Would You Rather be Japanese or American?

[Anohito]

As long as I could be fabulously wealthy, whether I was Japanese or American wouldn't make much difference to me!

 

[Betsy Ross Patriots]

Hey Sabro, we are in your neighborhood. We had a lakefront home in Big Bear! Small world, huh?

 

[sabro]

Hey Betsy!

If you know where Blondie's is, I am right behind the restaurant at Arrowbear Lake.

 

[Betsy Ross Patriots]

Sure I know where Blondie's is. We used to eat there when it was a coffee shop. Haven't been in there in years, but always see the place is busy.

We actually sold our Big Bear house when the lake came up about 3 years ago. We figured it would be a good time to get the best price. Another reason is because the mountain was being taken over by snowboarders and we are skiiers.

How did you do in the recent fires? Are the trees still dying from the beetle?

 

[yumeitsumo]

I guess I wish I was Japanese.

 

[tokapi]

Hmmm .. I rather not be American at this point in time,US citizenship have cheapen to anyone can qualify.Sadly,it lost " prestige " in recent years.

America is one & only advanced industrialized nation doesn't have national health care for all citizens.According to statistics,there are 45 million Americans without health insurance.

Also,runaway immigration problem drastically changing demographics of America.

 

[Betsy Ross Patriots]

You're right. Anyone who can stumble over the Mexican border gets all the same rights and benefits (even more benefits) than natural born Americans. Illegal immigration has cheapened our culture.

 

[tokapi]

I've known some elderly immigrant women came over here in their 60's & 70's ( so these litle old ladies could die on American soil ?? ).They never worked a day or paid taxes in the USA,and now entitled to SSI & in-home care benefits ( total to $1,500-$1,700 a month per person ) which all go to the pocket of their middle-aged son or daughter.

Why America allowed it ???

 

[MadamePapillon]

America is totally dependent on the cheap labor illegal immigrants provide, the government couldn't just send them all back without seriously hurting their own economy.
It's quite hypocritical actually because they complain about illegal immigrants taking Americans jobs and cheapening the country but aren't all the big companies exporting the good jobs overseas because it's cheaper? If anyone is cheapening the US is it the wealthy white Americans, not the Mexicans.

 

[Betsy Ross Patriots]

Oh THAT'S an argument! Blame it on the Rich White Guy!

That's so yesterday!

The illegal aliens have invaded this country. Our American culture has been eroded, our schools are dumbed down, our language hijacked, our healthcare system on the brink of bankruptcy.

The United States used to be a land of opportunity, where an immigrant (Legal) could come here with a dream and a dollar in his pocket and make something of his life. Now we have become a country of "hand outs, freebies, and give a ways" and the hordes of illegal aliens have rushed in to take advantage.

Whose fault is it? Not the "rich white guy" who stayed in school, got good grades, graduated from university, started a company, worked his butt off, and is now paying through high taxes for all these benefits to illegal aliens.

The fault lies with those people who are crippled with politically correct thinking and believe if we all just "love each other" this country could be Utopia. Guess what.......Utopia is fantasy. It's not real.

Now give me my country back!

 

[MadamePapillon]

The illegal aliens have invaded this country. Our American culture has been eroded, our schools are dumbed down, our language hijacked, our healthcare system on the brink of bankruptcy.

Thats a typical argument...blame the foreigners for all Americas problems. American culture is eroded because the people simply don't care anymore. The schools are dumbed down because parents and government don't put education as a priority. The English language is doing just fine. The healthcare system has nothing to do with illegal immigrants. Canada has a huge immigrant population and our education system is in the top ten, we have universal healthcare and our economy and culture is doing fine...how do you explain that?

Whose fault is it? Not the "rich white guy" who stayed in school, got good grades, graduated from university, started a company, worked his butt off, and is now paying through high taxes for all these benefits to illegal aliens.

The fault lies with those people who are crippled with politically correct thinking and believe if we all just "love each other" this country could be Utopia. Guess what.......Utopia is fantasy. It's not real.

The illegal immigration problem is only one of many US problems. The fact is, you aren't going to find many Americans that want to work in fields or house clean like many illegal immigrants do.
The bigger problem lies, not with immigrants 'stealing' Americas hard earned money and jobs, but with large companies TAKING the jobs from Americans and giving them to workers overseas. You can deny it but rich white people own the country, the big businesses, the money, and the job market, not the illegal immigrants.
Illegal immigrants are scapegoats used to divert attention from the real problems.

 

[tokapi]

USA presently has 13 million plus illegal Hispanic ( mostly Mexicans ) aliens,which is equal to nearly 40% of Canada's *total population


* 2006
32,248.6 millions

* Source: http://www.sustreport.org/signals/canpop_ttl.html

Assuming the same rate of growth as in recent years gives about 12,000,000 illegal aliens in the United States as of January 2006, increasing at 700,000–850,000 per year with illegal Mexicans amounting to about 60%+ (7+ million) of the total by 2006. By September 2006 the illegal population is thought to be about 13 million.

Illegal immigrant population of the United States - Wikipedia

 

[tokapi]

The total U.S. population crossed the 100 million mark around 1915, the 200 million mark in 1967, and the 300 million mark in 2006 (on Tuesday, October 17).The U.S. population more than tripled during the 20th century - a growth rate of about 1.3 percent a year - from about 76 million in 1900 to 281 million in 2000.

Possibly half billion population between 2050-2100 ?!

 

[Mars Man]

This thread is a poll, actually, therefore it would be good to let it primarily work as one. As we all know, polls are where a member votes for a choice (or a number of choices if it's a multiply choice one) and offers comments supporting their choice, and then listens to what others are saying.

Of course, a person's choice may be questioned further, and thus further embedding might be used to explain that, or provide more evidence for the validity of certain claims or data, or definitions might be tested and more clearly defined, but to traipse off into a side issue--regardless of its being faintly connect to any term or concept contained in the OP/theme--is to go off-topic; a thing which is frowned upon at JREF.

The OP of this poll thread is quite clear in intent and content, therefore we should take note that talk of the demographical make up in the USA at the moment, or the state of social systems set up by the political system, will, without any doubt whatsoever, be off-topic in nature, and thus should make effort to avoid such; please.

 

[Goldiegirl]

I voted American because I am. I like it here for the most part, and it's home.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

I'd rather be Japanese- if i was an American, i would be ashamed for so many of the things my government/politicians have done, like the war in Iraq and the mistakes in the local economies and all the lies and propaganda in general etc.

Oh THAT'S an argument! Blame it on the Rich White Guy!
That's so yesterday!
The illegal aliens have invaded this country. Our American culture has been eroded, our schools are dumbed down, our language hijacked, our healthcare system on the brink of bankruptcy.

Lol, hey aren't you white guys the ones who invaded America in the first place and eroded the native language and systems and stole their lands etc? IMHO, what is happening now is that you're just having done to you what your ancesters did to the original people of America- i guess you could say its karma.

Seriously though, illegal immigrants are some of the least of America's problems right now, some of America's worst problems/issues are nothing to do with or caused by illegal immigrants.

No one group is to blame for the current state of America's issues, and until you all stop blaming each others groups, you are not going to be able to get your acts together and really work together to sort out your countries issues etc. Work constructively and honestly together- no one is telling you to love everyone, just work with them for the better causes and put wrong to right etc. IMHO Both political correctness and prejudice are hampering real progress.

 

[Goldiegirl]

I am not my government or a politician. I think we've been down that road on this forum before. As was pointed out by MM.

 

[MadamePapillon]

And now the Poll's split 50/50

I guess both have their goods and their bads, no one country is perfect for everyone.
There should have been an 'other' option...maybe that one would have had more votes XD

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

I am not my government or a politician. I think we've been down that road on this forum before. As was pointed out by MM.

Seriously though, its my main and pretty much only reason if i had to choose between being an American or Japanese citizen, so thats why i stated it. I don't have anything against the American people in general, just their government and politicians. For me the politics of a country is important when considering becoming a citizen or not of that country in question etc.
To be honest i wouldn't become a citizen of either though, i'm happy in my own country, i'm just answering the threads question in an imaginary "what would you choose if you had to choose" sort of scenario.

 

[sabro]

We lost a lot of trees, but I think the worst is behind us. The fires were also bad, lots of damage nearby... and we had to evacuate for two weeks... but we survived.

 

[Annubis]

I'm glad to be Canadian I don't look Japanese and like Pachipro said, I can get away with acting differently, cus I'm a foreigner. Also, with my own life history and family, I know that I would not at all have what I have today If I were born and raised with the same conditions but in Japan. If it weren't for OSAP (Ontario student asistance program), I wouldn't have a degree.

 

[sabro]

We lost a lot of trees, but I think the worst is behind us. The fires were also bad, lots of damage nearby... and we had to evacuate for two weeks... but we survived.

I can't figure out how to edit this particular post... there doesn't seem to be an "edit post" button anywhere... at any rate Betsy Ross had said this:

Sure I know where Blondie's is...
How did you do in the recent fires? Are the trees still dying from the beetle?

and I was just being polite in answering. In the meantime the thread had swerved into discussing the US illegal alien crisis.

I really couldn't answer the poll question-- I've never been to Japan. Even as a Japanese American, I know very little about my grandparent's home land, and I doubt I could survive there very easily... I hate to answer "American" out of default and due to familiarity... but it is the honest answer.

 

[diceke]

I personally believe the United States to be the greatest country in the world, because of the freedoms we have, as well as the opportunity to make anything of your life you want to. As long as you work hard.

You are just a wishful thinker!!

 

[Homerduff]

I would probably never change my citizenship unless I'd start my own family in another country, and I would take advantage of changing. You can never change your roots, even though it would be written differently on a paper.

Would I rather be born in Japan then Belgium ? How should I know ? I feel like my life in Belgium has been good so far so I'd stick to what nature had selected for me.

"I personally believe the United States to be the greatest country in the world, because of the freedoms we have, as well as the opportunity to make anything of your life you want to. As long as you work hard."

So the USA is the only country in the world where this is possible ? I'm glad this is not true !

 

[David Gaeddert]

Born in USA, so I'll stay with that citizenship. Japan may be my favorite foreign country to visit but that requires more research(-; Still trolling for '09 Japanese SF convention or affair. Help, help!