Is it worth living in USA?

[rangeelaraja]

@randomGuy

 

People forget that US is the 3rd most populated country in the world. And the largest economy in the world by a long distance.

 

It is possible to have a very high standard of living in practically half the world including India.

 

What separates US from the "lesser" options like Singapore, UAE ( Dubai ) and other GCC countries, UK, Canada, Australia ..etc etc.. is the sheer size of the US economy.

 

There is no comparison between a  30 trillion USD economy with any of the other options - when viewed from the perspective of abundance of opportunities. 

 

In the decade and a half I’ve spent here, one thing that truly stands out is the sheer abundance , everything exists in almost obscene excess.

 

It is what makes US the envy of the world. 

 

It is also a reality that over the last 80 years - almost 95 % of technology that has transformed human life in unthinkable ways - has originated in the US.

 

There are several reasons for this but the most profound one ( apart from the fact that USD is the global reserve currency ) ... is that the risk capital in the US is astronomical. 

 

One can be in the VC scene here after multiple failed start ups and eventually hit a windfall. 

 

In the rest of the world including India- its extremely hard to make a come back after one failure.

 

Just look at what happeend to Byju's.

 

I strongly believe if you are hard working, make some effort to build credibility, network well and have a decent risk appetite - there is no better place to be from a career perspective. 

Edited October 5, 2025 by rangeelaraja

[randomGuy]

^American policies...C!A eliminated hundreds of our nuclear scientists. Supports pakistan, allegedly built ISIS, Taliban etc. We don't know what happened in boeing airplane crash or with Gen Vipin Rawats helicopter crash but needle of suspicion points towards them strongly. Global bully.

 

Racial divisions, highest guns per Capita, drugs problem are very serious things which are pointed out here.

 

Nobody is envious, i won't go there even if I get free US citizenship. India is the best for me.

[jf1gp_1]

If you by the context of Indian standard of living lead an average life in India, if opportunity presents please move to US. Your quality of life will be elevated multifold. 

 

If you are in the upper middle to upper class, migrate if the only thing that matters to you is less traffic. Rest everything will be a step down. 

[rangeelaraja]

39 minutes ago, randomGuy said:

 Supports pakistan, allegedly built ISIS, Taliban etc. We don't know what happened in boeing airplane crash or with Gen Vipin Rawats helicopter crash but needle of suspicion points towards them strongly. Global bully.

 

Racial divisions, highest guns per Capita, drugs problem are very serious things which are pointed out here.

 

Nobody is envious, i won't go there even if I get free US citizenship. India is the best for me.

 

Can you name one truely benevolent superpower in history ? Before WWII it was the era of European colonizers who sucked their colonies dry. 

 

Brits responsible for looting India for 200 years, leaving us with a messy partition the after effects of which we are still struggling with boundary disputes. 

 

French and Dutch did the same to their colonies.

 

Chinese are upcoming and already behave like neo-colonists.

 

So who in your eyes is " good " ??

 

I suggest you read Chanakya's works. What is mentioned in Chanakya's best works is being actually practiced by those nations that have become superpowers. 

[randomGuy]

22 minutes ago, rangeelaraja said:

 

Can you name one truely benevolent superpower in history ? Before WWII it was the era of European colonizers who sucked their colonies dry. 

 

Brits responsible for looting India for 200 years, leaving us with a messy partition the after effects of which we are still struggling with boundary disputes. 

 

French and Dutch did the same to their colonies.

 

Chinese are upcoming and already behave like neo-colonists.

 

So who in your eyes is " good " ??

 

I suggest you read Chanakya's works. What is mentioned in Chanakya's best works is being actually practiced by those nations that have become superpowers. 

What you want to feel less bad about living in USA as an Indian? 

 

Colonization and race slavery is considered universally bad today, was OK in the past....human values evolve...

 

I want India-USA relations to be like russia-india, japan-india, france-india or Indonesia-india etc etc. none of these countries harm us covertly or overtly... neither do they act like bullies....pls don't hide behind 'superpower' like terms in today's world.

[randomGuy]

.nm

Edited October 5, 2025 by randomGuy

[rangeelaraja]

1 hour ago, randomGuy said:

What you want to feel less bad about living in USA as an Indian? 

 

Colonization and race slavery is considered universally bad today, was OK in the past....human values evolve...

 

I want India-USA relations to be like russia-india, japan-india, france-india or Indonesia-india etc etc. none of these countries harm us covertly or overtly... neither do they act like bullies....pls don't hide behind 'superpower' like terms in today's world.

 

My friend you are being extremely naive when you say you want  India -US relations like Japan- India or Indonesia- India.

 

Powerful countries and states conduct their statecraft to sustain and extend their power.  

 

Are you clueless about how USSR of the heyday had penetrated so deep into Indian bureaucracy and decision making ? You think USSR/ Russia was a saint ?

 

Have you not seen China becoming more belligerant and aggressive as its economic power has grown.

 

No country is a saint. When a country is economically and military powerful and in a position of dominance - it will use other countries as pawns to forward its own interest, topple regimes to get friendly regimes. 

 

When Shivaji conquered territories, he often installed local rulers or loyal administrators as puppet regimes (nominal rulers under Maratha control) to extend influence without overextending his forces.

 

Powerful countries ruthlessly act in their self interest. 

[randomGuy]

^'superpower' bol ke bahut paap kar liye....

 

Today it is a multi-polar world. India China Russia also have independent self-reliant space, nuclear, defence and digital/information technologies.

 

You should be advising the Americans ki insaan ke bachche ban jaen.

 

Sadly, NRIs ki aukat naap di hai trump, musk, maga crowd ne.... They may have to return en masse, afterall India is the true matribhumi for them as well.

[ravishingravi]

Tbh I don't blame Indians for not reframing their approach. It's a human software flaw. Our sense of history comes from history during our lives experience. We don't realize that things go in cycles. 

 

From an undisputed sole superpower in beginning of the century, US is now a fledgling super power that cannot pay its debt, cannot manufacture and deeply polarized. In the cycles of time, nothing unusual. Great civilization and empires die like this. 

 

However US has one big advantage. Geography. This will make the decline, slower than otherwise it would have. But there is no doubt. House of cards is falling apart. Trump was last throw of dice to reverse the trend. 

 

US is still worth it I would say. Atleast for next 10 years. But my sense is that the social pressures will get more intense on Indians in coming years. The old world is done. 

Edited October 5, 2025 by ravishingravi

[randomGuy]

2 hours ago, ravishingravi said:

 

 

US is still worth it I would say. Atleast for next 10 years. But my sense is that the social pressures will get more intense on Indians in coming years. The old world is done. 

Only about a fortnight back, Trump miscommunicated suggesting h1b holders have to come back in 2 days, then clarification came 2 days. Imagine the panic in NRIs by what was an insensitive harassment of hardworking, productive, honest taxpayer.

[FischerTal]

in 10 years, Indian PcPP on PPP terms will be 75 percent of US. Tbh, I dont see Indians rushing out of India that quickly anymore. the only problem is the urban disasters that India creates. no liveable cities at all. trash everywhere, traffic and noise pollution and who can forget Dogesh on every corner giving you rabies. a lot of municipal problems to fix. the cities are overwhelmed as all villagers empty out to move there. 

[jf1gp_1]

21 minutes ago, FischerTal said:

in 10 years, Indian PcPP on PPP terms will be 75 percent of US. Tbh, I dont see Indians rushing out of India that quickly anymore. the only problem is the urban disasters that India creates. no liveable cities at all. trash everywhere, traffic and noise pollution and who can forget Dogesh on every corner giving you rabies. a lot of municipal problems to fix. the cities are overwhelmed as all villagers empty out to move there. 

Actually tier 2 cities have slowly started to give you touch of urban experience. Take dehradun, last thing I expected to see was a pickle ball club but you have one. You can still think of buying a 500sqm plot to build a house, live peacefully, while access to few modern amenities.

[ravishingravi]

2 hours ago, randomGuy said:

Only about a fortnight back, Trump miscommunicated suggesting h1b holders have to come back in 2 days, then clarification came 2 days. Imagine the panic in NRIs by what was an insensitive harassment of hardworking, productive, honest taxpayer.

 

Well honestly, I have lived in that world. All I can say is that you have to swallow whatever pride you have left. Karma bhoomi has a say on how you should feel. Mindset changes. You learn to take it because they pay you. Just like any other company job. 

[jf1gp_1]

13 minutes ago, ravishingravi said:

 

Well honestly, I have lived in that world. All I can say is that you have to swallow whatever pride you have left. Karma bhoomi has a say on how you should feel. Mindset changes. You learn to take it because they pay you. Just like any other company job. 

Yup the L1/H1 life beyond 6yrs while waiting for GC is extremely painful. Specially if your kid know only US life, you have purchased a house and settled. I know what it took to return.  

[FischerTal]

18 minutes ago, jf1gp_1 said:

Yup the L1/H1 life beyond 6yrs while waiting for GC is extremely painful. Specially if your kid know only US life, you have purchased a house and settled. I know what it took to return.  

my parents waited for 13 years before green card. I understand dhow you feel.

[FischerTal]

2 hours ago, jf1gp_1 said:

Actually tier 2 cities have slowly started to give you touch of urban experience. Take dehradun, last thing I expected to see was a pickle ball club but you have one. You can still think of buying a 500sqm plot to build a house, live peacefully, while access to few modern amenities.

 

I still think urban India can be fixed rather quickly if the powers that be change their mindset. problem is their thinking is limited to their own gated communities. what happens outside is none of their concern.

[jf1gp_1]

4 minutes ago, FischerTal said:

my parents waited for 13 years before green card. I understand dhow you feel.

Felt actually. I understood long back that life wasnt for me. 

[randomGuy]

22 minutes ago, jf1gp_1 said:

Yup the L1/H1 life beyond 6yrs while waiting for GC is extremely painful. Specially if your kid know only US life, you have purchased a house and settled. I know what it took to return.  

I don't like this bhikhari mindset of queueing up for Visa, lottery, GC, citizenship, sorry for harsh words, that's another reason I didn't go to USA (primary reason being losing interest in software/IT)... People i worked with at Microsoft in India are heading their cloud devision Azure today at VP n partner level roles in Redmond....I was never ever interested in moving outside India. 

[jf1gp_1]

3 minutes ago, FischerTal said:

 

I still think urban India can be fixed rather quickly if the powers that be change their mindset. problem is their thinking is limited to their own gated communities. what happens outside is none of their concern.

Few months back (it was pouring for few days, specifically that morning) i was trying to reach one of the embassy. Had to go via race course road which is right next to PMs residence. So much water logged that was worried car would shut down. I even told someone that this is the state infront of PMs house what hope do we citizens have in this country. Metros in my opinion are done. Tier 2 can still be revived. 

[jf1gp_1]

8 minutes ago, randomGuy said:

I don't like this bhikhari mindset of queueing up for Visa, lottery, GC, citizenship, sorry for harsh words, that's another reason I didn't go to USA (primary reason being losing interest in software/IT)... People i worked with at Microsoft in India are heading their cloud devision Azure today at VP n partner level roles in Redmond....I was never ever interested in moving outside India. 

I agree. Took me a while to understand thus i quit the race. 

 

That said, its still a lovely country and definitely better than India to live, raise family and retire. Question is are you willing to live with the fact that it will never be your country. 

Edited October 5, 2025 by jf1gp_1