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Very true, as clearly illustrated in a recent 60 Minutes episode dedicated to life in Denmark. Even some of the people interviewed admitted to being underachievers.
You forgot the most important intent of that episode - that Denmark's population is considered to be the happiest in the world. If that's debatable, it's way up there, anyway. They seemed very easygoing and content, probably enough so as to not feel the need to achieve so much, just enjoying their simple lives.
"Excessive licensing requirements in many professions keep out competition."
"The minimum wage is so high that it often exceeds the potential productivity gains of hiring a new worker..."
"While French politicians lament the harshness of capitalism, the so-called Anglo-Saxon model is what allows American immigrant families to leap from corner grocery store to the Ivy League in a single generation."
You forgot the most important intent of that episode - that Denmark's population is considered to be the happiest in the world. If that's debatable, it's way up there, anyway. They seemed very easygoing and content, probably enough so as to not feel the need to achieve so much, just enjoying their simple lives.
The same could have been said of the American Indians (although life was certainly not easy, they were content with their level of achievement), and that didn't turn out well. I guess it comes down to two completely different ideals.
I say, why stop progress? We should always be reaching, advancing; no matter how good life is it could be better. Even if this life style causes extreme competition, stress, and many will fail.
Others say that if you find something that works and people don't have to be stress over living life, then just live it out.
I think the latter is extremely selfish as a species, and over all losers.
I have fairly regular contact with businessmen from Spain, Germany, and Italy and upon arriving here when I pick them up, entertain them over dinner either at my house or with a boat ride etc, they all seem to regularly comment on three things.
1. Absolutely blown away by the amount of land a individual owns/that we own property at all.
2. How many trucks we have.
3. How fat we are.
The last two are fluff, but the first one is the real telltale, because every one of these men are business owners/executives and are extremely wealthy all in the top 1%, yet none of them have 5 acres with riverfront property and a dock with a powerboat.
I'll take my chances here.
American greed at it's finest..I got more land and cool shyt than you.
American greed at it's finest..I got more land and cool shyt than you.
Or perhaps American personal success at its finest thanks to the ability to truly "be all that you can be" in this country without major reliance on government.
Ya know, Tanked, you sound like one of those all too typical underachievers who always has their hands out for the goodies yet wants more and the same for others which merely stifles any initiative they may have and ensures they'll spend a lifetime lapping from the government's food dish.
It's easy to be a socialist when you depend on the labor of others (the people) to feather your nest without much, if any, contribution on your part. You strive hard to bring others down to your level.
Conversely, it's easy to be liberal with others' earnings when you've socked away more than enough for your own needs, plus some.
I have what I have because I worked for it. It's sufficient for my wife's and my needs. We pay taxes which provide some benefit for us but likely more for others and do share our "wealth" with others who truly need it.
Other than that, keep your and government's hands out of my wallet! That's what America is about -- meet our own needs and be beholden to and envy no one.
Last edited by Curmudgeon; 07-13-2009 at 12:01 PM..
I have fairly regular contact with businessmen from Spain, Germany, and Italy and upon arriving here when I pick them up, entertain them over dinner either at my house or with a boat ride etc, they all seem to regularly comment on three things.
1. Absolutely blown away by the amount of land a individual owns/that we own property at all.
Fascinating. I left Denmark about, what, 9 years ago. I am not aware of anyone in my family and/or circle of friends who do not own their house. Granted, I tend to hang out with people with skills and degrees etc., but even my grade-scool teaching sister with the machinist husband owns a very nice house in a very, very nice area. Powerboats are considered a little - well, not done - to most Danes, but tons of people have sailboats.
Admittedly, land is expensive in Europe - because population density is higher, and because we like shorter commutes - so the lots tend to be smaller. Also, we need to lay out a higher percentage of the land to farming.
But if a German is indeed in the top 1%, he'll own pretty much as much land as he wants to. I've lived in Germany. Of course, a German who's with it to that degree will buy himself a nice townhouse somewhere cultured (Berlin, perhaps Hamburg - Blankenese is nice) rather than the 5 acres riverside - cultural difference.
I know people with successful (and some with rather less successful) businesses in Europe. It's not as hard as some make it out. (A lot of people will gripe about how they would go into business and make a killing if only the Gvt. would stay out of it, but I am pretty convinced that if they had it in them, they'd try. They don't.)
Needless to say, I do not recognize the bleak picture painted in the OP. The differences are, in practice, much smaller than most think. Except for the medical insurance bit, which the US has bass-ackwards. And the vacations, which I miss a lot. Which is strange, because I never got around to taking them...
American greed at it's finest..I got more land and cool shyt than you.
I find nothing wrong, absolutely nothing wrong with having/wanting/working for nice things.
And Dane, the house owning exclaimers are usually from Spain, not sure what the demographics there are but all the businessmen I deal with do own their own house, they are just saying that a vast number of people in the middle-to-lower class do not, whereas a lot of ours here do. And it was a matter of not being able to have boats or own land, it was that you had to be very sucessful to do so, whereas here it is a lot more common place. (my neighbor has over 100 acres and a boat while maintaining a slightly above poverty income)
Then they're living in cities.
I have about 1/2 acre that I'm living on in Germany.
It's typical in my part of Bavaria. In fact, I probably live on a smaller lot than most people around here (who aren't living in cities).
If you're living in a medieval city, there are codes about where/how you can build.
Ummmm, have you ever visited to these countries?
Do you know anything about the geography here in Europe?
Ummmm, have you ever visited to these countries?
Do you know anything about the geography here in Europe?
If you are talking to me, I've visited London, Paris, Prague, Madrid, Valencia, and Hamburg.
I'm merely commenting on the most often pointed out differences between our countries from people I work with from their respective country, if any more people have problems with what they say you should start telling foreign nationals to start saying it is exactly the same when they come here.
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