"Most of Europe Is a Lot Poorer than Most of the United States"

GrundleStiltzkin

Two years old, but still, just what I'm hearing out here.
https://fee.org/articles/most-of-europe-is-a-lot-poorer-than-most-of-the-united-states/

None of this suggests that policy in America is ideal (it isn’t) or that European nations are failures (they still rank among the wealthiest places on the planet).

I’m simply making the modest — yet important — argument that Europeans would be more prosperous if the fiscal burden of government wasn’t so onerous. And I’m debunking the argument that we should copy nations such as Denmark by allowing a larger government in the United States (though I do want to copy Danish policies in other areas, which generally are more pro-economic liberty than what we have in America).

MikeDamone

Normal thinking people who travel and drink and know things say no shit. The GDP of the US and Europe are about the same. Europe has almosyt twice as many people. Simple fact.

But they are so enlightened and shit. We should copy them.

Pitchfork51

MikeDamone said:

Normal thinking people who travel and drink and know things say no shit. The GDP of the US and Europe are about the same. Europe has almosyt twice as many people. Simple fact.

But they are so enlightened and shit. We should copy them.

Or just throw away our freedom for a hondo led police state.

Sledog

Wait until the socialist/commies get more of their own guys in there and we'll be down with China.

YellowSnow

Better to be upper middle class or rich in the US vs Europe. The pours in the higher GDP countries in Europe are probably better off than here, but that's a trade off.

UW_Doog_Bot

YellowSnow said:

Better to be upper middle class or rich in the US vs Europe. The pours in the higher GDP countries in Europe are probably better off than here, but that's a trade off.

Not necessarily since this is comparing Purchasing Power Parity aka apples to apples. Things like housing in Europe and other developed and "older" nations are stupid expensive. It's like being a poor in Seattle or the bay area. Either that or you've got former communist countries where there's abundant housing but it is god-awful.

As Damone said, for anyone that has traveled this is 100% a no shit no brainer.

Even in my time in Japan which was relatively short I was struck by how much I felt that we were only a generation or so removed from poverty/development.

Most lefties like to assume that ex-pats and well traveled people learn how enlightened the rest of the world is. That's pretty much only if you are a tourist. Spend some time living and working in other countries and you quickly realize how fucking tits we have it in the good old U-S of A.

PurpleJ

ThEy ArEN't DoIng REal SocIaLisM!!!11

Pitchfork51

Dutch chicks are dtf.

PurpleThrobber

The Euros live like shit.

I base that on watching numerous episodes of House Hunters International and their shitty $3000 per month studio apartments.

USMChawk

My daughter’s in London and has commented on the lack of choices for basic consumer goods. She had the flu and wanted to buy some over the counter medicine but had to take what the pharmacist gave her. No Theraflu, no Alka Seltzer, no whatever. That’s the problem when socialism creeps into the market place, competition (and choice) dries up.

It’s the same for razors, soap, snacks, etc.

2001400ex

Pitchfork51 said:

MikeDamone said:

Normal thinking people who travel and drink and know things say no shit. The GDP of the US and Europe are about the same. Europe has almosyt twice as many people. Simple fact.

But they are so enlightened and shit. We should copy them.

Or just throw away our freedom for a hondo led police state.

Free pub.