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The moment that government made owning foreign investments illegal as well as trying to crack down on precious metal ownership, I would split in a half a heartbeat. We'd actually fall below China in economic freedoms as a command and control economy. This bailout is a slippery slope towards that goal.
No, the rest of the world is going to do A-OK without us. I couldn't disagree more. Short term pain? You betcha. Long term, overindebted consumers are dead weight to them and they'd be better off without us. The decoupling process hits the market, but the economy maintains strength. China has an uptick in manufacturing, and I'm pretty sure ain't to broke Americans. Australia and Canada have tons of natural resources. Scandanavia has huge budget surpluses and I believe Norway is an oil exporter. They're doing just fine.
Switzerland, Australia or NZ would be my first bet. The Swiss have a more liberal gun ownership policy, as observed by the photo. Australia doesn't allow semi rifles like the AK easily, but I'm cool with being restricted to bolt action for the economic freedoms I'd gain there.
Switzerland, Australia or NZ would be my first bet. The Swiss have a more liberal gun ownership policy, as observed by the photo. Australia doesn't allow semi rifles like the AK easily, but I'm cool with being restricted to bolt action for the economic freedoms I'd gain there.
Comments about Switz - Swiss military works like Israel (in fact, Israel military system is based on theirs) - Almost entire male population is ready to be moblized for military service on a moments notice. Virtually every family has an assault rifle stashed away. Since the cold war ended this has been somewhat deminished, but the theory is the same. Yeah, screw gun control, they have the right idea.
I just got back from Switzerland. Interesting country - beautiful, but very expensive to live in. You won't be moving to Switz. without a work permit, and the work permit will likely be for a service job that pays nothing, so you would be living in a slum in Zurich or Bern somehwere with all the happy heroin users, of which there are many. Their industry (besides cheese, watches, and tourism) is banking, so I would say they would be very vulnerable to any bank crashing in the U.S. market.
Comments about Switz - Swiss military works like Israel (in fact, Israel military system is based on theirs) - Almost entire male population is ready to be moblized for military service on a moments notice. Virtually every family has an assault rifle stashed away. Since the cold war ended this has been somewhat deminished, but the theory is the same. Yeah, screw gun control, they have the right idea.
I just got back from Switzerland. Interesting country - beautiful, but very expensive to live in. You won't be moving to Switz. without a work permit, and the work permit will likely be for a service job that pays nothing, so you would be living in a slum in Zurich or Bern somehwere with all the happy heroin users, of which there are many. Their industry (besides cheese, watches, and tourism) is banking, so I would say they would be very vulnerable to any bank crashing in the U.S. market.
Sorry to disagree, but I believe you're overblowing the amount of leverage the banking industry has as well as immigration policy.
My work is in a niche field, pattern recognition/data mining, highly sought in academia and industry and still in its infancy. Immigration isn't a problem just about anywhere I go, assuming it's a developed country, and I've already done significant research into all three countries, including physically visiting each immigration office yes, I probably won't be owning a home in Switz anytime soon, but if what I predict happens, it will be a significantly improved standard of living.
The Swiss have a stronger currency, huge gold reserves, and will always be a source for secret accounts, regardless of how much the US wants to "tighten the screws". They are more financially sound than most countries in the world, and also have a decent export market.
Sorry to disagree, but I believe you're overblowing the amount of leverage the banking industry has as well as immigration policy.
The Swiss have a stronger currency, huge gold reserves, and will always be a source for secret accounts, regardless of how much the US wants to "tighten the screws". They are more financially sound than most countries in the world, and also have a decent export market.
We are getting off topic -sorry everyone. My fault. They were smart to stay out of the euro and keep their own currency. But Switz. has it's own banking crises, actually started before ours and it's almost strange how it foreshadowed our own crises. UBS and Creidt Suisse are both in trouble. UBS had write downs of $40 billion. Just like the U.S. - the issues were greed, sub-prime mortgages, and lack (or incorrect) regulation. Effects of U.S. crises will only make it worse as many of the assets, even the "secret bank accounts", come from U.S. sources.
Hey I like Switzerland, and your other choices as well (NZ). I would do a tour of duty there for my company - 2 or 3 years. I might have the oppurtunity for somewhere in Europe. But my home is the U.S. and it's there that I will permanently live in and retire in.
America has seen hard times before, and to be honest this will not be the last time we see hard times. I have never once nor will I ever think about leaving this country. I believe in sticking with it through thick and thin, times will get better and panicking or thinking the worst is never the answer in my book.
I'm curious how many of you know people who are rethinking life in America due to this financial mess, bailout and the higher taxes and lower standard of living that seem destined to follow?
Chuck22b brought this up on another thread and I found it interesting, because it's something I used to never hear about and now I hear it discussed all the time. I know people who have switched, or are thinking about switching, their retirement plans to retire outside America. I know people who have bought homes or land in other countries-- mostly sunny, tropical, less expensive locales. These days, when the talk turns to real estate, it seems just as likely to focus on bargains elsewhere as bargains here. If I had to describe the general demeanor of Americans I meet and talk to, it's "fed up."
In California, lots of people are voting with their feet... but is this the fate of America as well? And if the well-to-do leave, how will this reshape the country over the next few decades?
Go back to 1998-1999 and look at what Futurists were saying.
Futurists are individuals/groups that examine and predict future trends in a number of different areas, such as life-style, technology, government, military, medicine, retail etc.
The Futurists were predicting a mass emigration from the US.
Naturally, of course, they never state the "why" behind their prediction trends. In other words, they never explain how or why they arrived at the conclusion that technology would be developed in certain area, they just state it as so, however they have an uncanny way of being correct for the most part.
I can see people leaving the US for jobs, since there won't be any very shortly, and I can also see older people fleeing the US for areas where their retirement income will go farther and give them a greater quality of life.
I can also see people fleeing because of the future political and social climate in the US.
The question is where will they all go, if it happens. Most countries, except for some places like Canada, are more crowded than the US.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mircea
Go back to 1998-1999 and look at what Futurists were saying.
Futurists are individuals/groups that examine and predict future trends in a number of different areas, such as life-style, technology, government, military, medicine, retail etc.
The Futurists were predicting a mass emigration from the US.
Naturally, of course, they never state the "why" behind their prediction trends. In other words, they never explain how or why they arrived at the conclusion that technology would be developed in certain area, they just state it as so, however they have an uncanny way of being correct for the most part.
I can see people leaving the US for jobs, since there won't be any very shortly, and I can also see older people fleeing the US for areas where their retirement income will go farther and give them a greater quality of life.
I can also see people fleeing because of the future political and social climate in the US.
Mexico is far to corrupt for me and I think the country will feel this economic crisis as well. Europe will have its own colapse soon enough. Canada is beautiful, but if you think our taxes are high, go to Canada. Housing is very high there as well. We had contemplated Costa Rica but with Mr. Chavez moving his interests to Russia, I think I would rather stay withing US borders. Barbarians are at the gates.
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yes, I probably won't be owning a home in Switz anytime soon, but if what I predict happens, it will be a significantly improved standard of living.
