Are there any warm countries with good governments?

watna

Jeremiah 16:1 wrote: »

'stralia.

New Zealand.

/thread.

I'm laughing my ass off at the idea that NZ is warm. Winters are quite cold (not quite as cold as Ireland but enough for scarves/gloves/hats and to ski in) but the worst thing is that houses in NZ don't have central heating, insulation or double glazing. The crazy kiwis have deluded themselves that it is not cold. Most kiwis don't know what a radiator is.

My first winter here was the hardest few months of my life. I've never worn so much fleecey clothes at the one time. I don't even live in the South Island. I dread to think what winter is like down there.

Manic Moran

liah wrote: »

I am not one of those people.

Your missing out. I'm quite pleased with California, even with the high taxes, cost of living and stupid gun laws.

NTM

pickarooney

In as much as any government is competent, the south of France has great weather, beautiful scenery and political stability.

Costa Rica is pretty stable, beautiful and the weather is A-1 Sharon.

Brazil is getting its act together politically and the weather is top notch.

Earthhorse

Yeah, France, geez, why didn't I think of that?

Spain and Portugal would be good too, I think. Yeah, I know they're not perfect but you need to get in before they are, it'll be too expensive to move there after the fact.

Gyalist

The Cayman Islands is overrun with you Canadians.

hal9000

Japan!

Sykk

Mrmoe wrote: »

Australia, but it's full of bloody Australians Irish.

FYP

bonerm

Mahatma coat wrote: »

Australia MAAAAAATE

Greatest countryt in the World

Guraanteed* a fair Go over here Mate





* Appllicant Should Be White, English speaking, Prefereably British or Irish, Asians Considered, But if yer Black :rolleyes:

Agree with this. They wouldn't be too far off if they renamed the place South East Africa.

Setun

thenutflush wrote: »

Now, couple all of this with the fact that:
- we get no major natural disasters
- we speak english (this is a benefit whether we deny it or not)
- our weather is often very pleasant in the summer
- people are reasonably sound on average
- we don't get involved in wars
etc..

That bit made me lol. Can't wait until they start measuring the "average soundness" of various nationalities.

Setun

hal9000 wrote: »

Japan!

Actually that's a good point - if you go to south Japan (maybe Okinawa?) you'd get beautiful beaches, hot weather, and all the crazy perks of living in Japan eg sushi and unbelievable arcades with retro Bomberman

Mr Benevolent

Canada.

rugbug86

One problem with NZ tho, it has awful winters!

Australia is the way to go.

snubbleste

France - La Réunion in the Indian Ocean

liah

Manic Moran wrote: »

Your missing out. I'm quite pleased with California, even with the high taxes, cost of living and stupid gun laws.

NTM

I was born in Cali, actually.. but I refuse to go to the U.S., their politics scare the crap out of me and American media (news etc) is useless.. and I don't really like the "AMERICA'S NUMBER ONE!" mentality or the hate arising from the two-party system. If I were to go back to North America it'd be to Canada, but there isn't anywhere in Canada except maybe southern British Columbia that's warm all year round.

Marcus.Aurelius

Australia is great, but house prices, food prices will knock you back a lot.

Somebody said Thailand? WTF???? Have you been there? It's supposed to be a corrupt nuthouse, I've been several times, have you?

Marcus.Aurelius

liah wrote: »

I was born in Cali, actually.. but I refuse to go to the U.S., their politics scare the crap out of me and American media (news etc) is useless.. and I don't really like the "AMERICA'S NUMBER ONE!" mentality or the hate arising from the two-party system.

Australia is very similar, the TV is rubbish and very Americanised, and they have the same "greatest country in the world" mentality as the Americans do.

The US would be easier to get into and you'd have a lot more disposable income from your wage. Australia has gone mad with taxes, property costs, food costs etc.

Do your research first if you're ever considering it.

Wompa1

Pride in your country is a bad thing!? My dad thinks Ireland is the best country in the world. I wouldn't agree with him but wouldn't begrudge it either, if Americans want to believe they live in the best country in the world then who cares, good for them. Whatever about the patriotism it would nice to have that optimism here at least.

jackiebaron

Karsini wrote: »

I hear good things about New Zealand alright, a friend of mine was over there a few years ago.

In summertime New Zealand is just as miserable as Ireland is in Wintertime, no?

Wibbs

North west atlantic coast of "green" Spain for me. Great climate and countryside. Think Ireland with better weather(and better scenery). The locals are a good fit for us, whether Basque Asturian or Galician. Economically it's one of the richest in Europe(or would be if a separate country). They have a very good heath service. One of the best in the EU. Crime is pretty low and the corruption scandals that have come up in southern and eastern Spain don't seem to crop up there so much. Plus if you're homesick its only 90 mins away from Dublin flying from Bilbao(dunno if there are Cork flights. if so, knock a half hour off I'd reckon). Plus loads of cultural stuff. I'd think of it as the Celtic Latin country. Gets my vote anyway.

jackiebaron

macquarie wrote: »

I know you want to exclude the US but the southern states and california, new mexico, etc have great climates and the US has what a lot of people consider one of the most stable political systems in the world.

Yup, that 2 party dictatorship is well entrenched and going nowhere. It's the electorate that are the unhinged ones.

liah

Wompa1 wrote: »

Pride in your country is a bad thing!? My dad thinks Ireland is the best country in the world. I wouldn't agree with him but wouldn't begrudge it either, if Americans want to believe they live in the best country in the world then who cares, good for them. Whatever about the patriotism it would nice to have that optimism here at least.

It's one thing to be proud of your country for legitimate reasons, but it's another altogether when it's a country like the States--- they're raised thinking anything America does is right and just, and that is setting an incredibly dangerous precedent, due to the amount of global power they have. But I digress.

It's just really not the country for me at all, in any way, shape, or form.

And yeah, I won't go to Oz (or at least, I don't want to live there) because of the whole censorship thing, and I think the accent would drive me insane after a week or two..

mikemac

I was going to say Italy, beautiful country

Then I remembered their government is even more corrupt and useless then our own!

jackiebaron

PeakOutput wrote: »

my personal potential paradises are

new zealand
australia
hawaii
bali
thailand
south korea
maldives
potentially some african countries i know nothing about
california
oregon
new england in the summer at least


in the next 18months ill hav visited all but the asian countries unless i get my greencard in may in which case ill commit to the states for a few years

Is there any work in the US anymore? I have a US passport but haven't lived there since 1999.

Wompa1

liah wrote: »

It's one thing to be proud of your country for legitimate reasons, but it's another altogether when it's a country like the States--- they're raised thinking anything America does is right and just, and that is setting an incredibly dangerous precedent, due to the amount of global power they have. But I digress.

It's just really not the country for me at all, in any way, shape, or form.

And yeah, I won't go to Oz (or at least, I don't want to live there) because of the whole censorship thing, and I think the accent would drive me insane after a week or two..

I've yet to meet an American that has thought everything America does is right. If that was the case I'd imagine it wouldn't be a two party system at all. It could just be a one party system or a dictatorship. The 70's was all about speaking out against the Government...Kent State and all that...

But sure you are entitled to your own opinion. There's something about Australia that doesn't appeal to me either. I'd visit but wouldn't stay.

What about Peurto Rico? I know it's US. But I'd say it's pretty different.

Costa Rica is having an upsurge jobs wise. Don't know much about their government though. If you don't like American politics, maybe you'd side with Venezuela?

PeakOutput

JupiterKid wrote: »

Only the North Island on New Zealand can be considerred "warm". The climate of the South Island is very like our own.

South Korea? Seriously? First of all, it's very much a temperate country in the mid latitudes with hot summers, yes, but very cold freezing winters. Like the East Coast of the USA. No-one's idea of a balmy tropical paradise.

Also it has the giant sword of Damocles - North Korea - hanging over it.

Oregon? Nope. It's climate is not unlike our own - it gets quite a lot of rain and has a mild/oceanic climate but has a beautiful landscape. Forests, mountains and huge snow capped volcanoes.

Even California isn't the sunny "paradise" climate-wise it's thought to be. It's Southern California (LA and San Diego) that is sunny and warm but Northern California - including San Francisco - is quite mild and gets wet and foggy winters and springs. Then there are the earthquakes to contend with. I know as I lived there.:cool:

i didnt say they met her criteria, i just said they were my choices

Is there any work in the US anymore? I have a US passport but haven't lived there since 1999.

americans keep telling me there are plenty of jobs but it dosnt really matter for me as i have guaranteed work any time im there

WindSock

NZ is to Oz as Canada is to The US. Great country but fairly quiet and isolated. The people are fantastically friendly though.

Red Hand

PeakOutput wrote: »

americans keep telling me there are plenty of jobs but it dosnt really matter for me as i have guaranteed work any time im there

Gigilo!

I'd go with Basque country.

jackiebaron

PeakOutput wrote: »

i didnt say they met her criteria, i just said they were my choices



americans keep telling me there are plenty of jobs but it dosnt really matter for me as i have guaranteed work any time im there

Guaranteed work? What's that then.....your uncle have a construction company or summat?

Anyway folks, another option for liah might be French Guyana on the northern coast of South America. It's actually part of the EU and they even use the Euro there. You could also try Ceuta and Mellila (EU enclave on the North African coast owned by Spain.

Tranceypoo

Monaco. As long as you're minted.

pickarooney

I'd have to say you're being a bit naive/picky if you'd rule out Australia for what you see as strict censorship or the USA because of bad television. The media should not be an issue in deciding the merits of a country (unless journalists are being murdered on a regular basis I suppose) as you essentially choose your own TV, music and news sources no matter where you're living. Far, far, far more important are the everyday things like employment, health and education, culture, food even. And of course visa requirements goes without saying.

PeakOutput

jackiebaron wrote: »

Guaranteed work? What's that then.....your uncle have a construction company or summat?

i do have uncles over there but no its nothing to do with them, i just have experience in a niche that hasnt been hit very hard by the recession and i was lucky that the company i work for has offered to sponsor my greencard when my access to student visas runs out

id love to work in the southern hemisphere for a year or two but ill find it very hard to not commit to america when i graduate

Setun

liah wrote: »

I was born in Cali, actually.. but I refuse to go to the U.S., their politics scare the crap out of me and American media (news etc) is useless.. and I don't really like the "AMERICA'S NUMBER ONE!" mentality or the hate arising from the two-party system. If I were to go back to North America it'd be to Canada, but there isn't anywhere in Canada except maybe southern British Columbia that's warm all year round.

To be honest I don't think there's any paradise on earth one could call utopia - although maybe antartica for its very low population density might come close :P The trick is to find the places you're willing to compromise on.

Anybody know what Croatia is like to live in these days?

pickarooney

I have a meeting with a Croat after lunch. I'll ask him.

Fremen

Portugal? Socialist government, decriminalised drugs, laid-back people (in my experience).

Slovenia could be worth looking into too. It's just like Italy but without Burlesconi, and cheaper.

liah

pickarooney wrote: »

I'd have to say you're being a bit naive/picky if you'd rule out Australia for what you see as strict censorship or the USA because of bad television. The media should not be an issue in deciding the merits of a country (unless journalists are being murdered on a regular basis I suppose) as you essentially choose your own TV, music and news sources no matter where you're living. Far, far, far more important are the everyday things like employment, health and education, culture, food even. And of course visa requirements goes without saying.

It's not like I'm ruling out the USA just for bad television. There's a LOT about the US I really don't like, some of it I've covered here, most of it scattered around boards. The US culture doesn't appeal to me.. and the censorship in OZ is a big thing for me as I'm incredibly anti-censorship, what little there is here in Germany already drives me batty.

Fremen

I present to you your now home!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OosYFs3cyZ8

Dilynnio

liah wrote: »

It's not like I'm ruling out the USA just for bad television. There's a LOT about the US I really don't like, some of it I've covered here, most of it scattered around boards. The US culture doesn't appeal to me.. and the censorship in OZ is a big thing for me as I'm incredibly anti-censorship, what little there is here in Germany already drives me batty.

Hey Liah!

Glad I saw your post.

I am defo thinking along the same lines and have been looking into warmer climates for awhile.I also want to experience a different culture.....one thats more outdoorsie and does not revolve around booze!

I really dont want to kiss goodbye to Ireland forever but for a couple of months a year would be nice!

I was going to make a list of a few places and check them out by visiting them......obviously over a period of time and then decide!

I dont think a place exists with ticks for your full criteria......if it did it would be packed and would probably re ruined and be like everywhere else in a few years!

If the weather was better here if may not be so bad!

jackiebaron

PeakOutput wrote: »

i didnt say they met her criteria, i just said they were my choices



americans keep telling me there are plenty of jobs but it dosnt really matter for me as i have guaranteed work any time im there

Guaranteed work? What's that then.....your uncle have a construction company or summat?

Anyway folks, another option for liah might be French Guyana on the northern coast of South America. It's actually part of the EU and they even use the Euro there. You could also try Ceuta and Mellila (EU enclaves on the North African coast owned by Spain).

What about some of those Caribbean islands like Trinidad, Barbados, Bahamas, St Lucia, Bermuda.

Then you've got the East and far East but I'd say while some of these places have lovely weather at SOME times of the year, I hear that at other times of the year you'd be absolutely miserable like monsoon season or that time of the year when the muggy heat and humidity and insects are just hellish like in Thailand and Vietnam.

Singapore? (just don't get caught with chewing gum)
Malaysia

Plus as an EU citizen you have the right to live and work in France's Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Ocean Islands. The only jobs however are probably barman or coconut salesman.

PeakOutput

jackiebaron wrote: »

Guaranteed work? What's that then.....your uncle have a construction company or summat?

you already asked me that and i already answered it

jackiebaron

PeakOutput wrote: »

you already asked me that and i already answered it

Dunno what happened there. I posted and my original post showed up in a new reply box or some sh1t, I dunno. I'm a unix guy.

Fremen

PeakOutput wrote: »

you already asked me that and i already answered it

Yep, his uncle's a pornographer.

Notorious

Venezuela - flood your house and Hugo Chavez will let you live in his presidential palace. Also, there's a free national health care system and being a native english speaker will help you get a decent job. There's a bit of a high crime rate at the moment, but they're working on that.

IamtheWalrus

Ghandee wrote: »

Cuba

Run down shite hole. Was there last year.

jackiebaron

Notorious wrote: »

Venezuela - flood your house and Hugo Chavez will let you live in his presidential palace. Also, there's a free national health care system and being a native english speaker will help you get a decent job. There's a bit of a high crime rate at the moment, but they're working on that.

Plus, if the supermarket tries to jack up the price of beer, Hugo just comes in and takes them over and drops the price again.

Sulmac

How about one of those Dutch territories in the Caribbean? Some have self-rule (1, 2, 3), while some are actually 'part' of the Netherlands proper.

pickarooney

Sint-Maarten is an absolute kip, a prime example of what happens when you let Dutch people interfere with natural beauty.

Aruba could be cool though, just saying the name reminds me of Captain Pillowcase.

fakearms123

Might I suggest Belize, on the Caribbean and English is the main language.

hal9000

I wonder how easy it would be to get a job on some of the more obscure islands mentioned here?

pickarooney

fakearms123 wrote: »

Might I suggest Belize, on the Caribbean and English is the main language.

And it was founded by pirates. Worth an extra 50 points surely.

Just don't mention the hurricane.

Xavi6

Marcus.Aurelius wrote: »

Australia is great, but house prices, food prices will knock you back a lot.

Disagree on the house prices bit, for Perth anyway. It's all relative to your earnings and as a 25 year old earning a slightly above average salary, the prices don't scare me one bit (I'd be buying with a second income though).

Liah, you seem a tad picky tbh. If you can find so much fault with first world countries then I'm not sure what it will take to satisfy you. Nowhere's perfect afterall.