Europeans are so poor. They could not even afford to buy a place in their 30s, even poorer than Chinese grad students.
Why is Europe so poor and expensive
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With the pound at literally at all time low, I only now find UK prices comparable to the US. A bottle of Coke at a convenience store in Paris will cost you 3 euros. Cars are more expensive, to say nothing of gasoline. Train trips in places like Switzerland and the UK are egregious.
Broadly, in sectors where Europeans do not allow competition or tax up the wazoo, things are expensive. The same is true in the US (alcohol, airfare). There are fewer sectors in the US constrained in this way, so overall it is cheaper.
The comment above about job security and unlimited sick days really sounds odd to an American. Most people here honestly do prefer to get paid for doing good work, period. The idea that a job is an insider's club where you extract rents really isn't a common one. If anything, people are upset at coworkers that slack, not the opposite.
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With the pound at literally at all time low, I only now find UK prices comparable to the US. A bottle of Coke at a convenience store in Paris will cost you 3 euros. Cars are more expensive, to say nothing of gasoline. Train trips in places like Switzerland and the UK are egregious.
Broadly, in sectors where Europeans do not allow competition or tax up the wazoo, things are expensive. The same is true in the US (alcohol, airfare). There are fewer sectors in the US constrained in this way, so overall it is cheaper.
The comment above about job security and unlimited sick days really sounds odd to an American. Most people here honestly do prefer to get paid for doing good work, period. The idea that a job is an insider's club where you extract rents really isn't a common one. If anything, people are upset at coworkers that slack, not the opposite.It's interesting that limiting the competition is even legal. And a lot of people support that model, saying we should protect weak and unproductive.
It's puzzling why Europeans tolerate such high taxation and prices.
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It's hard to live in Europe if you're used to a consumer culture. One big puzzle piece here is that Europeans simply just don't consume as much. Eat out less, eat cheaper meals (this is not necessarily a positive as some have framed it in this thread), buy fewer clothes and update their wardrobe less frequently, buy older/cheaper/smaller cars or no car at all, etc. But the worst for an American to adapt to is the oppressive prices on basic crap. Like, a $40 electric Norelco razor in the US is called "Phillips" over there and sells for $120 even though it's the exact same thing. And because so many goods are like this, the people there do what we in America would consider crazy. When that razor starts getting rusted or gummed up or the battery fails to hold a charge, we would throw it out and buy a new one - say after 2-3 years. The European will take that crap to the "electronics repair store" get that blade oiled up, they'll unscrew everything and replace the battery, etc. They might use that razor for 10 or 15 years. It reminds me of permanently living in the great depression or something.
Funny things is I volonteered in such a repair shop and hat really fun. This is probably a European thing. We indeed consume less, in particular things and also service. It seems people like that (I have enough money to buy me a new razor every week, believe me).
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I never understand why people want to work in Europe.
As an economist in the US, you earn 200k USD a year, about 130-140k after tax.
In China, you earn 100k USD per year after tax, plus they have big bonuses if you publish (one top field worths about 10k USD). In HK and Singapore, you earn 180k USD after tax. In Europe, you get 50k USD after tax or even less.
Money speaks.
Europe has been long plagued by communist policies, high income taxes, radical redistribution, and expensive welfare programs have all hurt the continent badly. If Europe wants to be great again, then it has to be merit based, reward the very best and commit not to help those lazy and weak people.in many parts in Europe: daycare is free, kindergarten is free, school is free, university is free. suppose you have 3 kids, do the math.
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I never understand why people want to work in Europe.
As an economist in the US, you earn 200k USD a year, about 130-140k after tax.
In China, you earn 100k USD per year after tax, plus they have big bonuses if you publish (one top field worths about 10k USD). In HK and Singapore, you earn 180k USD after tax. In Europe, you get 50k USD after tax or even less.
Money speaks.
Europe has been long plagued by communist policies, high income taxes, radical redistribution, and expensive welfare programs have all hurt the continent badly. If Europe wants to be great again, then it has to be merit based, reward the very best and commit not to help those lazy and weak people.in many parts in Europe: daycare is free, kindergarten is free, school is free, university is free. suppose you have 3 kids, do the math.
I am dead sure if you go to a nursery or kindergarten for your new born in where I am they will send you back. Only 20% of spots are available and they go to low income families (meaning additional layer of redistribution).
This is the story of the public services. They give you a menu that X, Y, Z is covered, pay for them upfront. That's the theoretical menu you presented. Once you pay, in practice services become overcrowded and unavailable and you end up paying for X, Y,Z again privately.
Imagine paying all these tax categories for this:
And then forced to buy a small car and get double screwed by paying for expensive VAT, gas, parking and maintenance.
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I understand. You left your 150 sqft apartment a couple of times per week to go somewhere to stay warm, because the heating didn't work. Makes sense you care about museums.
Museums are free!! Jay!!!
Yes. For instance, when I was living in London, I would go to the British Museum almost every week for months. Now I'm in the US and it's obnoxious to pay the price of a meal every time. Also the food prices are deceptive. First they slap the tax on it, then they slap the outrageous 20% tip on top. Besides, a lot of things simply can't be bought with money unless maybe you teleport the streets or something. How much does the Apostolic Palace cost?
I know maybe it seems outlandish to you as an uncultured economist who is so obsessed with measurable income that he decided to dedicate his whole life to studying it.In summers, there is no damn air-conditioning in Europe. Buildings don't have AC. Not even in bathrooms!!
In winter, the state will order opening of the heat in Oct 15 or something like that. It would keep the government-own places (which is pretty much everywhere) just lukewarm, but not enough to prevent shivering.
The usual argument is, it's costly and bad for environment.Put a sweater and don't wear shorts inside in the winter, and take that sweater off and the shorts on in the summer. And there, no need for american-style AC
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why the obsession about Paris? Paris is a very hard place to live. It certainly doesn not represent what the average life in Europe is. Try live in the Netherlands. So many services, so many public things, and such a good culture.
Also, I know you Americans undervalue Italian universities, but they are free, or almost free, in a great part of Europe. I mean in Germany, college is free. And I am not talking about terrible places, I am talking about very good Universities. Let's ignore Econ, I am Italian. You want to study at Polimi/Polito, some of the best places in Europe to become an Engineer? You have to pay a max of 3000 a year. It's something Americans don't conceive, and it's quite a big difference. It's life changing for someone.
Then, you take Paris metro as an example of problems with public transportation, seems a bit weak to me. In most of Europe, you can travel around the country at ridiculously cheap prices.
Now I am not necessarily saying Europe is better, I'm just saying, you seem to largely understate these differences, despite them being quite evident and notorious. -
why the obsession about Paris? Paris is a very hard place to live. It certainly doesn not represent what the average life in Europe is. Try live in the Netherlands. So many services, so many public things, and such a good culture.
Also, I know you Americans undervalue Italian universities, but they are free, or almost free, in a great part of Europe. I mean in Germany, college is free. And I am not talking about terrible places, I am talking about very good Universities. Let's ignore Econ, I am Italian. You want to study at Polimi/Polito, some of the best places in Europe to become an Engineer? You have to pay a max of 3000 a year. It's something Americans don't conceive, and it's quite a big difference. It's life changing for someone.
Then, you take Paris metro as an example of problems with public transportation, seems a bit weak to me. In most of Europe, you can travel around the country at ridiculously cheap prices.
Now I am not necessarily saying Europe is better, I'm just saying, you seem to largely understate these differences, despite them being quite evident and notorious.Almost all grad students (at least those who matter) receive scholarhips. Not only they get great free education, the living costs are subsudized as well.
In Europe there is no scholarship culture (there are some here and there, but it's not a merit-based competitive entrance with systematic scholarship). There is admission-free entrance for crowded class rooms and you have to live with your parents.
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^plus I found the consumption thing laughable. I mean it is true, but I would say that' s a decent thing. This board is notoriously right-wing, but generally speaking, I wouldn't say it' s a problem we don't create waste for fun.
But how do you want to retir
why the obsession about Paris? Paris is a very hard place to live. It certainly doesn not represent what the average life in Europe is. Try live in the Netherlands. So many services, so many public things, and such a good culture.
Also, I know you Americans undervalue Italian universities, but they are free, or almost free, in a great part of Europe. I mean in Germany, college is free. And I am not talking about terrible places, I am talking about very good Universities. Let's ignore Econ, I am Italian. You want to study at Polimi/Polito, some of the best places in Europe to become an Engineer? You have to pay a max of 3000 a year. It's something Americans don't conceive, and it's quite a big difference. It's life changing for someone.
Then, you take Paris metro as an example of problems with public transportation, seems a bit weak to me. In most of Europe, you can travel around the country at ridiculously cheap prices.
Now I am not necessarily saying Europe is better, I'm just saying, you seem to largely understate these differences, despite them being quite evident and notorious.I agree Paris is among the worse places in Europe. Still the problem with expensiveness persist across Europe. Stockholm and Amesterdam are expensive.
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why the obsession about Paris? Paris is a very hard place to live. It certainly doesn not represent what the average life in Europe is. Try live in the Netherlands. So many services, so many public things, and such a good culture.
Also, I know you Americans undervalue Italian universities, but they are free, or almost free, in a great part of Europe. I mean in Germany, college is free. And I am not talking about terrible places, I am talking about very good Universities. Let's ignore Econ, I am Italian. You want to study at Polimi/Polito, some of the best places in Europe to become an Engineer? You have to pay a max of 3000 a year. It's something Americans don't conceive, and it's quite a big difference. It's life changing for someone.
Then, you take Paris metro as an example of problems with public transportation, seems a bit weak to me. In most of Europe, you can travel around the country at ridiculously cheap prices.
Now I am not necessarily saying Europe is better, I'm just saying, you seem to largely understate these differences, despite them being quite evident and notorious.Almost all grad students (at least those who matter) receive scholarhips. Not only they get great free education, the living costs are subsudized as well.
In Europe there is no scholarship culture (there are some here and there, but it's not a merit-based competitive entrance with systematic scholarship). There is admission-free entrance for crowded class rooms and you have to live with your parents.Very funny, I did my undergrad in Germany on a merit-based scholarship living in a 19th century manor (not my parents')...
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why the obsession about Paris? Paris is a very hard place to live. It certainly doesn not represent what the average life in Europe is. Try live in the Netherlands. So many services, so many public things, and such a good culture.
Also, I know you Americans undervalue Italian universities, but they are free, or almost free, in a great part of Europe. I mean in Germany, college is free. And I am not talking about terrible places, I am talking about very good Universities. Let's ignore Econ, I am Italian. You want to study at Polimi/Polito, some of the best places in Europe to become an Engineer? You have to pay a max of 3000 a year. It's something Americans don't conceive, and it's quite a big difference. It's life changing for someone.
Then, you take Paris metro as an example of problems with public transportation, seems a bit weak to me. In most of Europe, you can travel around the country at ridiculously cheap prices.
Now I am not necessarily saying Europe is better, I'm just saying, you seem to largely understate these differences, despite them being quite evident and notorious.Almost all grad students (at least those who matter) receive scholarhips. Not only they get great free education, the living costs are subsudized as well.
In Europe there is no scholarship culture (there are some here and there, but it's not a merit-based competitive entrance with systematic scholarship). There is admission-free entrance for crowded class rooms and you have to live with your parents.not all students get great scholarships. We were talking about general life, not about great students. If we want to talk about reward for merit and excellence, the US are years ahead. But for the median/below median student, things are much better in Europe.
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When the narratives are framed around "representative", "inclusive" or "equal", of course competition disappears.
It's interesting that limiting the competition is even legal. And a lot of people support that model, saying we should protect weak and unproductive.
It's puzzling why Europeans tolerate such high taxation and prices.