WHY IS EUROPE MORE EQUAL THAN THE UNITED STATES?

[Grand Mal]

Why can't you bring your pensions? I thought they were paid regardless of address?

Not OAP, way it was explained to me. My union pension and Canada pension would be enough to live on but the OAP pays for toys and travel.

 

[Allan]

Not OAP, way it was explained to me. My union pension and Canada pension would be enough to live on but the OAP pays for toys and travel.

Do you mean OAS?

 

[Lafayette]

A SUCCESSFUL LIFESTYLE

Better compare a German citizen's experience in Germany and an American's experience in America. Is health care cost still the leading cause of personal bankruptcy in the US? Are there still more American babies born in Windsor, Ontario, just across the river from Detroit, than Canadian births?

Well put!

Some people (blind to the factual-evidence on this forum) refuse to believe that the unfairness in many areas of the US is acute. For instance, the two typical sectors are Health Care and Post-secondary Education both of which are paramount to obtaining a successful lifestyle.

Meaning quite simply that the barriers to both are very greatly unfair in the US.

And that above is the reason why:
*Healthcare in Europe today assures a personal longevity that is 3/4 years longer than in the US, and
*For EU-native students tuition is on average 363 EUR/semester - or $750 for two semesters per year.

And why is that wide-difference between the US and Europe so evident? Because instead of funding Healthcare and Post-secondary Education solutions at lower acceptable-costs, the US prices for both are astronomic comparatively ... !

 

[Lafayette]

HOUSING PRICING REAL-NUMBER COMPARISON - EU & US

The real numbers say different

Average price of Gas in the US is $3.28; in Europe $5.75, average Electric bill for my 1600 sq ft home $150; in Europe for a 914 Sq ft apt $244. My Water bill $15 per person, Europe $22 per person. In the US average housing cost $293,349, in Europe $402637.83.

The real numbers internationally concerning house-prices are to be found here: OECD Data - Housing Prices

You will note that overall Housing Prices in the US are closest to the highest-price in the listing compared to other comparable countries. Euro-housing prices are rated at "127" and the US at"160". Which means that the US costs of housing are 26% more expensive generally than in Europe ...

 

[Lafayette]

Why can't you bring your pensions? I thought they were paid regardless of address?

Mine are. Every month deposited in my French bank account ...

 

[ataraxia]

I think you mean Europe's misery index is more equal. Your homes are cramped and overpriced, your taxes are unbearably high, your standard of care in hospitals is poor at best in comparison to the US. Your price of basic utilities is scary, and then the price of gasoline is so much higher. I spent a total of 8 years in Europe when I was in the military and to you and the rest of Europe I say no thank you.

Misery index? What misery index? Any links?

European countries, especially the Scandinavian ones, top the world in measures of happiness.

Studies show Scandinavia is the still happiest region in the world

Scandinavia is still the world's happiest place, with Finland, Iceland and Denmark in the top 3 positions.

www.weforum.org

Why?

" Clearly, when it comes to the level of average life evaluations, the Nordic states are doing something right, but Nordic exceptionalism isn’t confined to citizen’s happiness. No matter whether we look at the state of democracy and political rights, lack of corruption, trust between citizens, felt safety, social cohesion, gender equality, equal distribution of incomes, Human Development Index, or many other global comparisons, one tends to find the Nordic countries in the global top spots...

Most of the potential explanatory factors for Nordic happiness are highly correlated with each other and often also mutually reinforcing, making it hard to disentangle cause from effect. Therefore, focusing on just a single explanation may result in distorted interpretations. For example, does trust in institutions and other citizens create a fertile ground for building a welfare state model with extensive social benefits? Or does the welfare state model contribute to low crime and corruption, which leads citizens to trust each other more? Most likely, both directions of influence play a role, leading to a self-reinforcing feedback loop that produces high levels of trust in the Nordic region, and a high-functioning state and society model."

The Nordic Exceptionalism: What Explains Why the Nordic Countries Are Constantly Among the Happiest in the World

The World Happiness Report is a partnership of Gallup, the Oxford Wellbeing Research Centre, the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, and the WHR’s Editorial Board. The report is produced under the editorial control of the WHR Editorial Board. From 2024, the World Happiness Report...

worldhappiness.report

 

[Lethargic Aptitude]

A DECENT LIFESTYLE



If you don't speak well the language of your country of residence it is impossible - without a stay of 5/10 years - to understand how it is being run.

I will repeat my key-argument: The lifespan of a European is three-to-four years longer than an American. There has to be a reason. And the reason is Healthcare - which costs an arm-and-a-leg (pun intended) in the US and next to nothing in Europe because it is funded by taxation. (Principally by having much smaller DoD-components.)

The other reason (comparing the US and the EU) is that the Major Economic Evolution (from Manufacturing to Services Industries) is not a "theory" amongst economists anymore. The factual evidence of that change is seen clearly in the numbers of both the EU and the US.

Which has a profound effect upon employment. Because employment now clearly requires an advanced training/schooling that is government paid in Europe but not in the US to the same extent. I sent my kids to university for a tuition-fee of less than $200 in Euros.

Americans are living in their-democracy that requires some fundamental changes. And those changes can only come about by increasing taxation on the rich-and-super-rich to generate the needed revenue for financing the key-evolution of moving from a dominant Manufacturing Industry employment to a much larger Services Industry employment.

This key-economic factor is going to cost a lot of money for Americans who still pay stupendous fees to get a post-secondary education that gives them the means to obtain a good-job with which to pursue a decent lifestyle ...

Oh, Gee, some guy from France wants to tell Americans what to do. How many of these anti-American threads are you going to start on DP?

You are crying about how much America spends on the military all the while enjoying our protection. You do realize if it were not for the US you would be speaking Russian right now right? Putin is at your doorstep and you telling Americans we need more taxes to be more "equal"?

 

[Lafayette]

Oh, Gee, some guy from France wants to tell Americans what to do. How many of these anti-American threads are you going to start on DP?

You are crying about how much America spends on the military all the while enjoying our protection. You do realize if it were not for the US you would be speaking Russian right now right? Putin is at your doorstep and you telling Americans we need more taxes to be more "equal"?

Pathetic blather ... !

 

[ataraxia]

Oh, Gee, some guy from France wants to tell Americans what to do. How many of these anti-American threads are you going to start on DP?

You are crying about how much America spends on the military all the while enjoying our protection. You do realize if it were not for the US you would be speaking Russian right now right? Putin is at your doorstep and you telling Americans we need more taxes to be more "equal"?

Europeans have learned they can no longer trust the US as a reliable ally against Russia, because Americans are starting to identify with Putin's autocracy more than they do with the ideals of the enlightenment and liberal western democracy which Europe represents.

After Trump, allies ask: Can we trust the Americans?

Analysis: "I'm sure not everything will go back to what it was," said Margot Wallström, Sweden's former foreign minister.

www.nbcnews.com

 

[Grand Mal]

Do you mean OAS?

Yeah. That one. I was told it doesn't travel outside the country. Though, with direct deposit it seems like it would be easy to get around it.
I guess, bottom line is I wouldn't want to sell out here and wouldn't want to rent there.

 

[Lafayette]

FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE IN AMERICA

Oh, Gee, some guy from France wants to tell Americans what to do. How many of these anti-American threads are you going to start on DP?

You are crying about how much America spends on the military all the while enjoying our protection. You do realize if it were not for the US you would be speaking Russian right now right? Putin is at your doorstep and you telling Americans we need more taxes to be more "equal"?

Open your eyes to the verity of the situation. You're mentally-blind if you cannot see what is happening around you!

Something has got to change because America is going through presently a very-black-patch. Which people like you do not seem to fathom.

Here's what's happening:
*It's very simple: America was once the proud source of Manufacturing Output that was more than 50% of the total economy. The other half being the Services Industries side.
*Which has grown to dominate all output in the US as shown in this graphic:

You-plural may want to dispute what is happening in the US - but that aint gonna change much. The handwriting is on the wall - above!

Uncle Sam has got to get off his sorry-arse to meet-and-marry the future. Which will require fundamental changes in terms of how its population will work in order to have a decent existence. And that aint like what daddy had when YOU were being brought up.

The Services Industries is not just "McDonalds" but a whole host of professional amenities that the American population Demands. And they are increasingly sophisticated, meaning they require people with the necessary brain-skills to produce them. We must take down the cost of a post-secondary education

What you see in the graphic above is not happening tomorrow, but today ... !

 

[Allan]

Yeah. That one. I was told it doesn't travel outside the country. Though, with direct deposit it seems like it would be easy to get around it.
I guess, bottom line is I wouldn't want to sell out here and wouldn't want to rent there.

It looks like you can receive it outside the country as long as you're eligible. There's information on this here.

 

[Grand Mal]

It looks like you can receive it outside the country as long as you're eligible. There's information on this here.

Hm. Thanks for this.
Lesson learned- don't believe what someone tells you just because they say they've looked into it.
I may have to look into rents in Oban and Tobermory.

 

[Allan]

Hm. Thanks for this.
Lesson learned- don't believe what someone tells you just because they say they've looked into it.
I may have to look into rents in Oban and Tobermory.

My GF is very close to her family or I'd be taking my pensions and going somewhere warmer. @RedAkston lives in Florida and has a guest-room

 

[Lafayette]

Europeans have learned they can no longer trust the US as a reliable ally against Russia, because Americans are starting to identify with Putin's autocracy more than they do with the ideals of the enlightenment and liberal western democracy which Europe represents.

Well put.

But Putin's time in office is coming to an end (sooner-or-later in the next five years or so) and the Russians must collectively decide where they want their country to go and how to get there. That means fundamental change must occur in that country.

The bunch of knotheads running the show presently are incompetent. Moreover, they've bought millionaire properties in the southeast of France - which is where they are going to live ... !

 

[Lethargic Aptitude]

FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE IN AMERICA



Open your eyes to the verity of the situation. You're mentally-blind if you cannot see what is happening around you!

Something has got to change because America is going through presently a very-black-patch. Which people like you do not seem to fathom.

Here's what's happening:
*It's very simple: America was once the proud source of Manufacturing Output that was more than 50% of the total economy. The other half being the Services Industries side.
*Which has grown to dominate all output in the US as shown in this graphic:

You-plural may want to dispute what is happening in the US - but that aint gonna change much. The handwriting is on the wall - above!

Uncle Sam has got to get off his sorry-arse to meet-and-marry the future. Which will require fundamental changes in terms of how its population will work in order to have a decent existence. And that aint like what daddy had when YOU were being brought up.

The Services Industries is not just "McDonalds" but a whole host of professional amenities that the American population Demands. And they are increasingly sophisticated, meaning they require people with the necessary brain-skills to produce them. We must take down the cost of a post-secondary education

What you see in the graphic above is not happening tomorrow, but today ... !

I'm not blind to anything, just pointing out your threads seem to have an anti-American theme.

 

[Lethargic Aptitude]

Europeans have learned they can no longer trust the US as a reliable ally against Russia, because Americans are starting to identify with Putin's autocracy more than they do with the ideals of the enlightenment and liberal western democracy which Europe represents.

After Trump, allies ask: Can we trust the Americans?

Analysis: "I'm sure not everything will go back to what it was," said Margot Wallström, Sweden's former foreign minister.

www.nbcnews.com

It's always lame to generalize. Yes, Trumpers/the Republican party exists, but they are not the entire country FFS. And in case you missed it, we are not taking this sitting down.

And welp only far-right nutcases shoot their wads over Putin. The rest of us sane Americans are watching justice being served.

 

[Lethargic Aptitude]

Pathetic blather ... !

Good comeback there, but Im not the one claiming that high taxes will fix everything. I guess that Macron axed that fuel tax because everyone in Europe loves their high taxes?. 2018 isn't that long ago when exactly are you claiming that you guys are all good with high taxes? Perhaps now? Welp perhaps not even now considering how Europeans feel about green taxes.

 

[Lafayette]

THE HANDWRITING ON THE WALL

You are crying about how much America spends on the military all the while enjoying our protection. You do realize if it were not for the US you would be speaking Russian right now right? Putin is at your doorstep and you telling Americans we need more taxes to be more "equal"?

Protection from what threat in Europe? The Russians?

You apparently do not understand that the export of Russian oil/gas to Europe is supporting its economy! There is no way that Putin will do anything that could diminish that financial-support!

Putin is simply trying to save his own you-know-what in keeping the OLD Soviet Union under Russia's influence. Because those contiguous to the EU were the easiest to assimilate. Like Poland.

Now there is this a second-generation that might also like to join (like Belarus or the Ukraine) and Putin wants to prevent that from happening. Because, militarily, it weakens Russia's defense.

The DoD is a wasteful expenditure that could easily be diminished and still maintain an adequate Defense of the US. The money-saved could be spent on subsidizing post-secondary education of our kids for this Brave New World we live in ... !

 

[Lafayette]

I'm not blind to anything, just pointing out your threads seem to have an anti-American theme.

That's really TOUGH if I complain about the way America is run. And its about time more people elect those competent to do what is necessary to "save-the-country" - because THAT IS THE OMINOUS THREAT TODAY.

Uncle Sam is unprepared for the shift from a Manufacturing Economy to a Services Economy. The former employs only 8% of the working population. All the rest is Services that require generally a higher level of education than just a high-school degree - and that education is very, very expensive* ...

*According to the College Board, published tuition fees for 2018/19 at state colleges are an average annually of $10,230 for state residents, and $26,290 for everyone else. Both of which are far, far beyond the means of the poorest families in the US!

 

[Arlette]

Capitalism is central to the European Union. The sole difference with the US is that they learned how to tame it. Which is called taxation.

We have billionaires in the EU, yes. But the economic fairness (in terms of distribution of income) is statistically better in Europe than the US. And that fact is purely due to very different levels of income-taxation between the two.

From here: WHY IS EUROPE MORE EQUAL THAN THE UNITED STATES?

Excerpt:


Economic Fairness in an economy is chiefly determined by the Wealth generated and "Who gets how much?" Meaning typically that some get one-helluva-lot and others get nothing. Fairness in the distribution of income is a key element to the functioning of an economy.

Uncle Sam needs to do better. A lot better! And that starts with increasing upper-income taxation levels ...

I can't speak for all of Europe but I spend time in Germany and I speak the language. Seems they are not terrified of words like "socialism" like we are here in the US. People there told me - call it whatever you want, we like our cheap health care and our paid maternity leave and our free higher education. And if that's socialism, so be it

 

[Lafayette]

I can't speak for all of Europe but I spend time in Germany and I speak the language. Seems they are not terrified of words like "socialism" like we are here in the US. People there told me - call it whatever you want, we like our cheap health care and our paid maternity leave and our free higher education. And if that's socialism, so be it

The change came in the 1990s but nobody saw it accept some economists. That is, what changed is the fact that Manufacturing started its long decent in terms of percentage of total employment in the US. It dropped from more than half to that which it is today (8%).

The reason why that happened is Old Hat. China and some Central-America states with their cheap-labor are to blame mostly.

That is called Historic Evolution and it happens every so often. The last one of any real consequence was in the 19th century when manufacturing became a large-business first in Europe but then even faster in the US.

It's an historical cycle and if one looks at history it has repeated itself very, very often on earth.

We-the-sheeple seem to adapt and survive nonetheless ...

 

[Lafayette]

ROMAN HISTORY

We-the-sheeple seem to adapt and survive nonetheless ...

And, we "move-on"! Evolution is a fundamental aspect of human existence.

There is another historical aspect that is worth noting/remembering. It is that of the Roman Empire which lasted from 625BC to 476AD, which is almost a thousand years!

What were the major technological advances of the Romans? See here 16 Historical Roman Inventions for the entire list:

These 18 ancient Roman inventions still have an impact today.

• Roman Numerals.
• An Early form of Newspaper.
• Modern Plumbing and Sanitary Management.
• Using Arches to Build Structures.
• The Hypocaust System.
• Aqueducts.
• The First Surgical Tools.
• Developing Concrete to Strengthen Roman Buildings.

And some of the developments required a "sense of engineering" in order to set an objective and find a way to achieve it. Of course, for Rome, like anywhere else, that costs money. But when you are enlarging an empire the financial-investment necessary can be considerable. Which was recuperated by having Rome's colonies pay a "state tax"!

Nothing has really changed, has it? Companies that invest in enlarging their sales internationally are expected in some countries to pay additional taxation on such profits.

(The world goes around-and-around but nothing really changes ... ;^)

 

[Lethargic Aptitude]

THE HANDWRITING ON THE WALL



Protection from what threat in Europe? The Russians?

You apparently do not understand that the export of Russian oil/gas to Europe is supporting its economy! There is no way that Putin will do anything that could diminish that financial-support!

Putin is simply trying to save his own you-know-what in keeping the OLD Soviet Union under Russia's influence. Because those contiguous to the EU were the easiest to assimilate. Like Poland.

Now there is this a second-generation that might also like to join (like Belarus or the Ukraine) and Putin wants to prevent that from happening. Because, militarily, it weakens Russia's defense.

The DoD is a wasteful expenditure that could easily be diminished and still maintain an adequate Defense of the US. The money-saved could be spent on subsidizing post-secondary education of our kids for this Brave New World we live in ... !

So you trust Putin? You must be part of the 36% of French who have a favorable view of Russia.

I'm not arguing against spending on education, nor am I ignorant of how we need a bit of reform on many issues including budget expenditures. We are not perfect nor are France and the EU.

But I also recognize the dangers of certain countries pose to a free world. France has her own mega problems why keep making threads attacking the US? our spending is our deal your spending is your deal.

 

[Lethargic Aptitude]

That's really TOUGH if I complain about the way America is run. And its about time more people elect those competent to do what is necessary to "save-the-country" - because THAT IS THE OMINOUS THREAT TODAY.

Uncle Sam is unprepared for the shift from a Manufacturing Economy to a Services Economy. The former employs only 8% of the working population. All the rest is Services that require generally a higher level of education than just a high-school degree - and that education is very, very expensive* ...

*According to the College Board, published tuition fees for 2018/19 at state colleges are an average annually of $10,230 for state residents, and $26,290 for everyone else. Both of which are far, far beyond the means of the poorest families in the US!

So you think that raising taxes will fix everything? I'm also for raising taxes on the super-wealthy but, I'm not going to tell the EU to change its ways. That's up to the EU, not the US.

I don't think that you realize that what's going on in the US right now isn't just going on in the US. Our adversaries (and by our I mean the EU and the US) are actively interfering in our elections and also trying to sow division to weaken us. Many far-right scum in the EU are exactly like trumpers, you've seen these people in France. See National Rally for reference. Much like the so-called reimaging of the KKK did not change them either, they're still racist fascists, still scum. And still a big threat to democracy.

And while you are trying to splain to me about a large military budget sucking money from needed programs, France keeps growing its defense budget. Perhaps you should worry about your own countries direction and stop hypocritically criticizing other countries?

Next-gen tech investments, platform upgrades lead France’s 2022 defense budget

The French ministry of defense is pouring billions of euros into critical technologies and new equipment in 2022, as it sets its sights on a future battlefield dominated by advanced platforms, cyber defenses and space-based capabilities.

www.defensenews.com

"For the fourth year in a row, the French defense budget is in a “massive” upswing, and the 2022 budget represents a €9 billion increase over the 2017 budget, ministry spokesman Hervé Grandjean told reporters Wednesday. "