[PRCo] Re: Euro

[Fred Schneider]

I think, in seven or eight cases out of ten, few people ever  
relocated to another country if they were fat and sassy and  
comfortable.   Our ancestors came here because they were 1) hungry,  
2) tired of fighting someone else's war, or 3) unwilling in an era of  
religious belief to accept someone else's belief.  The other two or  
three largely came here following a person of the opposite sex.   A  
few might have come because of some stranger than fiction reason such  
as they liked the trolleys in the town.

Notice how the migration from Europe dried up in the 1960s when their  
economic miracle took place.   There was no longer a reason for the  
girls to find a GI to follow to the states.   Suddenly it became just  
as appropriate for an American to go to Europe and live there.   That  
life style became just as nice as ours ... perhaps no better or no  
worse ... different in some ways ... some of them subtle.

In the case of the exchange student in John's home, I think her  
reasons for not wanting to leave the states are not the classical  
ones.   Not hunger.  Not religious oppression (although you go to  
church if you live in John's home).  Not conscription.  In her case  
its something totally different.   American schools incorporate  
athletics into the school day and German schools do not.   And maybe  
her natural father is a little more oppressive than John is.   She  
has gotten away from home.   Funny how these things work.

But there is a lot of equality these days between the United States,  
Canada and countries in the European Common Market.  They are all  
developed nations.  I think most of us would find some degree of  
comfort in all of them.

Ten to fifteen years ago I sat in a economics seminar in which the  
speaker remarked that, in our lifetimes, people would be changing  
nations for jobs just as they change cities and states now.   Under  
my breath I chuckled.   Americans learn another language, I thought.   
Never, I thought.   But I know some who have.   And, if I go to  
Europe I've met a lot of people within the EEC countries who think  
nothing of changing countries for a job

On Apr 15, 2006, at 11:56 AM, John Swindler wrote:

>
>
>
>>
>>
>> James B. Holland wrote:
>> .
>>
>>> -------  [Snipped]  -------
>>>
>>> I see Not A Few Europeans on my bus  --  for those who live here  
>>> in the
>> U.S.A. for a time  (student visa, temp work visa, etc.  --  NOT  just
>> vacationers)  I ask them where they would rather live  --  There  
>> or  U.S.A.
>>    ----    WITHOUT    Hesitation they say  U.S.A........
>>>
>>
>
> I was amused a few weeks ago when Fred the Third asked our foreign  
> exchange
> student if she was anxious to return to her home in Germany, and  
> she replied
> with a resounding  - 'NO!!'
>
> That said, suspect it is the exception, rather then the rule.
>
> As my father commented several times many years ago concerning all  
> those who
> critized American -"no one was forcing them the stay."  That could  
> not be
> said for other parts of the world.
>
> The net migration (when you discard the southern hemisphere moving  
> north)
> still seems to be headed to the USA.  I enjoy visiting Europe and  
> their
> transit systems (how's that, Derrick, for trying to get back on  
> topic??),
> but don't think I'd want to live/retire there.
>
> John
>
>
> .
>> Marlene is one of my regular passengers  (so if you wish to verify  
>> this
>> story, Ride My Bus  --  if she doesn't show, I know where she
>> works!!)       Her husband is German, born and raised there, so  
>> with the
>> qualifier of setting aside All Politics, I asked her if Mike would  
>> like
>> to return to Germany to live?       """Absolutely Not  --  He  Hated
>> It  There."""       Very strong language, but that is what she
>> said.        Mike's mothers cousin married an American soldier so  
>> he had
>> access to the base in Germany and watched American and Western movies
>> All The Time.       He became single minded in his determination  
>> to move
>> to the  U.S.A.  ASAP  and did so.       Started at Columbia U,  
>> finished
>> his degree at SF State  --  he has been here well over three  
>> decades and
>> hasn't looked back.       Marlene is Japanese American, born and  
>> raised
>> in Hawaii.      She has family in Japan, loves her visits there,
>> fantasizes about moving there and living in a bed of roses but  
>> Knows It
>> Would Be Otherwise.       Japanese society is Highly Structured   
>> --  she
>> likes structure  --  but also Class Conscious and with her born  
>> outside
>> the country, she would be a misfit and shunned!
>> .
>> Not Unlike Europe  --  much national // ethnic prejudice there  --
>> basis of skirmishes // wars in the last half century!
>>
>> It is  NOT  that Europe, Germany, Japan, nor the  U.S.A.  are bad
>> ----    just appealikng to some and not so appealing to others
>> ----    like beauty, it is all in the eye of the beholder.
>>
>>
>> Best  Wishes  to  One  And  All  For  A  Blessed  Easter!
>>
>>
>>
>> Jim
>>
>>
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