This is a great forum

[bambam]

Hello all!

I joined this site a few weeks ago but haven't posted much. Instead I have spent most time reading member's posts, threads, opinions, discussions.

I consider this to be a great place and I sympathize with nearly all of the ideas and feelings here.

As you probably know, Im from Mexico but I studied graduate college in the USA, as I stated in my introductory post.

Ok, I never thought I could find a site like this. When I lived in the USA I was not really happy living there but I found American people so proud of themselves and their society that sometimes I thought "maybe there is something totally wrong with me as I should be happy to live here as everyone claims this to be the best place to live on earth..." It never felt that way for me. To the contrary, I just wanted to finish my degree and run out asap.

I don't know for how long this site has been going on. I lived in the USA nearly 12 years ago and I would have been delighted to know about this site back then.

I have read many of Winston's long posts and Im delighted to read him. He is clearly a smart guy that takes things seriously and takes his time to first think and then write. He composes and structures his ideas neatly. Even when he touches deep sociological/philosophical issues he does so in a critical way, examining bit by bit.

It is not to say I completely agree with everything he says. But the most important thing for me is that he takes it seriously. He really thinks before he writes.

Ok, since I lived in the USA I have traveled some places. Not all of the world, but almost all of Europe including eastern Europe, (but not Russia, sadly). And many other countries in Latin America.

What I found is that the richer the country, the more it is like the USA. It is, high individualism, isolated and alienated people, money-oriented people, etc, etc.

Maybe there is something wrong with me but Im completely unable to feel happy in a first world rich country. I just can't cope with so much loneliness and alienation.

As a side note, why is it the richer the country the crappier the weather? Well, at least the USA has great good weather in California and Florida! But, for instance, weather in the UK totally sucks. And the same goes for Denmark and Sweden, what a crappy weather. Holland, beautiful country! But not the weather. All of them are beautiful countries!! But the weather.... I often wonder if the weather affects your mood? Cold weather cold people? I strongly dislike snow, I strongly dislike rain and cloudy days. Sometimes they go to extremes as in Denmark and Canada in summer it gets really hot but at the price of snowy winters. Not for me.

I have friends and relatives living in rich countries such as the UK, Germany, Sweden and of course the USA and Canada. Not for me. When I visit the, they tell me "are you crazy? come over here, there are lots of opportunities, we will help you!" Not thanks. Not for me.

Opportunities, I think they mean, opportunities to make more money.

More money? So what? I don't need more money. I don't need a bigger home, I don't need a fancy car. I despise expensive food. Opportunities for money? Not for me.

Now, the third world is far from paradise

Here in Mexico we are probably at our worst at these times.

There is basically no future here in the third world.

I have traveled Latin America as well and the problem is basically the same.

Americans consider Mexico a failed country.

It is

In many ways Mexico and the whole Latin America are failed countries.

It seems as a no exit situation, right?

Probably

But I think that if Im gonna live another 40 years, then I will just try to get the best out of here and dont' think much about the future anymore.

At the end, the whole world is all messed up.

Sometimes I feel extremely sad when I see how much hate and cruelty there is in the whole world

How much stupidity, ignorance and wastefulness

How much lack of compassion everywhere

Then I think "Mexico has certainly no future at all but it is about the same elsewhere, the whole world has no future or a bleak one"

Im sorry right now I have not much time to engage in many interesting and thoughtful discussions over here.

Back in my student's years I would have been delighted to find a site like this.

Will keep in touch

Regards