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It is sad that there is a large, disadvantaged, underclass in the US which is constantly paraded out to show that "people in Europe" have a better quality of life than we do in the US.
This is pure, unadulterated nonsense. There are more prosperously retired people living in The Villages in Florida than all of France. The US permits success for its advancing middle class, but it also permits failure for its degrading lower middle class. That's the breaks, folks. If dad worked in a non union machine shop for 30 years and didn't save any money, he is probably eating dog food or skipping his medication. But, if he opened his oun carpet cleaning business when the machine shop closed, he is probably driving a golf cart around some golf course community in Arizona.
This is called freedom. Someone please list the upscale retirement communities in France.
The French don't care to drive golfcarts around villages of old fogies in their retirement. They prefer to take in a bit of culture and spend time with their families. Unlike here where we save all our lives to escape them.
I was reading some blogs tonight by expatriates in France. Many love France and are highly complimentary. But they always seem to qualify their praise by saying things like:
"I've learned to do without a disposal and a dishwasher."
"Its refreshing to hang one's clothes out in the sunshine to dry."
"Walking into town to get our daily groceries gives us exercise."
"We have learned to live without . . . (TV, movies, carryout food, cleaning service, home repair, pool, etc. . . . "
"We have gotten used to the high cost of . . . dining out, gasoline, heating fuel, etc."
I can give up stuff anywhere. How about Ojai California? If I want to do my own dishes and hang the laundry out and live in 400 square feet, I'd bet Ojai would be pretty economical. And, its one of the most charming places on the planet. Right here in the US.
I hope you are kidding about this. Here is the wonderful Village Seniors du Grand Logis:
Mostly I was, but the point is not that French people can't afford to live the way American seniors do, it's that they don't want to. There are more than enough rich French seniors. That is not why they don't have luxury retirement villages. They have St Barths.
Mostly I was, but the point is not that French people can't afford to live the way American seniors do, it's that they don't want to. There are more than enough rich French seniors. That is not why they don't have luxury retirement villages. They have St Barths.
Its like chasing mercury around a saucer . . .
St. Barts has 7500 people. A little less than half are natives. Most of the rest are second generation French settlers who have lived their entire lives there. If there are 200 French retirees in St. Barts, I'd be surprised. None of them will have earned a retirement in the French economy.
In fact, the French people cannot afford to live the way US retirees choose to live. Not even close. A French retiree lives in the guest room of his son and daughter in law's tiny house without modern conveniences on an income that is a fraction of what a middle class American retiree has at his disposal. As in all of Europe there is a lot of "family" money hoarded by the nobility and passed down one way or another to useless heirs, legatees, retainers and hangers on. These people have a good life. But it is in spite of France's socialist economy not because of it.
Look, I don't want to wheel a golf cart around a gated community of old fogies. I'm beyond retirement age in France and enjoying continued employment and volunteerism in a historic part of an historic city in middle America. I walk to the bakery and drive a 20 year old car. And take time to chat with the mailman and water my flowers and look in on my 80 year old tenant. So I know you don't need to relocate to a place with a bunch of anti-American frogs in your midst to enjoy life. And, if it was about charming scenery instead of friends and family and opportunities to be of service, I'd move to a place with real charm . . in the US.
It's just a difference of culture at the end of the day. Most French people don't want to live like Americans and most Americans don't want to live like the French. Neither is better or worse, they're just different. We measure quality of life differently is all.
It's just a difference of culture at the end of the day. Most French people don't want to live like Americans and most Americans don't want to live like the French. Neither is better or worse, they're just different. We measure quality of life differently is all.
I agree with that.
Hopefully, we can learn from other cultures and they from us. I think that we Americans are a whole lot better at charity and volunteerism than Europeans. Person cash contributions are exponentially higher in the US than in Europe despite favorable tax credits in France.
Taking a look at charitable giving, by country, as a percent of GDP, the results are interesting. The United States gives almost 1.8 percent of our GDP each year. Canada and England are second with around 0.7 percent of GDP. France is close to the bottom with charitable contributions around 0.15 percent of its GDP.
I think the French have a good handle on how to please themselves. I have learned a lot from the French as to how to treat myself well and I am pretty self indulgent. I know not to overdo it on housing and work hours, how to get a nice little restaurant to get a cup of tea in the middle of the day and to spend money on art instead of trash.
But the French are not a good people. They lack spirituality, generosity and courage. They have made infidelity a national sport. They know how to treat their senses but not their souls.
Hopefully, we can learn from other cultures and they from us. I think that we Americans are a whole lot better at charity and volunteerism than Europeans. Person cash contributions are exponentially higher in the US than in Europe despite favorable tax credits in France.
Taking a look at charitable giving, by country, as a percent of GDP, the results are interesting. The United States gives almost 1.8 percent of our GDP each year. Canada and England are second with around 0.7 percent of GDP. France is close to the bottom with charitable contributions around 0.15 percent of its GDP.
I think the French have a good handle on how to please themselves. I have learned a lot from the French as to how to treat myself well and I am pretty self indulgent. I know not to overdo it on housing and work hours, how to get a nice little restaurant to get a cup of tea in the middle of the day and to spend money on art instead of trash.
But the French are not a good people. They lack spirituality, generosity and courage. They have made infidelity a national sport. They know how to treat their senses but not their souls.
That's because our generosity is not done through individual philanthropy like Bill Gates/Tiger Woods etc having their own foundations. Our generosity is done through acceptance of paying higher taxes for those less fortunate and high levels of international aid through the government. Adds up to the same thing, I suppose. Before we had a welfare state and higher taxes there was more philanthropy in Britain.
As somebody whose personal beliefs and whose country's beliefs fall roughly between France and the US, I find this a very interesting thread, by the way.
I'd rather have everyone pay their fair share towards the needs of the community than have to rely on a few to dip into their pockets. I didn't check but I'm interested to know whether that figure includes tithing to churches because that is much less common in Europe. I'm amazed that people give 10% or more of their income to some of the places calling themselves holy in this country.
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