Originally Posted by
Satsuki
Yeah, so being in Austria has me seriously worried for the state of the the USA. I'm not saying everything is perfect here in Vienna - it's certainly not - but wow. Public transportation everywhere. Protected wilderness areas even within city limits, controlled food and housing prices, fair wages for most workers, nationalized healthcare, etc etc etc. The stress level here is noticeably low, people don't seem to be in this rushed funk all the time. I don't think I've heard a single car horn honk in a traffic jam the whole time I've been here. Independent businesses are flourishing everywhere. People are generally helpful, friendly, and decent. Infrastructure is clearly taken care of: streets are clean, buildings and subways are kept up and don't reek. I mean there's piss alleys everywhere but for a city this size, it's minimal. Trash cans are everywhere and are emptied regularly.
Personal politics aside, I do not see how our current environment in America is sustainable. People are becoming more and more miserable, and things are not getting better economically. I don't want to defect to Austria, I want my home in California to flourish. But I don't see that happening in my lifetime. Perhaps the most depressing thing about this study abroad trip is realizing America is truly on its way to third world status.
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