[tomwilde]

It seems like the author is a Briton.

As a Swiss citizen I don't understand how anyone from a first-world country would like to move to the USA. It's a downgrade in every aspect.

Giving up democracy, social-security, the practical absence of crime for a job in a country where every other Tuesday someone goes on a killing-spree, where people go to the doctor for moar Vicodine, where police will kill you for a donut. Nope.

Edit: changed englishman to briton. Thank you, commenters.

[kareemm]

As a Canadian who's lived in many parts of the world, including the US, it's the unbridled friendliness, optimism, hustle, and (generally speaking) caring only what you can do and not where you're from that made living in the US preferable to other countries.

The downside, of course, being the trade-offs you mention.

[jwhitlark]

I had a friend of mine who had emigrated from Iran to England, (obtaining English citizenship). After 6 years in England, he came to the US and eventually got citizenship here. I asked him the same question, "Why would someone move to the US from a first world country?" I found his response interesting: "Because in Europe, you stay where they put you."

[soperj]

Heard the same about a co-worker from China who'd first moved to Germany and then to Canada. Moved to Canada because no matter how long you are in Germany, you will always be a foreigner.

[robrenaud]

I am an American who has a pretty strong desire to leave, at least for a few years. But your post is such a laughable caricature.

Maybe they want to live somewhere that people have the freedom to build mosques with minarets and where nearly every women born in the country had suffrage for their whole lifetime?

[HarryHirsch]

Switzerland is pretty special, but so are the swathes of America that aren't on the coasts.

Only from flyover America comes this constant trickle of reports of yet another female principal standing at the school door checking the hemlines of her charges. As for mosques with minarets, I saw this mosque (a big one) in a large Southern city that looked vaguely like a church, didn't have a minaret, didn't even mention that it was in fact a mosque, it just had a three-letter acronym on the side in green letters. This is a strong statement for a religion that actively seeks converts. John 8:7 please.

[Thrymr]

> It seems like the author is an Englishman.

A UK citizen, probably, but I'd not assume that a guy named "McDowell" from Belfast is English.

[carlob]

> It seems like the author is an Englishman.

Northern-Irish, so technically a Briton, but not an Englishman.

[cryoshon]

What do you mean about giving up democracy? It's unclear what you're referring to.

[tomwilde]

You don't get to vote.

[cryoshon]

Technically, we do get to vote. The way our votes are counted makes them less valuable, and our votes aren't as strong as special interests, though.

But, the US is a democracy by name. I'm not sure where you're coming from by saying it isn't.

[tomwilde]

A foreigner working in the USA doesn't get to vote for the laws they live under. That's what I'm trying to communicate.

[ahomescu1]

Does a foreigner working in Switzerland get to vote in any election? It's my impression that all countries restrict voting to their own citizens.

[c_plus_minus]

I'm sure the Swiss do, but just an aside that plenty of EU countries allow members from other countries to vote in their elections. E.g. here in Ireland I think we only restrict constitutional referenda to Irish citizens.

[ahomescu1]

> for a job in a country where every other Tuesday someone goes on a killing-spree

As a European living in California (Orange County currently, but have spent some time in Silicon Valley too), I strongly disagree with that. Most parts of California are safer than my home country, and people definitely do not shoot each other "every Tuesday" (I know you were exaggerating, but still...)

[nilsimsa]

Does Switzerland have any restrictions to people for work permits or immigration?