Americans don't realize how good they have it. A few years ago, I made a list of...

icelancer · on March 25, 2019

> Americans don't realize how good they have it.

Some of us do (me, for example). Travel enough and you realize what is actually awesome about America.

But complaining is something Americans do exceptionally well. It is at our core. Just how it is.

briandear · on March 25, 2019

And complaining about Americans is something the rest of the world does pretty well.

icelancer · on March 26, 2019

As is their right!

random878 · on March 26, 2019

Please tell me this is satire...

Google, Amazon, McDonalds, Walmart, AirBNB, cheap meat & eggs (you know why it's cheap, right?)... all topped off with some hands-down-the-pants fawning over elements of US culture and their 'best military' (do you have a 'top 10 best wars ever' too?).

elif · on March 25, 2019

You are correct that many do not appreciate how good US citizens have it. From an self-interest perspective, all of those things are wonderful, like magical candy, who wouldn't want them.

From a cultural diversity perspective, the spread of american monoculture can become depressing.

From the perspective of trying to reduce climate impact to manageable levels, the amount of services you list which make it extremely easy to forget the majority of externalities in daily decision-making cost can be daunting.

From a political perspective, the success of US narrative-based, media-driven discourse represents a large impediment to actual democracy.

From an economic perspective, it can be depressing to know that these services you list exist in a bubble built on top of terrible social support, an exhausting over-work culture, wealth inequality, disgusting homeless and prison rates, a perpetual war machine, and a debt-based currency.

pizza and beer are way too expensive in Canada though, we agree there.

siquick · on March 25, 2019

I'd rather miss out on all of them and have affordable healthcare for all.

myrandomcomment · on March 25, 2019

I would add the one thing we are missing is the BBC, iPlayer, etc. Hey BBC I would PAY for access (already do with a proxy).

perardi · on March 25, 2019

I'm a recent US -> Canada migrant, and though I agree that there are less services, it seems to have changed a lot since you made this list.

I personally have:

- Amazon Prime

- Apple Pay - Planet Fitness

- Uber and Lyft

- 24/7 grocery stores

- All the big musical acts (which, mind you, is part of being in Toronto and not, like, Winnipeg)

- Legal, weapons-grade weed delivered right to my door

The credit cards, boy, I will give you that. They'll take my Chase Sapphire Reserve from my cold dead hands. (Though Amex is getting aggressive here.)