Woman living in china is paying 278 a month for a 3 bedroom apt.

[jay83]

He was 22/23. Fresh out of college. Didn't have anything solid or long term job or career wise so he just took a chance. He figured he could always come back. Like I said it's been 18 years.

Teaching English is a young man’s game in Korea. They usually get college students because they are young, desperate, and don’t mind getting paid the bare minimum. To be honest it really isn’t a respectable job unless you are teaching at a university or Prominent school. Many teachers burn out after 2 years.

Hopefully he learned the language and found a good university job.

 

[The Fade]

Yeah. Even though I'm out the country often to increase my QOL, I never do the "everything about America sucks" routine because the USD is my lifeblood.

I realized a lot of these youtube dudes come home

But some dudes that you don’t see flashing find a way to stay out there for decades on their own which seems rare or they were military

I want to anchor down outchea for good. High key jealous of brothers that got businesses in Japan and are on some never coming back shyt

 

[Umoja]

Get the fukk outta here with this smarmy ass bullshyt. You sound like the typical "up their own ass" Brit. I understand the concept just fine. I just refuse to apply it lazily when it comes to authoritarianism. You're pretending to explain what people *would* choose, but you keep editorializing that choice in a way that clearly telegraphs what *you* think is reasonable. But that's not analysis. It's definitely not clarity. It's a kind of weak-willed concession dressed up as realism.

And spare me the dime-store psychoanalysis. I've been relentlessly critical of this country in this thread and on this forum -- what I'm *not* doing is romanticizing repression just because it appears more "efficient." The idea that people are "looked after" in an authoritarian state at the cost of everything else is exactly the kind of trade-off I'm rejecting.

Read what you're saying child.

How am I editorialising things in a way that clearly telegraphs what I think is reasonable? You're making these stretches because in your heart of hearts, it pains you to admit that people would pick China over America.

You're like a child with abusive parents. You might be able to talk about where they fukked up, but when it comes to outsiders the intrinsic sense of loyalty kicks in.

You have to cling to this notions that instead of simply highlighting how awful America is in comparison, I'm presenting the way they run things as acceptable. Ironic that you call me a smarmy Brit when I'm close to countries that show you can provide an adequate safety net for your people whilst respecting the principle of democracy and inalienable rights.

 

[hood b. goode]

China going to win the next couple decades. Correctly decided to sit back and watch as the US eats itself

 

[Pull Up the Roots]

Read what you're saying child.

How am I editorialising things in a way that clearly telegraphs what I think is reasonable? You're making these stretches because in your heart of hearts, it pains you to admit that people would pick China over America.

You're like a child with abusive parents. You might be able to talk about where they fukked up, but when it comes to outsiders the intrinsic sense of loyalty kicks in.

You have to cling to this notions that instead of simply highlighting how awful America is in comparison, I'm presenting the way they run things as acceptable. Ironic that you call me a smarmy Brit when I'm close to countries that show you can provide an adequate safety net for your people whilst respecting the principle of democracy and inalienable rights.

You're doing a lot of projecting for someone who can't even own what they said. You didn't just describe why people might choose China, you framed it like that choice made sense, like it was somehow justified. That's not neutral observation, that's editorializing, you nitwit. You're just mad I called it out.

And don't project your fantasy of parental loyalty onto me, either. I've criticized this country more thoroughly than you ever could -- the difference is, I haven't let that anger rot into authoritarian apologia. You clearly have. You can't even name repression without sticking a "but" on the end of it, because you've convinced yourself it's just a different flavor of governance people settle for. That's how stupid and craven you are.

You have your head so far up your own smug ass that you can't see that you're arguing against a strawman that *you* created, because you couldn't reconcile the reality of someone criticizing China w/o flag-waving the USA. That's how broken your campist pea-brain is.

Also, your last paragraph is hilarious. You invoke democratic European countries to save face, but they're not the ones you've been holding up as a counter-model -- China is. The "lesser of 2 evils!!" You don’t get to backpedal into Sweden when the conversation was about a totalitarian state. Either own what you said or fukk off.

 

[DrBanneker]

I wish I could see expats doing more than teaching English though, especially in China.

Well, in China specifically unless you are an entrepreneur or a well respected academic, there isn't much you can do that locals won't do cheaper. The expat glory days were 1994-2008 roughly. After that they used local people or Chinese schooled in the West to fill roles.

Too many Black expats in my experience move abroad with a hope or prayer and don't evaluate orphan options well unfortunately.

 

[richaveli83]

As many problems America has, I wouldn't trade living America to go live in Asia and most of Europe for anything.

I could never live somewhere where there's little to no black people.

 

[Umoja]

You're doing a lot of projecting for someone who can't even own what they said. You didn't just describe why people might choose China, you framed it like that choice made sense, like it was somehow justified. That's not neutral observation, that's editorializing, you nitwit. You're just mad I called it out.

And don't project your fantasy of parental loyalty onto me, either. I've criticized this country more thoroughly than you ever could -- the difference is, I haven't let that anger rot into authoritarian apologia. You clearly have. You can't even name repression without sticking a "but" on the end of it, because you've convinced yourself it's just a different flavor of governance people settle for. That's how stupid and craven you are.

You have your head so far up your own smug ass that you can't see that you're arguing against a strawman that *you* created, because you couldn't reconcile the reality of someone criticizing China w/o flag-waving the USA. That's how broken your campist pea-brain is.

Also, your last paragraph is hilarious. You invoke democratic European countries to save face, but they're not the ones you've been holding up as a counter-model -- China is. The "lesser of 2 evils!!" You don’t get to backpedal into Sweden when the conversation was about a totalitarian state. Either own what you said or fukk off.

Aww, look at the little baby throwing his toys out the pram.

It doesn't matter how much you criticise America. It is clear that you're behaving like a victim of domestic abuse. That sense of loyalty has you twisting basic and reasonable observations as some defence of China.

"People will pick the option where they're looked after and have no control over the option where they have no control and are not looked after".

Simple enough to understand, but your child like mind is making it more than what it is.

Laughing at the irony of you calling me a smarmy Brit is turned into me trying to save face because you're too much of an arrogant prick to recognise that someone who grew up around Nations that achieve democracy, respect for human rights and adequately safety nets might just realise it is not an either or situation.

You have a lot of growing up to do.

 

[Pull Up the Roots]

Aww, look at the little baby throwing his toys out the pram.

It doesn't matter how much you criticise America. It is clear that you're behaving like a victim of domestic abuse. That sense of loyalty has you twisting basic and reasonable observations as some defence of China.

"People will pick the option where they're looked after and have no control over the option where they have no control and are not looked after".

Simple enough to understand, but your child like mind is making it more than what it is.

Laughing at the irony of you calling me a smarmy Brit is turned into me trying to save face because you're too much of an arrogant prick to recognise that someone who grew up around Nations that achieve democracy, respect for human rights and adequately safety nets might just realise it is not an either or situation.

You have a lot of growing up to do.

You keep clinging to this "abuse victim" metaphor because it's the only way you can avoid engaging with what I actually said. It's dishonest and manipulative -- nothing in my comments shows loyalty to the US. I've laid out clear, consistent critiques of its failures. What I refuse to do is pretend that authoritarianism becomes acceptable just because things are broken here.

Again, you're not analyzing -- you're pathologizing, because you can't handle someone pointing out that both systems are deeply flawed, and that trading rights for bread isn't a meaningful solution. Your metaphor isn't clever, it's just lazy projection dressed up as insight. You sound like someone who lost the argument and now needs to convince yourself I'm just emotionally damaged to cope with the fact that I made a better point.

All that "kid," "child," "growing up" stuff doesn't mean anything. That's just how you calm the storm that's raging in your head.

 

[Wargames]

The reality is the Asian peasants are living better than us because China hasn’t let itself be cucked by its billionaires and special interests from outside the country.

Yes racism let these things happen but it’s not like all the Chinese see themselves as a monolithic group. Americans just got hoed out by the right wing aspect of the country.

 

[Umoja]

You keep clinging to this "abuse victim" metaphor because it's the only way you can avoid engaging with what I actually said. It's dishonest and manipulative -- nothing in my comments shows loyalty to the US. I've laid out clear, consistent critiques of its failures. What I refuse to do is pretend that authoritarianism becomes acceptable just because things are broken here.

Again, you're not analyzing -- you're pathologizing, because you can't handle someone pointing out that both systems are deeply flawed, and that trading rights for bread isn't a meaningful solution. Your metaphor isn't clever, it's just lazy projection dressed up as insight. You sound like someone who lost the argument and now needs to convince yourself I'm just emotionally damaged to cope with the fact that I made a better point.

All that "kid," "child," "growing up" stuff doesn't mean anything. That's just how you calm the storm that's raging in your head.

Nice attempt at spinning things.

I'm not the one getting my panties in a twist because someone is calling China a dictatorship.

I'm sticking to the position of explaining to the little baby why someone would pick China over America. It is something you can't handle because you're liked an abused child. You might say this and that about America but ultimately that knee jerk reaction will come into play the moment your sense of loyalty of pricked.

I'm fortunate enough not to live in either country. You have to live in an America that now compares unfavourably to China, which is the storm that is raging in your head.

To summarise

 

[Pull Up the Roots]

Nice attempt at spinning things.

I'm not the one getting my panties in a twist because someone is calling China a dictatorship.

I'm sticking to the position of explaining to the little baby why someone would pick China over America. It is something you can't handle because you're liked an abused child. You might say this and that about America but ultimately that knee jerk reaction will come into play the moment your sense of loyalty of pricked.

I'm fortunate enough not to live in either country. You have to live in an America that now compares unfavourably to China, which is the storm that is raging in your head.

To summarise

You've repeated the same nonsense five times now, because it's the only way you can avoid dealing with what I actually said. You lost the argument hours ago. Now you're just yelling insults to drown out the sound of someone not buying what you're trying to sell. Keep projecting, keep psychoanalyzing -- it won't make your points any better, or your takes any less shallow.

 

[Umoja]

You've repeated the same nonsense five times now, because it's the only way you can avoid dealing with what I actually said. You lost the argument hours ago. Now you're just yelling insults to drown out the sound of someone not buying what you're trying to sell. Keep projecting, keep psychoanalyzing -- it won't make your points any better, or your takes any less shallow.

Child, read what you've written. I've repeated myself because you have done nothing to further the conversation.

The leg you're trying to stand on is that I'm my explanation of why people would pick China over USA is some ruse I'm employing to express my admiration of the China's dictatorship. Take a minute and think about how that makes you sound like a paranoid shyt stain.

 

[papa pimp]

The reality is the Asian peasants are living better than us

 

[Pull Up the Roots]

Child, read what you've written. I've repeated myself because you have done nothing to further the conversation.

The leg you're trying to stand on is that I'm my explanation of why people would pick China over USA is some ruse I'm employing to express my admiration of the China's dictatorship. Take a minute and think about how that makes you sound like a paranoid shyt stain.

Still in here spiraling.

Let's run down your "argument," since you've now posted multiple variations of the same tantrum and still haven't said anything that applies to me.

You started by mocking the US, which is totally fair. I agree. I've repeatedly criticized the US for combining the worst of capitalism with rising authoritarianism, and made it clear that there's no excuse for how brutal survival has become here. That's not a point of disagreement, that's the baseline reality.

But here is where things went sideways:

You took it further. You framed China as the "lesser evil." You said people would rationally choose it. You wrapped that framing in sarcasm, cheap shots, and projection, then accused me of being an "abuse victim" when I rejected the faulty logic that repression becomes tolerable if it comes with decent trains and cheaper rent.

That's not explaining someone's choice, that's soft-selling authoritarianism as a reasonable tradeoff. And when I called that out, instead of engaging, you switched tactics:

1) Accused me of being emotional.

2) Called me a "child," a "prick," and a "paranoid shyt stain."

3) Claimed I was too fragile to admit China compares favorably.

4) Hilariously tried to retreat to Europe, as if your initial argument was about Norway and not a dictatorship.

You built a strawman -- someone too loyal to America to criticize it -- and you've been punching that fake version of me ever since, because you can't reconcile the idea that someone can hate the US model and reject authoritarianism at the same time.

Here, let me spell it out for you, slowly:

Yes, the US is in decline.

Yes, millions are suffering.

No, that does not make authoritarian governance acceptable or admirable.

No, I don't have to co-sign China's model just because I critique the American one.

That's not patriotism. That's principled consistency, something you clearly can't handle. So you fell back on name-calling, smug projection, and bad metaphors because I didn't give you the emotional reaction you were fishing for.

So yeah, keep repeating your one-liner about "why people pick China." I answered it. You just didn't like that I also explained why that choice is a symptom of systemic failure, not a justification for authoritarianism. That's the part you couldn't argue with, so you gave up trying.

Remember, you jumped in this thread with a complete and total misrepresentation of what I was saying. I never defended the US system, I condemned it outright. You just couldn't process someone criticizing both America and China. So you twisted my words, assigned motives I never expressed, and started yapping about "freedom" and "skipping meals" like you were exposing hypocrisy that didn't exist.

You needed me to be a blind patriot to make your smug little monologue land, and when I wasn't, you built a strawman to argue with anyway. That's where this entire meltdown started.

Think I'm lying? Well, here is the conversation chain:

"This is why the Chinese put up with censorship and authoritarianism. They at least get a more affordable lifestyle. We getting censorship, mass surveillance and authoritarianism here while prices are getting jacked up"

Sorry. This is not a good argument.

Yeah, it kind of is. For all your freedom, your people are skipping meals and shook to go to the hospital for anything less than a medical emergency.

And what did the freedom in America earn. A growing divide between the rich and poor, an orange Ape wiping his ass with your constitution, and a nazi supporting lunatic wielding a chainsaw as he condemns Americans to the breadline.

I already explained why it's not.

The explanation:

I hate how the US manages to combine the worst parts of capitalism with creeping authoritarianism, and then has the nerve to tell us it's the price of freedom. There's no excuse for how hard basic survival has become here, especially when we're constantly told we live in the richest, greatest country on earth. On that, I fully agree.

But I brought up the "gilded cage" framing because you and @Tommy Knocks comment's leaned on a kind of instrumentalist logic -- the idea that people might accept repression if it delivers material comfort. You might not be endorsing censorship, but that line of reasoning still risks softening how we talk about authoritarianism. It shifts the conversation from whether repression is wrong to how much it can be tolerated in exchange for stability, and that's a slope a lot of people slide down without realizing it.

We should absolutely demand the kind of competent, humane governance that gave us Medicare, strong public services, and fair, livable wages. But we should also reject the idea that political repression is somehow tolerable when paired with lower rent, better trains or mega-cities. People deserve both freedom and dignity, not one as compensation for the loss of the other.

You ignored that explanation because it is inconvenient for the narrative you're trying to paint.

No you didn't.

The problem with a lot of Americans is not realising we're not in 2008 anymore.

Your country has regresses considerably that you're no longer in a position to turn your noses up at countries like China.

Don't quote me if you're going to misrepresent what I'm saying.

Don't get your panties in a twist when someone holds a mirror to your face.

You made this stupid post. Holding up a mirror? You mean to the same problems I already named and criticized that you ignored, because you thought you were going to come in here and spit some facts? That line might work on a flag-waving patriot, but I'm not the guy you're arguing with -- you just needed me to be.

You are a very dishonest person.