You have a very convenient definition of on-topic. You've narrowed the scope from 'americans should be financially irresponsible because the government will always bail them out' to 'I had to put 20% down on my house'. It's almost funny.
It probably would be funny, except that I'm now in a bad mood because some other poster just compared me to a rapist for defending advertising, so I can't laugh at what an incredibly dishonest piece of shit you are.
And make no mistake, that sort of goalpost moving is just dishonesty... it's just you admitting that you're a fucking liar.
Also, if you were a Swiss Citizen, you would be able to play the game by betting your pension against the house, instead of using cash. The cash requirement exists for you because you are an outsider and thus less trustworthy.
Your comment is dumb and offensive on so many levels.
@dang: I know HN is a safe haven for idiotic white men, but could you please hide that shit? It's fucking disgusting to be called a rapist for defending advertising. It's... I get that you're ALSO a white man who doesn't understand what rape is like, but seriously.. that is FUCKING DISGUSTING.
edit: @aianus: you are what is wrong with this place. if @dang is not a garbage person, he will ban you. Fortunately for you, all evidence is that dang is a complete and total garbage person, who wants HN to be as hostile as fucking possible, and thinks it's fine to compare advertising to rape.
Enjoy your wealth tax, your compulsory social insurance, your common second pillar insurance, your strict immigration controls, your smug and utterly false belief that the US bails out everything, Switzerland bails out nothing, and your similarly baseless belief that this is ultimately beneficial.
I really and truly do wish that more "people" like you would leave the country. Thank you for having the backbone to leave. As an American, I'm INCREDIBLY glad that you're no longer here.
Sadly, you probably still keep your US passport, because that's super-valuable, and you're an enormous hypocrite. Am I right?
Also, it's worth noting that if you ever gain Swiss Citizenship (you won't, but whatever), are aged or invalid and don't have money, you'll get free money from the Swiss government. So if your life goes sideways and you're an enormous hypocrite, you'll be able to get some help.
If you ask somebody if they want personalized ads, of course they say no. That sounds creepy.
But in reality, those ads work, which means that people are more likely to make a voluntary economic transaction after seeing them than they would be in the base condition.
So this comes down to: do we believe what people say... or what they do?
What country do you live in where it is impossible to make a mistake and then get societal help to recover?
Truly the US hasn't been the same since the government paid off all overly large student loans, irresponsibly spent credit card balances, desperately sought payday loans, and other avoidable, life-destroying debt. And since all of that debt has been canceled, I'm looking for a more responsible place to live.
I'm just glad that US banks don't allow truly predatory acts, such as the use of a pension as the down payment for a house, so that a borrower who defaults loses far more than their home. That sort of behavior is legal in some uncivilized regimes because it allows lenders to make bad loans without suffering any negative recourse; but fortunately it is not legal in the US.
Then please don't call yourself a feminist. You are incredibly disgusting, and you clearly have ZERO empathy for women.
It makes me physically SICK that you think it is appropriate to compare "people engaging in voluntary transactions" with GETTING RAPED.