How should the U.S. be more like Europe?

[EMNofSeattle]

Have the Europeans gotten some things right that we in the states have gotten wrong?

I feel there must be, but I'm not sure what they are.

I could ask the same question about Asia.

I could ask the same about Japan which I see as different enough from the rest of Asia that any lesson we learn from the would be separate from the lessons we learn from the rest of Asia.

But let's start with Europe.

What do they do that we should do? What do they understand that we do not?

Please be ready to defend that these European ideas would work in the U.S.

We should have established Christian church and a hereditary monarchy and aristocracy

 

[The Stars Tremble]

No pharmaceutical ads on the telly.

This is a huge one. Perhaps American govt though doctors would resist requests from patients, but clearly they thought wrong. It's hard to tell a patient No when they're sure already, and the placebo effect probably gets more strength from advertising. This is probably a Freedom of Speech thing.

There's already prescribed marijuana in some states. Eventually I am certain there will be other outright recreational drugs dispensed the same way. And THEN we'll have to think carefully about allowing that class of drugs to be advertised. Dependence doesn't need advertising to help it along.

"Is the weekend too damn long? Rather sleep most of it and be 150% for Monday? Ask your doctor about Zomb!"

Often better food. That wasn't always the case but it is more so today than ever before. Much of the meat contains less chemicals. The bread is often better.

The bread is better, but it's a trade-off. It goes stale in a day.

Transportation systems are often better than in the US, especially rail.

Europe on the whole is less materialistic than the US.

Europe is becoming better educated than the US.

Not sure about the education. All the rest is good, earns a Like.[/QUOTE][/QUOTE]

 

[The Stars Tremble]

We should have established Christian church and a hereditary monarchy and aristocracy

An established church works for the UK and Sweden. They're both very liberal churches. Also monarchy attracts tourists, for being quaint I guess.

 

[EMNofSeattle]

An established church works for the UK and Sweden. They're both very liberal churches. Also monarchy attracts tourists, for being quaint I guess.

These are true, but I’m talking about establishing the structure then using it to push anti-liberal ends.

The entire enlightenment should be pushed back. I’m talking about an authoritarian state dedicated in part to helping you be right with Jesus

 

[Peter King]

Speaking of the Netherlands, they can drink the tap water. That would be nice, if Americans could actually drink the tap water.

I drink nothing but tap water. In the summer I buy bottled water once, after it is consumed I fill it up with tap water, throw it in the fridge and I have cook drinking water all summer long.

 

[Peter King]

Better pastries and higher quality table wines at inexpensive restaurants.

In the price of your meal the waiter/waitress costs have been calculated. Waiters/waitresses get a decent wage, they don't have to live of tips

 

[Peter King]

No pharmaceutical ads on the telly.

Often better food. That wasn't always the case but it is more so today than ever before. Much of the meat contains less chemicals. The bread is often better.

Transportation systems are often better than in the US, especially rail.

Europe on the whole is less materialistic than the US.

Europe is becoming better educated than the US.

We also value our free time more than more money and more hours of working. Work life balance is very important in large sections of Europe. Some might call us lazy, but most northern Europeans do almost as much in their work hours than most do in a longer day.

For example I worked for a Japanese company, and while he might work to late in the evening (our boss) but for large parts of the day he almost did nothing but read Japanese newspapers, make calls, walk around and do very very little.

 

[Chagos]

We also value our free time more than more money and more hours of working. Work life balance is very important in large sections of Europe. Some might call us lazy, but most northern Europeans do almost as much in their work hours than most do in a longer day.

For example I worked for a Japanese company, and while he might work to late in the evening (our boss) but for large parts of the day he almost did nothing but read Japanese newspapers, make calls, walk around and do very very little.

As I would tell employees of mine applying for overtime pay: "If you can't do it in the designated working hours, you're the wrong person for the job".

I incidentally often had working days pretty much like your boss did, but that was due to needing to be available for those that contacted me late in their US day, or just getting up in the Far East when it would have been my bed time.

Not a desirable lay-out, but what could you do?

 

[Chagos]

It's nothing I didn't already know, but I'm starting to get upset reading all these practical social laws that Europe has but in the US are too radical to even be on the table.

No politcian here talks about legalizing prostitution. None of them talk about increasing vacation days. Nobody seriously talks about lowering the drinking age (even though you can join the Army at 17). We are struggling to even legalize weed. Half the population would literally have a breakdown if a mainstream politician suggested that school didn't do the pledge of allegiance

Take into account though that there is no uniform regulation in Europe on the issues I've bolded above.

As such the legal status of prostitution varies from country to country. Where, as just one example, France prohibits it completely, Germany does not. This has led to much tourism from those French living near to the German border.

To stay with Germany, the legalization of weed has been a controversial issue for years. While even possession (let alone trading) is illegal in Germany, the currently elected parties that will most likely form the future coalition government are clamoring for its decriminalization and will most likely push that thru.

Weed, where growing it, trading in it and consuming it, is actually illegal even in the assumed Cannabis Mecca of The Netherlands.

But it's not penalized (now there's a Salomonic solution if ever I saw one).

It remains illegal in the UK (no longer in the EU) and in practically all other EU states, although maybe a third of the total states don't penalize with jail time, while in the greater rest you can wind up there. That's not to say you will (in the latter case), it'll depend on the gravity of the "misdeed" and on which foot the judge got out of bed that morning.

 

[Chagos]

I drink nothing but tap water. In the summer I buy bottled water once, after it is consumed I fill it up with tap water, throw it in the fridge and I have cook drinking water all summer long.

I'll cook with it and use it for coffee etc., but with some of the best mineral water springs near me (here in Spain), I'll opt for what is bottled there if I want to drink water.

Not because the tap water can't be drunk, the mineral variety simply tastes better.

 

[Dayton3]

A lot of people have covered things I wanted to say, but something to add I think is making cities bikeable. When I was in Copenhagen I couldn't believe how easy it was to get around. Even outside of Denmark most larger cities have much better bike lanes and/or public transportation than the US. Many European cities feel more modern than most US cities.

Not doable in most American cities.

 

[Nomad4Ever]

Not doable in most American cities.

This is America. We could do it if we wanted to.

 

[german hick]

As I would tell employees of mine applying for overtime pay: "If you can't do it in the designated working hours, you're the wrong person for the job".

depends on the Job - I´m ill since 2 years but before I worked as civil engeneer over 20 years at least 11h a day - no overtime payment. Engeneering is a creative Job, it´s hard to measure how much problems "should be solved" a day. So I worked off my ass because I always thought it wasn´t enough. Now I´m done with my health.

 

[bomberfox]

No plea bargains, no jury system and no death penalty. But there has to be a system like we have, at the behest of the government. This means that a child molester who is viewed as a sex predator can be locked up for life until he is cured or dead. A child molester usually gets several years in jail, but if the investigation at a psychiatric center proves/indicates that the person is a dangerous sex predator who will keep re-offending, then the prosecutor will ask for him to be remanded to a special jail, some are sent there with mandatory treatment/others will not. But not until a psychiatrist has ruled him cured/no longer dangerous, will that person be released.

In this way the government does not have to wait until that predator kills someone or rapes multiple children and get tens of years of jail time, it can jail them in this psychiatric hospital potentially for life.

No jury system? Whaaa? Yeahhh i cant agree to pre-crime judgments.

 

[Chagos]

depends on the Job - I´m ill since 2 years but before I worked as civil engeneer over 20 years at least 11h a day - no overtime payment. Engeneering is a creative Job, it´s hard to measure how much problems "should be solved" a day. So I worked off my ass because I always thought it wasn´t enough. Now I´m done with my health.

Yeah, I worked more than the 8 hours per day given as average but my job wasn't the average 9 to 5 or 8 to 4 either.

What's more, punching a time clock when I was self-employed was even less of a thing for me.

But when I was referring "to my employees" I was referring to the average office worker doing documentation, correspondence, accounting and the likes.

 

[Peter King]

No jury system? Whaaa? Yeahhh i cant agree to pre-crime judgments.

pre-crime judgements? Nope, it is after crime judgement. They need to be convicted of a crime before they can get psychologically evaluated. It just means jail that is a mental hospital.

 

[Dayton3]

This is America. We could do it if we wanted to.

Not doable in an affordable manner then. We aren't going to rip our cities up by the foundations and rebuild them just for this.

 

[bomberfox]

pre-crime judgements? Nope, it is after crime judgement. They need to be convicted of a crime before they can get psychologically evaluated. It just means jail that is a mental hospital.

Oh i must have misred.

 

[Peter King]

Not doable in an affordable manner then. We aren't going to rip our cities up by the foundations and rebuild them just for this.

You could start by doing it in all newly developed neighborhoods and cities.

 

[Dayton3]

You could start by doing it in all newly developed neighborhoods and cities.

mix and match occasional wouldn't do a bit of good.

 

[Peter King]

mix and match occasional wouldn't do a bit of good.

You could try and not run a subway line to a new urban area with almost nothing but young upwardly mobile people, run the subway to the edge of the new neighborhood, create bike lanes and bus lanes, make all parts of the new neighborhood car "restricted" with mostly walking paths and a few grouped parking areas so that the children can play freely. Let the school bus run through the bus lanes, make all bus lanes go to the subway/train station and make sure that there is a large bike parking (safe, well lit and guarded with staff and camera's) where commuters can choose to come by bus or bike to the next transport zone (train/greyhound/subway)

 

[CaughtInThe]

We should have established Christian church and a hereditary monarchy and aristocracy

with an American Christian Pope.

 

[Dayton3]

You could try and not run a subway line to a new urban area with almost nothing but young upwardly mobile people, run the subway to the edge of the new neighborhood, create bike lanes and bus lanes, make all parts of the new neighborhood car "restricted" with mostly walking paths and a few grouped parking areas so that the children can play freely. Let the school bus run through the bus lanes, make all bus lanes go to the subway/train station and make sure that there is a large bike parking (safe, well lit and guarded with staff and camera's) where commuters can choose to come by bus or bike to the next transport zone (train/greyhound/subway)

that is too ridiculous to even reply in detail to.

 

[Peter King]

that is too ridiculous to even reply in detail to.

Actually it is not, it is a town in the Netherlands that I lived in. I must admit the whole town is built up mostly like this, but there is no reason this could not work in most countries.

 

[Chagos]

Actually it is not, it is a town in the Netherlands that I lived in. I must admit the whole town is built up mostly like this, but there is no reason this could not work in most countries.

The reason that such a set-up is deemed ridiculous for the US is neither a technical nor a logistical one.

It's attitude, all the way to ideology.

In the land of the automobile freedom is deemed curtailed when the automobile's movement is curtailed even in the slightest.

One can call the observed rejection silly but need not look afar to find similarly stupid rejection right next door here.

Just look at Germany with its undying ideology of "Freie Fahrt für Freie Bürger" ( free driving for free citizens) that has led to all and any attempts to impose a general speed limit on its freeways to be repeatedly buried again.

To the shaking of heads of every other European nation.