The local youth are as callow as American youth: they no nothing or recent history or politics, they were surprised that I knew more about German reunification than they did, their big interests are soccer and political protests (about anything that gives them an excuse to gather, chant, and vandalize). Mercer's widely recognized survey is one of the world’s most comprehensive, and is designed to help multinational companies and governments determine compensation strategies for their expatriate employees. That's simply false. We can build whatever style and size of home we want, and air condition it if we want. It's pretty clear the US isn't sliding. This can equally apply to many places in the States. Taxes for us are not high, except for the VAT, because all os our income is US source, and under the double taxation treaty we only pay US income taxes. Look at the percentage put into social welfare programs if you want to see where we're spending ourselves into the poor house. I'll ask the former Soviet Union about that next time I see her. My daughter has lived in Dortmund for almost six months, and she likes it less each month. I suspect 2009 data would look rather different, given the economic developments in both regions. Oh, you didn't go to North Peckham, or Newham, or Hackney? 2. Some of the figures from Europe and Australia predate the Great Recession, which put a dent in incomes worldwide. Even in nicer restaurants. Its like walking out on a single day and saying, "well, it doesn't seem any hotter to me" as a rebuttal to manmade global warming theory. There's wealth, and then there's wealth. And if you're wondering: Last modified on Tue 2 Jul 2019 22.37 BST. They wear clothes that an American would have long ago given to the Salvation Army, drive small cars, etc. Mercer’s Cost of Living Survey  helps employers navigate expatriate packages, essential due to uncertainty from pandemic. It spends twice more than any other nation on defense. © Copyright by The Money Manifesto 2017. Carcinogenic chemicals in your furniture, and contaminated drinking water. Europeans tend to live in smaller houses than people here in the U.S., and on narrower streets, and may not have access to big-box discount stores. Save the strawman arguments for elsewhere. It is often poorly designed, lacking clear objectives, and mediocre in execution. And it is pathetic that not only does a former Nobel Laureate fall for it, but he doubles down by telling everyone else to fall for it. Let’s examine some data. Mercer’s data was collected in March; price variances in many locations were not significant due to the pandemic[1]. The least expensive city in the region, Adelaide fell seventeen places to rank 126. Lead-based paints were banned in much of Europe before the second world war but it took the US until 1978 to follow suit. Then a two hour lunch, with wine and brandy. Besides, Europeans invest their wealth into other important things besides income that benefit everyone equally, such as quality health care, child care, more vacations, more generous retirement pensions, paid parental leave after childbirth, free or nearly free college education, affordable housing, supportive senior care, better parks and more. Tel Aviv (12) continues to be the most expensive city in the Middle East for expatriates, followed by Dubai (23), Riyadh (31), and Abu Dhabi (39). It is a _different way_ of living. People don't need to go into debt to buy and maintain a 3,000 pound vehicle to get their food and clothing, neighbors know one another, greasy fast food isn't as prevalent and there isn't the numbing sameness of the typical U.S. subdivision. GDP (PPP): $2.133 trillion (2008 est.) The Canadian dollar has appreciated in value, triggering jumps in this year’s ranking. Up eighteen places from last year, Vancouver (94) is the most expensive Canadian city in the ranking, followed by Toronto (98). If you don't qualify for a discount monthly pass, then train travel is expensive. Indeed, that actually happened for a couple of decades after World War II, but then many European nations expanded welfare states in the 1960s and 1970s, while the U.S. for more economic freedom under both Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton in the 1980s and 1990s. Occupants shared a down-the-hall facility. I think there is more religion in Italy and Spain, and maybe Poland, but not in France. This is a very interesting discussion and I'm learning a lot, particularly from those who've posted here who live in Europe. But what happens when the Americans don't want to work any more? You'll have to prove it with a link, 'cause I ain't buying that pig in a poke. "Cost and quality of housing, urban planning, more cost-conscious consumers, more diverse media and education encouraging critical thinking would be differentiators I can think of w/respect to the US for at least one European nation I happen to be acquainted with rather well." How's that for ideological diversity? “That was the last time the EPA sought very strict restrictions on industrial chemicals. And because of the relationship between policy and prosperity, this means that Americans tend to have much higher living standards than their counterparts in other nations. Deserts at a so-so restaurant are typically 4-6 Euros ($5.75-$8.75). Speaking of European prosperity, here’s a fascinating map I saw on Twitter. …In most Western European countries studied, applying the U.S. standard shrinks the middle-class share by about 10 percentage points… Applying U.S. incomes as the middle-class standard also boosts the estimated shares of adults who are in the lower-income tier in most Western European countries… Overall, regardless of how middle class fortunes are analyzed, the material standard of living in the U.S. is estimated to be better than in most Western European countries examined. 1: Live expectancy is about the same. All rights reserved. Americans have a choice to live like Europeans if they want to - go to any university town and you'll see plenty of grad students, professionals, and people who never left town emulating the lifestyle. There is more family time here, but it is a cultural thing here. New York, Tuesday, June 9, 2020 - In the wake of COVID-19, social and economic disruption has spurred organizations to reassess their global mobility programs with a focus on the well-being of their expatriate employees. In most Western European countries studied, applying the U.S. standard shrinks the middle-class share by about 10 percentage points – from 80% to 70% in … Required fields are marked *. Despite an appetite to grow and scale globally while navigating the uncharted waters of a health and economic crisis, reductions in staff and salaries as well as changes to benefit programs have challenged overseas expansion strategies. Look out in the street at 7 Am in Europe. Are you saying the Europeans have it better? your presumption that I have not traveled is misplaced. The numbers on that page are rather specious. Take your Nobel winnings and retire comfortably, somewhere out of earshot. Boasting is considered incredibly bad form there while almost necessary to get a foot in here, competing with friends is a no-no (it's more about sharing), social events tend to be less formal (go and start inviting people for tea/coffee to your apartment). If you consider wealth to mean having access to cut-rate prices on cheaply made goods from China at the nearest Wal-Mart, that's fine. The northern quarter is perhaps a fifth of the city that is actually beautiful, while the rest is a place you don't wanna live in. I would wipe down the handset and stretch the cord out as far as I could so I wouldn't have to actually stand all the way inside the booth. We've got more stuff from Walmart? We are wealthier, and (rationally in my mind) people choose to spend this incremental wealth on their health and well-being. They cut the American employees' vacation. What annoys me are two things, but aspects of the same thing: Acquiring that should be the highest priority for your daughter; if she has trouble connecting, a good way (everywhere) is to move in with other folks ("Wohngemeinschaft") to get a "starter set" of contacts. Bergstein was previously the chair of the Mount Sinai Children’s Environmental health center. The medically uninsured here do not worry about getting sick, but I think the live expectancy once you are born (not again) is about the same. It took me twelve days of walking and train-riding all over Dortmund just to get simple furnishings for my daughter's apartment. This is just silly. Probably it's the PPP element, but it says that the French aren't doing anywhere near as well as is suggested by that table, with a PPP adjusted per capita GDP that is 2/3rds that of the USA's (14.4 trillion vs 307 million = $46.9k). Take away the munificent overflow of American largesse and economic power from the world and Europe would see another dark age indeed. I think you forgot your economics class. Europe has great history and art museums. Steven Hill is the author of “Europe’s Promise: Why the European Way is the Best Hope in an Insecure Age” (www.europespromise.org). As you can see, the United States easily surpasses other industrialized nations, with a score of 145.9 (compared to the average of 100). Did their kids have fewer Ipods? Under the Trump administration there are signs it’s only getting worse. I am no fan of the EU, but certainly agree that nationalism has not worked for these peoples. While we spend roughly double what some other nations such as German y or France spend on defense, it amounts to several magnitudes greater capability.

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