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Hungary. Similar conditions exist in some Austrian, Czech and Slovak villages. These are villages you don't see while shopping in tourist trap sidewalk cafes in Budapest or Prague. These are Central European countries.
People are cherry picking a few select countries in W. Europe whenever they make their examples. Europe is Europe and you have to include the totality of it.
First of all Hungary is central Europe, check your map. Second "Eastern Europe" is gone unless you are talking about Russia or Belyarussia: it was more of a political than geographical concept. Third like in the US you have Martha's Vineyard and Newark NJ and West Virginia... there is not one Europe as there is not one USA.
Well, Hungary is EASTERN Europe, and like all the former Soviet-bloc countries, there are bound to be pockets of poverty there - though Budapest is a gorgeous city and thriving. Austria is like its neighbors Switzerland and Germany: rich. The Czech Republic is also doing OK. But the former Soviet bloc is NOT Western Europe and the problems Western Europe has encountered are largely due to the inclusion of Eastern European countries. Western Europe's just fine... Southern Europe (Spain, Italy, Portugal, Greece) has problems but certainly not insurmountable ones (if they'd just pay their income tax!!)
You've been to a different Budapest than I have. The Soviet Union has been out of the picture for 20 years, more than enough time to get their act together. Spain is Western Europe and is in a miserable state, so is Portugal. Greeks cannot even afford to eat. How do you expect them to pay income tax?
Again, it's all about the cherry picking. Pick countries with a monolithic demographic and decades of post WW2 austerity and say "ah ha, these are great places to live!"
First of all Hungary is central Europe. Second Eastern Europe is gone unless you are talking about Russia it Belyarussia: it was more of a political than geographical concept.
Third like in the US you have Martha's vineyard and Newark NJ and West Virginia... there is not one Europe as there is not one USA.
You are using Newark, NJ as an argument? These are whole countries, not just towns.
I just keep hearing how great Europe is from people who make up stories about traveling or living there, or have simply visited the tourist traps.
You've been to a different Budapest than I have. The Soviet Union has been out of the picture for 20 years, more than enough time to get their act together. Spain is Western Europe and is in a miserable state, so is Portugal. Greeks cannot even afford to eat. How do you expect them to pay income tax?
Again, it's all about the cherry picking. Pick countries with a monolithic demographic and decades of post WW2 austerity and say "ah ha, these are great places to live!"
They have gotten their act together. They are just poor countries and will probably take over 100 years until they are on par with western Europe. Do you expect a complete communist territory to develop into free market thriving western capitalism within 2 decades?
Exactly. It's weird that people don't seem to recall bosnia\herzgovenia and so forth.
Yep, Europe is just this giant monolithic place devoid of nationalism, racism (but only towards muslim immigrants because their hatred of jews as well isn't real, they just dislike Israel ).....it's a friggin' utopia full of unicorns and magical rainbows because most people know little about it other than you get free healthcare and their crime is low.
Mathguy, do your sums! We don't just get universal health care, low crime rates (and very low violent crime rates), we get 6 weeks' paid vacation a year, too. The Dollar's gone up a bit... come on over! It IS punitively expensive (and has been since the introduction of the Euro.. oh, for the good old days when your millions of lira and drachma would go far..), but you'll see it is actually quite civilized and Americans who are terrified of the evils of socialism and universal health care and would prefer to convert their country into the Third World with no income taxes where a teeny-weeny percentage of the population lives in opulence and everybody else in a hovel, everybody with an arsenal like a Mad Max flick.. You might be surprised at what you'll find!
Back to work now, but you guys keep replying and telling this guy who was raised there how Europe is so refined.
So was I. Yet, I don't try to throw Europe under the bus every chance I get because I managed to make good living for myself over here. Seems like some people have a large chip on their shoulder.
Again, it's all about the cherry picking. Pick countries with a monolithic demographic and decades of post WW2 austerity and say "ah ha, these are great places to live!"
Austerity in socialist western Europe? LOL I though I heard it all.
So says my family and relatives. Yet most of them live in Northern Europe. Southern Europe kind of stinks though, at the moment.
Well, Venice does in the absolute heat of summer.
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).....it's a friggin' utopia full of unicorns and magical rainbows because most people know little about it other than you get free healthcare and their crime is low. 
