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16 People On Things They Couldn’t Believe About America Until They Moved Here
Thought Catalog ^ | 11/13/2013 | Michael Koh

Posted on 11/13/2013 9:34:38 AM PST by Responsibility2nd

A lot of people around the world have ideas of what America is like, possibly thanks to Hollywood, or their local news channels, and maybe from what they’ve heard from families and friends. But then, they came here, to the grand old United States and their minds exploded. Taken from Quora.

 

1. Rakib Islam

I am originally from Bangladesh and here are a few things that I find hard to explain to peeps back home.



TOPICS: Miscellaneous; Travel
KEYWORDS: america
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To: Responsibility2nd
People really are afraid of socialism. This seems to be especially true the less they know about it

Reminds me of Hanoi Jane Fonda's boast that Americans would LOVE to live under Communism if they only truly knew what it was.

And then there is Bill Maher (a self-proclaimed Libertarian) who says that of course Obama had to lie about Obamacare, because Americans are too stupid to accept what's good for them.

It is incremental socialism. And it is as Ronald Reagan predicted in the early 1960s.

Calling those who oppose it "afraid" and worried about conspiratorial "plots" does nothing to say that ISN'T what it is.

21 posted on 11/13/2013 10:04:21 AM PST by a fool in paradise (America 2013 - STUCK ON STUPID)
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To: discostu

Being eligible to become President comes after drinking age (age 35) and ability to draw on your life savings without facing harsh tax penalties comes even far later.

How about we legalize pot, LSD, and opiates but set minimum age of use at 40?


22 posted on 11/13/2013 10:06:02 AM PST by a fool in paradise (America 2013 - STUCK ON STUPID)
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To: Responsibility2nd

The US lags behind other nations in not being nickled and dimed for services. THAT is the “American” way.


23 posted on 11/13/2013 10:06:43 AM PST by a fool in paradise (America 2013 - STUCK ON STUPID)
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To: JimSEA

I’ve seen restaurants up-serving portion sizes (and prices) over the past decade. You ARE charged for what you are being served.


24 posted on 11/13/2013 10:07:42 AM PST by a fool in paradise (America 2013 - STUCK ON STUPID)
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To: a fool in paradise

Yeah but one of Trumph’s hotels in Atlantic City is CALLED the Taj Mahal!


25 posted on 11/13/2013 10:12:16 AM PST by SoCal Pubbie
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To: a fool in paradise

That picture reminds me of my dad’s pickup truck. One bench seat. Dad drove, Mom sat by the door holding the baby, and me and my sister and my two other brothers sat in between.


26 posted on 11/13/2013 10:16:36 AM PST by sportutegrl
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To: Responsibility2nd; GeronL
Natalia Rekhter...from Russia

* Every state has a lot of autonomy.
* President doesn’t automatically become the richest person in the country.
* Majority of things in the US aren’t controlled or regulated by the government.
* Some hospitals look like five-star hotels.
* Budgets of some hospitals are equal to h/c budgets of small countries.
* Doctors tell their patients everything.

----

The times, they are a changing.

"Write a letter right back and tell him that you believe government economy and fiscal responsibility, that you know governments don’t tax to get the money they need; governments will always find a need for the money they get and that you demand the continuation of our free enterprise system.... If you don’t, this program I promise you, will pass just as surely as the sun will come up tomorrow and behind it will come other federal programs that will invade every area of freedom as we have known it in this country until one day as Normal Thomas said we will wake to find that we have socialism, and if you don’t do this and I don’t do this, one of these days we are going to spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children, what it once was like in America when men were free." Ronald Reagan Speaks Out Against Socialized Medicine

27 posted on 11/13/2013 10:17:06 AM PST by a fool in paradise (America 2013 - STUCK ON STUPID)
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To: Responsibility2nd
16 People On Things They Couldn’t Believe About America Until They Moved Here

Had I my way, I'd move 'em all back where their opinions count.

28 posted on 11/13/2013 10:18:18 AM PST by Navy Patriot (Join the Democrats, it's not Fascism when WE do it, and the Constitution and law mean what WE say.)
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To: Responsibility2nd
17. Coffee refills are free.

18. Contents of doggie-bags are not just for doggies. :)

29 posted on 11/13/2013 10:18:46 AM PST by Churchillspirit (9/11/2001 and 9/11/2012: NEVER FORGET.)
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To: a fool in paradise
Some hospitals look like five-star hotels.
Budgets of some hospitals are equal to h/c budgets of small countries.

Some of those same hospitals are regularly visited by the politburo and "dear leaders" of counties with socialized medicine (places where those who CAN afford to travel abroad for health care do so).

30 posted on 11/13/2013 10:18:47 AM PST by a fool in paradise (America 2013 - STUCK ON STUPID)
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To: Responsibility2nd

I have heard a lot of these things from South Asians.

Return Policy - Does not exist back home. Though I hear now merchants are being forced into this as so many Indians have spent time in the US.

Informality at work - Very different from over there

Tipping - Very foreign to them as it does not exist back home (earning the consternation of restaurant waitstaff)

Traffic - very orderly (or at least we don’t have daily 15 car pileups that generally involve an elephant or a camel)


31 posted on 11/13/2013 10:19:46 AM PST by Buckeye McFrog
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To: Responsibility2nd

btt


32 posted on 11/13/2013 10:21:06 AM PST by immadashell (The inmates are running the asylum.)
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To: Churchillspirit; Revolting cat!
I was disappointed to discover there was no doggie in my doggie bag!


33 posted on 11/13/2013 10:21:33 AM PST by a fool in paradise (America 2013 - STUCK ON STUPID)
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To: immadashell
A lot of people really think a constitution written hundreds of years ago provides written guidance to any issue the nation might be faced with. Then again, a large subset of the same group believes that a book written 2000 years ago provides answers to all problems in life.

He says that like it's a bad thing...

34 posted on 11/13/2013 10:23:28 AM PST by null and void (I'm betting on an Obama Trifecta: A Nobel Peace Prize, an Impeachment, AND a War Crimes Trial...)
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To: Responsibility2nd

” The real problem was a lack of understanding about the enormity of the country itself, and the vast numbers of people here. America. It’s big.”

Which is why so called “smart growth” density in liberal controlled metropolises isn’t so smart after all. Plenty of space that can still be settled.


35 posted on 11/13/2013 10:25:16 AM PST by a fool in paradise (America 2013 - STUCK ON STUPID)
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To: Responsibility2nd
They were also shocked by buffets. My father-in-law told everyone back in Moscow, “No, really! You just pay to enter!”

In Prague I was instructed to wave away the condiments and spices that the waitstaff would try to place on the table after ordering. Salt, pepper, catsup, etc. all add up on your bill. Nickel and dime (actually they could run 50 cents each).

36 posted on 11/13/2013 10:27:41 AM PST by a fool in paradise (America 2013 - STUCK ON STUPID)
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To: Responsibility2nd
Also the cost of childcare in US is astounding because of these things that keep adding up.

Well, International Socialism is going to achieve its population control vision one way or another.

37 posted on 11/13/2013 10:32:47 AM PST by Mr. Jeeves (CTRL-GALT-DELETE)
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To: Revolting cat!
In downtown Toronto where I live (I believe this still counts for North America) everyone... makes yoga in the park

I hope they clean up after they make yoga in the park.

38 posted on 11/13/2013 10:34:34 AM PST by a fool in paradise (America 2013 - STUCK ON STUPID)
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To: a fool in paradise

“Each one of those states has its own constitution, legal standards, and tax policies.”

And, each one also has an insatiable Federal leviathan nibbling away at its rights and responsibilities, along with that of its citizens.


39 posted on 11/13/2013 10:36:14 AM PST by PubliusMM (RKBA; a matter of fact, not opinion. 01-20-2016; I pray we make it that long.)
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To: null and void

MILLIONS of people think that the writings of Karl Marx are the greatest revelation of all time and just have never been properly applied in spite of the deaths of over 100 million people in one hundred years’ time.

Then there are the billion+ people who submit to the ravings of a dead conquering warlord and kill, maim, and enslave in his name to this day. Yoking themselves with the excuse that he was the perfect man and they are not to question his wisdom.


40 posted on 11/13/2013 10:37:19 AM PST by a fool in paradise (America 2013 - STUCK ON STUPID)
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