Capitalism vs Socialism, both work depending on your PERSONALITY (elect)
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That's unfortunate what is happening to you and with many other young people getting an education with massive debt.
Free college education is part of the security net you'd be enjoying in Europe, all paid by high taxes. It's a trade off.
America's system is no better or worse...just different depending on what your goal is. Accumulation of material wealth....or enjoy the simplicities of life? In other words, are we working harder and not smarter? Or, harder, but still being unhappy?
(And don't anyone say how do I know American's aren't enjoying themselves....maybe some are, most aren't! How many people are popping "happy" pills so they can function and get thru the day?)
And high salary doesn't have to with connections or luck. That stuff may open a few doors for you, but that's about it. People don't pay you high salary unless you do a good job and make them money. If you aren't a benefit to a company more than likely you get canned. Doesn't matter what connections you have. Unless you work in Washington. Then you awarded for incompetence.
This statement is false. When a man can rise to the position of CEO on his card playing ability the system is whacked. Remember his former bosses had to promote him and the board of directors had to approve him. It's a club and once in the club failure is no problem.
I've lived in both US and Europe. Here's my observation:
America is a more suitable place for you to live IF you are entrepreneurial, resourceful, workaholic, goal-oriented, success-driven, ambitious, optimistic, self-motivated, and can afford to pay for your own health insurance if you don't have one. You identify with what you do for a living, and you live to work. You enjoy time off, but you justify time off and playing hard because you've WORKED HARD and deserve it. Time off is a reward for your hard work. You believe in the WORK ETHIC and you are proud of your accomplishments and that is a part of WHO YOU ARE. Every man is for himself, you believe in that, and you help yourself as God helps those who help themselves. You don't want more taxes because you work extremely hard for your money and you don't believe that you should be forced to help your fellow man by way of taxes.
Europe is more suitable for you IF you want to smell the roses on the way, want quality time with family and friends, enjoy high culture (literature, drama, music, art, architecture), are intrigued by history, enjoy taking time to meet new people simply for the sake of having a new conversation, and these things are a PRIORITY to work because work does not identify you, it's only a means to an end, i.e. you WORK in order to live and enjoy your life. You do not live to work. You pay high taxes and you dislike it, but weighing in the free health care and other govt programs such as senior pensions, you understand that is how it is structured and accept it, grudgingly or not. That is another reason why you justify your goal of enjoying life. Might as well!
I just think both societies are suitable DEPENDING ON YOUR PERSONALITY and INTERESTS.
I've lived in both US and Europe. Here's my observation:
America is a more suitable place for you to live IF you are entrepreneurial, resourceful, workaholic, goal-oriented, success-driven, ambitious, optimistic, self-motivated, and can afford to pay for your own health insurance if you don't have one. You identify with what you do for a living, and you live to work. You enjoy time off, but you justify time off and playing hard because you've WORKED HARD and deserve it. Time off is a reward for your hard work. You believe in the WORK ETHIC and you are proud of your accomplishments and that is a part of WHO YOU ARE. Every man is for himself, you believe in that, and you help yourself as God helps those who help themselves. You don't want more taxes because you work extremely hard for your money and you don't believe that you should be forced to help your fellow man by way of taxes.
Europe is more suitable for you IF you want to smell the roses on the way, want quality time with family and friends, enjoy high culture (literature, drama, music, art, architecture), are intrigued by history, enjoy taking time to meet new people simply for the sake of having a new conversation, and these things are a PRIORITY to work because work does not identify you, it's only a means to an end, i.e. you WORK in order to live and enjoy your life. You do not live to work. You pay high taxes and you dislike it, but weighing in the free health care and other govt programs such as senior pensions, you understand that is how it is structured and accept it, grudgingly or not. That is another reason why you justify your goal of enjoying life. Might as well!
I just think both societies are suitable DEPENDING ON YOUR PERSONALITY and INTERESTS.
What do you think?
Yep!
One is for go getter's and the other for lame lazy asses.
I've lived in both US and Europe. Here's my observation:
America is a more suitable place for you to live IF you are entrepreneurial, resourceful, workaholic, goal-oriented, success-driven, ambitious, optimistic, self-motivated, and can afford to pay for your own health insurance if you don't have one. You identify with what you do for a living, and you live to work. You enjoy time off, but you justify time off and playing hard because you've WORKED HARD and deserve it. Time off is a reward for your hard work. You believe in the WORK ETHIC and you are proud of your accomplishments and that is a part of WHO YOU ARE. Every man is for himself, you believe in that, and you help yourself as God helps those who help themselves. You don't want more taxes because you work extremely hard for your money and you don't believe that you should be forced to help your fellow man by way of taxes.
Europe is more suitable for you IF you want to smell the roses on the way, want quality time with family and friends, enjoy high culture (literature, drama, music, art, architecture), are intrigued by history, enjoy taking time to meet new people simply for the sake of having a new conversation, and these things are a PRIORITY to work because work does not identify you, it's only a means to an end, i.e. you WORK in order to live and enjoy your life. You do not live to work. You pay high taxes and you dislike it, but weighing in the free health care and other govt programs such as senior pensions, you understand that is how it is structured and accept it, grudgingly or not. That is another reason why you justify your goal of enjoying life. Might as well!
I just think both societies are suitable DEPENDING ON YOUR PERSONALITY and INTERESTS.
What do you think?
Europe is more suitable for you if:
* you like a thousand forms and government offices to get anything administrative done
* are OK with horrible customer service everywhere
* Are OK with asking the government if you can cut down a tree from your property
* Have no problem with not being able to afford a house because 50-60% of your already low income goes to taxes
* You can get along not being able to find work because businesses are scared to death of hiring people (due to entitlement costs and the fact that regulations make it impossible to fire people)
* You don't mind paying $4000 in government fees for a driver's license
* Feel comfortable in a cultural environment that discourages individualism; your neighbors and friends will think you act inappropriate when you don't go along with what's considered normal.
* You don't mind paying 4x-10x what you currently pay in gas due to government taxes and fees
* Are OK with the government telling you what to eat, what to drive, what doctor to visit, and when.
* Will be satisfied in life simply being reasonably comfortable but not really achieving anything great in your professional life, or having a shot at any great material goals.
* you like a thousand forms and government offices to get anything administrative done (america)
* are OK with horrible customer service everywhere (america)
* Are OK with asking the government if you can cut down a tree from your property
* Have no problem with not being able to afford a house because 50-60% of your already low income goes to taxes
* You can get along not being able to find work because businesses are scared to death of hiring people (due to entitlement costs and the fact that regulations make it impossible to fire people)
* You don't mind paying $4000 in government fees for a driver's license
* Feel comfortable in a cultural environment that discourages individualism; your neighbors and friends will think you act inappropriate when you don't go along with what's considered normal. (america)
* You don't mind paying 4x-10x what you currently pay in gas due to government taxes and fees
* Are OK with the government telling you what to eat, what to drive, what doctor to visit, and when.
* Will be satisfied in life simply being reasonably comfortable but not really achieving anything great in your professional life, or having a shot at any great material goals. (unrealistic since not everyone can be at the top even in america, huge wage disparity from lower rung to higher rung)
When the Americans "worry",it is about their 2500 sqft ,4(real) bd,2.5 ba, 2 car garage house,
with pool & garden...
When the Euros "worry",it is about their 1000 sqft apt,3(small) bd,1.5 ba,1 car parking space,
with handshake views of the apt across the street...
I'll take the Amer worries anytime...
We don't have the land for flimsy Mcmansions everywhere. This has very little to do with economic structure.
Last edited by archineer; 11-09-2009 at 10:40 AM..
* you like a thousand forms and government offices to get anything administrative done
Talk about overstatement. I'll concede maybe in countries like Italy, Greece or France theres a grain of truth here.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ATXIronHorse
* are OK with horrible customer service everywhere
I can do without endless fake smiles and people poking their noses in my business when there's no need to thankyou.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ATXIronHorse
* Are OK with asking the government if you can cut down a tree from your property
Really? I don't need to do that.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ATXIronHorse
* Have no problem with not being able to afford a house because 50-60% of your already low income goes to taxes
Actualy I pay nowhere near that in tax. Maybe around 35%.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ATXIronHorse
* You can get along not being able to find work because businesses are scared to death of hiring people (due to entitlement costs and the fact that regulations make it impossible to fire people)
Not in the UK. I think you'll find it harder to get a job in the US at the moment anyway.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ATXIronHorse
* You don't mind paying $4000 in government fees for a driver's license
$4000? lol
Quote:
Originally Posted by ATXIronHorse
* Feel comfortable in a cultural environment that discourages individualism; your neighbors and friends will think you act inappropriate when you don't go along with what's considered normal.
That's totaly untrue.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ATXIronHorse
* You don't mind paying 4x-10x what you currently pay in gas due to government taxes and fees
I think you'll find its about twice as much, but cars have twice the mileage and people drive less. You don't even need to drive here. Don't you think drivers should pay for traffic infrastructure?
Quote:
Originally Posted by ATXIronHorse
* Are OK with the government telling you what to eat, what to drive, what doctor to visit, and when.
Again untrue. Goverment does not mandate any of those things.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ATXIronHorse
* Will be satisfied in life simply being reasonably comfortable but not really achieving anything great in your professional life, or having a shot at any great material goals.
You can still achieve most of what you can in the US here. Markets are smaller of course but we're not exactly without billionaires.
Last edited by archineer; 11-09-2009 at 10:39 AM..
If it works at all, socialism will reduce a countries productivity, wealth, technology and standard of living.
- Reel
Ask any Scandinavian country if that's happening to them.......Doubt it!
If you ever go to Denmark, the roads are beautifully paved and perfect! Instead of yellow lines in the middle where it tells you to not cross over to the other direction of traffic, the roads are TEXTURED so when your wheels run over it, you FEEL it and you HEAR it. Now THAT is innovative, and technology.
The trains are beautiful, clean, and run on time.
Sure the richest person over there may not be richer than American's wealthiest, but who needs to have a country filled with the wealthiest people in the world when they are but a tiny MINORITY?
If college education should only be for those who can afford it (whether by working 2 jobs or a loan, or as a gift from parents), then you create a society where the disparity IS great and there is a sense of "have and have-nots". That produces more crime (I know there's no proof of this, except to point to other countries). Everyone knows that college graduates' criminality are lower than non-college graduates. That's just a fact. Anyway, unless you have traveled and lived in other countries, it is very hard to do a comparison of what makes America great and what can be improved in America.
I'm not advocating one or another...we should borrow what works from other countries and get rid of what doesn't!
(P.S., no Europeans aren't drugfree but I think Americans rely on pills more for mental illness.)
Last edited by aqua0; 11-10-2009 at 02:01 PM..
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Are you saying Europeans are drug free? 
