What is wrong with Europe? (health care, dollar, economic, abuse)

[Habsburg]

Originally Posted by babyorr9

Up in brew town, sure. I mean, whos not drunk in WI? Of course, if I lived in cheese counry, I'd drink myself under the table too. All kidding aside, the vast majority of sportsmen in this country treat hunting with the responsibility, and respect that it deserves. Sure, many are fat rednecks. But that doesn't mean they don't respect and understand the killing tool they're carrying.

Can I make a Dick Cheney joke here? Or is it too overdone?

[Baron von Costume]

Originally Posted by karfar

Hmm, enjoying life instead of dying of work-related stress, having an automatic month vacation, oh yes these are such hideous aspects of life in Europe. Oh yes, these ideals have been in place for how many years now & I don't see the collapse of Europe happening anytime soon. Seriously, go grab a clue & get back to us.

How many Americans are dying of "work-related stress?" I am truly curious.

Long vacations definitely is a European (well, to be fair, WESTERN European) ideal that I envy. But they have real problems in Europe that this post ignores. I was in France last fall when President Sarkozy made the incredible comment that "French people need to understand that they have to work."

Their quasi-socialist structures are beginning to buckle because too few people are working and too many are not.

[arctichomesteader]

Originally Posted by 123cop

Seriously, what is wrong with Europe?

As if running with the bulls isn't barbaric enough, I saw on television that they now gather wild horses in a small arena and dive on their backs to try to remove their manes.

So I ask what the heck is wrong with people in Europe? Kids in their 20s and 30s aren't getting married, aren't having babies, living w/ their parents, partying all through the night. The kids riot when the govt tries to remove ridiculous laws that ban employers from firing people.

The euro may be strong but Europe is losing it's sense of God, Family and morals very quickly.

It's funny, on american tv we watch shows like Animal Cops because we have compassion for animals. We have groups that would give their lives to save a whale. We have animal shelters on almost every corner. Americans, in general, are very compassionate people. Not just to humans but to animals.

Europe has lost it's sense of compassion, it's sense of God, it's sense of responsibility. They can't even work a 40 hour work week over there.

Don't judge a country by the strength of it's currency.. Europe is falling and falling fast.

If you don't believe me, turn on the television and watch the slaughtering of the bulls in Spain. People here say they have so much culture and so much heritage. It's not culture nor heritage.. it's animal cruelty, period.

After a point there's such thing as over-civilization. People become interested in nothing more than comforts and luxuries, people in cities become too far detached from reality (of food production, the natural world, the fact that cities lack any true value in the real world, etc.), people switch right and wrong, etc. Witness the European attitudes towards guns, hunting, and self-defense. They're so far detached from reality in many areas of Europe that they wish to ban hunting as "cruel," guns as "dangerous," and heaven forbid you should follow your basic instincts and defend yourself in many European countries if attacked. Watch the economy meltdown and these people will be changing their tune, or dying. The same was witnessed in ancient Rome to a degree, people in general only cared about living the "good" life, partying, etc., and in other empires and such. Europe seems to be on the way to being one country, sort of, as the EU, with the politicians trying to force it on people, but in actuality I think it'll not happen and will splinter apart as always.

Obviously, this doesn't apply to all European countries, and even within the worst (I'd call the U.K. the worst for this personally) there are many people who are exceptions. I've chatted with some Brits who are very much in touch with reality, and as best they can grow their own food, raise livestock and even *gasp* have guns and hunt (despite the difficulties brought about by being where they are). They aren't ignorant of reality like many urban dwellers, even in the U.S., are. Actually, I'm convinced it's an urban thing not a European thing. Compare the veiws of the average city dweller in, say, NYC, LA, etc., to those in European cities, and there would be more similarities than differences. Cities are not natural environments for people, we were never meant to live in them, but rather, hunt, gather and to a degree farm on a small scale, in and surrounded by the wilderness, being very much a part of the natural world. People in cities become detached from all of those realities, start supporting big controlling governments because of the problems cities have, become interested only in being more comfortable, start attacking in different ways those who have not succombed to the foolishness (for example, banning weapons, hunting, taxing heavily, etc.), before finally things break down in the cities and the process starts over someday.

[AJGIANTS]

Originally Posted by Baron von Costume

How many Americans are dying of "work-related stress?" I am truly curious.

Long vacations definitely is a European (well, to be fair, WESTERN European) ideal that I envy. But they have real problems in Europe that this post ignores. I was in France last fall when President Sarkozy made the incredible comment that "French people need to understand that they have to work."

Their quasi-socialist structures are beginning to buckle because too few people are working and too many are not.

Socialsm in Europe has engrained a sense of entitlement to the people. They believe they are entitled to all of the benefits without putting in their time at work. Think about what happens less production but more payouts.
It does not work and can not work. Socialism has been proved wrong over and over again. An example right in front of my face is the wonderful state of New Jersey. The voters in the urban areas constantly vote for gigantic Government and handouts. The state is a corrupt mess.

[pigeonhole]

Long vacations definitely is a European (well, to be fair, WESTERN European) ideal that I envy. But they have real problems in Europe that this post ignores. I was in France last fall when President Sarkozy made the incredible comment that "French people need to understand that they have to work."

Their quasi-socialist structures are beginning to buckle because too few people are working and too many are not.[/quote]


The problem is that the French do not understand that reforms are necessary.
I've already overheard two people at my workplace (not related), simple clerks, saying "I shouldn't be surprised if he[Sarkozy] finished with a bullet in the head"....talk of "more civilized" Europeans...they take for granted a certain standard of living, that I can understand...but they are completely oblivious to change...this collective blindness is potentially dangerous, can lead to deadly upheaval or wars....

[babyorr9]

Originally Posted by Habsburg

Can I make a Dick Cheney joke here? Or is it too overdone?

LOL. Fire away. I guess he didn't learn anything growing up in Wyoming.

[Habsburg]

Originally Posted by babyorr9

LOL. Fire away. I guess he didn't learn anything growing up in Wyoming.

hehe, fire away, nice

[karfar]

Originally Posted by arctichomesteader

Nice stereotypes. I've never done anything you mentioned and I'm into hunting, mainly for meat. Also trapping for fur and meat. Most people into hunting I know are not like you describe. But the dumb and dangerous ones do attract a lot of attention in the press. You still shouldn't be making those generalizations.

This forum is filled w/stereotypes. Have you read the OP? That is one gigantic stereotype so please refrain from attacking me for stereotypes. If you're a hunter that is responsible & not at all the type we hear in the news all the time, than bravo to you. I'm sure there are many many of those out there, & then again there are many many of the drunk type, it goes both ways & as you said it does seem that we hear about the stupid ones.

[karfar]

Originally Posted by Baron von Costume

How many Americans are dying of "work-related stress?" I am truly curious.

Sorry, I can't get you an exact number. However, watching the news & reading the papers for the past I don't know how many years, work-related stress is a very real problem & yes, it does relate to deaths. What do you think alcoholism, in many instances, can be attributed to? Overeating? High blood pressure? Insomnia? Lots of diseases can be traced back to work stress, it's a fact.

[Moth]

What do you think alcoholism, in many instances, can be attributed to?

Tends to come from drinking too much, too often. What actually motivates a person to find themselves in the throes of such a habit ranges from childhood issues to simply partying without boundaries once too much and everything in between.

And as Scandinavia, the most progressive part of Europe, has an alcohol problem that dwarfs anything you find in the US, it might be prudent to leave alcoholism out of the calculus.