patrick.net

bob2356 says

when I lived in France.

That explains a few things

bob2356 says

10. Europeans More Likely to Speak Foreign Languages

That's because there are a lot more foreigners in Europe.

7. Universal Healthcare

They do and they pay between $7 and $9 a gallon for "petrol" to fund their government's benevolence and "free" health care? How many people in this country would be willing or even able to pay $150 every time they filled their tanks so that they could get "free" stuff and services? And how would such transporation costs by extension affect the costs of everything else? How long do you think people would be able to drive the big pickups and SUV's they love so well due to living on a continent where you can drive 75-80 MPH for 500 miles and still have 500 miles to go the next day? What would it be like if you had, not through legislation but financial necessity, to be limited to a 1 litre, three-cylinder Pobeda with 85 HP? $3-$4 a gallon seems high, but that's mostly because of zero interest rates--gasoline was selling for about $1.80 a gallon in 2008--by European standards, it might as well have been free and it's still a bargain by comparison.

P N Dr Lo R says

What would it be like if you had, not through legislation but financial necessity, to be limited to a 1 litre, three-cylinder Pobeda with 85 HP?

I drove a 68 HP 1.4 5 door diesel wagon not too long ago. I liked it. It took a while to get up to speed but no worse than a 1980's vintage economy car but this one had much more torque, working A/C and navigation.

It was fine - get over it.

P N Dr Lo R says

7. Universal Healthcare

They do and they pay between $7 and $9 a gallon for "petrol" to fund their government's benevolence and "free" health care? How many people in this country would be willing or even able to pay $150 every time they filled their tanks so that they could get "free" stuff and services? And how would such transporation costs by extension affect the costs of everything else? How long do you think people would be able to drive the big pickups and SUV's they love so well due to living on a continent where you can drive 75-80 MPH for 500 miles and still have 500 miles to go the next day? What would it be like if you had, not through legislation but financial necessity, to be limited to a 1 litre, three-cylinder Pobeda with 85 HP? $3-$4 a gallon seems high, but that's mostly because of zero interest rates--gasoline was selling for about $1.80 a gallon in 2008--by European standards, it might as well have been free and it's still a bargain by comparison.

Actually, the US spends vastly more per person on its healthcare than any other country, so commenting on the price of petrol doesn't really do much for your argument.

P N Dr Lo R says

They do and they pay between $7 and $9 a gallon for "petrol" to fund their government's benevolence and "free" health care?

They know it's not "free" heath care it's universal health care. Just like the caption says.

P N Dr Lo R says

How long do you think people would be able to drive the big pickups and SUV's they love so well due to living on a continent where you can drive 75-80 MPH for 500 miles and still have 500 miles to go the next day?

Big pickups and suvs spend 95% of their time going to the mall and soccer practice.

Indian.....is that what those people in India speak?

Strategist says

You don't know So. Cal. They are Americans who don't speak American.

This is what I see at times in the top 5 languages:

1. Spanish Spanish Spanish

2. Chinese

3. Vietnamese

4. Indian

5. Arabic

6. English

Foreign Language is overrated. In fact, language is a major weakness of the EU.

People in Europe tend to be less wealthy because they do not think out of the box. Many governments are downright anti-wealth.

Peter P says

Many governments are downright anti-wealth.

Bingo

I think a language that is useful to know is Latin. As you better understand the etymology of the language.

Not that I speak it other than 2 words that I have to use often when speaking to liberals. (non sequitur)

English language was always considered the language of business so other cultures in europe learned it in order to be competative with and interact with other marketplace participants. It was a purely business matter. English language is the antidote to babylon.

Peter P says

People in Europe tend to be less wealthy because they do not think out of the box. .

If you mean there is a lot less of the wealth held by the 1% and a lot more held by the rest of society then you are correct. Miiddle class families in a lot western europe makes almost as much as middle class families in the US. But they work 35-40 hours a week, take 6-8 weeks off a year, are frequently single earner, and pursue a much less consumer orientated lifestyle. A walk after dinner rather than a trip to walmart or the mall is the norm many other places.

Peter P says

Many governments are downright anti-wealth.

Governments are the will of the people. Those societies have chosen to be anti-wealth. It's pretty arrogant of you to assume that the greed is good american consumer society should be the goal of everyone around the world. There are a lot of people who look west over the atlantic and say why the hell do the americans want to live like that? Are they crazy?

New Renter says

I drove a 68 HP 1.4 5 door diesel wagon not too long ago. I liked it. It took a while to get up to speed but no worse than a 1980's vintage economy car but this one had much more torque,

I bought a new '04 VW TDI 5 spd and loved it--its acceleration in high gear at highway speeds was phenomenal. However, by '06 it was already having problems at only 16K miles--a recall for the EGR cooler and a replacement of the tandem pump assembly 1,000 miles later, covered by warranty, made me feel skittish, so I traded it in on a new Altima 3.5 SE. It was perfect, but when it was five years old it had only 19K miles on it so I sold it back to a dealer for a nice price and bought an antique for half the money. I'm now driving a '96 Roadmaster with 52K miles--the perfect size, around 4,200 lbs., with the 260 HP LT-1 engine.

Interesting article from daily mail related to this post:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2687696/Could-smelling-farts-GOOD-Potent-gas-flatulence-help-prevent-cancer-strokes-heart-attacks-claim

Ceffer says

Americans are better at lighting their farts. Europeans think it a waste of good perfume.

I've been to several countries in western europe and for the most part found that things there cost more than in united states. The one exception being portugal where going out to eat is a significantly better value proposition compared to united states especially where seafood and wine are concerned. In england, surprisingly some things were also better priced compared to united states (such as brazilian steakhouses) but others such as chinese restaurants were considerably more expensive. Items in stores such as clothes and television seems much more expensive than here for equivalent quality. I do like the european custom of restaurant establishment not presenting you the bill, the customer asks for it when they are ready to leave. They are not all about the table turnover ratio like here in united states. It's also nice how for the most part over there people are compensated better so that it's not expected how you "have to" tip the employee 15-18% like here. And no separate "sales tax" to hike up the food bill, the VAT is baked into the price.

bob2356 says

A walk after dinner rather than a trip to walmart or the mall is the norm many
other places.

This is a stereotype. Plenty of people where I live go walking after dinner and have no interest whatsoever to go to walmart regardless of what time of the day....or what time of the year.

bob2356 says

There are a lot of people who look west over the atlantic and say why the hell do the americans want to live like that? Are they crazy?

Well they can stay over there and live the way they want to and we can live the way we want to and we'll both be happy.

New Renter says

This part is bullshit. The European anti-GMO has nothing to do with science and everything to do with protectionism.

But US GMO has more to do with bullshit exportation; versus naturalized hybrids, GMOs have a mixed record. It's not awesome massive increased productivity 100% of the time like Monsanto and the USG promulgate.

(I don't believe that GMOs are going to kill you, but I also don't believe they're going to save the planet and are wonder weapons against starvation that marketing has made them out to be - their job is to redirect limited cash surpluses back to the US in the form of next year's seed grain instead of saving seed).

bob2356 says

If you mean there is a lot less of the wealth held by the 1% and a lot more held by the rest of society then you are correct. Miiddle class families in a lot western europe makes almost as much as middle class families in the US. But they work 35-40 hours a week, take 6-8 weeks off a year, are frequently single earner, and pursue a much less consumer orientated lifestyle. A walk after dinner rather than a trip to walmart or the mall is the norm many other places.

And nobody loses a home or their life savings due to medical bills.

Oh, and you get free tech ed - you don't graduate with some generic HS diploma.

bob2356 says

f you mean there is a lot less of the wealth held by the 1% and a lot more held by the rest of society then you are correct.

What's the point of working if "making it" is not as satisfying?

bob2356 says

Those societies have chosen to be anti-wealth. It's pretty arrogant of you to assume that the greed is good american consumer society should be the goal of everyone around the world.

This is why they are going nowhere.

There are exceptions though. Denmark is quite successful. Everything is awesome. They have pro-business policies.

No, greed is NOT good. Greed is the only fear of missing out. However, the sheer will to satisfy oneself is holy. Consumerism is not that bad. It is a platform with which regular folks can satisfy some of their wants.

dublin hillz says

English language was always considered the language of business so other cultures in europe learned it in order to be competative with and interact with other marketplace participants. It was a purely business matter. English language is the antidote to babylon.

French was the language of business until the last 20-30 years. With 40 countries that are french speaking french is one of the three top languages for business around the world especially in africa and se asia . French is on the decline, but it's still important for doing business in big chunks of the world.

dublin hillz says

English language was always considered the language of business so other cultures in europe learned it in order to be competative with and interact with other marketplace participants. It was a purely business matter. English language is the antidote to babylon.

English is also a PUN-tastic language. No wonder the two countries with the best comedians are UK and USA.

bob2356 says

French was the language of business until the last 20-30 years.

Restaurant business? ;-)

I know just enough French to order off a menu.

MMR says

Indian.....is that what those people in India speak?

Strategist says

You don't know So. Cal. They are Americans who don't speak American.

This is what I see at times in the top 5 languages:

1. Spanish Spanish Spanish

2. Chinese

3. Vietnamese

4. Indian

5. Arabic

6. English

I understand there are multiple languages in China and India. I just lumped them together.

Peter P says

No, greed is NOT good. Greed is the only fear of missing out. However, the sheer will to satisfy oneself is holy. Consumerism is not that bad. It is a platform with which regular folks can satisfy some of their wants.

I don't think I can explain this to you. Actually I'm sure I can't. But there are places where peoples want's aren't about buying junk from walmart. Not because they can't, because they don't want to. A very strange, almost unfathomable, concept for most americans.

bob2356 says

I don't think I can explain this to you.

Yes delusions are hard to explain. By definition they are subjective. Things that are easy to explain are objective...

Peter P says

bob2356 says

French was the language of business until the last 20-30 years.

Restaurant business? ;-)

I know just enough French to order off a menu.

That qualifies you as a linguistic genius for an american. I had a couple belgian windsurfing buddies I used to hang out with in leucate (languedoc region) who told me I spoke pretty good english for an american. Mercifully they didn't comment on my present tense only french other than giggling at things like I go to the store yesterday.

indigenous says

bob2356 says

I don't think I can explain this to you.

Yes delusions are hard to explain. By definition they are subjective. Things that are easy to explain are objective...

Is there some type of conservative creed that says you always have to be a pain in the ass? Why don't you add some excitement to your life and go watch the grass grow.

bob2356 says

conservative creed that says you always have to be a pain in the ass?

You are just figuring that out now?

indigenous says

bob2356 says

conservative creed that says you always have to be a pain in the ass?

You are just figuring that out now?

No I'm just stating it now. Everyone knew it a long, long time ago. Ok if watching the grass grow is too much action adventure for you, try watching paint dry. It's much less movement involved. No one wants you overstimulated.

The problem with English is that it's the Freak of Indo-European languages.

It's much easier NOT to have to remember to do something than to remember to do an entirely new thing, so an English speaker has to remember to genderize and pluralize definite and indefinite articles, for example - something that comes reflexively to any other IE speaker, whether it's a German learning Spanish or a Russian learning French. Not to mention aggressively conjugate verbs based on the Subject.

I have, you have, they have, she/he/it has, we have. Only one verb change in the present tense, and in English regular verbs it's usually only the third person that changes. Compare to Spanish: Yo tengo, tu tienes, uds tiene, el/ella tiene, ellos/ellas tienen, nos. tenemos. English really only has two tenses (past and present) and the gerund. IE languages have many more, plus a subjunctive case with multiple tenses.

Basically, English is the only primarily analytic IE language. All others, from German to Spanish to Russian, are primarily synthetic. English relies on adding words rather than modifying the same word many different ways. For example, compare the future tense in English which is basically "will"+ present tense verb, whereas with other IE languages it's memorizing a boat load of multiple verb endings/stem changes.

That's why English speakers have such a hard time.

I made faster progress through Chinese and Indonesian than I do in Spanish, because they are analytic languages like English. Shit, Mandarin is so easy the past is indicated just by adding "Le" at the end of a sentence (if I remember right).

bob2356 says

Everyone knew it a long, long time ago.

It is incumbent on our ilk to guide the sheep in a safe direction in spite of themselves. Every once in a while one of the sheep wakes up and says you know Indigenous what you are pointing to is true, but this is very rare. With ability comes responsibility, so that is our cross to bear.

indigenous says

Bingo

Unlike ours, which seems to have a contingency of people who are definitely pro-wealth, but only so long as all of it is concentrated at the very top while the rest of the country gets poorer and poorer and any talk of wage increase is deemed " communist"

edvard2 says

Unlike ours, which seems to have a contingency of people who are definitely pro-wealth, but only so long as all of it is concentrated at the very top while the rest of the country gets poorer and poorer and any talk of wage increase is deemed " communist"

As I have stated many times this is a result of inflation. Which is a result of government not the market.

edvard2 says

indigenous says

Bingo

Unlike ours, which seems to have a contingency of people who are definitely pro-wealth, but only so long as all of it is concentrated at the very top while the rest of the country gets poorer and poorer and any talk of wage increase is deemed " communist"

Wealth concentration is NOT an issue. In America, there is enough mobility for people to get in and out of the top.

There IS an equality problem though. People should have the equal access to opportunities. But regulations like minimum wage will not change this.

It is no longer sufficient to work hard and build a career. The world is changing too much in one lifetime. People must learn to become opportunists.

indigenous says

As I have stated many times this is a result of inflation. Which is a result of government not the market.

Nope. I already disproved your assertion. 5 times so far. I'm puzzled as to how its so difficult to understand. Sure- its easy to "Blame da' gummbermint'" for everything. But the reality is that wages have been driven down by market expectations: The push for ever-cheaper consumer goods lead to ever-lower wages for the employees whom support those businesses. When you have that then the overall net income of the country as per capita household income drops over time. Meanwhile this effect has greatly benefited the various board members, owners, CEOs and so on whom pushed such agendas.

Peter P says

It is no longer sufficient to work hard and build a career. The world is changing too much in one lifetime. People must learn to become opportunists.

Unfortunately, mastery is not free and true mastery requires experience, not just lecture attendance.

Humans are limited by their biology and neurological aspects, even if the economy demands otherwise, in which case economics must change to confirm to humans, rather than humans to blackboard theory.

Well, European food is better in Europe. American food is usually not that great even in America. Even the more interesting American sub-cuisines (Cajun, Californian) have European influences.

thunderlips11 says

Peter P says

It is no longer sufficient to work hard and build a career. The world is changing too much in one lifetime. People must learn to become opportunists.

Unfortunately, mastery is not free and true mastery requires experience, not just lecture attendance.

Humans are limited by their biology and neurological aspects, even if the economy demands otherwise, in which case economics must change to confirm to humans, rather than humans to blackboard theory.

Quite the contrary, the human will is stronger than you think.

Economics work so long as there are winners and losers, and we all evolve as a society.

CaptainShuddup says

America is becoming a better commie fascist state than Europe we should all be proud of that.

Yes Europe has it better because of their low taxes which we have never tried here it's (its) liberals wrecked our economy what happened to my prunes where's my bourbon at kids get off my lawn.

Peter P says

Quite the contrary, the human will is stronger than you think.

Can you expand on this?

History's graveyard of ideologies is full of ideas that depend on harnessing human will. The humans failed the ideas.

Peter P says

Economics work so long as there are winners and losers, and we all evolve as a society.

How many economists predicted the financial crisis?