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So I know the the United States by far has the highest standard of living in the world (Dont make me post links to prove this if you want to disagree), so does London and cities in Europe feel more poor than the US?
And why does the US have such a larger economy?
I think its because Europe and cities like london have so many labor laws and regulations and they aren't as interconnected like the states are in the US and this hinders interstate commerce. And I know in Europe there is a 4 day work week!! In the US we probably work twice as many hours! Hence our standard of living is higher.
Also how do they view the US. Do they envy us? Despise us? Neutral? Equals?
That depends on how you define "standard of living". If you define standard of living by how big a house you can afford and how many cars you can drive, then yes -- the US has the highest standard of living in the world. But if you define it by having access to universal health care, affordable access to post-secondary education, ample vacation time, less time stuck in traffic and more time in a cafe, easy access to world-class museums, and a relaxed lifestyle that gives you time to actually enjoy life, then I would disagree that the US has the highest standard of living.
Also, most Americans are so car-centric that they define "quality of life" by life in the suburbs. There are Americans out there who consider life in New York to be of a lower quality of life than say, some suburb in Atlanta, mostly because New Yorkers live in small apartments and don't own a car. No offense to anyone but I think this is pretty pathetic.
You do need to realize that most of Europe was literally bankrupt after WWII. On the other hand, the US economy grew thanks to the war (after all, who manufactured all those tanks and fighter planes?). It is pretty impressive how Europe's economy soared 60 years later considering they literally had to start from scratch. Also, you're right that they tend to have stricter labor laws. Besides, six weeks vacation time and 35 hour workweeks are common there. But then again, that depends on how you define "quality of life".
When I traveled abroad, I've met so many young Europeans in their 20's who were traveling for at least a year (they call it the "gap year" - google it up). And yet, I have met little to no Americans traveling that long. They were too busy working to help pay off their huge student loans. This is an example of the differences in mentality between Americans and Europeans. One lives to work, while to other works to live.
Now tell me, which of these 2 groups really have a higher quality of life?
That depends on how you define "standard of living". If you define standard of living by how big a house you can afford and how many cars you can drive, then yes -- the US has the highest standard of living in the world. But if you define it by having access to universal health care, affordable access to post-secondary education, ample vacation time, less time stuck in traffic and more time in a cafe, easy access to world-class museums, and a relaxed lifestyle that gives you time to actually enjoy life, then I would disagree that the US has the highest standard of living.
Also, most Americans are so car-centric that they define "quality of life" by life in the suburbs. There are Americans out there who consider life in New York to be of a lower quality of life than say, some suburb in Atlanta, mostly because New Yorkers live in small apartments and don't own a car. No offense to anyone but I think this is pretty pathetic.
You do need to realize that most of Europe was literally bankrupt after WWII. On the other hand, the US economy grew thanks to the war (after all, who manufactured all those tanks and fighter planes?). It is pretty impressive how Europe's economy soared 60 years later considering they literally had to start from scratch. Also, you're right that they tend to have stricter labor laws. Besides, six weeks vacation time and 35 hour workweeks are common there. But then again, that depends on how you define "quality of life".
When I traveled abroad, I've met so many young Europeans in their 20's who were traveling for at least a year (they call it the "gap year" - google it up). And yet, I have met little to no Americans traveling that long. They were too busy working to help pay off their huge student loans. This is an example of the differences in mentality between Americans and Europeans. One lives to work, while to other works to live.
Now tell me, which of these 2 groups really have a higher quality of life?
Well, if this is the level of smugness and pretention of your average Londoner, then yes, the US is definetly better QOL wise.
While I prefer Europe's style of built enviorment/transit usage, I'd rather have the choice as to weither to work hard or not, rather than have the government limit myself.
So I know the the United States by far has the highest standard of living in the world (Dont make me post links to prove this if you want to disagree), so does London and cities in Europe feel more poor than the US?
And why does the US have such a larger economy?
I think its because Europe and cities like london have so many labor laws and regulations and they aren't as interconnected like the states are in the US and this hinders interstate commerce. And I know in Europe there is a 4 day work week!! In the US we probably work twice as many hours! Hence our standard of living is higher.
Also how do they view the US. Do they envy us? Despise us? Neutral? Equals?
Oh please, the U.S. doesn't have larger economy than Europe. See this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...y_GDP_(nominal). European Union has 18,387,785 millions of USD while USA has 14,441,425 millions USD Gross Domestic Product. I generally like Americans, they are usually polite and friendly, but if you don't wanna be disliked in Europe, don't do following things: 1) Don't expect everyone to speak English, 2) Don't think that USA is the best country in the world (well you can think it, but don't say it anywhere).
So I know the the United States by far has the highest standard of living in the world (Dont make me post links to prove this if you want to disagree), so does London and cities in Europe feel more poor than the US?
And why does the US have such a larger economy?
I think its because Europe and cities like london have so many labor laws and regulations and they aren't as interconnected like the states are in the US and this hinders interstate commerce. And I know in Europe there is a 4 day work week!! In the US we probably work twice as many hours! Hence our standard of living is higher.
Also how do they view the US. Do they envy us? Despise us? Neutral? Equals?
And also, where did you hear that Europe has 4 day work week? We work minimum 5 days, some work on Saturdays and even Sundays. I would way rather bankrupt in Europe (where all your loans will be forgiven), then in the US. And where did you hear that your living standard is higher? Have you ever been to Switzerland, Luxembourg or Sweden? Obviously not. I was surprised how dirty Atlanta was, how empty was the downtown, how people live racially segregated. The cities don't really have any soul or 'feel'. They do in the Northeast, but not elsewhere in the US. The problem is that many Americans are getting brainwashed about how their country strong is and that they are the best nation, how multicultural they are etc. Actually, did you hear that London, followed by Amsterdam and Toronto have the most diverse racial makeup? It's not New York anymore. This is why some Europeans hate Americans. The 'I'm an American, who is better?' attitude.
About living in suburban London - Nothing very much that you are used from the US suburbias. There is actually activity on the streets, people of different ethnics live side by side and you don't have to use your car to get to work (the air is better). The public transport is very convenient. You can even walk to the grocery store, to dentist etc.
I cannot believe those who are saying that America has the best standard of life in the world! It's all relative. If owning a huge house in a soulless suburb, working longer hours, spending most of your life in your car, eating a wide array of processed foods laden with HFCS and being all about the money are your goals in life, then you're probably right. If you want more out of a place, i.e. culture, history, scenery at hand, mass transit alternatives, more of a sense of community, cheaper healthcare and far more regulations in place to protect the consumer, then London / the rest of Europe would win hands down (sorry).
London does have some poor/bad areas, but they are nothing in comparison to many of the poor / still segregated parts of many US cities. London can look gritty, but that doesn't mean that it's poor. In fact, many wealthy people in London live in smaller, but well built houses and are far more humble than their US counterparts, who seem to love to tout their wealth and superiority.
The arrogance of (some) Americans is completely annoying and unjustified.
THis is for MJay [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_%28PPP%29]List of countries by GDP (PPP) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/url] who made me post a link.
However I somewhat agree with ILovelondon. The US seems to put work and money way to far above life and if your only comparing your house to your neighbors or other in your country why does it matter. But I guess thats the American way! And Japanese and soon to be Chinese.
So the one thing no one answered was how do they view the US. Do they envy us? Despise us? Neutral? Equals?
However I somewhat agree with ILovelondon. The US seems to put work and money way to far above life and if your only comparing your house to your neighbors or other in your country why does it matter. But I guess thats the American way! And Japanese and soon to be Chinese.
So the one thing no one answered was how do they view the US. Do they envy us? Despise us? Neutral? Equals?
jman07, I don't understand why you posted the same link as I did?
Oh Sorry. But isnt the EU all of Europe. Not just one country. So the US has the same standard of living of the WHOLE EU combined.
No problem. EU is not the whole Europe. Europe as a continent involves 50 countries, EU involves 27 countries. However, I'm not sure if you know it, but someone who lives in a country, which is a member of the European Union can move to, work, study in another country, which is a member of EU too. You can't really compare let's say the UK and the US (since England is about the size of Florida) in terms of economy. It's obvious that the US economy will 'win' compared to any EU country. That's why we take it as a whole.
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