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Better life in USA or Canada? - expats opinions and your comparison

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posts: 106

TlumThreads: 17 Posts: 136 Joined: Feb 20, 07 ♂	Jun 22, 10, 22:48 #1
Those of you who have been living in both the US and Canada - how do you compare living in these two countries? If you moved from the US to Canada or from Canada to the US, do you regret your decision and why? I'm especially interested in the views of Polish expats/immigrants.

♂

Jun 23, 10, 02:49 #2

Canada's OK, but the US is much better. I don't like the liberal attitude Canada had achieved, there are many more lesbos and gays there than in the US, although nothing can be done about them once they start crawling out of the closet. Another thing I dislike about Canada is their Free healthcare system, which is also taking over America and that is scary. The government tells you which doctor to see, who to see, when to see him etc. and there is no freedom of choice of insurance. The healthcare in the US will be as bad as in Poland because the doctors won't care anymore, they get paid a certain amount by the gov. so why should they go that extra mile to heal someone.

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Jun 23, 10, 02:59 #3

tygrys:

I don't like the liberal attitude Canada had achieved

Yeah, nothing like what O'Bama is trying to acheive

tygrys:

there are many more lesbos and gays

I would hazard a guess that there are proportionally about the same. The big difference is that the US has a bunch of folks who oppress them. I think it is called the Christian Right.

tygrys:

Another thing I dislike about Canada is their Free healthcare system

Trust me, It's not Free. We pay and Pay and pay. Actually Europe has some better programs, if I am not mistaken... Ever watch Michael Moore's Sicko?

tygrys:

The government tells you which doctor to see

No. I can choose my own doctor thanks, providing he/she is still taking patients. If I need to be referred to a specialist, the doc makes that call.

plk123Threads: 30 Posts: 6,412 Joined: Aug 29, 07 ♂	Jun 23, 10, 03:07 #4
ShawnH: If I need to be referred to a specialist, the doc makes that call. and in the US the insurance makes the call, not the doctor.. fun times..

ShawnHThreads: 9 Posts: 3,056 Joined: Jul 2, 09 ♂	Jun 23, 10, 03:09 #5
plk123: and in the US the insurance makes the call, not the doctor.. And I am sure the Mega Insurance Corporation of America always works in your best interest....

plk123Threads: 30 Posts: 6,412 Joined: Aug 29, 07 ♂	Jun 23, 10, 03:11 #6
ShawnH: And I am sure the Mega Insurance Corporation of America always works in your best interest.... always.. as long as your name is "the bottom line" or you are one of the investors.. profits over health, every time..

Pinching PeteThreads: 1 Posts: 1,111 Joined: Feb 23, 08 ♂	Edited by: Pinching Pete Jun 23, 10, 04:00 #7
This depends, probably Canada for socialist goodies, free healthcare, education.. etc. etc. A lot of older Poles like this obviously. US for decent opportunities, wages, cheap housing, food, goods in general. You'll have to pay for your education but it will usually reap decent wages once you pay for it. So it evens out nicely in the end. Usually anyway..

TlumThreads: 17 Posts: 136 Joined: Feb 20, 07 ♂	Jun 23, 10, 04:51 #8
How about weather, 6 months of cold weather and snow may not be the biggest plus of Canada? Or crime?

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Jun 23, 10, 05:00 #9

Tlum:

Better life in USA or Canada?

It depends what a person is looking for also. Some people like this, another likes that. We get 6 months of snow in the US also, such as the northern states close to the Canadian border, but then again we have Cali and Flor and all them other southern states where there is no snow, or once in a blue moon. But snow is not all that bad. Some great snomo trails up north.

plk123Threads: 30 Posts: 6,412 Joined: Aug 29, 07 ♂	Jun 23, 10, 06:20 #10
Pinching Pete: free healthcare, education free? i think not.. canadian taxes are something like 50%.. Tlum: Or crime? is nothing in Canada compared to USA tygrys: We get 6 months of snow in the US also, such as the northern states where?

♂

Jun 23, 10, 08:09 #11

plk123:

free? i think not.. canadian taxes are something like 50%..

Well yeah, I know it's not free but the cost is spread out and not just heaped on the individual. I'm not saying it's better but if you're coming from Europe you're probably used to this and gives you psychic comfort.

plk123:

where?

Uhhh..let's see: Michigan, Illinois, Upstate New York, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Montana, Colorado.. the Dakotas.. Upper Ohio, Cleveland.. Maine, Mass. can snow anytime from November to May easily. You usually only get about 4 months of snow though.

tygrys:

But snow is not all that bad.

I dig the snow, man.. I would miss it if I didn't have it. Key is you have to get out in it and hike, snow mobile etc.

♂

Edited by: MareGaea Jun 23, 10, 08:25 #12

tygrys:

I don't like the liberal attitude Canada had achieved, there are many more lesbos and gays there than in the US, although nothing can be done about them once they start crawling out of the closet.

I don't like the liberal attitude the Internet has achieved, there are more religious nutters and homo-haters that spill their nonsense than anywhere else, although nothing can be done about them once they have discovered how to type.

tygrys:

Another thing I dislike about Canada is their Free healthcare system, which is also taking over America and that is scary.

Another thing I dislike about the Internet is that those religious nutters, homo-haters and conservative-rubbishers get their freedom of speech, which is also taking over the real world and that is scary.

tygrys:

The healthcare in the US will be as bad as in Poland because the doctors won't care anymore, they get paid a certain amount by the gov. so why should they go that extra mile to heal someone.

You know, the fun thing about the free Healthcare system is that you will get REAL doctors now, who DO CARE about their patients instead of their money and who DO have an interest in healing the patient instead of the patient's wallet or the deal they have with certain pharmaceutical companies. Besides, it's not even true that they get paid a certain amount.

plk123:

and in the US the insurance makes the call, not the doctor.. fun times..

True. My brother once needed to see a specialist and he found one, but the insurance refused to let him go to that one, because that specialist was not an employee of the insurance company. Instead he had to go to the other side of MN, to a specialist which was an employee of Blue Cross. Funny thing is that already EXACTLY is happening what tygrys claims will happen when introducing a public healthcare system. Only change will be that with this publich healthcare system it won't be the insurance companies who decide and who make the money, but nobody. Guess tygrys works for a health insurance company...

>^..^<

M-G (haec hactenus)

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Jun 23, 10, 08:46 #13

tygrys wrote:

The healthcare in the US will be as bad as in Poland because the doctors won't care anymore, they get paid a certain amount by the gov. so why should they go that extra mile to heal someone.

assuming doctors would get paid in the US as horribly as they get paid in Poland.

guy goes to college for 8 years plus internships/whatever else he/she needs to do to become a doctor, and then at the age of 30 starts earning 2500pln per month, just a little bit above the country's avg. salary. no motivation? no $hit.

in the US, they would never socialize the entire system and start paying doctors "a little above the national avg.".....the entire country would be out of doctors. doctors in america are rich. period. they go through a lot of school, often times having to pay for it out of their own pockets, and then they go on to make hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. and they should. and they do.

you're nuts if you think Obama, or whoever is in charge of america is going to introduce a healthcare system where doctors are getting paid......say.....$60,000 a year.

the more you think about the shite wages doctors get paid in poland, the more you have to wonder why the hell they bothered to even become one.

twenty something year old guy from america comes to poland to explore europe, learn a second language and teach ESL.....and earns more than Piotr, a native pole who studied medicine for 10 years.

Pinching PeteThreads: 1 Posts: 1,111 Joined: Feb 23, 08 ♂	Jun 23, 10, 08:51 #14
FUZZYWICKETS: twenty something year old guy from america comes to poland to explore europe, learn a second language and teach ESL.....and earns more than Piotr, a native pole who studied medicine for 10 years. Jeez.. Is that true? Seriously?

JohnBenjaminThreads: - Posts: 1 Joined: Jun 23, 10 ♂	Jun 23, 10, 08:54 #15
I think better life in USA is good. Is nothing in Canada compared to USA.

FUZZYWICKETSThreads: 12 Posts: 1,999 Joined: Nov 3, 09 ♂	Jun 26, 10, 15:15 #16
Pinching Pete wrote: Jeez.. Is that true? Seriously? indeed.

ShawnHThreads: 9 Posts: 3,056 Joined: Jul 2, 09 ♂	Jun 26, 10, 15:25 #17
JohnBenjamin: I think better life in USA is good. Is nothing in Canada compared to USA. Examples please.

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Jun 27, 10, 07:21 #18

Pinching Pete:

You usually only get about 4 months of snow though.

at most and that is why i asked.. the only states with long snow season are really VT, NH, ME

MareGaea:

Besides, it's not even true that they get paid a certain amount.

i dunno exactly about the new plan but federal medicaid, for example, pays set amounts.. and most of the time those are so behind times that it's a loss for the doctor..

MareGaea:

i don't know about that man.. there are plenty of doctors who are in the biz because they want to heal and of course there are plenty who are in for the $$, mainly..

FUZZYWICKETS:

guy goes to college for 8 years plus internships/whatever else he/she needs to do to become a doctor, and then at the age of 30

that's more like 12.. which is actually about right..

FUZZYWICKETS:

doctors in america are rich.

some are and many aren't.. making 100k isn't really rich.. and many doctors make that or barely more..

ShawnH:

Examples please.

yeah, i would be interested in hearing more too..

FUZZYWICKETSThreads: 12 Posts: 1,999 Joined: Nov 3, 09 ♂	Jun 27, 10, 07:50 #19
plk123 wrote: making 100k isn't really rich most doctors earn above 100K, but jeez, 100K is pretty damn good to me. considering the national avg. salary for people above 25 in the USA is around $45,000 a year, 100K is pretty damn good, and it's more than what 99.9% of the world earns per year.

♂

Edited by: skysoulmate Jun 27, 10, 08:16 #20

ShawnH:

I would hazard a guess that there are proportionally about the same. The big difference is that the US has a bunch of folks who oppress them. I think it is called the Christian Right.

Hmm, you have pretty strong opinions about things you don't seem to understand. I guess I'd be considered part of your evil "Christian Right" yet I'm nothing like what you describe. I'm a Lutheran, believe in God but also in humanity. I think each and every person should believe in what they want to believe in but at the same token am turned off by the constant leftist lunatics who worship their own religion - socialism.

I respect gays and lesbians although I struggle sometimes in understanding certain aspects of it, but I certainly do respect them. I'm simply asking not to be bombarded with their own agenda day in and day out. ...and yes, I'm even for their right to get married but would prefer if they chose a different name for their union if at all possible.

The disgusting picture you posted has nothing to do with Christianity, zero, nada!! Yet people use nutcases and morons to parade their hate for our religion all the time. That's fine, we won't kill you or burn you for your views. We simply ask for you to let us keep our views intact.

As far as the original question - both the US and Canada have their pros and cons. Recently I was moved to Anchorage, Alaska area (job not residence) and will be flying out of here for a while and must say that Anchorage, and all of Alaska is packed with Canadians and most of them say the opportunities here far outweigh what they have back home, most have US health insurance and go back home for minor/routine medical visits and use their US insurance for more serious medical problems.

I think the two countries are like twin brothers always competing yet always helping each other out when needed. I do like Canada for sure.

By the way, surprisingly many Canadians live in Hawai'i too.

RonWestThreads: 3 Posts: 165 Joined: Jan 6, 10 ♂	Jun 27, 10, 09:14 #21
Real classy using those little girls with the t-shirts in your propaganda campaign!!!!!!!

♂

Edited by: plk123 Jun 27, 10, 09:22 #22

FUZZYWICKETS:

most doctors earn above 100K, but jeez, 100K is pretty damn good to me. considering the national avg. salary for people above 25 in the USA is around $45,000 a year, 100K is pretty damn good, and it's more than what 99.9% of the world earns per year.

i didn't say it's not pretty good but it definitely isn't rich...

RonWest:

Real classy using those little girls with the t-shirts in your propaganda campaign!!!!!!!

and it gets worse.. the christian right is rather messed up over here.. how do you think bush got "elected" 2 times?

skysoulmate:

Hmm, you have pretty strong opinions about things you don't seem to understand

but he is right, actually... you may not be christian right at all even though you seem to want to be? or something..

♂

Jun 27, 10, 09:46 #23

skysoulmate wrote:

constant leftist lunatics who worship their own religion - socialism.

that old gag.

skysoulmate wrote:

The disgusting picture you posted has nothing to do with Christianity, zero, nada!!

you sure?

skysoulmate wrote:

That's fine, we won't kill you or burn you for your views.

no, but you'll systematically molest/rape our children and get away with it, carry out crusades, inquisitions, drastically affect the way our country runs its politics, not pay taxes, deny evolution among other scientific facts which goes on to poison and retard the minds of our country's children on top of indoctrinating them with YOUR religious views when they are far too young to think for themselves, threaten them with hell.....

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Jun 30, 10, 08:36 #24

plk123:

and it gets worse.. the christian right is rather messed up over here.. how do you think bush got "elected" 2 times?

Actually I was disgusted with the poster. I would give anything to have Bush back. Voter remorse is very strong as all you Idealistic bufoons who voted in a "Community Organizer" to the highest office in the land are burying your heads in the sand as the annointed one's approval ratings plummet daily. It's Jimmy Carter on steroids!!!!!!!!!

FUZZYWICKETSThreads: 12 Posts: 1,999 Joined: Nov 3, 09 ♂	Jun 30, 10, 12:38 #25
Ronwest wrote: I would give anything to have Bush back. Voter remorse is very strong as all you Idealistic bufoons who voted in a "Community Organizer" to the highest office in the land are burying your heads in the sand as the annointed one's approval ratings plummet daily. dude, did you just compliment Bush, criticize Obama, and say "approval ratings plummet daily" in the same breath?

MUFFINY

Jun 30, 10, 20:32 #26

I spent the first 25 years of my life in NY, specifically, Long Island.

I lived in Calgary, Canada for 6 years after that, and have now been living in Toronto, Canada for the last 6 years.

The two countries are vastly more similar than most people would like to admit.

The opportunities are similar if you are in a city, in my opinion. If you have a university degree, you'll have the same options. I can't speak for non-urban centres.

The housing market is more expensive in Canada. Even though my parents live on Long Island in a fairly affluent area, what they can get for $700K vs what you can get a similar distance from city centre away in Toronto is much bigger/greater/has more.

I don't know why so many people say Healthcare in Canada is bad. It has its issue - all healthcare systems do - but it's damn good. Anything I've needed, I've gotten and I love my family doctor. It was odd not having to pay the first time I went to the doctor. I've heard horror stories on both sides of the border...the US' system isn't horrible if you have a full time job with benefits. But I do prefer the Canadian system - because I believe all people should have healthcare, not just those with full time jobs and benefits.

And before you ask, I have had a full time job with benefits since I was 23 years old, with only a 1 year break while I went to do my MBA...so, no, I don't prefer Canada simply because I'm a person who doesn't work full time. I work full time +.

I also prefer Canada because it is quite diverse. Coming from NY, a fairly liberal state with a lot of people, I thought I understood diversity. But living in Toronto, a truly multi cultural city, I learn new things about different cultures all the time - it's not such a heavy focus on Italian, Jewish and Black - but on everyone. We have a little Portugual and little Lithuania as well as many others on top of the usual Little Italy/Chinatown.

As a general rule, Canadians are more laid back, friendlier. That's not to say that Americans aren't too...I have so many friends and family there and they are all wonderful people! It's more about the atmosphere when you're out and about in the city and such - it's OK to make eye contact and smile. That said, not all of the time - Toronto is still a big city - but it just has a friendlier vibe than Manhattan or San Francisco. And Calgary, being smaller, is even friendlier!

Regarding weather - there is no rule. We're talking about very large countries where the weather across them in both directions is vastly different, let alone crossing the border. You can't assume because you're in Canada it's automatically cold. Vancouver has the same weather as Seattle - it is rainy but not cold. You rarely see snow. Calgary is VERY cold in Jan/Feb. Toronto's weather is very similar to lower NY - you don't get as much snow as upper NY, it's hot and humid in the summer, cold in the winter. My best friend lives in Chicago...my Toronto winters are much warmer than hers.

I miss my family, but I'm not that far away...and I love Canada. I feel more like a Canadian than an American and that's why I stay.

MUFFINYThreads: - Posts: 1 Joined: Jun 30, 10 ♀	Jun 30, 10, 20:40 #27
PS - In Toronto there is also a Polish area called Roncesvalles. It's quite a community of Polish people with restaurants, shops, churches - everything in Polish - even the newspapers and such. My boyfriend lives there and his mom is Polish - she absolutely adored the entire neighbourhood when she came to visit.

NorthMancPolakThreads: 6 Posts: 708 Joined: Jun 13, 10 ♂	Jun 30, 10, 21:01 #28
MUFFINY: PS - In Toronto there is also a Polish area called Roncesvalles. It's quite a community of Polish people with restaurants, shops, churches - everything in Polish - even the newspapers and such. My boyfriend lives there and his mom is Polish - she absolutely adored the entire neighbourhood when she came to visit. If Poles were black, we'd call this a ghetto, lol :)

CrowThreads: 367 Posts: 7,316 Joined: Feb 14, 07 ♂ [Suspended]	Jun 30, 10, 21:11 #29
all Poles from Canada and USA should immigrate to Poland

♂

Jul 1, 10, 00:02 #30

RonWest:

I would give anything to have Bush back.

that's just stupid.. he's drove this great country into the ground and made a laughing stock of the world and you want him back? wow.. the community organiser is better then what we had the last 8 years, that is for sure.. and he is doing ok although i am rather pissed that he didn't immediately reverse some of the encroachments on our freedoms that his predecessor enacted..

MUFFINY:

As a general rule, Canadians are more laid back, friendlier.

I definitely agree as well as your statement about smiling and eye contact.. one other thing i forgot to mention is that all of my famioly and everyone i know in Canada have summer cottages either in the woods up north or on lakes.. in USA i knly know a few people that have such "luxury".. also all of my family up there have swimming pools and that is not something most americans have..so it may be expensive and the taxes may be high in Canada but it seems life may be easier there then USA.

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