Which country has the best universities? (houses, middle school, restaurant)
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It doesn't take into account the cost of living in a particular nation. Americans spend bucketloads more on healthcare and many are saddled with enormous student loans and have less of a safety net should they become unemployed. In other words, you need considerably more money in America than in Germany, where you don't even need a car in many major cities, work fewer hours and have more annual leave.
GDP per capita alone is a useless measure for judging quality of life.
Why do you think the German population is stagnant and not attracting mass inward migration like the US if its so attractive and the cost of living so low?
Why do you think the German population is stagnant and not attracting mass inward migration like the US if its so attractive and the cost of living so low?
Well I'd live there.
If it's stagnant, that also means that Germans aren't leaving in their droves either. To live in Germany, obviously it's helpful and respectful to be proficient in German.
That depends on the American. IIRC US social security pays a fraction of the unemployed workers previous salary. Going from a £70k job to £70 a week JSA allowance is going to be a far more difficult shift than if unemployment benefit is based on your salary.
Despite the extensions, US unemployment benefits are limited to a certain amount of time. The unemployed also find themselves unable to afford health insurance or COBRA and are S.O.L. if they get sick, unless they are lucky enough to be eligible for Medicaid.
If you're unemployed in Britain for example (as I was for a short time), not only do you get job seekers allowance, but often your rent is covered, especially if you live in a council property. Rents in much of the US are gastronomical in comparison to the UK (outside of London).
So called top US and UK universities will let anyone in. Even Bush and Prince Charles. Im sure other european universities are also infected with the idiocy that turns out the same bankers and politicians as UK and US ones.
Yes, many European universities let everyone (with the required high school degree, obviously) in. However, they kick them out as quickly as they let them in, should they fail to keep up.
Quote:
Originally Posted by LondonAreaWeatherSummary
Why do you think the German population is stagnant and not attracting mass inward migration like the US if its so attractive and the cost of living so low?
Good question. Because the "American Dream" with the still intact imagination of "coming out big" is more appealing to people from poor countries than the average middle class life in Europe? Because most people with the means of emigrating usually already speak broken English? Because the US is still the "land of the dreams"? Because there already is a big diaspora of almost any nation in the US? Because most neighbors of Germany are more developed than the US's southern neighbors?
I am still amazed, however, how much this thread is about stating one's opinion and how little it is about acknowledging the few posts that actually contributed to the original topic. Hopeless, I guess.
There would be more immigration to Europe, but it simply is very difficult to get in and stay there. Not to mention the language barrier. At German universities you have to understand and speak German fluently. Same goes for almost all jobs, so why would anyone move to Germany when it is so much easier to go the US or Australia or Canada?
Anyway, one problem with those comparisons might be that most universities are very good at some discipline, but mediocre at all the rest. Since public, i.e. the vast majority of universities in Europe do not rely on donations etc., they don't have to fight each other for reputation, thus they don't really care if they are just mediocre at many disciplines. Harvard or Stanford could not afford such an attitude.
If the USA has the world's best universities why is it that a majority of Americans are ignorant about history, geography, the English language above third grade level, and various other subjects?
Ummmm, it's a known fact that America's colleges are by far the best in the world. It's easy to find this out by doing just a little bit of research.....try Google.
There would be more immigration to Europe, but it simply is very difficult to get in and stay there. Not to mention the language barrier. At German universities you have to understand and speak German fluently. Same goes for almost all jobs, so why would anyone move to Germany when it is so much easier to go the US or Australia or Canada?
This is off-topic but there actually IS a lot of immigration to Europe (or at least there was up to the recent economic crisis, no idea where numbers stand right now). They just don't propagate the "European dream" and they don't build the identity on immigration in a way the Americans do. Getting into the United States is equally or even more difficult than getting into many European countries. No idea about Australia or Canada though, I've heard it's easier.
In Europe a lot of the leading edge research that is carried out at universities in the US is done at separate institutes such as the renowned Max Planck Institutes. There are dozens of them and they are at the level of Stanford etc. Universities serve to educate people, not so much to do research.
Ummmm, it's a known fact that America's colleges are by far the best in the world. It's easy to find this out by doing just a little bit of research.....try Google.
Yeah. The few at the top. Apart from those few, which educate a minimal fraction of the American students, American colleges are pretty average, especially in relation to the huge population. At least, that's what Google says.
USA GDP (PPP) is 28% higher than Germany's - A substantial economic advantage. Even more amazing when you consider the US's population is nearly 4 times larger than Germany's.
The fact that you then try to diminish Americans by crediting Asian "brain drain" for any perceived US success reveals an obvious animosity towards the USA. Most likely brought on by an effort to feel better about your own country. Very transparent.
Well, how did we get there now? This has nothing to do with the thread. But, now that we are at it, let's analyze it.
What's the GDP? From wikipedia: "refers to the market value of all officially recognized final goods and services produced within a country in a given period.". Per capita means just that - total amount divided by population = amount per head. Germany's GDP isn't actually lower than ours ( She's not even from Germany, so why use it as example?), but they work about 300 hours a year less. That means, of course, there will be less output. That means the GDP will be lower. If you adjust everything, Germany's GDP is about the same. So, no, ours is not 28% higher. There's just a 28% higher output because, roughly speaking, Americans just work more.
And, American Colleges are not "the best" in the world. Like I've said in the other thread, all the international students I have encountered in my life were all better in math and sciences. Dosen't bother me because I think what I did was enough, but that's still my observation. Depending on who does the rankings, there will be a shift. American rankings often have American Colleges higher ranked, European rankings got their own Colleges higher ranked etc. No doubt Harvard and Co. have huge endowments. But that's just the mentality here. Prestigious Colleges are important in the U.S. So a lot of money will be pumped into those institutions. But 1+1 is still 2 at Harvard. Personally, I don't even pay much attention to the local rankings here. Lots of people in the College forum will panic if you didn't go to a "Top 10" school and will tell you stuff like you won't find a job like this and lots of other baloney. A Harvard degree is mostly only "more valuable" in the U.S. because it's a prestigious College. I think it would be more important to tone own on it, which would lower the cost, and enable more people to get a College education.
Quote:
Originally Posted by LondonAreaWeatherSummary
Why do you think the German population is stagnant and not attracting mass inward migration like the US if its so attractive and the cost of living so low?
Because they don't share a border with Mexico, and because English is an easy language.
Stagnant? Maybe because it's less religious. I suppose you can also add it's because people are spoiled and don't know how to appreciate all the help they get raising their children. Free day care for children as young as 1 month old, 2 years of paid pregnancy leave, day care even available after school throughout elementary school, a couple of hundred a month in children's allowance, free higher education etc. Maybe it's also just the fact that is is a different culture. Just because people would be popping out babies like crazy here if they had all this, just doesn't mean others will. It's probably also a good portion of selfishness/egoism there. There are a lot of reasons.
Last edited by Glucorious; 02-25-2012 at 08:23 PM..
Reason: Tweak
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