What would America look like if it was truly the Land of the Free?

[TheReal_ND]

Today we're just serfs through debt

If you mean a home loan I disagree, most of us could not plunk cash, and buying property using leverage is the most powerful financial tool available to mere mortals not banksters. The GI bill loan financing is noted as one of the greatest wealth creation tools ever. If you're talking about consumer debt or student loans, sure.

FIX MY CREDIT SCORE RIGHT FUCKING NOW

[brewster]

FIX MY CREDIT SCORE RIGHT FUCKING NOW

Sure thing. How did you fuck it up?

[GloryofGreece]

I think living off the land, farming, being self reliant etc. resonates with a lot of Americans. People want to simplify their life. They range from those idealist hippies that buy tiny homes and have their own chicken coop to full fledged survivalists out in the hills of Appalachia to the Rocky Mountains etc.
A lot of people do not want to live in mega cities like NYC or LA for more than a few years. They go there have their fun and move the fuck out. Most want a couple acres and live away from shitty city. If you include the suburbs and outerburbs then it becomes obvious the majority do not prefer living and raising children in urban centers. And if they can avoid it they generally do. People like to look at Mountains and Lakes or the Ocean etc. these same people prefer green to black.

[The Conservative]

I think living off the land, farming, being self reliant etc. resonates with a lot of Americans. People want to simplify their life. They range from those idealist hippies that buy tiny homes and have their own chicken coop to full fledged survivalists out in the hills of Appalachia to the Rocky Mountains etc.
A lot of people do not want to live in mega cities like NYC or LA for more than a few years. They go there have their fun and move the fuck out. Most want a couple acres and live away from shitty city. If you include the suburbs and outerburbs then it becomes obvious the majority do not prefer living and raising children in urban centers. And if they can avoid it they generally do. People like to look at Mountains and Lakes or the Ocean etc. these same people prefer green to black.

Hell I'm one of them. I'd rather be someplace quiet than deal with the city.

[SuburbanFarmer]

I think living off the land, farming, being self reliant etc. resonates with a lot of Americans. People want to simplify their life. They range from those idealist hippies that buy tiny homes and have their own chicken coop to full fledged survivalists out in the hills of Appalachia to the Rocky Mountains etc.
A lot of people do not want to live in mega cities like NYC or LA for more than a few years. They go there have their fun and move the fuck out. Most want a couple acres and live away from shitty city. If you include the suburbs and outerburbs then it becomes obvious the majority do not prefer living and raising children in urban centers. And if they can avoid it they generally do. People like to look at Mountains and Lakes or the Ocean etc. these same people prefer green to black.

Hell I'm one of them. I'd rather be someplace quiet than deal with the city.

Same. But I don't think that this is an "American" thing - more of a human thing. Most of us do long for a pastoral lifestyle, but can't realistically cut themselves off from modern medicine/food supply/energy/etc.

There are also, of course, a huge number of city dwellers that actually prefer it that way, but they are weird and sub-human.

[brewster]

There are also, of course, a huge number of city dwellers that actually prefer it that way, but they are weird and sub-human.

Well then, devolution is the wave of the future. The trend is rural people leaving farms, not city people going to them.



The reason why the people here might think otherwise is how much rural skews red. There just aren't that many city dwellers here.

[The Conservative]

The only reason to go to the city for me is work. Otherwise I'd rather not. The city and its denizens suck.

[SuburbanFarmer]

The only reason to go to the city for me is work. Otherwise I'd rather not. The city and its denizens suck.

I'm pretty sure that's the main reason why. It is hard as hell to make a decent living outside of the cities.

Yes, I know the stats will show clearly that people are moving to them, but that's not a matter of preference, IMO. It's economics - just like everything else.

[GloryofGreece]

People by in large move to cities for 1). employment (obviously) 2). College 3). live the yuppie/hipster lifestyle. It also depends on how you define "urban" or "city" limits etc. A lot of so called city neighborhoods look more like suburbs and some suburban neighborhoods might as well be city boroughs or enclaves etc.

[TheOneX]

The only reason to go to the city for me is work. Otherwise I'd rather not. The city and its denizens suck.

I'm pretty sure that's the main reason why. It is hard as hell to make a decent living outside of the cities.

Yes, I know the stats will show clearly that people are moving to them, but that's not a matter of preference, IMO. It's economics - just like everything else.

I agree, if I had to guess I would only say about 10% of people who move to a city from rural locations do so by choice. The large majority do so because that is where the jobs are. As technology advances there is just fewer and fewer farmers needed. Without farming most small rural towns have much in terms of opportunity. Most of the jobs there are just there to support farmers, and the people supporting farmers.