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Np, your questions aren't dumb at all. You can buy your own health insurance here in the U.S., but the prices are so high that many people can't afford it. I'm not talking about $200-300 a month, I'm talking about $1k+ for a family plan. I don't know many people who have that kind of extra money around to spend on healthcare. It's part of the reason why Obama is "trying" to change the healthcare industry. It's out of control!
In Europe, you have a social contract between the government and its citizens. You pay higher taxes for health care coverage, free university education, and public transit systems. In return, the government provides these benefits to its citizens.
In the United States, it's about reducing the role of government so we can make $$$$$, keep our guns, and keep Jesus in the public square.
Advantages of European Life Over the USA:
1. Less crime. Although there are some dangerous ghettos in suburban London, Paris and a few other major European cities. The murder rate on the European continent is no where near as bad as in America.
2. Better family values. This goes back to the social contract. Mothers get extensive paid-leave maternity benefits. There's not as much pressure for the mothers to return to work. In some countries, the government provides day care service.
3. Better Work and Play Balance. Many workers in European countries get 4-6 weeks of paid vacation time. Rest and relaxation are important for workers productivity. The average hours worked by Europeans is considerably smaller than the typical American worker; to add insult to injury, Europeans work LESS but make MORE PER CAPITA income than the average US worker. This is true in places like Germany and the Scandinavian countries.
4. Europeans don't spend a lot of money on the military. Hmmmm...that's why they have more money to spend on health care and education for their people.
5. Lower income inequality rates. The United States has much higher income inequality where the top 1 percent of the wealthiest citizens own a significant portion of the nation's assets. The middle class in the USA is shrinking because many families are dropping into poverty. In Europe, corporate bosses do not make close to the average American CEO. European workers have strong state regulations and union representation that guarantees solid wages and benefits. In America, the worker is pretty much slave chattel.
In Europe, you have a civilization. In the USA, you have a banana republic.
Advantages of USA over Europe:
1. We can get rich at someone else's expense, own guns and make everyone worship Jesus Christ.
2. We are the number one exporter of military weapons in the world and our military has a wonderful history of slaughtering millions of innocent civilians from Afghanistan to Vietnam.
3. It's much more acceptable to be selfish and materialistic in the United States.
4. Oh yeah, we have Hollywood and a gazillion different fast food chains.
I had an interesting conversation the other day about how different the lifestyle is here in the US vs. that of Europe. The USA is driven society. As time goes on we are working more hours and in families you see less and less of the stay-at-home mom, (because it takes two incomes to make ends meet). If you only work 40 hours a week you're considered lucky. It's not uncommon for folks to be working 60,70, or even more hours than that. Sleep deprivation is an issue for many. While we all know the human body calls for a minimum of 8 hours a night, many are lucky to get 5. Healthy eating? There's a reason why Wendy's, Burger King, & McDonald's do so well. Go to Sam's Club, shopping carts are packed with processed food. I'm sure everyone reading this post knows at least one person that works 7 days a week. By and large the US is an on-the-go society. Yet when it comes to obesity we're number one in the world, 30% to be exact.
Now to Europe. Europeans rarely work more than 35-40 hours a week. They take more vacation time too. I know somebody that was at a restaraunt in Italy and they had to ask for the check. It's considered rude if the server brings the check to you over there, (they feel by doing this they're rushing you). Also many places of business slow down or shut down in the afternoon for a little break. Basically, what I've been told is that Europe is so much more laid back than we are. Even for a society that eats a big dinner late at night before bed obesity rates are much lower. France and Italy are in the single digits.
So my question, does the US have it all wrong when it comes to work? We seem to have more health issues. I know many who just seem to be working there life away. Parents often have to miss a child's function due to work. Don't get me wrong, I believe in work not living off the government or public payroll. I believe that work is our purpose in life. I also believe that there are other things in life besides work, and you can't work all the time, we all need time to relax. Even if you love your job, there's more to life. Seems as though we've lost the balance in this country.
China, Korea and Japan work even more hours than the US. The US is nothing special.
The European way of life on the other hand is not economically sustainable and nothing to brag about.
And most Americans don't work nearly as much as the workaholic stereotype. Whenever I take the commuter rail home at 4:00, the trains are always packed with people going home after work. By 6pm, the trains are practically empty.
The hardest and longest working Americans are the upper middle class (professionals and small business owners), who average 60+ hrs a week. The typical lower to middle class worker pretty much just clocks 9 to 5. The latter group are also the ones who eat at McD and Wendy's and have relatively unhealthy lifestyles.
In Europe, you have a social contract between the government and its citizens. You pay higher taxes for health care coverage, free university education, and public transit systems. In return, the government provides these benefits to its citizens.
In the United States, it's about reducing the role of government so we can make $$$$$, keep our guns, and keep Jesus in the public square.
Advantages of European Life Over the USA:
1. Less crime. Although there are some dangerous ghettos in suburban London, Paris and a few other major European cities. The murder rate on the European continent is no where near as bad as in America.
2. Better family values. This goes back to the social contract. Mothers get extensive paid-leave maternity benefits. There's not as much pressure for the mothers to return to work. In some countries, the government provides day care service.
3. Better Work and Play Balance. Many workers in European countries get 4-6 weeks of paid vacation time. Rest and relaxation are important for workers productivity. The average hours worked by Europeans is considerably smaller than the typical American worker; to add insult to injury, Europeans work LESS but make MORE PER CAPITA income than the average US worker. This is true in places like Germany and the Scandinavian countries.
4. Europeans don't spend a lot of money on the military. Hmmmm...that's why they have more money to spend on health care and education for their people.
5. Lower income inequality rates. The United States has much higher income inequality where the top 1 percent of the wealthiest citizens own a significant portion of the nation's assets. The middle class in the USA is shrinking because many families are dropping into poverty. In Europe, corporate bosses do not make close to the average American CEO. European workers have strong state regulations and union representation that guarantees solid wages and benefits. In America, the worker is pretty much slave chattel.
In Europe, you have a civilization. In the USA, you have a banana republic.
Advantages of USA over Europe:
1. We can get rich at someone else's expense, own guns and make everyone worship Jesus Christ.
2. We are the number one exporter of military weapons in the world and our military has a wonderful history of slaughtering millions of innocent civilians from Afghanistan to Vietnam.
3. It's much more acceptable to be selfish and materialistic in the United States.
4. Oh yeah, we have Hollywood and a gazillion different fast food chains.
USA Rocks!
What a croak of garbage. You represent exactly what's wrong with the left-wing of America. Where do you think all the crime and murder is in America? Cesspool inner cities that vote Democratic in every election.
Europe doesn't spend a lot on the military because of the US, you dimwit. Or did you forget WWI, WWII and the dozens of massive European wars in the past two millennia? Civilization of peace, Europe is not and never will be.
And did you forget about the 20% unemployment rate (U3, not underemployment rate) in Spain right now?
coldbliss, it sounds like you're one of these gun control idiots. Gun control is the main reason I would never move to Europe, I will not live where I cannot own a gun and defend myself. Break into my house and/or try to harm or rob me I'm shooting first and calling 911 later. As far as making money what's wrong with that? Nothing wrong with being selfish either. If you don't look out for yourself nobody else will. I don't want Europe's tax rate either. I don't think any government should pay for anyone's education either. I posted this thread to get some opinions. While I do think many are overworked here, I have no plans on leaving this country. The idea about worshipping Jesus, the country was founded by Christians. Now if you don't want to worship Jesus then don't, but why since 9/11 have people here in the US have to "bown down" and "curtail" to muslims and worry about offending anybody. Why should mohamed be censored on South Park? I noticed you live in Maryland, maybe you should move to Europe.
Actually this country was formed on the basis of RELIGIOUS FREEDOM which means you are free to worhip OR NOT WORSHIP whatever diety you choose, be it Jesus, Allah, Satan, Jehovah, or the oak tree in your back yard.
I have NO problem with the Islamic faith. I have a big problem with fundamentalists of ANY RELIGION who try to force their religious views on me. That includes radical Christians who believe they have the right to monitor my choices in my bedroom and doctors office.
The problem with Europe is that you can't work more even if you want to and even if there is demand for your labor, because of all the labor regulations. This clearly goes against one's sense of freedom and manifest destiny in the US.
Np, your questions aren't dumb at all. You can buy your own health insurance here in the U.S., but the prices are so high that many people can't afford it. I'm not talking about $200-300 a month, I'm talking about $1k+ for a family plan. I don't know many people who have that kind of extra money around to spend on healthcare. It's part of the reason why Obama is trying to change the healthcare industry. It's out of control!
Well maybe that exactly is the reason why employers want you to work as much as possible. If they pay, for example, 24k/year for your benefits on top of your salary, of course they want to get the job done with the smallest amount of people receiving these benefits possible. If you work 50 or 60 hours per week, it just might be more productive from their perspective. I don't see how "Obama's plans" would change this is any way.
But i still think the alternative, where employers have no reason to offer you 40 per week, if they can offer just 20 or 30 is even more worse. In the end, you'd still be getting too little income coming in. I'd much rather be overworked than underworked and/or broke.
In Europe, you have a social contract between the government and its citizens. You pay higher taxes for health care coverage, free university education, and public transit systems. In return, the government provides these benefits to its citizens.
In the United States, it's about reducing the role of government so we can make $$$$$, keep our guns, and keep Jesus in the public square.
Advantages of European Life Over the USA:
1. Less crime. Although there are some dangerous ghettos in suburban London, Paris and a few other major European cities. The murder rate on the European continent is no where near as bad as in America.
2. Better family values. This goes back to the social contract. Mothers get extensive paid-leave maternity benefits. There's not as much pressure for the mothers to return to work. In some countries, the government provides day care service.
3. Better Work and Play Balance. Many workers in European countries get 4-6 weeks of paid vacation time. Rest and relaxation are important for workers productivity. The average hours worked by Europeans is considerably smaller than the typical American worker; to add insult to injury, Europeans work LESS but make MORE PER CAPITA income than the average US worker. This is true in places like Germany and the Scandinavian countries.
4. Europeans don't spend a lot of money on the military. Hmmmm...that's why they have more money to spend on health care and education for their people.
5. Lower income inequality rates. The United States has much higher income inequality where the top 1 percent of the wealthiest citizens own a significant portion of the nation's assets. The middle class in the USA is shrinking because many families are dropping into poverty. In Europe, corporate bosses do not make close to the average American CEO. European workers have strong state regulations and union representation that guarantees solid wages and benefits. In America, the worker is pretty much slave chattel.
In Europe, you have a civilization. In the USA, you have a banana republic.
Advantages of USA over Europe:
1. We can get rich at someone else's expense, own guns and make everyone worship Jesus Christ.
2. We are the number one exporter of military weapons in the world and our military has a wonderful history of slaughtering millions of innocent civilians from Afghanistan to Vietnam.
3. It's much more acceptable to be selfish and materialistic in the United States.
4. Oh yeah, we have Hollywood and a gazillion different fast food chains.
USA Rocks!
Great post , hard to see how anyone can argue with that.
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, hard to see how anyone can argue with that.
