I just heard on the CBC that you’re twice as likely to achieve the American dream in Canada. Do you think this is true?

I don’t know @stanleybmanly the cost of living is a lot higher up here at least here in BC, like gas, food and such.
like gas in the lower mainland has hit $1.60 a liter that’s roughly $6.40 a gallon.
taxation is all over the board our income tax is higher, but your property tax for a lot of states is way higher.
We do have a universal health care system, while not perfect is still a lot better than the states, at least if we get hurt or sick we don’t risk the chance of financial ruin.
We do have set minimum wages in all Provinces,which is better than some states that if you agree can pay you almost nothing to work for them.
Both countries have their pluses and negatives, the real plus right now that Canada has over the states is we don’t have Trump you do.
So yeah maybe the CBC is right.

I think “achieving the American Dream” is a meaningless cliche`, but I’ve certainly found the idea to moving to Canada appealing, and have interviewed for jobs there. Having affordable healthcare would be nice. Having a less wacko government and culture seems appealing too.

I’m of the opinion that the American Dream has morphed into the American Nightmare & I’m not sure at what point that occurred. I don’t like snow well enough to move where the snow completely covers some homes. I have a friend who is a native & it seems like she’s always shoveling snow…NOT my idea of fun. So, one less crazy American that you’ll have to worry about!!!

Hey @LadyMarissa where we are in the interior of BC our average snow load per year is 8inches, but a half hour up the road they get 3and a half feet.

What is the American Dream?

I think it’s defined a million ways to a million different people. @Zaku is correct. It is meaningless.

Hey @SQUEEKY2 I live in the Southern US where 1 inch closes the schools & 2 inches is considered a blizzard. I don’t walk that good anymore even on dry ground; so 8 inches would have me home bound.. I would NEVER move where I could expect over 3 feet of snow. I definitely couldn’t move 30 minutes up the road from you & I don’t think you want me living with you!!! Ha

The American Dream is based primarily on an idea of bettering yourself economically, working to get yourself into a better economic position than you started with.

But when you look at the rate of socioeconomic mobility in the US and compare it to other countries, you find that if you’re born poor in the US you’re more likely to remain poor than you are in some other countries (mainly Canada and countries in Europe). Wikipedia section describing it. Obviously there will be countries where bettering your position is even harder, but it seems to take at least a bit of the wind out of the “American Dream, a land of equal opportunity” sails—especially if we want to claim we’re the pinnacle of that sort of thing.

If I recall, diving into the statistics in a state-by-state or city-by-city way reveals that where you’re born/grow up/live within the US also has a significant effect on your chances for moving upward socioeconomically. Your chances are much better in certain areas than others (which, again if I recall, was largely related to the relative wealth or poverty of that region).

I didn’t take the time to review this to make sure I’m totally accurate, so if someone sees something I’ve misstated or something key I missed, etc., please do point it out! But I think that’s the gist.

By “review this” I meant re-read and link sources where I first heard this. Mostly went off memory.