That does, actually!! I hadn’t considered reaching out to an embassy or immigration specialist. My degree is unfortunately uselessly broad as it is mainly liberal studies (history, anthro, English, and basic sciences and maths) so I’m not too confident in its ability to open any doors for me.

degree or useful work background.

That’s great!! I hope you have many siestas (not sure if they really actually do that or if businesses just close for a few hours), and I hope the summers aren’t too hot!

Sadly I just don’t have faith that the country can recover from how far we have fallen. I know there is work to be done, but how can we solve anything with such a fractured country. Our representatives don’t represent us anymore and haven’t for some time.

Unfortunately no matter how much I wish to leave, I am a poor essential worker. I have a college degree, but it’s not useful. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to leave, and I think that’s what hurts the most

Going back to Germany would be lovely honestly! I did know about how affordable universities are over there, and I almost went over ten years ago, but overbearing family talked me out of it. So I just went to school in my state.

My biggest fear would be learning the language well enough to be able to study. I have a 916 day Duolingo streak in German, but I honestly don’t think I could pass the A2-B1 tests, and I don’t have a speaking partner so my reading is way way stronger than my speaking. I do remember hearing about ten years ago, that German chancellor/minister/chair (not sure what term they use for that position) of education wanted a lot of masters level programs at university to be taught in English by 2020, but I am not sure how that progressed. I am also not sure how strict universities are about what you’ll had to have taken in undergrad to apply for certain programs, and because my degree is so uselessly broad and non-specific, I fear it wouldn’t be taken seriously.

Oh, I definitely know the world is going through it right now, and I definitely don’t view things through rose colored glasses. I know there will be challenges in any place.

I would say, I would definitely lean toward a Eurozone country/UK/Australia/NZ.

If I had to pick purely based on like aesthetics, I would love to live in the Netherlands because it is my dream to be ride around on a bicycle in a city and not feel like cars are actively trying to run you off the road.

Germany/Austria/some parts of Switzerland (even though I know their German is a bit different) could be an option as I do have some experience with the German language, but I don’t know my level, and I highly doubt it’s in the B1-B2 range needed for most visas/jobs/schools.

Outside of those, I’ve been to the UK and loved all of the transit, but I know it’s really hard to get a job there as a non-Brit because of the protections they have in place, and I think they require a masters degree level certification for most jobs.

That seems to be how most people get out, but sadly that is of no help to those of us who are #foreveralone lol

Leaving would feel like quitting on the US, but I really can’t see how we come back from this. We can’t trust our highest court to not be swayed by politics, and the country is extremely fractured. The minority are ruling the majority. It just feels hopeless

Just because “things could be worse” doesn’t mean you get to minimize others’ emotions and pain, nor does it make their emotions or pain invalid.

We have very serious and real problems in this country and telling people that they need a “fucking reality check” is grossly insensitive. This goes well beyond the right to safe and legal abortions. I don’t recall ever saying that America is the worst place on this earth, nor did I say that other countries were a problem-free utopia.

In the US, we continue to have the most well-armed mass murderers in the world. How can you tell parents that they need a “fucking reality check” when they fear their children will be shot dead for having the bravery to go to school that day?

Our infrastructure is crumbling at an alarming rate. Many parts of this country can’t access safe drinking water from their taps.

An astonishing number of Americans live in “food deserts,” that is to say, they do not have access to affordable, fresh food, or even a grocery store. This country has dreadful transit in the majority of the country, so many poor people who can’t drive or don’t have a car, are forced to travel for hours either walking, or taking multiple buses (buses that maybe run once an hour if you’re lucky, so if you miss your connection, you’ll be waiting a long time) to try to get to a grocery store.

Those same transit struggles also hinder access to doctors and medical care. Assuming you can even afford the copay and treatment you need, it can take hours to not only make it to the doctor’s office or clinic, but also it can take even longer to find a place that accepts your insurance if you’re lucky enough to have it. A quick google search will get you to the many horror stories of patients in severe distress traveling for hours trying to find a hospital that takes their insurance only to have the doctor that performs their surgery or treatment to be out of network, and then they are saddled with hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical debt.

Most of the country doesn’t have any laws regarding rent control or rent stabilization, and an alarming number of our already obscenely low housing supply is owned by mega corporations who charge extortionate rates for rent because they know people have nowhere else to go and will be forced to pay it. Affordable housing vouchers exist, but it can take over twenty years to get approved for one as the waitlists are extremely long. And if you’re fortunate enough to get approved for one, good luck trying to get a landlord or leasing office to accept it. Our Euclidean zoning laws prevent even medium-density housing and apartments from being built, so what you end up with are only high-rise luxury units being built because the developers need to get the most money they can from the little sliver of land they were actually allowed to build on. And in some states they’re making it illegal to have roommates you are not related to. Not to mention many places have made homelessness a literal crime, and many landlords won’t rent to someone with a record.

Our voting rights and polling places are constantly under threat.

We have the largest incarceration rates of the developed world, many of our poorest communities are called “school-to-prison pipelines” and a large percentage of incarcerated inmates haven’t even been charged with a crime. And police brutality is a major issue.

We don’t have any legally protected vacation time, not that many of us could afford to take time off. We don’t have legally protected parental leave. Childcare costs and daycare costs are sickeningly expensive to the point where even two working parents with decent jobs can barely afford it.

There is a quote, “America is third world country with a Gucci belt” I don’t know if I’d say we’ve fallen that far, but It does have a majority of the world fooled into thinking it’s this magical land of opportunity, but that hasn’t been the case for a long time.

So, in conclusion, is America the absolute worst country to be in? No, of course not, and I, nor is anyone here, saying that. But saying that we don’t have real problems here is an egregious error in judgement.

Where do you live? As for having way bigger problems, tell that to the person who gets raped and then has to take care of a kid they can’t take care of, tell that to the person who now, because of all this religious idiocy, will be raped at 12 years old and have to raise a kid when they’re kid them selves, tell that to the person who lives on welfare checks because the American system is shit and then find themselves pregnant, and before you say it, no, I don’t live in the US, I live in the UK.

Yeah, nah.

Firstly you've got the general socio-economic things that apply to anyone. Go to any western European country, Australia, or New Zealand and you'll have better working conditions and wages. You'll also have access to universal healthcare and better healthcare generally. The UK, western Europe, and parts of Asia are also much more liveable when you can't drive because their cities are designed around walking and public transport, while the US is designed around cars.

Then you've got the blind specific benefits. Consider what we get here in Australia: a non-means tested tax-free pension, free public transport, and the National Disability Insurance Scheme which covers disability-related costs such as support workers, cleaners, gardeners, canes and adaptive technology). As a concession card holder you also get access to even cheaper healthcare (if the medication you need is on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme it'll be about $4).

The UK, western Europe, Australia, and New Zealand all have their own anti-discrimination legislation that covers disability and requirement to make 'reasonable adjustments' and the like. Even if the efficacy of that legislation was not as great as the US version, noting the other benefits above I suspect one would still be better off.

The only thing you really lose is familial supports.

What about Willowbrook State School in New York, which JFK called a "snake pit"? An institution for the disabled where they say in their own filth?

What about the Judge Rotenberg Educational Center in Massachusetts where intellectually disabled people are forced to where shock bracelets so they can be electricuted to keep them in line, and years of legal battles from disabled activists have been unable to stop it?

What about the Ugly Laws from 1867 and 1974 that made it illegal for physically disabled people to be seen in public places like restaurants?

What about the disproportionate use of solitary confinement against disabled detainees in US immigrant internment camps that has been going on for years?

What exactly.makes this "the best place" for disabled people aside from nationalistic propaganda about how we're the "best country on Earth"?

Give me examples and data. Show me what we do better than other countries.

I’d say Canada with its universal healthcare and generally a bit more compassion and empathy might be a little better (obviously I can’t speak from experience on that). I know they are having their own struggles up there though with it being easier for disabled people to access MAiD than it is for them to access affordable housing. But the affordable housing crisis is not a unique experience to Canada.