Quote from Sikhinvestor:
Some of the things that I have realized while visiting America include the following:
a) The country is morbidly obese, I couldn't fathom how many kids, adults I saw that were extremely out of shape, and honestly, scary to look at. I personally felt I was very accepting person, and extremely non-judgemental, but I think I can't say that anymore.
Canada is not much different - some depends on racial and climate differences. In fact, white Canadain and american men were the same
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/82-620-m/2005001/article/adults-adultes/8060-eng.htm
b) The number of Fast food joints every 2 blocks, driving down I5, there must be a fast food joint every 5 minute.
I don't think major cities and suburbs in Canada are much different. I have been to Canada a few times
c) America's lifelines are the highways, but its greatest weakness. I think the over reliance, on building 5 lane highways leads to low densification and having too much reliance on oil.
I doubt Canadians and Americans of similar economic, racial and municipal locations are much different. And given the large space in between, we need major roads unlike a lot of Europeans who have a lot of excellent mass transit and fuel is super expensive
d) Shopping at Supermarkets, fast food is extremely cheap. I can't believe you can buy white bread at 1.19 and you can purchase 4 ltr gatorades for the price of $50 cents. It seems Americans can buy crappy foods for next to nothing, but I found organic items, and basic produce more expensive than in Canada.
Depends on where you go. GOOD white and multi-grain bread is $2.50-$3.50 a loaf. Generic paperboard bread is still cheap.
e) I am still amazed on how Obama won the election, considering how much Racism I received it was just eye opening. I was at a parking lot getting out of my car, and about 5-10 teens started hurling racist slurs in my direction. Later, I see these same teens in the cafeteria in the mall, and they were apologetic. My friend suffered the same fate, when a Mall Security Guard told him to go back where he belongs.
Racism is worldwide. Try going to Japan and being black. They barely acknowledge they are the same specied
f) No proper planning, no densifiation of major cities.
That depends on age of city. In NYC, financial district is very old and buildings, small/meandering streets have no order to them. Go towards midtown, and it is a grid. Newer american cities are usually laid out much more orderly, not following goat trails and colonial growth patterns
I hope this is not considered a cheap shot to Americans, but honestly I feel Americans are a great bunch of people, but I think America isn't entitle to whatever it feels it deserves.
Who does? France and England took away the land from Indians, who usually took it away from earlier natives. Canada gets independence. I am sure most Canadians are economy-wise and entitlement-wise as self-centered as most Americans or Eurpeans Both countres blessed with many natural minerals and agricultural lands. Be glad you are not in Chad.
Nobody "deserves" anything. Some were luckier and were born into money or wealthy countries. Many others wound up in Africa, or a poor region of Asia and struggle to survive. Many Americans and Canadians immigrated here, some very recently. A broad brush to paint a people, especially based on one person's observations or beliefs is not a very
During WW2, we almost single-handedly defeated the Japanese, who had subjugated and killed many millions of Chinese (10 million), southeast Asia. We had a huge part in keeping England from going under and extracting Nazism from Europe. Then we turned around and rebuilt much of Japan and Germany (Marshall plan) - so they would have some kind of economic life and hopefully give up the desire to kill others. We never had our loans to Allies repaid. Entitlement? We could have demanded the world. All we really want is for the world to stop trying to blow up or kill others for idealogical reasons (like Saddam into Kuwait), or North Vietnam/Korea, Albania/Serbia, etc. etc. etc. to stop deciding that another country belongs to them or someone else does not deserve to exist (as a large chunk of Islam seems to have decided that the rest of the world is God's enemy - heaven help a Jew or Christian in many Arab countries).
And of course, fair trade. Which means countries in places like Asia want to sell TO the west and try to block exports FROM the west
No one else in the world gives anything near to the aid to the rest of the world, in things like African disease and starvation relief, responses to Tsunamis, etc.. When China gives, it comes with strings.
Entitlement? All we really want is for everyone in world to expand their economic opportunties and trade fairly, that everyone has clean water, food and some sort of opportunity, stop deciding others no longer have the right to exist, etc. etc.
Sort of like most of the rest of the world wants.
Yes we have 60+% of the lawyers, who ensure that everyone sues others whether or not they were wronged. We could cut our military in half if we stopped needing super-fighters and fixing things with the military first. The government spends and borrows like a drunken sailor. And it irritates ,any of us tjat Mexicans sneak over the border to have a child at an American hospital for free and of course this gives this illegal act citizenship to the child - when legal immigrants wait years and spend lots of $$$ to do the right thing. And our educational system brainwashes kids into liberal, self-esteemed brats who are often spoiled.
But the average person has little power or control over this. We are no more feeling entitled than most other entitled countries.
