FWIW, I often read about these PC-related things in the US (and sometimes Canada). Much less so in Europe, although they start playing catch-up with their new hate speech laws.
As a German I can (mostly) speak my mind about men vs women, the only minefield there is IMO (remotely) Nazi-related stuff, e.g., try to criticize Israel foreign policy or mass immigration.
I have dual German - Canadian citizenship, and I've been surprised at how paternalistic German men can be in their expectations or comments around women's careers and child-rearing responsibilities.
If you're a technically-minded woman, who's more interested in her career than being a wet-nurse, you've got problems no matter where you're living.
Re social trends, it depends on the issue. LGBQ issues, sure. But on climate, safety, many environmental issues, gender gap and income inequality, Germany is out ahead.
I think 5 years is too long especially for tech, and there are things that are and will stay different. Otherwise Germany would be almost exactly like the US now, which it isn't.
I am not so optimistic; Big Data craze started in the US like 8 years ago, whereas in Germany it's in the past 2 years; Machine/Deep Learning is also only fringe, with most "Data Science" positions focused on classical (i.e. not really good) machine learning and Deep Learning is almost non-existent in the market. Only cars are years ahead of US. There is a significant latency in Germany in tech.
For that Germany doesn't really focus on innovation in technology. They tend to like to outsource development to eastern Europe. (That's depressed salaries) Any good developer in Germany is going to silicon valley instead.
No, that's not how it works. Germans outsource labor to eastern Europe, not development. They are hugely innovative, and responsible for lots of advancements in technology, in industrial automation, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, chemical engineering, pharmaceutics and more. It's just they are not hugely innovative in JavaScript frameworks, which is what counts for "technology" on HN.
It’s funny. All I hear about in my social circles is people complaining how PC everything is now. It seems like it’s rather PC to complain about political correctness.
It's permissible to complain about PC, because that's too vague to implicate anybody for anything. Next time you hear that, ask them what specific politically correct opinion it is they'd like to express, and watch their face carefully, and you'll understand more.
More directly, you're insinuating that those who lament PC culture are racists. Are you sure that's the position you want to take? It seems incredibly naive and unnecessarily divisive to propose such a thing.
How did you find this out? When people complained about PC, did you ask them 'Are you really upset that you can't call people niggers and faggots any more?'
Yes, in fact. Whenever I've had these conversations with people, I always try to probe deeper to figure out why they are so angry about what should be common decency. And the answers are always the same. They think it's not about decency, and that their rights, and their way of life, are being attacked. In their minds that attack always comes from "liberals" or "niggers" or "faggots trying to rape our children in the bathroom" or some other hateful, bigoted nonsense. They think that their right to call these people out ("call a spade a spade" is an oft used phrase) is being eroded, and that means "PC culture" is preventing "dialog" and "telling it like it is" or "turning us into liberal pussies."
I cannot tell you how many times I've had this same unfortunate discussion. And every time it makes me sick to my stomach.
> Nazi-related stuff, e.g., try to criticize Israel foreign policy or mass immigration
Yeah, you don't really have free speech if you can't even criticize a domestic policy like immigration.
They convinced you that it is Nazi to oppose the government's stance. Soon you will be Nazi for preferring bacon in your sandwiches or having preferences in dating.
As a German I can (mostly) speak my mind about men vs women, the only minefield there is IMO (remotely) Nazi-related stuff, e.g., try to criticize Israel foreign policy or mass immigration.