Is America Really the Land of the Free?
Is America Really the Land of the Free?
For an immigrant coming to the United States of America from an underdeveloped country, yes, it is indeed the land of the free! My parents were two of those many of thousands of people that migrated to America every year. They obtained financial opportunities and freedoms in America that were not available in their homeland of India at that time. They made many sacrifices and tough decisions so that themselves and their future children could live with more freedom. Because of them, I was born and raised in the beautiful country of America and I have had a life full of freedom that I may not have had if my parents did not move.
But, did I really have that much freedom? After all, what is freedom? If you ask an American, we will probably read you the first ten amendments from the Constitution. Although, we would probably have to google most of them because the general public only remembers the first two (myself included!) By memory, we will tell you that the first amendment states that we have freedom of speech. We are incredibly proud of this first freedom granted to us as you can see by our current uncensored and opinionated president. However, in addition to speech, the first amendment actually states that we have rights to religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition. This was ratified in 1791. Do those rights and freedoms still exist today? This would most certainly be up for debate.
In fact, the constitution starts out like this: “We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquillity, provide for the common defences, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
Establish Justice. To simplify, justice is just behaviour or treatment. Are all Americans treated with just behaviour and treatment? Justice also means the quality of being fair and reasonable. Are all Americans treated fairly and reasonably? Promote the general welfare. Welfare is the health, happiness, and fortunes of a group or person. Are Americans truly healthy and happy? Welfare also means a social effort designed to promote the basic physical and material well-being of people in need. It is incredibly interesting that a capitalist country like America expects such a large social effort.
I was oblivious to all of this. Again, thanks to my parents’ hard work and sacrifices, I grew up in a good neighbourhood and I went to a good school. I obtained a bachelor’s degree and then I obtained a wonderful job within a reputable company that paid a handsome salary. I loved McDonalds, cheap gas, and drive thru ATMs. My blood might as well have leaked white and blue along with the red because that is how proud I was to be an American.
I had a fantastic job working for an amazing company. They even paid for my college and university tuition fees. I worked full time for this company during the day and I would take my classes in the evening. Even though it was a struggle to work full time and go to school full time, I was lucky because I graduated with no college debt. I hadn’t taken out a single student loan and that was and currently still is rare for the average American nowadays.
I started out at this job as an account processor. I worked in this department for a few years before getting promoted to an insurance representative. After a few months of working in my new department, my office was told that the entire processing department was to be laid off as they would now outsource this work to India. I was completely and utterly shocked. My parents had left India to come to America so that themselves and their future generations would have financial security and stability but now these supposedly secure American jobs were going to India? Should my parents have just stayed in India?
I had obtained a promotion though so I was okay. In fact, I went on to work for that company for 11 years and I kept on moving up. I was definitely going to retire there. But then, the whole company decided to shut down. I was given a severance package and an option to keep my health insurance at a rate of $500 a month. That was absolutely insane. I was now unemployed and I was expected to pay this ridiculously high premium for health insurance? I decided to go without the insurance. I was only uninsured for a few months. But during these few months, a sinus infection would cost me about $200 when I combined the doctor’s visit and the antibiotics. I still considered myself lucky. I couldn’t help but think, what if something more serious had happened in those few months?
I had always been lucky. I didn’t have college debt. I was laid off but I always found a new job rather quickly. I didn’t have health insurance for a while but the months that I saved on insurance premiums paid for the few doctor visits that I had. Although, in more recent years, Americans now get a penalty for not having insurance. My penalty was $60 per month. I had to pay $60 a month for no insurance! It was absurd, but I sucked it up because I knew that I still had it pretty good. I still loved and appreciated my country.
I never would have thought or imagined or dreamed of ever leaving America and moving away. I had visited several countries growing up but I was always happy to come back to my home country after a visit. However, all of that changed when I met him. He had a beautiful soul, a captivating heart, and a Scottish accent. We liked each other. We called each other. We dated. He proposed. We got married.
And so, this all-American girl from Texas packed her life up into a few suitcases and moved to Glasgow, Scotland to live her new life with the love of her life. It was still a westernized country and everyone still spoke English so it wouldn’t be that different, right?
Upon moving to Scotland, I was extremely lucky to land a job within one month. Although, my new salary was now less than half of what I was making in America. This was a bit discerning for me. I saw that what I was making was actually the norm but why were the wages so low in the United Kingdom? I was constantly comparing the pound to the dollar and that served as a huge hinderance to me because everything is relative to where you are living. For example, my cell phone bill in America was $70 a month, yet for the same plan over here, my mobile bill is currently only 18 pounds per month! I know right!
There were some things that I noticed when I first moved here that were truly astounding. The NHS for example. I am aware that many criticize the NHS and state that it needs more funding and that it has many flaws. However, for someone who has had to pay deductibles, co-pays, and high insurance premiums, and go without health insurance for periods of time, this was an absolute dream. I still remember the first time I went to the doctor to get registered. I have suffered with allergies my whole life and so I am used to paying for nasal sprays and allergy medications galore. Upon picking up those very same medicines at the pharmacy over here, I asked my husband if we pay for them at the pharmacy or at the front checkout line. He said neither! They were covered! I held the medicine in my hand and just stared at it for a few seconds. I thought to myself in that moment, this country really cares. This country cares about my health! This country wants me to breathe with ease! I was in absolute astonishment.
I then discovered the wonder and delight that is the double decker bus. You see, I lived in a city that has minimum one hour commutes to and from work. Bumper to bumper traffic is a waste of life that
is now the American way of life and it frustrated me every morning and every evening. I moved to Houston, Texas when I was 16 years old from the state of Georgia. I learned how to drive in Houston and I spent 18 years living and driving in Houston. During all of this time, there was never a moment when Houston roads were never under construction. There has always been construction on its freeways, highways, and roads to either create new ones or make the existing ones bigger. The freeway of 1-10 that runs through Katy, Texas had massive construction for years to make it bigger since so many people were moving to the suburbs and since so many people commuted to downtown on this freeway. After all of the construction, one would have thought that they were finally done. However, not too long afterwards, it still wasn’t enough. They repainted the lines on the road to make the lanes narrower so that they could fit one or more two lanes in that massive freeway. Today, that freeway has 26 lanes! It is the widest highway in the world and it serves more than 219,000 vehicles daily. Yet, after years of construction and repainting, it still has bumper to bumper traffic every morning and every evening!
Here in the UK I can hop on a bus and be in the city centre in 30 minutes! I don’t have to worry about driving. I don’t have to worry about gas. I can put some headphones on and watch some YouTube and just relax! Amazing! And think of how many less carbon emissions are now being released into the atmosphere thanks to this bus! One bus can hold approximately 50 people. Just think. That’s 50 cars off of the road! And during peak morning and evening hours, there is literally a bus coming every 5 to 10 minutes to take people into the city centre and back. The United Kingdom not only cares about my health but it cares about the environment too. I have been thoroughly impressed.
There have been just a few things however that initially caused me great confusion but now I realize it is for the greater good. For example:
• Upon completing my first load of laundry I was told to then hang my clothes and let them dry naturally in lieu of using a dryer. But this country is incredibly cold. How are these clothes ever going to dry?
• Every time I go to a coffee shop or a takeaway, I was always given one napkin. Just one. Whereas I am used to napkin dispensers galore, I was confused about this one napkin policy. Especially because I have two hands. Can I at least get another napkin for my other hand?
• There are so many bins outside. I would say four or five. At first, I was a little thrown off and a little annoyed because one tends to leave a little mess in their kitchen if they don’t organize and throw out the plastic and paper products every night. The UK really cares about recycling! In America, we only have two bins and no one even uses the recycling bin!
• All sockets need to be turned on before using them. This is something that I still struggle with. I always forget to turn on that switch before using the toaster or coffee maker. And once I’m done, I still forget to turn it off. In America, we don’t even have an off or on switch for sockets. They are just on all of the time!
All of these things were a bit weird to me at first, but then I realized that a combination of all of these things done by every person makes a big impact on the environment. After watching several documentaries and having experienced hurricanes regularly while living in Houston, Texas, I can say that climate change is a real issue and most importantly an urgent issue. It feels like America doesn’t care about it that much because over there we have an abundance of resources, or at least we like to think that we have an abundance. When in actuality, America is selfishly draining the rest of the planet of its remaining resources.
Look at cattle grazing for example. In the United States of America, 47% of the land there is used for food production. Out of that portion of land, 70% is used for cattle grazing. Only 1% is used for fruit, vegetables, and nuts. What’s even worse, is that this is not enough for Americans. Brazil is the world’s largest exporter of beef and cattle ranching is responsible for 80% of deforestation in Brazil. The American division is responsible for 76% of the beef market that is responsible for the destruction of the Amazon rainforest. So, not only are Americans using up their own land for beef, they are also destroying the last remaining rainforests in other parts of the world just so that they can eat a hamburger!
The United Kingdom has done the exact opposite of this. There has truly been a vegan explosion in the UK and this vegetarian/want to be vegan could not be more happy or excited. Literally, every where you go, whether it be a fancy restaurant, a small little take away, a fast food chain, or a grocery store with ready-made meal deals, there are so many vegan options. It is amazing. It is beautiful. It is inspiring. It is a testament to my heart and soul for health and love. It also a great effort to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions. To be honest, all of Europe is taking active measures in an effort to reduce and reverse climate change. But the population of the UK is approximately 67 million people. And we are all on this tiny little island. Whereas, the population of the America is approximately 327 million people. When the masses are actively destroying the planet day by day, all of the efforts that the UK and Europe make go to waste.
In terms of energy consumption, the numbers are staggering:
1 American consumes 1.4 times as much energy as a citizen of France.
1 American consumes 2.2 times as much energy as a citizen of Japan.
1 American consumes 10 times as much energy as a citizen of China.
1 American consumes 34 times as much energy as a citizen of India.
1 American consumes 61 times as much energy as a citizen of Nigeria.
Why do Americans consume so much energy? Why doesn’t America care? Why does America invest more and more money into bigger roads and highways and freeways. Why are Americans buying bigger trucks and SUVs? Why is that people in the great state of Texas in the middle of a sweltering summer don’t hang their clothes out to dry? They would literally dry in an hour with all of that heat! Why are they all still using dryers when the sun is there for free? Why doesn’t America push to recycle more and why are they always wasting so much food and land? Why did the price of a life saving pill called Daraprim go from $13.50 per pill to $750 per pill? Why are American citizens paying health care penalties of $60 per month for absolutely no health insurance?
After living in the UK for a little over a year now, I really had to ask myself, why is America like this? I still love America and I always will as it is my home and it is where I am from. But, after seeing life lived in a completely different way, how can I not question everything that is done over there. So, why is America the way that it is? One word: Capitalism. Capitalism gone horribly wrong.
What started out as a means of financial freedom and entrepreneurship has turned into a system of greed and economic disparity. The top 1% of America’s wealthiest own 40% of the country’s wealth. It is in this same country where 40,000 to 50,000 people are dying every year due to lack of health insurance. Is this what the founding fathers of America wanted?
In the UK, everyone gets health care. EVERYONE. I was shocked.
Are you a student? No problem, you’re covered!
You got laid off from your job?
No problem, you’re covered!
Are you retired? You are still covered!
I know right! This concept is mind blowing for Americans. And yes, everyone who is working does have to pay into the NHS, but isn’t it so worth it? To know that if you get laid off or become unemployed, you are still covered for health insurance and your children, your parents, and all of your loved ones are all covered. Isn’t that a relief? Who wouldn’t want this?
America, the land of the free? Oh wait, what is actually free? It is Scotland that gets health care, free medication, free education, and free bus passes after the age of 60. Plus, now the buses have USB ports in them! What more do you need in life? I think that instead of it being called America the land of the free, it should be called, Scotland, the land of the free!
America fought so hard to get independence from Britain largely due to taxes. Remember the Boston tea party? But fast forward to today, most Americans pay more taxes to the United States government than the British pay to the United Kingdom government. And what do Americans get in return? Debt. Medical Debt. Student Debt. Credit Card Debt. Foreclosed homes. (That is if you were lucky enough to buy a home since renting an apartment is the culture in America.) Repossessed cars. Bill collectors harassing them with phone calls and even showing up at their doorstep. It just doesn’t make any sense.
It doesn’t stop there. This want and need to produce cheap goods and services for the most maximum amount of profit is what drives businesses to outsource their labour into other less developed countries. This causes about 300,000 jobs to get outsourced from America each year. My first job at the insurance company was one of them! The overall retirement age in the country has risen. Pensions have turned into 401k’s. Americans are not able to save or live with ease as they grow older.
American corporations have not only destroyed the standard of living in America, but they have also tried to change the culture of food around the world. America takes fruits and vegetables from Mexico but then injects junk food and coke into their country and so many other countries. How crazy is it that when I got off of the train and entered beautiful Venice, Italy for the first time, I saw a KFC and a Taco Bell? Major companies like the Koch Brothers, JBS, and the NRA have influenced the political climate so much that government policies on health care, healthy food, medicine, gun control, and preservation of rainforests and fossil fuels do not change for the betterment of American citizens. When it comes to businesses and corporations, no one’s life matters.
Is the UK perfect? Of course not. However, the UK demonstrates more social values than America and for that reason, the quality of life is definitely a little bit if not a lot better over here especially in terms of health. At least the food in the UK isn’t filled with cancer causing chemicals and preservatives as it is in America! The European standards of quality control have been a great and valuable asset to this country.
So now the greatest concern and question is: What will happen to the UK after Brexit? Will the UK stop trading with the rest of Europe? Will the UK start trading with America? Will the UK start following and adopting American policies? Will British foods now also become contaminated with preservatives and chemicals as they are in America? What will happen to the NHS? Will American corporations use their power and monetary resources to corrupt the UK government?
I have been honoured and blessed to spend the first half of my life in America. I was even more happy and optimistic that I will now most probably be spending the second half of my life in the UK. But, now I am concerned. Will the UK turn into America? American capitalism combined with unstoppable greed has destroyed lives, rainforests, cultures, and so many countries. Will American capitalism profit from Brexit and thereby negatively influence every aspect of the United Kingdom?
As I hang my clothes out to dry in this beautiful country of Scotland, I worry about the future of the UK and I now have to ask myself, is anyone truly free?
For an immigrant coming to the United States of America from an underdeveloped country, yes, it is indeed the land of the free! My parents were two of those many of thousands of people that migrated to America every year. They obtained financial opportunities and freedoms in America that were not available in their homeland of India at that time. They made many sacrifices and tough decisions so that themselves and their future children could live with more freedom. Because of them, I was born and raised in the beautiful country of America and I have had a life full of freedom that I may not have had if my parents did not move.
But, did I really have that much freedom? After all, what is freedom? If you ask an American, we will probably read you the first ten amendments from the Constitution. Although, we would probably have to google most of them because the general public only remembers the first two (myself included!) By memory, we will tell you that the first amendment states that we have freedom of speech. We are incredibly proud of this first freedom granted to us as you can see by our current uncensored and opinionated president. However, in addition to speech, the first amendment actually states that we have rights to religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition. This was ratified in 1791. Do those rights and freedoms still exist today? This would most certainly be up for debate.
In fact, the constitution starts out like this: “We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquillity, provide for the common defences, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
Establish Justice. To simplify, justice is just behaviour or treatment. Are all Americans treated with just behaviour and treatment? Justice also means the quality of being fair and reasonable. Are all Americans treated fairly and reasonably? Promote the general welfare. Welfare is the health, happiness, and fortunes of a group or person. Are Americans truly healthy and happy? Welfare also means a social effort designed to promote the basic physical and material well-being of people in need. It is incredibly interesting that a capitalist country like America expects such a large social effort.
I was oblivious to all of this. Again, thanks to my parents’ hard work and sacrifices, I grew up in a good neighbourhood and I went to a good school. I obtained a bachelor’s degree and then I obtained a wonderful job within a reputable company that paid a handsome salary. I loved McDonalds, cheap gas, and drive thru ATMs. My blood might as well have leaked white and blue along with the red because that is how proud I was to be an American.
I had a fantastic job working for an amazing company. They even paid for my college and university tuition fees. I worked full time for this company during the day and I would take my classes in the evening. Even though it was a struggle to work full time and go to school full time, I was lucky because I graduated with no college debt. I hadn’t taken out a single student loan and that was and currently still is rare for the average American nowadays.
I started out at this job as an account processor. I worked in this department for a few years before getting promoted to an insurance representative. After a few months of working in my new department, my office was told that the entire processing department was to be laid off as they would now outsource this work to India. I was completely and utterly shocked. My parents had left India to come to America so that themselves and their future generations would have financial security and stability but now these supposedly secure American jobs were going to India? Should my parents have just stayed in India?
I had obtained a promotion though so I was okay. In fact, I went on to work for that company for 11 years and I kept on moving up. I was definitely going to retire there. But then, the whole company decided to shut down. I was given a severance package and an option to keep my health insurance at a rate of $500 a month. That was absolutely insane. I was now unemployed and I was expected to pay this ridiculously high premium for health insurance? I decided to go without the insurance. I was only uninsured for a few months. But during these few months, a sinus infection would cost me about $200 when I combined the doctor’s visit and the antibiotics. I still considered myself lucky. I couldn’t help but think, what if something more serious had happened in those few months?
I had always been lucky. I didn’t have college debt. I was laid off but I always found a new job rather quickly. I didn’t have health insurance for a while but the months that I saved on insurance premiums paid for the few doctor visits that I had. Although, in more recent years, Americans now get a penalty for not having insurance. My penalty was $60 per month. I had to pay $60 a month for no insurance! It was absurd, but I sucked it up because I knew that I still had it pretty good. I still loved and appreciated my country.
I never would have thought or imagined or dreamed of ever leaving America and moving away. I had visited several countries growing up but I was always happy to come back to my home country after a visit. However, all of that changed when I met him. He had a beautiful soul, a captivating heart, and a Scottish accent. We liked each other. We called each other. We dated. He proposed. We got married.
And so, this all-American girl from Texas packed her life up into a few suitcases and moved to Glasgow, Scotland to live her new life with the love of her life. It was still a westernized country and everyone still spoke English so it wouldn’t be that different, right?
Upon moving to Scotland, I was extremely lucky to land a job within one month. Although, my new salary was now less than half of what I was making in America. This was a bit discerning for me. I saw that what I was making was actually the norm but why were the wages so low in the United Kingdom? I was constantly comparing the pound to the dollar and that served as a huge hinderance to me because everything is relative to where you are living. For example, my cell phone bill in America was $70 a month, yet for the same plan over here, my mobile bill is currently only 18 pounds per month! I know right!
There were some things that I noticed when I first moved here that were truly astounding. The NHS for example. I am aware that many criticize the NHS and state that it needs more funding and that it has many flaws. However, for someone who has had to pay deductibles, co-pays, and high insurance premiums, and go without health insurance for periods of time, this was an absolute dream. I still remember the first time I went to the doctor to get registered. I have suffered with allergies my whole life and so I am used to paying for nasal sprays and allergy medications galore. Upon picking up those very same medicines at the pharmacy over here, I asked my husband if we pay for them at the pharmacy or at the front checkout line. He said neither! They were covered! I held the medicine in my hand and just stared at it for a few seconds. I thought to myself in that moment, this country really cares. This country cares about my health! This country wants me to breathe with ease! I was in absolute astonishment.
I then discovered the wonder and delight that is the double decker bus. You see, I lived in a city that has minimum one hour commutes to and from work. Bumper to bumper traffic is a waste of life that
is now the American way of life and it frustrated me every morning and every evening. I moved to Houston, Texas when I was 16 years old from the state of Georgia. I learned how to drive in Houston and I spent 18 years living and driving in Houston. During all of this time, there was never a moment when Houston roads were never under construction. There has always been construction on its freeways, highways, and roads to either create new ones or make the existing ones bigger. The freeway of 1-10 that runs through Katy, Texas had massive construction for years to make it bigger since so many people were moving to the suburbs and since so many people commuted to downtown on this freeway. After all of the construction, one would have thought that they were finally done. However, not too long afterwards, it still wasn’t enough. They repainted the lines on the road to make the lanes narrower so that they could fit one or more two lanes in that massive freeway. Today, that freeway has 26 lanes! It is the widest highway in the world and it serves more than 219,000 vehicles daily. Yet, after years of construction and repainting, it still has bumper to bumper traffic every morning and every evening!
Here in the UK I can hop on a bus and be in the city centre in 30 minutes! I don’t have to worry about driving. I don’t have to worry about gas. I can put some headphones on and watch some YouTube and just relax! Amazing! And think of how many less carbon emissions are now being released into the atmosphere thanks to this bus! One bus can hold approximately 50 people. Just think. That’s 50 cars off of the road! And during peak morning and evening hours, there is literally a bus coming every 5 to 10 minutes to take people into the city centre and back. The United Kingdom not only cares about my health but it cares about the environment too. I have been thoroughly impressed.
There have been just a few things however that initially caused me great confusion but now I realize it is for the greater good. For example:
• Upon completing my first load of laundry I was told to then hang my clothes and let them dry naturally in lieu of using a dryer. But this country is incredibly cold. How are these clothes ever going to dry?
• Every time I go to a coffee shop or a takeaway, I was always given one napkin. Just one. Whereas I am used to napkin dispensers galore, I was confused about this one napkin policy. Especially because I have two hands. Can I at least get another napkin for my other hand?
• There are so many bins outside. I would say four or five. At first, I was a little thrown off and a little annoyed because one tends to leave a little mess in their kitchen if they don’t organize and throw out the plastic and paper products every night. The UK really cares about recycling! In America, we only have two bins and no one even uses the recycling bin!
• All sockets need to be turned on before using them. This is something that I still struggle with. I always forget to turn on that switch before using the toaster or coffee maker. And once I’m done, I still forget to turn it off. In America, we don’t even have an off or on switch for sockets. They are just on all of the time!
All of these things were a bit weird to me at first, but then I realized that a combination of all of these things done by every person makes a big impact on the environment. After watching several documentaries and having experienced hurricanes regularly while living in Houston, Texas, I can say that climate change is a real issue and most importantly an urgent issue. It feels like America doesn’t care about it that much because over there we have an abundance of resources, or at least we like to think that we have an abundance. When in actuality, America is selfishly draining the rest of the planet of its remaining resources.
Look at cattle grazing for example. In the United States of America, 47% of the land there is used for food production. Out of that portion of land, 70% is used for cattle grazing. Only 1% is used for fruit, vegetables, and nuts. What’s even worse, is that this is not enough for Americans. Brazil is the world’s largest exporter of beef and cattle ranching is responsible for 80% of deforestation in Brazil. The American division is responsible for 76% of the beef market that is responsible for the destruction of the Amazon rainforest. So, not only are Americans using up their own land for beef, they are also destroying the last remaining rainforests in other parts of the world just so that they can eat a hamburger!
The United Kingdom has done the exact opposite of this. There has truly been a vegan explosion in the UK and this vegetarian/want to be vegan could not be more happy or excited. Literally, every where you go, whether it be a fancy restaurant, a small little take away, a fast food chain, or a grocery store with ready-made meal deals, there are so many vegan options. It is amazing. It is beautiful. It is inspiring. It is a testament to my heart and soul for health and love. It also a great effort to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions. To be honest, all of Europe is taking active measures in an effort to reduce and reverse climate change. But the population of the UK is approximately 67 million people. And we are all on this tiny little island. Whereas, the population of the America is approximately 327 million people. When the masses are actively destroying the planet day by day, all of the efforts that the UK and Europe make go to waste.
In terms of energy consumption, the numbers are staggering:
1 American consumes 1.4 times as much energy as a citizen of France.
1 American consumes 2.2 times as much energy as a citizen of Japan.
1 American consumes 10 times as much energy as a citizen of China.
1 American consumes 34 times as much energy as a citizen of India.
1 American consumes 61 times as much energy as a citizen of Nigeria.
Why do Americans consume so much energy? Why doesn’t America care? Why does America invest more and more money into bigger roads and highways and freeways. Why are Americans buying bigger trucks and SUVs? Why is that people in the great state of Texas in the middle of a sweltering summer don’t hang their clothes out to dry? They would literally dry in an hour with all of that heat! Why are they all still using dryers when the sun is there for free? Why doesn’t America push to recycle more and why are they always wasting so much food and land? Why did the price of a life saving pill called Daraprim go from $13.50 per pill to $750 per pill? Why are American citizens paying health care penalties of $60 per month for absolutely no health insurance?
After living in the UK for a little over a year now, I really had to ask myself, why is America like this? I still love America and I always will as it is my home and it is where I am from. But, after seeing life lived in a completely different way, how can I not question everything that is done over there. So, why is America the way that it is? One word: Capitalism. Capitalism gone horribly wrong.
What started out as a means of financial freedom and entrepreneurship has turned into a system of greed and economic disparity. The top 1% of America’s wealthiest own 40% of the country’s wealth. It is in this same country where 40,000 to 50,000 people are dying every year due to lack of health insurance. Is this what the founding fathers of America wanted?
In the UK, everyone gets health care. EVERYONE. I was shocked.
Are you a student? No problem, you’re covered!
You got laid off from your job?
No problem, you’re covered!
Are you retired? You are still covered!
I know right! This concept is mind blowing for Americans. And yes, everyone who is working does have to pay into the NHS, but isn’t it so worth it? To know that if you get laid off or become unemployed, you are still covered for health insurance and your children, your parents, and all of your loved ones are all covered. Isn’t that a relief? Who wouldn’t want this?
America, the land of the free? Oh wait, what is actually free? It is Scotland that gets health care, free medication, free education, and free bus passes after the age of 60. Plus, now the buses have USB ports in them! What more do you need in life? I think that instead of it being called America the land of the free, it should be called, Scotland, the land of the free!
America fought so hard to get independence from Britain largely due to taxes. Remember the Boston tea party? But fast forward to today, most Americans pay more taxes to the United States government than the British pay to the United Kingdom government. And what do Americans get in return? Debt. Medical Debt. Student Debt. Credit Card Debt. Foreclosed homes. (That is if you were lucky enough to buy a home since renting an apartment is the culture in America.) Repossessed cars. Bill collectors harassing them with phone calls and even showing up at their doorstep. It just doesn’t make any sense.
It doesn’t stop there. This want and need to produce cheap goods and services for the most maximum amount of profit is what drives businesses to outsource their labour into other less developed countries. This causes about 300,000 jobs to get outsourced from America each year. My first job at the insurance company was one of them! The overall retirement age in the country has risen. Pensions have turned into 401k’s. Americans are not able to save or live with ease as they grow older.
American corporations have not only destroyed the standard of living in America, but they have also tried to change the culture of food around the world. America takes fruits and vegetables from Mexico but then injects junk food and coke into their country and so many other countries. How crazy is it that when I got off of the train and entered beautiful Venice, Italy for the first time, I saw a KFC and a Taco Bell? Major companies like the Koch Brothers, JBS, and the NRA have influenced the political climate so much that government policies on health care, healthy food, medicine, gun control, and preservation of rainforests and fossil fuels do not change for the betterment of American citizens. When it comes to businesses and corporations, no one’s life matters.
Is the UK perfect? Of course not. However, the UK demonstrates more social values than America and for that reason, the quality of life is definitely a little bit if not a lot better over here especially in terms of health. At least the food in the UK isn’t filled with cancer causing chemicals and preservatives as it is in America! The European standards of quality control have been a great and valuable asset to this country.
So now the greatest concern and question is: What will happen to the UK after Brexit? Will the UK stop trading with the rest of Europe? Will the UK start trading with America? Will the UK start following and adopting American policies? Will British foods now also become contaminated with preservatives and chemicals as they are in America? What will happen to the NHS? Will American corporations use their power and monetary resources to corrupt the UK government?
I have been honoured and blessed to spend the first half of my life in America. I was even more happy and optimistic that I will now most probably be spending the second half of my life in the UK. But, now I am concerned. Will the UK turn into America? American capitalism combined with unstoppable greed has destroyed lives, rainforests, cultures, and so many countries. Will American capitalism profit from Brexit and thereby negatively influence every aspect of the United Kingdom?
As I hang my clothes out to dry in this beautiful country of Scotland, I worry about the future of the UK and I now have to ask myself, is anyone truly free?
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