This is not the only place in the world that I know where many missionary groups are ignorant, in Saudi Arabia some church organizations have sent in missionarys under cover. I belive they are not respecting the culture of that country. That is a world where it is unlawfal to talk about christianity.
I guess we can also say this is another group of people that move to CR but not the reason that is posted as the subject. I have to laugh though as a missionary from a organization you would be paid to live in CR. What a gig! I guess if many of the perpetual tourist were in a pinch they could become missionarys.
This subject is just a observation and a view point of the circle of family and friends that I have in Costa Rica how ever all of them are Ticos.
Edited on Oct 17, 2006 07:54
Well the best experiance that I had was last August when we were there. Since our little 1990 Toyota Corrola was having some problems we decided to rent a car.
I tried 4×4 but they didn’t have any vehicals for me and I belive it was them that gave me the great referal of a rental company that rents Dihatsos that are 4×4. Since they didn’t have any economy cars left they rented the Dihatso to me for $35.00 a day. Only a 700.00 deposit and we were good to go. How ever the best part about it was they came to our house to drop off the vehical! The day that we went back to the airport a driver came to our house and picked up the car and drove us to the airport.
This company will go all over costa rica if their car breaks down and will swap out vehicals.Mirage rent a car is the company and their number is 011-506-861-1043
I don’t have any connection to this company except for the great serivce that I recived!
GG, You are right about everyone being confussed about the residency issues. If you call the Costa Rican Consulet in Washington DC you can talk to Jose there. He will tell you that at this point they are enforcing the new regulations on the new applicants and they have put all the processing on hold.
Regarding the purpetural tourism, my understanding from Jose and some other folks they are going to start at the boarders and at the airport looking for people that have multiple entries in a one year time frame. If it looks like they are purpetural tourist they will bar them from entry.
I called them last week because I was concerned for my situation with my wifes family. Jose said in our case it is different because we have prof of Costa Rican family matters which do not prevent us from multiple entries.
If this is true and in the near future they start clamping down on illegal tourist you will see many people in a bind.
So my suggestion is to become legal and follow the CR law.
Yes, we broke the record on this page!
Like I said before the hot topics is what brings back the people to the posts jajajjajaaj.
Jenny I am glad that you have that view point
“because this is not my country I am concerned but not really interested in making a change”
I hope that more people like you will come to CR and I belive you are the kind of person that ticos would want.
This is the most concerning issue that most Ticos have. My whole family says that “if the gringos think they are coming to make us like the U.S. they are wrong”.
You can see how some of the affects of gringos are starting such as the sweep in Jaco. To most people that is a good thing, how ever this is just a small step in trying to change CR into another emulation of the morally and liberally right U.S.
I remember a couple of years ago when my wife and I were in down town, there was a christian group that was singing in the squair from the U.S. They were singing english gosphel songs and putting on a play. Many Ticos were looking at them with amusment like the Dumb gringos don’t they know we speak spanish!My understanding that the new CR president is very much into enforcing the new Immigration laws and tackeling the purpetural tourist issue.
So beware and do the right thing!
Don’t take evantage of the Ticos please!
Scott, You have to love these hot topics! If you noticed the best topics that make people come back to post are this one and the gringa dating that hit the altime high of 58 posts! What has been the highest ?
Any ways,
I have this question, What has the Islamic countrys done to bridge the gap between them and the U.S.?
With out going back to 100 or 80 years. Lets just stick to the past 15 years.I can list many things that the U.S. has done to bridge the gap nationaly and internationaly.
Nationlaly the U.S. has reached out to the Islamic communitys and helped them come to the U.S. where they are free to practice their religion. The Nation has backed up many laws letting them practice their religion (like prayer rooms in private biz that are forced to supply them)
Internationaly when ever there is a crises like natural disastors and hurricans we have been there with support, or look at the palistinians many U.S. people were siding with them to push back the Isrealies. (now look what has happend after the Isrealies moved out of Palistine, Personaly I am very disappointed because they had the opertunity to make peace with the Isrealies, instead they didn’t take it).
The U.S. is not the only country that is having these same problems with Islamic communities, Russia, France, Europe, Yes Central and South America. (Peru has a large Islamic community and they are having cultural problems)
As much as many of the countries have tried to let the Isamic communities grow in their cultures the Islamic communites are not able to simulate. Look at France!
Instead issues like the school massacre in Beslan that was incredibly horible and sensless happend. (this was also a time when the U.S. sent 2 airplanes, both of them were from my home unit to help the Russian goverment as a olive leaf.)At what point will the Islamic communites stop being selfish and respect the host nations cultures? Like in Minnesota with the Muslim cab drivers? The cab drivers could just keep to their own biz and not ask a simple question about what their passengers are carring. Most people respect the cab drivers religous right but the cab drivers have to repect the right of the passanger as well.
“There are plenty of taxicabs around and plenty of convenience stores. And the U.S. and the west can afford to be sensitive to the sensitivities of the Muslim world.” Well in the Twin Cities at the airport the 90 percent of the drivers are now Somaili or Muslim.
Also as a old teacher of mine use to say “your rights stop where my rights begin” Were is the respect for the right of the passenger? Where is the respect for the rights of a employer that dosent want to offer prayer rooms? Respecting rights is a two way street!Regarding the topic of Oil, yes I would have to say we would be there no matter what. Some people think this is all about oil (which we have not recived one drop from Iraq), well the Islamic community knows different, its about religion to the Muslims.
Lets take a look at the tapes of Bin Laden and see why 911 happend, the top two reasons was Isreal and Palastine, and being on Saudi Soil(Mecca). Well in 2004 we have pulled all bases out of Saudi Soil (I do know this because I was in the area when the shut down Prince Sultan) and they now made new demands like all Americans must convert to Islam (is this building bridges?).But back to the question of the Board, Unhappy Americans in Costa Rica? By the looks of these post you could easy understand some view points.
Most Ticos would think that gringos go over board on this subject and think they would be crazy to give up the U.S. life style. I know my brother in-laws would love to stay in the states! If you leave the states for reasons of looking for the garden of eden and to change the world then you are moving to CR for the wrong reasons, most likly you will bring your baggage with you and will eventurally move back to the states like many gringos do.Again you can count on this gringo moving to CR not because he is upset with his home land or world political views but because he loves his Tica enough for family! (and the family’s 6 dogs)
Edited on Oct 13, 2006 09:21
I do agree with you in building bridges with Islam, How ever I also belive it has to be two ways. Islam has to build bridges with us as well.
A good example is respect for societys and cultures. In Saudi Arabia where mecca is they are persucating Christains and Jews daily. You can’t stand on a street corner and talk about Jeaus Christ, or build a christian church on the soil of Mecca.
In the United States as well as most of the rest of the world we invite cultures. How ever many Islamic people are pushing too hard and not respecting rights. For example: In Minnesota Somali Muslims are protesting transporting Liquer. So if you are a person that just came back from Paris with wine and you need a taxi cab to go home. You will not be able to get into the cab with your wine! (If you need references go to http://www.startribune.com and do a search.)
The airport commision came up with a solution, put colored lights on the cabs of the people that will transport people with alchol. This made the Muslim population upset because they viewed it as discrimation. In a one months time over 77 people were turned away from Muslim cab drivers. My question is what about the rights of the passanger and is it not discrimination for not transporting them. By not respeciting the passanger does this sever bridges with the Muslim community.This example is just one, we have had private companys,goverment, schools pressured and sued for not supplying prayer rooms for Muslim members.
The Majority of the Muslim Somlians came with the help of christian organizations supporting the imigration because of their war torn country. Literaly a Luthern church organization was the leading contributor to supplying the method of imigration for these people. Which Somalia is now under sharia law.
So where is the olive branch that the Islamic community is offering? Why is it that when a major event such as 911 we see pictures of Muslims dancing in the street? When the U.S. went into Afghanastan you didn’t see New Yorkers having partys and dancing in the street.
Yes I do belive building bridges is important, but it has to come from both sides of the river. I guess if the Islamic community wants to try they can start with changing the minds of the Islamic leaders of Meca and stop the anti western fatawas. Instead they can learn on how to create peace and send out fatawas that would help create bridges.
Well lets not get down on our self’s too much now.
It might seem to the naked eye that we are not making a dent in the radical Islams crusade. This is not true, that is why arabs are found in many confilcts around the world such as Darfur and Somalia. They know that Iraq is making a dent in their campaign and are trying to find new areas to take over and creat home bases. The more countries that they can spread and impose shria law is what they want. Why do you think the fataws from Mecca are asking for all Americans to convert to Islam or the Osama has asked as well. This is their goal! If you don’t think so look at areas in Africa and Chechna.
The thought process as well that the oil proceeds are the main source of income for these radicals is also a little off cilter. It is well know that many of the moneys have come from organizations around the world and in the United States.Some good reading about how the radicals operate is a book called “My Jihad”, this was written from a person from California that converted to Islam. He fought against the Russians in Cheznia and Afgahnastan, the book describes how money from California was funding the Islamic rebels fight.
There is a lot of truth to what you have said, how ever I have not heard of many people shouting out nuke these people. I guess what I was trying to get at is that there are two sides to this story. In the 90’s the U.S. put its head in the sand and did nothing. While many events were point to what was going to happen in 911. Coby towers, bombing of embassys, U.S.S. Cole and many other events that went unreported. (I personally stayed in the Coby towers compound and left the week before the bombing took place where we lost many Americans in that story)This all took place from the stand point of radical Islam and again if we look at the gringo definition of radical you need to look at the middle east and see their picuture in the dictionary.
Gringo Tico,
You are very right about the lost faith in American people! Personally that is one of the reasons why I fell in love with my wife and her culture. In the North land where I am from they don’t say the pledge of aligence in the class rooms. They don’t stand and hold their hands above their hearts like I was taught to in school. Many years of erroding the great heritage of freedom that our grand fathers have fought for are now being turned against us and used against us. I don’t think that president Linconln would agree to not being able to say the pledge or say a prayer in school.
Instead they are taught about social rights and about me, me me instead of the good of the country, or like one of our most famous presidents said ” ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country” ( I know this is not the exact words but you know the meaning of it)
So back to the question of “Is it my imagination or is there a much bigger percentage of Americans living in in Costa Rica angry about what is happening in the US?”
I would have to say no, maybe its just his circle of people that he is hanging out with.
For myself and many other gringos it is because of familys. I know that I will some day be barried in Costa Rica because of the choice of immergating for my wife, our family and her family. Not because I am discontent about the United States or political issues.
Also radical Islam has been around since the beginging of Mohamid. If we look at what most gringos would define as radical Islam you would have to point out Mecca and say they are practicing it. You know things like cutting of heads on a weekly basis, preaching against Christianity and Judiasim,having religious police publicly humilitate you if you are not following the Koran, sending out fatawas to kill Americans and Jews, these are all widley practiced in a country called Saudi Arabia where the Koran is guidence of Sharia law. I know this because I have been there and have had friends that worked for the Saudi Goverment and lived in Saudi for years. I know that the U.S. didn’t create Mecca!
So my question is,
If this next election a liberal Democrat comes into the white house will all the expats go back the the states?
If so I am voteing Democrat this next time..hahahahaha (just kidding)
I think that if you are looking to leave the states just because of the president you must not have been loyal to our lady the statute of liberty in the first place. You must not really belive in what freedom is all about and the sacrafices that you have to give for it.
The world problems are not because of the U.S. it is just a result of issues such as radical Islam, North crazy Korea and many other issues that have been boiling up since the early 1990’s.
Lets ask this question, If the world got really crazy and Nicaragra’s problems spewed over to Costa Rica would you as a expat being asking for help from the U.S.A? I can grant you the United Nations won’t help!I think the states have bigger problems than if you are liberal or conservative and that is Health care and pensions that will kill the economy in the next 20 years. If you are moving for a better life style and for the right reasons than Costa Rica is for you. If you are moving because you are a fair weather Citizen then you probly won’t stay long in Costa Rica!
I am not trying to stur up emotions but trying to put us back on the ground and state that Costa Rica dosent need people to come there just because they are upset at their goverment. It is too small of a country and I belive it is a country that is a jewal and needs to take care of its own people and not have to worry about people making a mass exodus from other countries (they already have that with the neighbors north of them) just because they think they are lossing a political race.
Ohh by the way, If you all notice the topics that get the most post and livly conversations it the hot topics.. This is good beause it keeps a open mind!
Edited on Oct 09, 2006 19:59
Now Carli, don’t get me wrong.
If you husband feels that he needs to send more money that is different. My wife was telling me that the Costa Rican goverment will go by what the father makes in Canada. So if you are in Canada and make more money than in Costa Rica you will be subject to the percentage of that amount. Not what is the cost of living in Costa Rica!
What my brother in-laws did was to negotiate the amount of money to be paid with their ex wifes or ex lovers. This was easyer than working it through the goverment which they would have had to pay more money.
Again the best thing to do is get a hold of a good family lawyer in CR and start working with the embassy in Canada. You don’t want to get in trouble with the child support issues because CR will and do enforce them. A couple of years ago they changed many laws and regarding family laws, so they will reach out to other goverments for help. In fact if a family members mother is in dire need of support the family can be taken to court to support the mothers need from the goverment.
One of my wifes cousins that lives in Florida was not taking care of their mother. He was not sending money and the mother stayed at a cousins home. She had problems with alshimers, the courts in Costa Rica demanded the U.S. goverment to garnish wages and they did.
So the question is what is fair? In this case what ever your husband and the ex wife can agree on. Like my brother in-laws had to do they had to kiss some culo.
This is true about the flip side!
My other brother in-law the oldest was married to a women who he put thru collage. She was caught cheating, and he left the home. He paid the house and they do have a child together. How ever he remarried a couple of years ago and still goes on hunting trips. There is a double standard though because the ex wife is looked down upon for cheating on him.
She also really wanted to get back together with him because they do have a good relationship. She was willing to forgive the girl friends and he was not able to forgive her one time event.
Its funny because the first time that I went to Costa Rica my wife’s brothers wanted to take me out and show me the town. How ever my wife put her foot down and said no way unless she was able to go with us. I think she knew that they wanted to test me and see if I would follow their lead in the hunting activitys. Double standards yes! This is the culture and no one will change it.
