Tuesday, June 21, 2005

America the Promised Land?

Well, I hear it and see it everywhere. America is the place everyone wants to escape to (except most Europeans in the EU 25). You'll have a better life there, you might even get rich, dreams are possible in America! Its the American Dream! Every day I hear that damn ad on the Israeli/Turkish advertised MTV we get here: "You too can live and work in the U.S.A.!!!!"

When my friends and I took our European trip in the summer of 2001, we were frequently accosted by those street merchants who sell faux-designer crap and other assorted items. There was one who really put the pressure on us to buy, and when we said we couldn't afford it, he replied, in his thick African accent "But you Americans! You have all the money of the world! You are all rich capitalists!" We all had to laugh. I told him "Buddy, you have a lot to learn about America and capitalism then."

I don't know if immigrants to the U.S. are just kidding themselves, or if it is simply a matter of things are so bad in their own country they have to go somewhere. At this point, I'd suggest Europe. One of the main reasons?

Because America is such a privileged country disabled Tennesseans are having to beg for health care insurance! I made a post a month ago about the healthcare plight of Americans vs. that of Europeans. Over the last two days, Tennessee Guerilla Women has been posting on the latest developments in Tennessee's health care crisis.

This is just one of the realities of life in America. You too can live and work in the U.S.A.! Apply for your green card now!

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