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The American Death Spiral and Your Plan

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AngryDragon

AngryDragon 270

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Lived and worked overseas in Korea for 5 years after UT. Best time of my life. Also spent a total of 9 months traveling around Thailand, Japan, Indonesia, Korea right before covid hit. Planning to hop around Asia for the majority of the rest of my life. I can get a long term visa from Korea and Thailand has affordable long term visas as well. 

 

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Neonmoon

Neonmoon 38,130

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6 hours ago, berlinerbaer said:

So much this. Disturbing that some of you would rather move to Belize or somewhere else to be utterly surrounded by poverty.

If you look white, are older, male, and in the top 10% economically, America is and always will be structurally built to support you regardless of the status of democracy or how hot it is. 

 

Big oceans on both sides to keep the meanies out. A still-growing population that can support the elderly.

Think about it. Europe may seem nice, but they are dependent on the outside for energy (Russia and ME), protection (US), and food. When there are global shocks, they always feel it more. I would rather have internal challenges to deal with than be under the thumb of a foreign power or have to worry about asshole neighbors.

Besides, if America goes to shit, all the benefits of being American will go with it. Your dollars won't be worth that much anymore.

Different strokes for different folks.

I want to live in a country with universal healthcare, no guns, women's rights, lgbtq rights, voting rights, a society that values education and doesn’t elevate stupidity. A society that believes paying a little more taxes is okay if everyone else is better off because of it. 

I don’t know if you noticed but the US is also dependent on foreign oil. And since half the country believes green energy is bad, it will be for a while. The US is not energy independent. We can’t force companies to sell oil extracted in US just to US. That’s why we are friends with countries in ME that commit humans rights atrocities and look the other way 

There are many countries in Europe that produce their own food, are working towards energy independence, and have an okay military. NATO without US could take down RU. It would be 10 times harder, but they could. 

I wouldn’t keep my money in dollars. 

 


 


 

 

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Nice Guy Eddie

Nice Guy Eddie 13,523

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10 hours ago, MC Fresh Breath said:

Within the US I'm very happy with where I am after having left Texas.  Love it.   But, not being Surly elite, there is always the possibly of  lose everything my wife and I have with some kind of long term medical issue as we age.  That's the reason I would leave--Universal Healthcare.  I'd gladly give up a decent amount of tax money for it as well.  And I don't think it is ever happening here. The distinct possibility of being destitute as an elderly citizen due to medical costs scares me.

However, I'm an older person with younger children.  I know I'm here at least through their high school years.  So after that, I'm much close to retirement age than go to a foreign country and work age.    So most likely going down with the ship and working like hell to stay as healthy as possible.  

Being aware of health care costs probably makes it unlikely it will impact you in that way. In terms of staying healthy and preparing for the costs. Many seniors have the same problem of younger people in terms of being unable to pay a $400 unplanned bill. 

It’s also key to really understand your medical insurance and not just focus on the premiums or copay. You need to know that a hospital stay won’t lead to a $30K bill.

also important that you prioritize your retirement savings over your kids college education. I know parents want to sacrifice but you could be saving your kid from having to take care of you.

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Ojo Rojo

Ojo Rojo 1,968

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3 hours ago, Neonmoon said:

I want to live in a country with universal healthcare, no guns, women's rights, lgbtq rights, voting rights, a society that values education and doesn’t elevate stupidity. A society that believes paying a little more taxes is okay if everyone else is better off because of it. 

 


 


 

 

So, like, Norway then?

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Firemans4Horn

Firemans4Horn 18,122

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Wife has Italian lineage. She passes the 4 initial qualifying questions which makes it worth pursuing. I assume the bureaucracy will be a pain, but the upfront capital costs are about 2% of a golden visa. Going to start tracking down birth certificates, wedding certificates, naturalization records etc…

I also called elders on my side of the family today to get genealogical history. Can’t hurt to work on both sides of the family tree  

Portugal golden visa is now the backup plan. 

Might start a separate thread for those that are interested. 

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Biff Tannen

Biff Tannen 45,735

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On 5/28/2022 at 10:05 PM, Firemans4Horn said:

Wife has Italian lineage. She passes the 4 initial qualifying questions which makes it worth pursuing. I assume the bureaucracy will be a pain, but the upfront capital costs are about 2% of a golden visa. Going to start tracking down birth certificates, wedding certificates, naturalization records etc…

Same. We need to get on this.

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Satchel

Satchel 6,949

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Today, Freedom House released a special report, From Crisis to Reform: A Call to Strengthen America’s Battered Democracy, which identifies three enduring problems that have undermined the health of the US political system: unequal treatment for people of color, the outsized influence of special interests in politics, and partisan polarization. This report comes in response to a decade-long decline in US democracy and is based in Freedom House’s global comparative research.

The report concludes that these three major problems compound one another, creating a vicious circle of distrust and dysfunction, and that addressing them with urgency and conviction is crucial to restoring Americans’ faith not just in their government, but also in democracy itself.

“Our democracy is in trouble,” said Michael J. Abramowitz, president of Freedom House, “and the strength of American democracy is important for people everywhere, not just here at home. Congress and the Biden administration must make it a priority to strengthen our institutions, restore civic norms, and uphold the promise of universal liberty on which our nation was founded.”

“The state of US democracy has implications for freedom and democracy around the world,” said Sarah Repucci, vice president of research and analysis at Freedom House. “Democracy movements in other countries look to the United States for inspiration and support, and authoritarian leaders falsely point to America’s problems as proof of democracy’s inherent inferiority and as a sort of license for their own abuses of power.

https://freedomhouse.org/article/new-report-us-democracy-has-declined-significantly-past-decade-reforms-urgently-needed

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Doc Sam Beckett

Doc Sam Beckett 5,797

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On 5/26/2022 at 9:52 PM, berlinerbaer said:

So much this. Disturbing that some of you would rather move to Belize or somewhere else to be utterly surrounded by poverty.

If you look white, are older, male, and in the top 10% economically, America is and always will be structurally built to support you regardless of the status of democracy or how hot it is. 

 

Big oceans on both sides to keep the meanies out. A still-growing population that can support the elderly.

Think about it. Europe may seem nice, but they are dependent on the outside for energy (Russia and ME), protection (US), and food. When there are global shocks, they always feel it more. I would rather have internal challenges to deal with than be under the thumb of a foreign power or have to worry about asshole neighbors.

Besides, if America goes to shit, all the benefits of being American will go with it. Your dollars won't be worth that much anymore.

Nobody wants to live in America with meeeeeeee

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Brisketexan

Brisketexan 105,333

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33 minutes ago, CooterBrown said:


It probably makes sense to apply for it while your 5 year window is open even if you don’t have a plan immediately.

Yeah, we actually talked about that a little bit last night.  She's got time (doesn't graduate till this December), and then she's going to be looking at grad schools in a couple of years, including schools in the UK, so it may be obviated by that.  We'll see.  Over the next 5-10 years, the kids will be getting degrees, likely grad degrees, and then working (with a very good chance of that being overseas), so we'll see what options look like then.

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Brisketexan

Brisketexan 105,333

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1 hour ago, trauma babe said:

As with my retirement, suicide is the plan. Everything else is too expensive

I mean......my wife and I might be up for a regular traveling companion.  And my wife's pretty cute.  So, you know, win-win for everyone.  

Hanging out with us is probably better than death.  Probably.

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Pato del Muerto

Pato del Muerto 52,597

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1 minute ago, Brisketexan said:

I mean......my wife and I might be up for a regular traveling companion.  And my wife's pretty cute.  So, you know, win-win for everyone.  

Hanging out with us is probably better than death.  Probably.

I get the feeling that being around you is like being around cliff clavin.  Care to address this accusation?

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safe sex

safe sex 11,747

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11 minutes ago, ChuckNorrisActionJeans said:

Umm..... maybe look into sugar babying before something like that, TB

The sugarbaby market for a dyke who is worthless at both being femme and butch is quite limited. Ask me how I know. 

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fattyflattie

fattyflattie 4,638

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Just now, Pato del Muerto said:

You and your romantic optimism.  Also that should be the site motto for whatever the SB site is. Also, sugarperson.  We aren’t cavepeople. 

I thought about the person part, then figured we are talking about slightly above board prostitution, politically incorrect is somewhat assumed. 

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Macanudo

Macanudo 13,012

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33 minutes ago, trauma babe said:

The sugarbaby market for a dyke who is worthless at both being femme and butch is quite limited. Ask me how I know. 

Looks like I need to buy the Sugardyke.com website and we'll make this reality.

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NameAlreadyInUse

NameAlreadyInUse 5,120

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On 5/26/2022 at 3:00 PM, fattyflattie said:

You are right, should have been more specific.  Singapore, Malay, China, Vietnam and India. Cant speak to the rest.     

I'm not a big fan of chinese food in the US, but it was delectable in China.  And the food in Singapore, Malaysia and India are 3 of the top 5 best cuisines in the world.  WTF were you smoking while you were over there?

 

2 hours ago, trauma babe said:

The sugarbaby market for a dyke who is worthless at both being femme and butch is quite limited. Ask me how I know. 

So I can't volunteer to be a sugardaddy, but I'd be happy to help entertain you.  Well, probably my husband will do most of the entertaining.  He's more interesting.  Assuming we still live here. And assuming you are ok with being crotchety and don't have virgin ears by the time we're old and on our way to senility.

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fattyflattie

fattyflattie 4,638

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Posted (edited)
1 hour ago, NameAlreadyInUse said:

I'm not a big fan of chinese food in the US, but it was delectable in China.  And the food in Singapore, Malaysia and India are 3 of the top 5 best cuisines in the world.  WTF were you smoking while you were over there?

 

I think I expanded upthread, but that comment was mostly about Oz and Bahamas.  I never found a decent piece of beef in WA, and spent a small fortune trying.  Island food just got old after about a month. After 9, it was really, really old.  Authentic Chinese food absolutely did not jive with my tummy.  May have been the beers.    In Sing, I was building a house a bit too far out of my comfort budget, so I wasn’t living it up. Saving all the perdiem I could, eating for next to nothing each day.  Questionable proteins being eaten.  But yeah, when I took the team out, the pepper crab was tough to beat.  Malay was OK when I was holed up in the best hotel I’ve ever stayed, but most of my time was offshore.  About 60 consecutive days of yellow chicken curry was a beating.  India was a blur, but the barge food sucked. I’m sure there was great food there. I gain at least 30# every time I have a job in Mexico. 
 

eta: also, it’s the small things for me, when gone that long that amplify the experience.  I know username (I wasn’t fat most of those trips) but food is a comfort item for a lot of people.  You gone from wife and kids for months on end and it’s the little things that help, or grind on you.  Less than stellar food will turn you homesick quickly. 

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Pato del Muerto

Pato del Muerto 52,597

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16 hours ago, NameAlreadyInUse said:

So I can't volunteer to be a sugardaddy, but I'd be happy to help entertain you.  Well, probably my husband will do most of the entertaining.  He's more interesting.  Assuming we still live here. And assuming you are ok with being crotchety and don't have virgin ears by the time we're old and on our way to senility.

I’m going to need to be the neighbor that drops by often for no reason other than to revel in all of your antics, so PM me the address one y’all get settled in. 

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RMac5

RMac5 1,551

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On 5/26/2022 at 5:13 AM, South Austin said:

I wish we could all live in the mountains at high altitude. That's where I see myself in five years.

Only those selling out in Austin can afford it! High life got expensive as shit since the pandemic.

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PenelopeWitherspoon

PenelopeWitherspoon 19,142

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I am looking for fixer uppers in France.  Currently looking at an apartment in Savoie.  Would also consider property in the Southwest of France.  I want this as a vacation property, but in the back of my head, this would be a good back up plan if shit goes sideways.  Thinking about looking into Italian villages as well.

 

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royiv

royiv 9,353

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2 hours ago, Longhorn_Fan68 said:

This US friendly against Uruguay got me thinking/researching. Might not be a bad option. Also:
Uruguayan-Dating-Culture.jpg

Cubantakingnotes.gif 

Wife and I are planning on hanging it up somewhere in Central or South America. Adding Uruguay to our list of countries to explore.

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SydneyCarton

SydneyCarton 48,170

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Uruguay has secretly been my backup for awhile. It's generally considered the country in South America with the happiest people, it's a very laid back agrarian culture, it's affordable, it has access to the ocean, and generally speaking there's not a ton there I can tell that would spur a neighbor or foreign nation to want to invade or conqueror it. It's got fairly low crime rates. The only downside is pretty much no one speaks English, is my understanding, and you have to pass as Spanish language test to get citizenship. Which, while fair, I'm not eager to learn a new language and live in a country where I don't speak the language while I learn. 

That being said, I prefer that last bit quite considerably over living in a fascist state, so...

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Neonmoon

Neonmoon 38,130

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16 minutes ago, SydneyCarton said:

Uruguay has secretly been my backup for awhile. It's generally considered the country in South America with the happiest people, it's a very laid back agrarian culture, it's affordable, it has access to the ocean, and generally speaking there's not a ton there I can tell that would spur a neighbor or foreign nation to want to invade or conqueror it. It's got fairly low crime rates. The only downside is pretty much no one speaks English, is my understanding, and you have to pass as Spanish language test to get citizenship. Which, while fair, I'm not eager to learn a new language and live in a country where I don't speak the language while I learn. 

That being said, I prefer that last bit quite considerably over living in a fascist state, so...

No es dificil aprender

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Vegas64

Vegas64 677

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1 hour ago, SydneyCarton said:

Uruguay has secretly been my backup for awhile. It's generally considered the country in South America with the happiest people, it's a very laid back agrarian culture, it's affordable, it has access to the ocean, and generally speaking there's not a ton there I can tell that would spur a neighbor or foreign nation to want to invade or conqueror it. It's got fairly low crime rates. The only downside is pretty much no one speaks English, is my understanding, and you have to pass as Spanish language test to get citizenship. Which, while fair, I'm not eager to learn a new language and live in a country where I don't speak the language while I learn. 

That being said, I prefer that last bit quite considerably over living in a fascist state, so...

Dude, yes. This has been my secret "dark horse" country for a while now as well. I have a buddy who married a woman originally from Uruguay (they've lived in Houston for 20 years now and have teenagers that look gringo) but he's been going back to Montevideo every other summer during that time and he vouches it's every bit as awesome as the internet would have us believe.

ETA: It's only a 5.5 hour car drive to Buenos Aires from Montevideo, so if you wanted to avoid the Argentina government and financial nonsense but still summer or holiday in BA, there you go!

Edited by Vegas64
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Incredulity

Incredulity 11,683

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If you really want to get pimpslapped with regard to wealth inequality spend some real time in Uruguay.  Also, do a little research on European immigrants historical treatment of native Uruguayan populations before you get all proud of your new home.

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SydneyCarton

SydneyCarton 48,170

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2 minutes ago, Incredulity said:

If you really want to get pimpslapped with regard to wealth inequality spend some real time in Uruguay.  Also, do a little research on European immigrants historical treatment of native Uruguayan populations before you get all proud of your new home.

Tell me, is it on par with how we treated Native Americans?

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