The Truth About Europe

Originally Posted by Enigma777

I agree, and would go farther. I doubt most Americans would rather live in Mississippi than in Europe. I am not really sure of the purpose of this thread, but how is the GDP (even per capita) the major indicator of well-being or happiness? If the richest top 5 percent of the US are the only people benefiting from it, what difference does it make? Productivity as an indicator of happiness? Chinese factories are productive, but are the workers happy? For the disappearing middle class, wages have been stagnant for 20 years, while the cost of living has gone up. How is working harder for less money a good thing? Prior to now, health insurance has been a huge block to starting your own business or working for yourself, as it is totally tied to employment, so you end up working 50 hours per week to make money for someone else. I'm fond of Europe (which I have visited many times) not because of any 'ancestral longings,' but because of the priorities regarding quality of life and appreciation of culture. What some Americans see as lazy, I see as a preference to have a balanced life, over being a workaholic. Nobody on their deathbed ever said 'I wish I spent more time at the office'.