As regards the "quality of life"

There are other things that make America different from all these other countries you think are better than the US.

For one thing, notice how all the countries you want to emulate are majority White English-speaking or Western European countries.
That alone should raise a few suspicions, that their success might not just be due to their systems.

Second of all, correlation does not necessarily imply a direction of causation. They might be spending money on these things because they can afford to do so in the first place. Something to do with poverty levels.
Are people who drive expensive cars more likely to be successful?

Trying to emulate the spending habits of a wealthy group of people will not make you more wealthy.

 

Either that, or they succeed and transform this country into a sort of Trumpist Califate.

The latter meaning is closer to being accurate today, but without the death camps (though children were tortured). To the point where we are sitting here hoping the GOP goes back to what it once was. Namely the former.


About the above expenditure for private-school education:
*The cost-of-operations is paid to the university by the student in the US.
*In a private university. Not in a state-university.

Is that not true in Europe? Do state-owned secondary schools get all the money they need?

I agree we spend too much in tax dollars for defense, and not enough in higher education. However, there are many reasons why people might decide to study in other countries. I myself chose a Latin American country just because of the appeal to different cultures. I also (briefly) taught there. And I had American and European students and classmates. The U.S. has excellent quality higher education. Tough to beat at a post especially at a degree level in most areas.... if you can afford it. It's just getting too expensive for students. But I don't think the main reason for this is our defense spending. It's the demonization of education that the fascist right has been promoting. In the end, I think education pays for itself. But the right is doing everything they can to keep legislators from acting to stop the runaway costs.

 

Huh? Are you saying that they have better education and healthcare than ours because people there are white and speak English?

 

Who knows what he meant but it does make on wonder

 

We waste a tremendous amount of money in defense spending through misadventure, fraud, entrenched interests, and stupidity, so you will not see me defending the size of our defense budget. But I must say as a patriotic American it rubs me the wrong way to see someone from a foreign country, who lives under the umbrella of safety we supply by providing a counter balance to aggressive countries like Russia and China, gloat about your spending priorities.
That said, it's also wasteful for the US not to have a national healthcare system for which there is no excuse other than......as always.......wait for it.......the POT.

 

I have a gecko that is happy living under a rock eating free crickets. Its all relative. You only see 2 elements because that is all you are permitted to see.

 

FREEDOM OF POLITICAL EXPRESSION

More brainless nonsense from the Rabid-Right on this forum! Bernie has called himself a Democratic Socialist. And so what? The US is not a democracy and he has NO RIGHT to do so?

Besides, here is the breakdown of party-population in the European parliament: European Parliament: 2019-2024

Wow! Almost 200 of the 751 seats in that parliament are ... SOCIALIST!

Jerk-heads from the American Rabid-Right think Bernie is the Devil-from-Hell because he promotes a Socialist Democracy? And so what?

We call that "freedom of political expression in a real democracy" ... !

 

THE FACTUAL EVIDENCE REGARDING "ILLEGALS IN AMERICA"

Brookings Institution assessment of illegals in the US here: How many undocumented immigrants are in the United States and who are they?

Excerpt:

Much ado about not much. And the Rabid Right likes to stir-the-shat whenever/wherever it can ... !

 

I'm a Yank who lives permanently in France.

America's expenditure on "defending Europe" is ZIP! As of December 31, 2020, there were a total of 64,003 U.S. military personnel deployed in Europe. The active U.S. civilian personnel in Europe accounted for 16,984 people as well.

Today, Europe has in place a defense-program constituted by troops from each country. It does not need Uncle Sam to defend itself. Besides, who is threatening to attack the EU and why?

Those troops cited above are just "onlookers" but the US still affects European defense alarmingly. See the argument posted here: The Case for EU Defense

Excerpt:

For the moment, the EU does not see any imminent threat from a foreign-force ...

 

I've never heard any political remonstration regarding the lack of an effective kindergarten-to-university Educational System anywhere in Europe ....

 

SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE

More inanity from the Rabid-Right in a country known to be highly Capitalist-Commercialist.

In a highly Capitalist country, a person's worth is determined by his bank account. In a Social Democracy, one's worth is NOT the least dependent upon how one lives by spending lotsa-muney!

Which is quite the opposite of Communism. It's in the middle that we are. Neither extreme of Capitalist or Socialist - but a mature and fair-minded blend somewhere in the middle.

(You know - like making a cuppa-cawfee ... ! ;^)

 

From recent studies of illegal immigrants:::



The influx seems to have stabilized but Covid will have maintained it at about those numbers seen above as of 2020.

A lot depends upon how well the Central American countries are doing economically. If badly, then, yes, people seek work elsewhere.

And with Covid, NO COUNTRY is doing "well" - so I'd bet the word has got around that Now is not the right-time to go to the US ...

PS: Moreover, get this: In Europe, if you employ anybody who does not have an official national-identity card (whether born in the EU or not) you pay a great penalty and get kicked out. Which helps to keep the numbers down.

 

They are investing in themselves. We did that once. We had laws and regulations that protected our manufacturing capabilities. We built infrastructure, creating jobs, that supported commerce.we created National Parks, that created a tourism industry. We paid for it by taxing the wealthy at twice the rate we are now. We WERE GREAT, because we invested in U.S., instead of only the wealthy. And we were as far from becoming a Totalitarian Socialist county as we are now, but ALL AmeriCANs lived better, had more and expected their children to do better yet.

Buying into Reaganomics was the beginning of our decline. It's time to invest in America and Americans Again. Solving the poor's problems will solve our problems.

 

DESTINY

I live in France - a non-totalitarian country. In fact, France is just one of 27 NON-TOTALITARIAN COUNTRIES in the European Union.

America has to get back to being a Great Country. It has lost its way. Every country has its challenges. The really hard-job of evolution was when Europe had to renew itself from complete devastation to retake its place in the world. And it has indeed accomplished that feat.

Much depends upon one's meaning of "greatness". Here's mine: A country in which both HealthCare and Post-secondary Education are free, gratis and almost-for-nothing.

Because they are the two Prime Ingredients to our existence. Healthcare to assure we live a long-life and P-s Ed to guaranty that we have the talents necessary to work honestly and with professional competence.

If we can guaranty both Healthcare and Education, we give our people the two capabilities they need MOST in life. All the rest is pure luck. Aka "destiny".

Destiny - which no-one can predict. It is the most important word in a our existence - and there is no way of knowing how/when it will influence our lives.

Meaning what? That you can be the smartest-most-dynamic person in the Universe ... and still get run-over by a car!

THAT is what destiny is - and there is NO WAY of either foretelling or avoiding it ...

 

This is completely misleading and mostly nonsense. First the expected life span is not (a tiny bit) longer in the EU because of their government provided health care. Secondly they greatly limit post secondary school enrollment. Thirdly there is no such thing as low cost, let alone next to nothing cost, education or health care -- not even close. Lastly the EU most certainly does too think major expenditures should be made for defense, just ours and not theirs. (Plus, I thought defense was a country's responsibility, not the EU's.)

 

POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION IS TOO EXPENSIVE IN AMERICA

Those were the "good ole days" and they are long gone.

You'e taken a course in American history, haven't you. Was it always the "same history"? Of course not.

Times change. The key factor is boring given the number of times that I've repeated it on this forum. The "good ole days" are long-gone.

Manufacturing now hires barely 12% of the American work-force. All the rest is Services, and this sector requires much more knowhow. Which one obtains in post-secondary schooling - either training in Services or the Building Sector or a Post-secondary Education.

Whichever, both are now required to find a decent job at a decent salary. And, pray tell, why did we not see that coming?

Manufacturing and Services have been the two Key Sectors of America's workforce jobs. Manufacturing started its downturn in the 1990s when the Internet began to change the basics of how each sector worked. America could no longer compete with Central/South America when it came to the manufacture of very simple goods. But it can compete in the Services sector.

The education-program of post-secondary schooling now, more-than-ever, provides the key-talent for the Services Sector. Even when it trains someone to drive a bulldozer! Trade-Training has become a key-sector for high-school students who do not care to pursue a Post-secondary university-degree.

My Point? We cannot allow states to refuse to train high-school graduates in the Trades (running a bulldozer, driving a truck, piloting aircraft, cooking, etc.) And, it is likely that government subvention of such schooling should be provided where necessary. And if states do not have the funding, then Uncle Sam should to the training*!

As for post-secondary schooling, Uncle Sam must do what Lady Europa has done. All post-secondary schooling is pretty-damn-cheap! So more kids are going to universities to obtain the four-year degree. Which positions them well for a good-paying job.

The US should do the same - because the aerage tuition cost of $25K a year is PREVENTING a great many of America poorer children from a post-secondary degree ... !

*Sorry to repeat the message, but it is key.that Post-secondary education must be assumed by the Federal government along with the state-schooling system. We don't need to be wasting so much money on the DoD, when other sectors need it badly!

 

The question was about funding.

 

Problem is, that's exactly what the dimmest of them believe!

They want to "belong" so they mimic the habits-and-doings of others they aspire to be ...