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The Germans have the audacity to criticise America...
They live in 1000sq ft apts,have 1 "car "& buy the milk by the quarter gallon.
They live the life of the rat,have no culture,no music,no movies,no tv
& their contribution to civilisation is cars costing as much as USA 1 bed apts...
Hello & goodbye.
Not sure if serious...
if yes: practically everything you say is simply wrong
The US is just ahead of its time, the same tendencies can already be observed in Europe, especially in Germany, France, and of course Britain. And things will continue in that direction if we don't rethink our way of living and doing business. At least in Germany people are more progressive.
We aren't ahead of the times, we are following exactly what Great Britain and the other Socialist European states did when they abandoned their manufacturing economics (where value is added) to go to "service" and "financials" based economies. Services and Financials just move existing money around and leach off the movements. They produce nothing of added value. They are economies with no basis or foundation, and therefore have absolutely no hope of doing anything but decline.
In the process of shedding manufacturing and "value-added" activities, we have shed the decent-paying jobs that allowed the Middle Class to form and thrive.
Germany (not a stupid people) jumped into this void and captured the high-quality manufacturing that the world needs to continue to function. They let China produce the junk that fails and makes profit through us constantly buying replacements. Ask any higher-end manager of an industrial business that requires heavy-duty, reliable, specialized equipment: they get it from almost exclusively from Germany.
Absolutely, we need to re-think everything about America, from our present Republicrat Government whose policies got us into this catastrophe, to the structure of our economy. A government that encouraged manufacturing and hiring workers, instead of "free trade" importing crap from China and exporting jobs to India, would be a great start.
But don't expect such initiatives from the Ruling Republicrats in Washington. Replace them with Libertarians, and we might have a chance to dig ourselves out of the mile-deep hole we're in.
Here in Portugal they don't, people have huge kitchens with huge stoves, it is probably the most important room in the house.
As I said, microwave ovens are dirt cheap anyway, using them as an indicator of wealth is ridiculous.
I've walked around Lisbon in some very dangerous areas, since my ex and I were too cheap to pay for a taxi back to the Le Meridien. The squalid conditions I've seen would suggest otherwise, and this was late 1999 when the world economy was prospering.
Oh, and Portugal is nearly broke and a member of the PIIGS. Got another example?
Well, let me just ask your personal opinion. Forget what foreign newspapers say.
I see you live in Tennessee. I assume that you leave your house. Maybe go on vacations, etc.
1) do you really, in your heart, think the Middle Class is truly disappearing?
2) do you really think that the USA is 'in danger' of becoming a third world country?
I think 'no' on both questions. This weekend observe how many people will attend football or baseball games, or go out to the mall, or even travel to your beautiful state of Tennessee to visit Memphis, etc. """
Observe how many WON'T......
The rich will be able to do these things...and SOME of the middle class can do this yet BUT...
Observe the REST of the country, observe the unemployed, observe the housing market, plummeting wages, the price of food, the price of gas, the cost of living, the growing number of homeless.........maybe some Americans are so blind they NEED another country pointing things out to them....
""Why read foreign newspapers to get a feel for your own country? True, sometimes one may read a thoughtful editorial in a foreign newspaper that makes you pause about how other countries see us, but sometimes you simply have to trust your own gut feeling and experience.
NO, you have to observe and trust facts and figures....this country is headed straight for Third World status, that is, the extremely poor laborers and the ultra-wealthy ruling class.....OBSERVE!!!
Well, let me just ask your personal opinion. Forget what foreign newspapers say.
I see you live in Tennessee. I assume that you leave your house. Maybe go on vacations, etc.
1) do you really, in your heart, think the Middle Class is truly disappearing?
2) do you really think that the USA is 'in danger' of becoming a third world country?
I think 'no' on both questions. This weekend observe how many people will attend football or baseball games, or go out to the mall, or even travel to your beautiful state of Tennessee to visit Memphis, etc.
Why read foreign newspapers to get a feel for your own country? True, sometimes one may read a thoughtful editorial in a foreign newspaper that makes you pause about how other countries see us, but sometimes you simply have to trust your own gut feeling and experience.
A lot of it is built on sand...people borrowing against their own futures to fund their current lifestyles. Just wait until the heavily-mortgaged boomers start to retire en masse.
And Texas is already turning into a third world country. We are becoming totally overrun by illegals with their third world mentalities who refuse to assimilate. The border states are Ground Zero for the death of the middle class.
I've walked around Lisbon in some very dangerous areas, since my ex and I were too cheap to pay for a taxi back to the Le Meridien. The squalid conditions I've seen would suggest otherwise, and this was late 1999 when the world economy was prospering.
Oh, and Portugal is nearly broke and a member of the PIIGS. Got another example?
Except for the red-light district (at night) and two areas where mostly poor immigrants are forced to live (at least one of them has been demolished since you were there), there are no dangerous areas in Lisbon. There are run-down buildings throughout the city, but that does not mean the area is dangerous. Lisbon is not Detroit, and what's more, Portuguese are not Americans.
Got another example of what? I wrote myself pages ago that Portugal is a rather poor country (in material terms that is, culturally it is quite rich), always has been since its empire collapsed. Then again, it is more solid than people think. Our banks have passed the stress test, people are motivated (they don't stay if they can't find work, they spread all over Europe and to the former colonies if necessary) and the new generation are well educated, speak several languages...
Just a couple of days ago they were replacing the asphalt of the streets here, all day long despite the hot weather. Unlike in Germany or France, where such work is usually carried out by immigrants, it is Portuguese who do that here, and they were in a good mood judging from the singing and laughter, not complaining.
Except for the red-light district (at night) and two areas where mostly poor immigrants are forced to live (at least one of them has been demolished since you were there), there are no dangerous areas in Lisbon. There are run-down buildings throughout the city, but that does not mean the area is dangerous. Lisbon is not Detroit, and what's more, Portuguese are not Americans.
Got another example of what? I wrote myself pages ago that Portugal is a rather poor country (in material terms that is, culturally it is quite rich), always has been since its empire collapsed. Then again, it is more solid than people think. Our banks have passed the stress test, people are motivated (they don't stay if they can't find work, they spread all over Europe and to the former colonies if necessary) and the new generation are well educated, speak several languages...
Just a couple of days ago they were replacing the asphalt of the streets here, all day long despite the hot weather. Unlike in Germany or France, where such work is usually carried out by immigrants, it is Portuguese who do that here, and they were in a good mood judging from the singing and laughter, not complaining.
It's good they are "singing and laughing"
Meanwhile, 10 year bonds are at 5.6% and unemployment is over 10%.
A lot of it is built on sand...people borrowing against their own futures to fund their current lifestyles. Just wait until the heavily-mortgaged boomers start to retire en masse.
And Texas is already turning into a third world country. We are becoming totally overrun by illegals with their third world mentalities who refuse to assimilate. The border states are Ground Zero for the death of the middle class.
I was watching a sad documentary on TV the other day, they reported on newly poor people who do everything to keep up the illusion they still are upper middle-class. They keep their way too expensive cars and drive away each morning the way they used to when they still had a job. Just so that neighbors won't know they are unemployed now. They spend the day somewhere else, even visiting soup kitchens, driving huge BMWs and what not.
Meanwhile, 10 year bonds are at 5.6% and unemployment is over 10%.
The employment rate has stabilized, and it's only one percent higher than yours.
I wouldn't point the finger at others, just wait till the US becomes the new toy of speculators. A lot of the global financial problems these days are caused by speculators and rating agencies, who almost seem to work together.
The employment rate has stabilized, and it's only one percentage higher than yours.
I wouldn't point the finger at others, just wait till the US becomes the new toy of speculators. A lot of the global financial problems these days are caused by speculators and rating agencies, who almost seem to work together.
It's cool. Keep singing and dancing, living carefree. It works for Greece (er, it did until a year ago)
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