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tall traveler
When you visit Northern of Spain you will see another World with a PIB per capita of
18000 en Malaga and 29000 en Bilbao,
Think that Bavaria in Germany one place of the richest in the World has the PIB per capita of 35000 very near Bilbao because is a industrial zone.-.
The Northern is much more richer and more demanding in the works and a different World that Marbella
Although in Spain there is not with money the abysmal differences of Bronx with Manhattan in New York .- .-
Think that Spain equals eg hospital and free education throughout the country and this alleviates
the differences in Per capita money of people between regions.-
Yeah I'm a researcher by nature and so was aware about the Bilbao (Basque) region being the high income area of Spain and Malaga region being on the low income range. Marbella is a completely different world and I see many Bentleys, Maseratis, Ferraris etc. and multiple million Euro houses every day...we were buying some new furniture for our condo and my wife stopped to look at some stylish dresses for young girls and the average little dress was more than 200 Euro....I was glad to have a young nieto instead of a nieta or my wife would have spent over 1K Euros on little girl dresses
I really enjoy Spain, if my family wasn't in the USA, I would likely move here permanently....but not if I were younger and in need of establishing a good career, the USA is better in that situation.
We also generally see higher income in the north and lower in the south in the USA and that seems to be true for other northern hemisphere countries....interesting no.
The thing that the Northern Europeans cannot digest is how the hell even though the south is less wealthy people are having a better life. They live longer and enjoy life.
Also, They cant believe that Greek people even after 6 years in recession with 27% unemployment and all the measures taken (new taxes, pay cuts etc) still don't kill each other to survive.
The thing that the Northern Europeans cannot digest is how the hell even though the south is less wealthy people are having a better life. They live longer and enjoy life.
This is the stereotype, but I doubt it's true. Being poor sucks, and I doubt Greeks having no money, no chance for kids, and living with their parents, and rationing food and basic necessities, are "enjoying life" right now as opposed to some professional couple in Hamburg or Stockholm.
We also generally see higher income in the north and lower in the south in the USA and that seems to be true for other northern hemisphere countries....interesting no.
Germany is the opposite. The southern states are the wealthiest and most economically dynamic.
This is the stereotype, but I doubt it's true. Being poor sucks, and I doubt Greeks having no money, no chance for kids, and living with their parents, and rationing food and basic necessities, are "enjoying life" right now as opposed to some professional couple in Hamburg or Stockholm.
Not having as high of GDP doesn't necessarily make you poor, and I'm certain their are still plenty of people in Greece that are not living as you are describing.
People in most European countries live very well with happy lives without the constant worry about how wealthy they are all the time and comparing themselves to other countries. Southern Europeans especially fit this mold.
Not having as high of GDP doesn't necessarily make you poor, and I'm certain their are still plenty of people in Greece that are not living as you are describing.
Greece is pretty poor for a developed world standard. When your economy contracts by 30% in a couple of years, it's bad news. That hasn't happened anywhere in Europe since WW2
Quote:
Originally Posted by marino760
People in most European countries live very well with happy lives without the constant worry about how wealthy they are all the time and comparing themselves to other countries. Southern Europeans especially fit this mold.
Well good for them. I don't know these people you claim are so happy to not have any money, or thrilled to not having a place to live, or so overjoyed to not have children, or so excited to be forced to leave their homeland for menial jobs in distant lands.
Being poor sucks. My family is one generation removed from poverty, and it's horrible. The "well they're happy poor in Greece, dancing with their goats, not depressed like those industrious Swiss" is just an excuse for corruption and miserable economic performance.
Greece is pretty poor for a developed world standard. When your economy contracts by 30% in a couple of years, it's bad news. That hasn't happened anywhere in Europe since WW2
Well good for them. I don't know these people you claim are so happy to not have any money, or thrilled to not having a place to live, or so overjoyed to not have children, or so excited to be forced to leave their homeland for menial jobs in distant lands.
Being poor sucks. My family is one generation removed from poverty, and it's horrible. The "well they're happy poor in Greece, dancing with their goats, not depressed like those industrious Swiss" is just an excuse for corruption and miserable economic performance.
There are more countries in Southern Europe than Greece just as there are more countries in Northern Europe than Germany.
Try telling the majority of Spaniards, Portuguese, Italians, Southern French that they are living poor miserable lives without money, don't have a place to live, forced to leave their homeland, and not have any children because they can't afford it. Oh, and let's not forget that they dance with goats.
I'm willing to bet the average person in these countries has enough food on the table (and very good food), send their children to school, pays taxes, have comfortable homes and enjoy their lives just as much as any Northern European does. In fact because they don't live in the cold for more than half the year, they probably enjoy their lives even more.
Greece is pretty poor for a developed world standard. When your economy contracts by 30% in a couple of years, it's bad news. That hasn't happened anywhere in Europe since WW2
Well good for them. I don't know these people you claim are so happy to not have any money, or thrilled to not having a place to live, or so overjoyed to not have children, or so excited to be forced to leave their homeland for menial jobs in distant lands.
Being poor sucks. My family is one generation removed from poverty, and it's horrible. The "well they're happy poor in Greece, dancing with their goats, not depressed like those industrious Swiss" is just an excuse for corruption and miserable economic performance.
A lower GDP per capita doesn't make the live in Greece, Spain or Portugal horrible. There are so many things that are more important than money. I know so many people that doesn't earn much money, but are very happy with their lives.
It's also important to note that the vast majority of the people in Greece is affected by the crisis. A decline in financial means is far easier to bear when almost all other people around you are also affected by the crisis.
A lower GDP per capita doesn't make the live in Greece, Spain or Portugal horrible.
It makes their lives far worse, though.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lukas1973
There are so many things that are more important than money. I know so many people that doesn't earn much money, but are very happy with their lives.
Do you know many people who lost all their money, have no home, no job, and no possibility of children? Are they generally happier than friends who have money, homes, jobs, and families? I doubt it.
If prosperity wasn't important than no one would be immigrating to Germany or Scandanavia, and everyone would be immigrating to the Mediterranean. Grey, rainy Germany, with its ugly 1950's-era cities, dour people, and pork & potato food, is much less appealing than sunny Spain or Italy with its gorgeous cities and beautiful people and cuisine.
So why do people flock to grey, boring Frankfurt and not sunny, vibrant Naples? Obviously money isn't the only necessary component to happiness, but it's hard to be happy on an empty stomach and cloudy future.
Do you know many people who lost all their money, have no home, no job, and no possibility of children? Are they generally happier than friends who have money, homes, jobs, and families? I doubt it.
If prosperity wasn't important than no one would be immigrating to Germany or Scandanavia, and everyone would be immigrating to the Mediterranean. Grey, rainy Germany, with its ugly 1950's-era cities, dour people, and pork & potato food, is much less appealing than sunny Spain or Italy with its gorgeous cities and beautiful people and cuisine.
So why do people flock to grey, boring Frankfurt and not sunny, vibrant Naples? Obviously money isn't the only necessary component to happiness, but it's hard to be happy on an empty stomach and cloudy future.
I think the problem is that you have an "all-or-nothing" type of thinking. You seem to mean that there is on one hand Germany which is filthy rich while Southern states are filthy poor, on par with Ethiopia and Somalia. Nonetheless this couldn't be more distant from reality.
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