Disturbing reason why a person wants to leave America

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I've always thought that people who came up with government conspiracy theories were giving our government way to much credit. Too me it seems they are much to disorganized to actually pull something like this off.
 
I choose not to worry about things that do not affect me, or something I cannot do anything about. But, sometimes I still worry a little bit, can't help it. You need to take a rational view of the situation, size things up and get on with life. I prefer to be on the happy side and hang around with those kind of people, and not bog myself down with negative stuff. I think tin foil hats are too uncomfortable.
 
Not sure if mental illness correlates well with intelligence. Most of the most evil people in history were/are intelligent if not very intelligent. And the fine line between genius and madness has been explored for generations.

Some of the most practical/productive/smartest people I've known didn't have an advanced/college education, and some of the most useless people I've known have had advanced degrees, even doctorates.
 
I have a close relative who is into conspiracy theories. She's well-educated, but still persists in believing all of this stuff. After numerous conversations and fruitless discussions, I've come to the conclusion that she is one of those people who must like having a certain part of their brain titillated (the worry bead?). She must get some sort of payoff (titillation) and it doesn't require that she take any action.

I also wonder if this isn't somewhat a first world problem. Living here in comfort and safety, one can have the luxury of thinking (speculating? fantasizing? ) about these things; whereas in some other parts of the world, people have much more critical day-to-day (such as food, shelter, safety, etc.) issues with which they need to deal.

And, as OP noted, some people have relocated elsewhere and have run from their obligations. Professed belief in conspiracy theories would provide a great cover.

omni
 
Just in time...

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/26/magazine/why-rational-people-buy-into-conspiracy-theories.html?hpw

Our access to high-quality information has not, unfortunately, ushered in an age in which disagreements of this sort can easily be solved with a quick Google search. In fact, the Internet has made things worse. Confirmation bias — the tendency to pay more attention to evidence that supports what you already believe — is a well-documented and common human failing. People have been writing about it for centuries. In recent years, though, researchers have found that confirmation bias is not easy to overcome. You can’t just drown it in facts.
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My prescription for the doctor? "Mind the door on the way out, it'll leave a nasty bruise."
 
There have been conspiracy theories forever and the entire media, news, internet, blogs etc. doesn't help with the way it slants the news or tries to make news. It's gotten to the point where people react first rather than get the information themselves and sort through it. Give a conspiracy and I can find dozens of articles, OP eds and blogs for and against so if I am gullible enough or predisposed one way or another I can find subjective support for that...or maybe I'm the gullible one?!?!??! :eek:
 
Quite frankly, DW and I are have been having similar discussions about moving. Not about conspiracies but about the change in culture in the US.

We know of three different couples who, once their kids got of school age left the US (New Zealand, Singapore, Australia) .

No conspiracy theorists or anything, they just don't like the evolving US culture for their kids. "It's no longer the country I grew up in" was one quote.
 
marko said:
No conspiracy theorists or anything, they just don't like the evolving US culture for their kids. "It's no longer the country I grew up in" was one quote.
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So true.

The country I grew up in had no cure for polio, separated eating, living and schooling according skin color, and faced the very real possibility of global nuclear war.

Those were the good old days...
 
REWahoo said:
So true.

The country I grew up in had no cure for polio, separated eating, living and schooling according skin color, and faced the very real possibility of global nuclear war.

Those were the good old days...
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As noted, the people I quoted have pre-school children, so they're in their late 20's/early 30's. They don't recall these things.
 
REWahoo said:
So true.

The country I grew up in had no cure for polio, separated eating, living and schooling according skin color, and faced the very real possibility of global nuclear war.

Those were the good old days...
Click to expand...

Very good points Wahoo. The head of the household could make enough for a family to live on, the wife stayed home and raised the kids.

And the other people had to work if they wanted to eat...
 
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marko said:
As noted, the people I quoted have pre-school children, so they're in their late 20's/early 30's. They don't recall these things.
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They also probably haven't tried raising children elsewhere. They likely will not find it any easier, but they are welcome to try and report back.
 
marko said:
Quite frankly, DW and I are have been having similar discussions about moving. Not about conspiracies but about the change in culture in the US.

We know of three different couples who, once their kids got of school age left the US (New Zealand, Singapore, Australia) .

No conspiracy theorists or anything, they just don't like the evolving US culture for their kids. "It's no longer the country I grew up in" was one quote.
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How are your friends' kids doing now? It must be so interesting for them. And how did they choose those countries? Was it hard to get permanent visas?
 
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MichaelB said:
They also probably haven't tried raising children elsewhere. They likely will not find it any easier, but they are welcome to try and report back.
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Too early to tell as all three have only left within the past two years. What they have reported back is that they've found a whole community of like minded Americans there.

Their concerns were varied, but the common theme seemed to be a general cultural erosion of respect for people in public, catering to the lowest common denominator, 'I'm a victim' mentality, the applauding of the likes of Jersey Shore and lack of personal responsibility.

DW and I lived in Europe for many years and still go back for a few months in the fall, we notice a really marked contrast when we get back to the US in how people generally behave, dress and interact. Always takes us a few weeks to get back to 'normal'.
 
If you are prone to conspiracy theories and paranoia it doesn't matter where you live, they'll still be out to get you.

The "Preppers" who spend thousands on bunkers, tinned goods and guns are on the fringe, but the rash of programs about them makes them seem main stream. There is plenty to complain about in the US, and plenty to be thankful for too. The US isn't going to implode, but it is changing and people react to that in lots of different ways.

FYI no matter where the Doctor in the OP goes (or indeed any US citizen) he will still have to deal with the warm embrace of the IRS.
 
donheff said:
. It is easy to overreact to some of the nutty aspects of US culture.
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Here in Illinois, it is easy to underreact to the ugly, corrupt, mismanaged and doomed condition of our state. It really is much, much worse than what is portrayed in the media. And the corruption and mismanagement is so pervasive, it's truly part of the established "culture."
 
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I think it is very likely that when I retire I will live abroad. It is not because I think America will collapse (but I will say that I think we are going downhill in many ways). I just think the world is much smaller than people realize and I think getting out and experiencing other cultures is a positive thing.
 
marko said:
Quite frankly, DW and I are have been having similar discussions about moving. Not about conspiracies but about the change in culture in the US.

We know of three different couples who, once their kids got of school age left the US (New Zealand, Singapore, Australia) .

No conspiracy theorists or anything, they just don't like the evolving US culture for their kids. "It's no longer the country I grew up in" was one quote.
Click to expand...


Knew some people from NZ and Oz... and everybody that I know that have gone there has had great things to say about NZ... almost all liked it better than Oz.... but all would be willing to live there..

My DW keeps talking about Belize, Costa Rica and sometimes Panama... but have added New Zealand and Australia to the list recently... we are planning on going on vacation in the next few years to check them out....
 
It amazes me about the conspiracy theories here... when there are a lot of countries where they would be true... China, N. Korea, Russia, Iran, etc. etc... come to mind...
 
youbet said:
Here in Illinois, it is easy to underreact to the ugly, corrupt, mismanaged and doomed condition of our state. It really is much, much worse than what is portrayed in the media. And the corruption and mismanagement is so pervasive, it's truly part of the established "culture."
Click to expand...


And some have decided to take it nationally :nonono:
 
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