My Honest Opinion About the US

[Sparrisen]

Alright. This will be harsh. I am not impressed. If it's gonna sting your eyes, don't read on. I've become a Swedish Patriot.







The U.S is fucked up. And L.A is the most fucked up part of it, that I've seen so far, and I believe Hollywood, the part of L.A where I live right now, must be the most fucked up part of the city.

I see phycotic and mentally ill people every day. You COULD have spent some money in HELPING them, but no, instead you invest in more security, to shove them around, out of sight, for as long as possible. I've met so many people who've had some INSANE story about being kicked out by their stepdad, and being homeless ever since. Or whatever. One persons house burned, and he was uninsured, or the insurance company screwed him. I sat down in the street and played some guitarr with him. He was so awsome with guitarr it was unbelievable.

Right next to us is a club that charges 375$ to go in and shake ass, I asked them, being european they took me seriously, but insisted on charging 375 even though there were 30 minutes left to closing time.

I mean, in US, if you're FUCKED, you're FUCKED. No one will take care of you. And I think this is a fear that lives in many americans lives.

____________

In Sweden, there's a sense of progress. It's democratic, it involves everyone, as it gets better, everyone gets his share, and it's slow. But it happens.

In US it feels like everything is stagnating, and there's individual attempts to fight back. BECAUSE THERE **IS** progress. But it's individual. And it's more of "Fuck the other man" than "we hold hands, whistle and go onwards together".

Companies stick to their rules, because OTHERWISE they get SUED.
People behave, because OTHERWISE the POLICE HARASSES YOUR ASS.
You see this. There's policecars everywhere, but if there's no-where to be seen, people start acting differently.

I mean, in Sweden, you can't just handcuff anyone. It'd be an OUTRAGE. A policeofficer acting like they act in US would be in the hall of shame forever as a thug and a bully.

I remember as I was crossing the border, and I smiled and said hello to a black female Officer.
"What's WRONG with you?" - she replied

___________________________--

Okay, I think it's like this. To be creative, and inspirational, as an individual, you first need a measurement of saftey. You need to be able to breathe out and relax, start to think. Otherwise, life is just a A---> B struggle to get above the surface. And once you get there, you just want to fucking stay above.
From what I've seen, the american's life is the A---->B struggle. And saftey equals, MONEY. Get rich. And then buy 4 locks on your door. (the house I live in now, currently has 4 locks on the door). Cuz there's enough of "fuck the other man" around to make you want to keep your money, your saftey, safe.

[Sparrisen]

AND I JUST BAUGHT 12 CONDOMS FOR 12.99 + taxes WHICH IS ABOUT 15 $ OMG OMGO MG.

In sweden, condoms are basically free. You get two at the entrance of every student-party. You get more delievered anually by various sexual-information groups. You can get more at hospitals, small places where you test yourself, or go for information about sexual things, FOR FREE.

FOR FREE

Most of my condoms I ever used, I didn't pay shit for.

EDIT: TBH a friend here just gave me a tiå of how to get free condoms. I will sheck it out and see if it holds true

[Nightmare]

You know, the Homeland Security (or CIA or whatever, why the hell they have so many agencies around the same subject anyways?) has probably labeled you as anti-american after writing that. Get out while you can.

[Sparrisen]

You know what? My view might well be biased. I've been in LA. I've been in Vegas. Ive been down the canyon.

Look at Vegas. It's desert. It's in fucking no-where. It's been predicted to go over the hill since it frank sinatra's days.
SO IN THIS DESERT, there's sprawling fake life. They have shopping malls where they could have windows up above, and a real sky, but no, they make a cieling with a FAKE sky. God knows where they get the water from, but there's grass in the city. It's cleanly trimmed, well grown, and utterly fake because it's not supposed to be vegetation like that in the desert.
They pour money at it. Tourists come in and sponsor the fake grass. But it feels like, to me, when the money stops coming in, you're fucked. The desert will take over. Nature will prevail, because if it doesn't, and it's finally defeated by greenhouse gasses or whatever, we're all fucked anyway so it's not a standpoint worth considering.

This ansy fighting is my understanding of the US. But I've, as I said, only seen the extreme shit.

And VEGAS IS BEAUTIFUL. But it's like sooo fake. It's like cutting a bush in the shape of donald duck, or cutting it to enchance it's natural beauty. One day of not cutting the bush, and it's just random shit. That's why I don't like it, if the beauty is created by shoving all the mad and starving people somewhere to the outskirt, where they don't get seen, and the polish to everything is added by underpaid mexican people who miracously only speak spanish, and who is looked down upon as STUPID and underdeveloped (I spoke to them), then the polish has a touch of... I dunno, MALICE in it.
It's like the chinese wall. Masterpiece of humankind, but when the slaves who built it DIED FROM EXHAUSTION, they just shoved the bodies inside to use as filling. All pretty again.

[ReverendLostLamb]

I personally think there's a lot of good in the US. After all, it is the most powerful nation of the world and I'd rather have a western country than China (that just passed Japan in economy) there.

I agree with a lot of what you said, but then again, many of the things of Sweden you thought were positive are not positive in my opinion. Sweden is too liberal. Now, where's the progress in dividing the church? I'd call it a drawback.

Also, a huge part of the US is spanish-speaking. LA is what? 45% latino? They actually think that by 2050 spanish will be the dominating language in the US so it's hardly surprising that people only speak spanish.
And concerning their payment: we have lots of estonians working in Finland and they're basically in the same situation. Oh, and have you been to China? You should check that out aswell. Why do you think you wont see as many bums in there as in the western world? The country isn't even democratic (yet)! Corruption is everywhere.

E: Grammar

[Faro]

I have alot to say about that, but I'll have to think about it so i dont come off as too defensive.

You go to vegas and LA and pass judgement on the entire US. Hell man you may as well just gone to disneyland, you wouldve had about the same sampling of american life and culture.

I had a swedish meatball once that made me gag. I'm pretty sure that means Europe sucks.

[Sparrisen]

This is true. I don't know what I should see though. I mean, in and around LA lives 17 million people, it's like TWICE the amount of people than in sweden. It's a huge chunk you know. I know I can't judge the whole of US from that, but it IS a big chunk. It must be, it's 17 million people.

To be honest though, I met a country girl yesterday, and she seemed very normal.

And you know, I'm going to more countries in this travel, like mexico. I'm just saying that U.S right now, from the point of view I have, is the most fucked up place I've ever been. In a month, I'm in mexico, and then we'll see.

[Myrmox]

No offence but, you are so naive. Travelling some more will do you good. If you are looking for really fucked-up countries, may I suggest sneaking into North Korea or Sudan and try getting into a club or chatting with the local police.

US (or Sweden for that matter) may not be perfect, but fact is the homeless in LA live in an abundant paradise compared to the vast majority of people in Africa. Even so, for some mysterious reason most of the well-meaning global-justice-youths aim all their outrage at US, since they are "obviously" to blaim for all that is wrong with the world. It totally blows my mind, its like crying "Fire!" and pouring water over a lit match in the West, while ignoring a blazing inferno in the South.

[Sparrisen]

Yo, may be true. Humans are built to notice contrasts though. If I go to Africa, I expect to see fucked up. In U.S I expected something else. Huge contrast.

Daily Fucked up: U.S police officers has a quota of tickets they MUST give out every month.

There are definite consequences for not meeting these goals. A officer may find himself removed from his sector car and put on a foot post. A Sergeant whose unit consistently fails to meet it's "performance goals" might find himself transferred from days to midnights. And failure to meet goals will ALWAYS result in a poor yearly performance evaluation, which will dog the officer whenever he applies for a new detail or assignment.


From another forum discussing this particulair topic.


However, personally, I hope this is an overexagguration. I think, at least in most places, the police just have to show they've been active and not napping all day, somehow. Bills should be ONE way of doing that.

[Sparrisen]

Anyway, I'm getting kinda used to this now. It's not perfect, but you don't have to see the flaws if you don't wanna. It's not like someone is waving a ak47 in your face daily or something.

[Faro]

Sparrisen,
I'm sorry you dont find the US to be the fabulously amazing place I see. I have traveled the world for 30 years, and while I see somthing to envy in almost every place I've been, the big picture in every country Ive been to pales in comparison to the US.
Here, people are free to succeed ( and to fail) without an overly obtrusive government getting in the way. There are homeless here, about the same percentage as in Sweden, which makes sense, because 90% of them are addicts or mentally ill same as in Sweden. In the 80's we had a way to deal with the mentally ill; government run institutions, but a well meaning but misguided president decided that keeping people against their will was wrong, no matter how sick they were. So out on the streets they went. I'm sure there are more in southern California than elsewhere because the climate is so nice.

OK, $375.00 to get into a club? most I ever paid was $10.00. I would be willing to bet none of the people in that club paid $375.00 either, maybe you just didnt pass the visual test. Your not sleeping on the streets are you? you said you slept in a parking garage in Vegas, dude youre in Hollywood. Yeah 17 million people live in LA and 16.8 visit Hollywood occasionally to check out the freak show. Try visiting brentwood.

Ok police in the US arent allowed to handcuff just anyone. If you are part of an ongoing investigation and they feel it is necessary for their safety, then they can cuff you. I have no doubt it happens, but I have never worn handcuffs in my life and I dont know anyone who has. Seriously are you hanging out with homless people? I'm sure they get treated worse than most. As for the quotas, I'm fine with it. I've never received a ticket I didnt deserve and say "thankyou and be careful" to the tickiting officer. I would guess that 90% of those tickets are traffic violations.

Yeah Vegas is a totally fake place, created in the 30's by the mob to service the men who were building the Hoover dam. The rest is history, it is the most visited place in the world, more even than Mecca, and as long as the money flows in, I'm sure they will manage to hold back the dessert.

Finally, and this made me mad. Free condoms are available in the US, but I've never worn one and I never will. I ask for nothing, I pay my own way. There is a cost associated with condoms that must be borne by someone. What makes you entitled to a free condom? Government handouts should be reserved for the truly needy, not tourists. Your expectation of that entitlement is, in my opinion, one of the essential differences between your country and mine. I work hard and I pay my taxes, I employ people in my company and they pay their taxes as well. The average tax rate in the US is about 18% with hidden taxes bringing it up to about 25%. In Sweden, the last time i checked, the income tax is 30% with all the other taxes bringing it to just at 60%. Taking 60% of someones earned money is in my opinion criminally immoral verging on slavery. I suppose that it is the relatively homogenous nature of your population that makes it palatable. Here in my neighborhood are whites, blacks, asians, mexicans, and middle easterners. Thats just one more reason I like the US over any place in the world. Remember, people from all over the world risk death to come here, wether stowing away in a cargo ship from China or jumping on a homemade raft from Cuba or trecking accross miles of desert from Mexico, they get here and by and large they succeed.

Finally, you said you were going to Mexico next. A great place, have fun but please stay away from the border towns like Juarez and Matamoros. There is open warefare between the federal police and the drug cartels. A blonde haired blue eyed man would just be a target. And for god sakes dont even look sideways at the police, if you thought LA was bad, these guys have no limits. If you are sleeping on the streets, you will be arrested, you need money and a place to stay or mexico is brutal. (definitely no free condoms there)

[Sparrisen]

Yea well. I didn't way this in a "YOU SUCK!!!" kinda way, at least not intentionally. I honestly thought Sweden kinda sucked. I don't know WHY but sweden never even really felt like a country to me. It was just a place to live. Nothing special.

And now I realize that is acutally an awsome attitude. If every country thought like that, like "I'm probably just as good as the next man, and possibly he's better than me", people would get along more. (I sense a somewhat angry tone in your message, that does not really hint about this way of thinking.)

Anyhow, take this for what it is, it's a wide-eyed Swede coming to US and his honest opinion. And it's NOT one living in a hotel, out of sight. It's one, playing guitarr with homeless people on the street, walking down Downtown LA at 2am scared to the point that I ponder living there just to get used to it, waking up in the middle of the night as a stranger walks in to the house because I forgot to lock the door, him looking at me, and me looking at him, making me think: "Hello". Then making me think, there might be a reason why there's 4 locks on the door.

Basically, I see all the shit under the carpet. Most of the good stuff is for fancy people. As least how I see it.

And about condoms, I'm sorry it makes you mad, but I just think it's an easy way to decrease diseases and children growing up in conditions neither they, or their parents want them to grow up in. If the rich people have condoms, I don't care so much, they have the means to take care of themselves, and their offspring.
(And you must REALIZE that TOURISTS are the ones that not ONLY will cause unwanted children, they will also, almost certainly, just leave.)


EDIT: And I don't really view myself as a tourist. I view myself as a citizen of the world. The borders of countries isn't really present in my mind somehow.

[Faro]

So your seriously sleeping on the streets?

[Sparrisen]

I have never slept on the streets as such. I have slept on the roof of a hotel, in the forest (in a little hut I made of paper boxes, it was really fucking cold even though most of the landscape was desert), in a pool chair, in a lobby sofa, and some nights not at all. RIght now I sleep at a producers place in hollywood. He's a cool guy who looks a bit like a turtle.

I played guitarr with homeless people mostly because it was fun, and it gave me one dollar (but took me 3 hours of playing dammit).

I have a few talent-points in mingling with people though, and are absolutely specialized in the low-life for some reason. I've made homeless people offer me money. I've made drug addicts buy me food and water. And "I've made" sounds big. I more meant, "It happened", to emphasize that most people don't get in touch with them that much, to have THEM offer YOU hospitality.


EDIT: And "I'm probably just as good as the next man, and possibly he's better than me" may be an awsome attitude in many cases, but to pick up, this will make your shit blow up. Then you rather want "I'm the SHIT. All other people here are fucking FAT and GAY.", something which I have some trouble internalizing.

EDIT 2: It's now gonna be my goal to internalize that.

[Sparrisen]

Alright. US has a lot of fucked up shit in it, but I kinda liked it for some reasons. Especially chicago.

1: It was cheap. Free clubbing, a lot of nights in the week. Pretty cheap food. People were alright.

2: Also the girls in Chicago were kinda pretty. In Vegas and LA, not so much.

TORONTO where I'm at now, is OH MY GOD, so expensive. I almost got in on an EXCLUSIVE, reduced clubbing cover charge at the 6th of november. 31 canadian dollars. Also canadians generally seem kinda meek. While a lot of US people where fucked up, they were proud of it. And the ones that were not proud of US, were firmly rooted in their opinion that US sucked. As in, there's not so much general meekness.

Also, not so many people were fucked up on the east side. They seem to gravitate towards california or something. I think chicago was kinda normal and cool.