

U.S. Versus Europe: No Winner - jamesbritt
http://www.nationaljournal.com/njmagazine/wn_20100116_2302.php

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bd_at_rivenhill
_For some reason, not many seem to move to Europe. The traffic seems to be
mainly in the other direction. A mystery._

Maybe not so much a mystery: the type of people who like the American system
are statistically more likely to be the same type of people who are willing to
move for new opportunities, while the type of people who like the European
system are more likely to want to stay put.

~~~
kaveri
Language is a big factor: English is the first foreign language taught in
European schools (and the mother language of most UK and Irish citizens);
Americans are traditionally poor at foreign languages, so are less likely to
move to a country where they need to learn one.

Another factor is culture - America is more "welcoming" to ethnic minorities,
and is built more or less on top of recent immigrants. European nations have a
stronger ethnic identity which is less able or willing to accept new groups.

Really though you can't compare America to Europe in a single generalization -
Poland, UK and Spain, to name a few, are completely different places, more so
than, say, California and West Virginia. It will be impossible (and
undesirable) to achieve the same kind of unity America has, not in this
century anyway.

------
ilkhd2
This guy is delusional. Big time. First of all - what that means?: [level of
living standards in United States is still a lot higher.] I never heard about
this expression - "level of living standards".Where it is derived from?

Now if we abandon PPP adjusted GDP we'll see that US is not that super-rich
country - average GDP per capita places USA on 17th place, far behind many
european countries.
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_%28nom...](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_%28nominal%29_per_capita)
Even Canada (that has been long time a laughstock of USA), in fact has a tiny
little difference in nominal GDP with USA - 1-2k$. So why nominal GDP of
Canada is 2000$ less than American, but adjusted 8000$ less?. Because Canada
is a lot more equal society: GINI (inequality) in Canada = 34 (little higher
than european) GINI in USA = 45 (average for African countries). To maintain
equality you need more taxes. So less left in pockets of consumers.

Now, let's move to hallucinations: "European unemployment rate is higher than
American": USA=10% Norway=3.6% Netherlands = 3.6% Denmark=4.40% Austria=4.8%

You want me continue?? What about obesity:
<http://www.equalitytrust.org.uk/why/evidence/obesity> And social mobility?:
<http://www.equalitytrust.org.uk/why/evidence/social-mobility> Infant death:
<http://www.equalitytrust.org.uk/why/evidence/physical-health> Child well-
being: [http://www.equalitytrust.org.uk/why/evidence/child-well-
bein...](http://www.equalitytrust.org.uk/why/evidence/child-well-being)

~~~
hga
But you can't abandon PPP, our income goes a _lot_ further than the typical
European's. From Wikipedia:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purchasing_power_parity>

" _[PPP] equalizes the purchasing power of different currencies in their home
countries for a given basket of goods. Using a PPP basis is arguably more
useful when comparing differences in living standards on the whole between
nations because PPP takes into account the relative cost of living and the
inflation rates of different countries, rather than just a nominal gross
domestic product (GDP) comparison._ "

And you're cherry picking unemployment figures, from particularly small
countries.

E.g. go to
[http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/tgm/table.do?tab=table&...](http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/tgm/table.do?tab=table&language=en&pcode=teilm020&tableSelection=1&plugin=1)
and you'll see the 2009 November (September for the UK) rates for:

    
    
      EU:    9.5-10%
    
      France:  10.0%
      Italy:    8.3%
      Ireland: 12.9%
      Germany:  7.6%
      Spain:   19.4%
      UK:       7.8%
    

The above paints a rather different picture, doesn't it?

~~~
ilkhd2
I advised to abandon PPP not because that I think that is a bad meausure, but
just to show that Europeans are _not_ making less money. And the reason for
higher prices for stuff patially that are paid better salaries., so to produce
things you need to spend more money. And also Europe produce more stuff for
its own consumption, that makes goods more expensive.

Now it is you who is cherry-picking.

About unemployment: Even if take EU average, we see that it is not higher than
American average 10%. It is at _worst_ equal. Now USA often uses creative ways
(unemployed but not seeking and all he other odd ways of meausuring) to
meausure unemployment, If you read alternative sources, you can often see 17%
of real unemployment in USA.

No it is not making meaningfully different picture.

