How I see the US after living in Europe for 5 years.. (American Reacts)

[@coot1925]

I'm a brit who was married to an American for 15 years. One Christmas we went to her dads real estate partners house. One the very first questions the guy asked me is what do I do as a job. I told him I'm a trucker. Then he asked me if it paid well. I said it payes the bills and allowes us to take 2 trips to Florida a year. He asked how we could afford to take that much time off work. I told him it's law to give employee's 4 weeks a year payed vacation and that all our health care is free. He didn't ask any further questions after that. ✌❤🇬🇧

[@derek-press]

coot ,sorry to say this but (I am a Brit living in Germany ) the nhs is not free,you pay every month for it ,granted if it is some major OP or medication you are covered because you have paid your NI along with all the other workers,in Germany it is practically the same but the health insurance companies are private BUT controlled by the government and it is just the same as paying NI and is not expencive,I right now as i type this comment can call my doctor and get an appointment within an hour if needed or first thing in the morning ..I am not joking! I also because of the years I have worked with my company (semi retired now) have 35 days holiday plus bank holidays ..the nhs is a Dinosaur

[@erelpc]

yeah although I get the impression wages are higher in the US. Though I can't confirm this and show any comprehensive data for it, we in Britain get more benefits for lesser pay. I think this is a trade off most people are happy to make. Unless you're working on a self employed basis for your employer, in which case you should be getting a higher wage than those on a permanent contract, without the benefits.

[@eattherich9215]

@@derek-press: the NHS is free AT THE POINT OF ACCESS - you should know this - and nobody is going to ask you to produce a health insurance plan. There is nothing wrong with the NHS that PROPER funding cannot neuter. Successive governments have tried to provide healthcare on the cheap. Time for a wholesale rethink that doesn't involve selling it to American-style healthcare providers.

[@arnewengertsmann9111]

@@derek-press Hm although here in Germany we have a quite similar system. It is a bit more hybrid with mandatory health insurance and private, but we still have a universal healthcare system.

[@derek-press]

@@eattherich9215 @earth ,I will say this again,it is 16.15 here in Germany and i can guarantee I will get a doctors appointment within an hour or tomorrow morning 100 % you need to look into the German and French system ,the nhs has too many up there at the top earning 1500K for admin ,don't try and kid yourself ,and again I will tell you 8 o'clock tomorrow i will be sitting in front of a doctor ! 100% if needed ,stop pretending the nhs is amazing ,the nhs is a Dinosaur

[@lucypembroke3574]

I love videos of Americans who moved to Europe. To a large extend, they appreciate our work/life balance, our health system, our "freedom" that they have been taught only exists in America...... We western Europeans complain a lot about our countries. Then we watch these videos and are reminded how good life is in Europe

[@JarlGrimmToys]

We complain a lot about our countries. Because we know our countries could be better. Americans have a culture of believing they’re the best country in the world.

[@olgahein4384]

@@JarlGrimmToys *nods in german

[@joshuacoldwater]

@@JarlGrimmToysoh trust me, no, no we don’t.

[@nurburgringbiker]

@@JarlGrimmToys They are the indusputed number one though (For mass shootings, that is).

[@praydotell3634]

❤

[@kimbirch1202]

An American tourist on holiday on a Greek Island, engaged in conversation with a local fisherman , who was sitting on the harbour wall, watching the world roll by. The American asked him of he'd been out fishing today, and he replied that he'd been out for a few hours in the morning. The tourist then asked him why he didn't fish all day. The fisherman asked why he should do that. " well, then you could catch more fish, and buy a bigger boat, and make lots of money " said the tourist. " And then what? " asked the Fisher man. " Well then you could retire , take it easy, and enjoy life " " But that's just what I'm doing now " said the Fisherman.

[@Blackadder75]

another reason is that you can't catch fish all day, because fish act on the sun and are most active early in the morning and in the evening sun, not midday

[@yepyepyepyep4602]

@@Blackadder75 its a metafor mate

[@waigl1845]

Funnily enough, that story started life as a tale about a German tourist in Spain. The original title was "Anekdote zur Senkung der Arbeitsmoral", and it was written by Heinrich Böll in 1963

[@franskehovinga1327]

And honestly, if he makes more money he will just spend more so he won’t even be able to retire early and enjoy life.

[@kimbirch1202]

@@franskehovinga1327 Yep , and the greedy are never satisfied.

[@zyoninkiro]

I moved to Europe over two decades ago and have lived for almost twenty years in Italy. Somethings that I love about Europe which I can't get in the US: 1. Good quality public transport - I don't need a car and can easily move around with buses, trams (streetcars), metro and trains. 2. Convenient shops - Since Europe does not have stupid "zoning" laws, shops can be in the same area as houses. Supermarkets, tobacco shops, news stands, convenience stores (bodegas), hardware stores etc an easy five to ten minute walk away. 3. Excellent quality food - Ingredient lists are short and you don't need a chemistry major to read them. Preservatives are very rare as are artificial colors and flavors. Many foods are produced within a day's drive of my city. 4. Public health insurance - I don't have to worry about bankruptcy just because I had to goto the ER. The most I ever pay is around €30 which includes EVERYTHING including tests. Wait times are typically less than wait times for seeing a specialist in the states. GP visits are free and appointments are quick. 5. Shops are human sized. While hypermarkets (Carrefour, Auchan, etc) can be found, most shops are small. Even supermarkets are pretty small, maybe twice as large as a Dollar General for many larger supermarkets. Even hypermarkets are smaller as a Wal-Mart Supercenter is a behemoth in comparison. 6. Things are genuine - So many places in the US feel like movie sets. In Europe, what you see is what you get and does not feel like a facade to evoke some type of feeling. 7. Work is just less hectic. - I work as a school teacher. My work feels valued and I am not pushed to meet artificial goals. I have worked for private language schools and even there, I more relaxed than when I worked in the States. Overall, I have no plans to return to the US anytime in the next few years. Here I work to live, not live to work.

[@pinkifloyd7867]

Interesting considering all thats really going on right now and many are trying to leave eu 🤔

[@Hirotoro4692]

​@@pinkifloyd7867as a European I'm not aware of "many trying to leave the EU". I just want to point out that anything you learned on fox news is probably fake so don't believe everything you hear.

[@draculakickyourass]

@umariireason9127 Don't bother to ask,he probably heard thet on Russia TV

[@adambazso9207]

@umariireason9127 I think mostly the morons try to leave the EU.

[@laurieforsman7820]

@@pinkifloyd7867 Like who?

[@LalaDepala_00]

A teacher of mine once said in highschool "the United States offers unlimited freedom to the rich and big corporations. This includes the freedom to scam and steal."

[@fragdoch-nicht1290]

Amen. "Cutting the redtape" and "deregulating" are such popular promises from politicians,and few seem to realise that it makes your air,food and water poisonous while your salary shrinks or stays the same for decades. Sadly this twisted understanding of "freedom" is propagated around the world by neoliberal think tanks. Cant say europe is still free of this,on the opposite people fight hard to keep their workers rights.

[@Gyvenotjas]

This is how I felt in NYC, spent 4 weeks there as an European. I was asked if I would want to live there, and without hesitation I said no, unless I would treat it as an billionaires playground. That's the only scenario, where I can see myself living in a place like that. Sadly that stands true for most big American cities. Towns, lesser known states are much more livable but then you're dealing with the crazy welfare system.

[@eattherich9215]

@@Gyvenotjas: the US is an exponentially more expensive country in which to live and location doesn't really matter when you are used to European prices, social support network and not being in the clutches of the corporations.

[@notlyxu]

@@eattherich9215 The US? Expensive?

[@Basca112]

@@notlyxu The expensive thing i think of is healthcare, I live in Sweden "not the utopia some Americans think it is" but healthcare is super cheap, my grandfather and grandmother and father all died in cancer, my father in prostate cancer at age 58, "50% chanse i get it" as soon i feel something is off i contact the doctor and have it checked out and that cost me 20$ or less, that is how you catch cancer in the early stages, if it would cost me 1k or more for the same checkup i doubt i would do it for economic reasons. I do belive it is cheaper than Sweden in many other ways, the taxes in LA, NY and other big citys are probably on the same level, you just call it something else, but it is a fee for something.

[@T.O.P.]

In The Netherlands they say: I work to live, I don't live to work.

[@torstenm6462]

Not only in the Netherlands, in Europe.

[@paulbromley6687]

We say that here in the UK too

[@DanMarksman]

@@paulbromley6687 Denmark too!

[@philiptodd6255]

Same here in the U.K.

[@Celisar1]

@@torstenm6462But the reality is that most people are expected to work overtime and a lot of them unpaid. I should know, not only from personal experience in several jobs but also because I have worked in a field where I had to ask people about their working conditions.

[@juwen7908]

What's good on thousands of food options, when every single one is a bad choice.

[@WookieWarriorz]

The thing is, visit the USA and you'll see the actuality have limited choices on a lot of foods because they stack products WIDE you can even see this video but this is the biggest thing I noticed living in the USA. You go to an isle and it's huge and you think wow there must be.1000 options here but really there's the same 100 products as any country in Europe the USA stores just have more space to stock wide. Like this is a European supermarket. Ceral 1, cereal 2 etc in the USA it's ceral 1, ceral 1, ceral 1, cereal 1, cereal 1, cereal 2, cereal 2, cereal 2, cereal 2. The USA choices for fresh meals and packaged meals and cheap vegetables are extremely poor.

[@juwen7908]

@@WookieWarriorz that's what I meant, even with more options, not a single one would be a healthy one. But I get what you said 😉

[@carlbland68]

wouldnt eat american food if i was paid filled with to much crap @@WookieWarriorz

[@matiacolusso5509]

Quantity over quality, easy. Most of the food in the US contains preservatives and chemicals substances which are declared illegal in the EU, here in Europe an additive is banned until it's proved safe for the human health, in the US any substances can be used until it's proved to be dangerous. I lived in Florida for a year, I travelled to California and Massachusetts and the state of Washington...just to find the same restaurant chains I had at home. There is more food diversity in my Italian region than half of the US

[@geertstroy]

Those " thousand food options" first dramatically overblown , second bobbing around their neck concealed by goaties ...

[@Chuulip]

I'm from Germany. I meet my best friends since childhood (3 ppl) every weekend. We're all in our mid-30s now, and I have no idea what exactly the job of 2 of them is and where they work. I know one guy is in IT, the other in physics. And for the 3rd one I know her job and employer only because I helped her apply for it back then and proofread application. But we just don't talk about these things, they're irrelevant.

[@L0CkEyE]

Huge differences, in America its everything about Jobs and Money, i Seen this when i was myself there. It was pretty sad. I was Glad when i came Back to germany

[@jurgen_haan]

Well sometimes it is something that comes up at parties or family gatherings, but it's more an easy accessible subject to break the ice and most of the time people are seriously interested in what a job entails (not how much it pays or how important it is, but what it is you actually do, it's interesting).

[@Chuulip]

@jurgen_haan yeah, when I tell people I'm a scientist, some ask "oh, cool, what do you do research on?" Because it sounds exotic. But if someone tells me they work in an office, I wouldn't give a shit at which company or institution that is. Unless maybe it's Google. Of someone told me they worked at Google I would genuinely be impressed and wanted to know more. But not because they're oh so accomplished but because working at Google sounds super interesting!

[@_Professor_Oak]

I know what industries they're in (my friends) but we rarely talk about work when trying to chill out and relax, unless the conversation is going dry or you've had a bad week and need to get it off your chest. It's kind of akin to talking about the weather. There are definitely people here who judge based on your occupation and wealth though, I believe classism is a bigger issue in the UK than people realise. We are closer to the US than the rest of Europe in this regard I would say.

[@The92Ghost]

@@Chuulip Sounds interesting until you hear about the harsh crunching which brings us back to the USA lifestyle. Working for the big companies like Google, Facebook, Microsoft is highly anticipated by many young experts but the moment they join those companies their lifestyle turns American and usually they are trapped there for at least a decade which completely destroys them. On the other hand, usually when my friends work at those companies, my second questions is not what you do for them but from how long and if they say a year or two, I would strongly recommend them move on to more stressfree environment.

[@wizardm]

I am a former german police officer and police trainer. The problem with US policing is that they are underfunded, badly selected and badly trained. The major police tactics is self protection and enforcing. The result is a kind of war against citizns. In Germany a police officer has to pass a difficult assesment before being hired for training. The training is about three years fulltime and is paid.

[@maxs2982]

I am sorry but underfunded is just plain wrong. For example LAPD's yearly budget exceeds the military spending of the Czech Republic and is about twice the amount of Ireland's military spending. That is crazy. The LAPD is basically a small country's army. Instead of wasting all this money on military equipment for a police force it might be better invested in some social programs to help people get back on their feet, which would also reduce crime. The answer to more crime is almost never more police or deadlier police. As a European you should know that but I guess cops gonna be cops.

[@wizardm]

@@maxs2982 Many of the problems of the US police have to do with tactics and structure. In Germany, police officers never operate alone; police patrols and the crews of police vehicles always consist of at least two officers. Another aspect is training. In Germany, police officers have almost three years of paid full-time training. This all costs more money. I therefore assumed that in the US, financial reasons lead to the police being poorly trained and police officers operate in the field alone. This leads to more aggressive behavior, an excessive fixation on self-protection and authoritarian, intimidating behavior.

[@firstnamelastname7267]

Did you know you can be too well educated to be a cop in the US? An applicant from New York (I think) was turned down after scoring too highly on his tests, appealed the decision and LOST. Fucking joke of a country.

[@galadballcrusher8182]

Especially as guns are way more widespread among population and not as strictly screened on licencing so many unstable individuals may carry even when heavily drinking....

[@wizardm]

@@kellypickle There is no state in the USA where the police have three years of full-time training. There is also no selection process like in Germany. Before the training begins, there is a difficult test, which is divided into a theoretical and a sporting part. At the end there is a psychological assessment. Once you have passed all this, the training begins.

[@dixussatt7978]

Guys, seriously, how can you live without having at least 5-6 weeks of paid vacation a year? How can you bear working more than 40 hours a week? What kind of life is that?

[@mystisith3984]

You can... But then you die 5 to 10 years sooner than people who treat their bodies right. Most Americans don't live long enough to retire & often they need to keep working because of the cost of life & health bills... ♻ I really don't envy the N Am 🐀 race. Nobody on their death bed says "I wish I would have worked more!" That is brainwashing.

[@twofarg0ne763]

I lived in the US, built an IT business, and worked 10-12 hours a day for 35 years until I sold my business. The last 5 years of my career I worked as an IT consultant for a Global company with 40 offices in the EU. Even though I worked out of an office in France, I spent 2 or 3 weeks every month traveling around to various plants in other parts of Europe and the UK upgrading their computer networks. In France, everyone is entitled to 5 weeks vacation, and if you work in a manufacturing plant and that plant closes in August for 2 weeks, those weeks don't count as vacation. The work week is 35 hours. Your boss cannot call you after hours or on weekends, unless it is an emergency. Everyone gets 10 legal holidays and 7 sick days. You cannot be fired while on leave or on vacation. If a company does let you go, they have to pay you TWO YEARS of severance pay. I love the work life balance in Europe. As a retired person, I now see that never taking vacations only helps the company, it never helps the employee. Americans live to work. Europeans work to live. I stayed in France when I retired. I don't watch the news. I buy all my food fresh at the farmers market or my local butcher shop. I've lost 85 pounds since I left the US. I have free healthcare. I can take university classes for around $150 a class to pass my time. I don't plan on going back to the states, except to see my kids. Once you experience real living in Europe the US only seems like a giant step backwards. Just my 2 cents.

[@twofarg0ne763]

@@kubiyoshi2744 I'm of Polish descent. My grandmother was born in Kołobrzeg. I have visited there and been to Warsaw a couple of times.

[@twofarg0ne763]

@@kubiyoshi2744 Dziękuję

[@WilliamSmith-mx6ze]

Yes, but everyone knows the French are taking the piss.

[@JamanWerSonst]

I worked in IT in Germany making about 60k a year. If I looked at similar jobs in the US they often easily paid more than double that. But thats not all there is to it. I have a month of paid vacation, free healthcare and education(no student loan debt, no worries about getting kids through uni). I never worked for more than 40 hours a week on average and no one expected me to be available outside of my regular hours. And I get paid sick days whenever I am sick and no one looks at me weird, on the contrary, people look weird when you cough all over the place in the office. When I decided to switch jobs I didn't lose my health insurance and I was paid 60% of my last salary in unemployment benefits during the months I was looking for a new job. (that is only for a certain amount of time, but plenty of time to find a new job and you get tons of assistance in finding one if you need it) The new job pays even less than the last one, and I am fine with that and expected it, I was just tired of working in IT for e-commerce and wanted to do something with more "purpose".

[@richardvanbergen7175]

I live in the Netherlands. I read the US comments about the higher paychecks, but isn’t it true that the US is more expansive to live in. How is the standard of living in the US compared to Europe? I think fuel is cheaper in the US, but what about grocery prices? And then the rent; sometimes I see people having to pay ridiculously large amounts of rent for very few square meters. My thoughts are, even though our salary may be half compared to the US, we can manage just fine and certainly with all the benefits we have.

[@prouvencau6343]

What is the problem in paying education or health insurance when your salary doubles ?

[@JamanWerSonst]

@@prouvencau6343 For profit education or healthcare is a bad idea, generally. Creates the wrong incentives. Apart from that, healthcare bills can be so massive that no normal person has enough liquidity to cover them, so you need an insurance system anyway. And education is usually what you need before you can get a job with a salary, so the education should be free. An overall more educated populace also creates broads benefits for everyone. Being a rich person in a poor country is something only dickheads enjoy.

[@katarzynaxx563]

It’s the Same all over the Europe, not only in Germany.

[@katarzynaxx563]

@@prouvencau6343Are you serious? You faint on the street and you leave the ER with 10 000 dollars bill. That is absolutely crazy. What if you are older and you start being sick and weak? How will you pay for everything? Is this ok, takt student leaves university with a debt that they must pay off for half of their life? Are you nuts?

[@uli69247]

"Are you happy?" Best question ^^

[@rachel_c4558]

💯💯💯

[@giovanniforlini]

Proud to be Italian and European.

[@philippesimon2067]

Fier d'etre Français de père italien. Fier également d'etre européen, berceau de la civilisation occidentale chrétienne. Mais désolé frère, je ne suis pas fier de l'UE et mon souhait le plus vivace est de faire tombé cette UE corompue et destructrice des nations européennes justement.

[@cassieo4337]

Canadian Italian wishing parents had stayed put way back when "America" was the promised land.

[@MichaelLamming]

The one thing I've noticed as a difference between Americans and Europeans is that Americans seem to have less empathy for their fellow man. It's a generalisation and possibly unfounded, but it's my opinion. I found that people especially from MAGA and National Evangelicals types, seem to have no empathy at all, except for people exactly the same as them. The more right-wing politically and the more zealous religiously, the less and less empathy they have. I've met many religious Americans who are less Christian than me, and I'm an atheist, but I have compassion and empathy for my fellow man.

[@reindeer7752]

Yes, its an unfounded generalization. You do realize tRump lost the popular vote the first time and the popular vote and the election the second time, don't you. Many religious people in the USA are extremely kind and charitable. Religious and MAGA do not necessarily correspond. I'm not religious nor a MAGA and neither are my friends.

[@vascoespañol]

I was offered a six figures job in the US....NO WAY. Almost no vacations, no liveable downtowns, superlong distances, police issues, safety issues, superexpensive medicine, bad food, ....i stay in Europe.

[@michiganstad]

EXACTLY

[@Frivals]

😂😂😂😂

[@vascoespañol]

@@Frivals What makes you laugh?

[@rattywoof5259]

@@vascoespañol I would assume Americans who claim that they're living in the best country in the world.

[@tinasjostrand2677]

Good choice.

[@stefanwiechmann4808]

I am a German and yes Germany and I think other European countries have there problems too. Like that an east cozntry is trying to destroy democraticaty and tries to devide the European countries from each other. Sometimes with violence and attacks ob politicians. BUT this makes us Europeans, the people, the folks working more and more together! I love Italien for example. Also made day trips to Austria. It is cool that so many countries are available to travel quickly. I live in North Germany. So in 3 hours, or less, I could be in the Netherlands, or Denmark. A couple of hors more I could be in Belgium or even Great Britain and this by train. Which means climate friendly. This is freedom. Also that we can go to a hospital or a doctor if needed without being bankrupt. Also this is freedom. And yes, I like it to have social systems, that will support you if loosing work and supports you in finding work again 😊 Do we have to pay for it? Of course. But not that much, because everyone pays. And that's the benefit of having a shared social system. And it doesn't mean that you are kommunist like a lot of american thinking. They think to have such a system is a weaknes. But in fact, it is a strengh. And the try to be Independent from atomic energy as well as gas and oil, will make us much stronger in the future! I love Germany and how it is fighting against the existing racists and fighting for democraticaty. And my hope is that the European Family will grow and become stronger and that people from different countries meet more and talking about their different cultures, mix them, but living in peace and following the rules 😊 Hopefully you understand what I mean 😊 Germany and all other European countries 🥳🥳

[@QuantumS1ngularity]

When i was visit the USA for the first time, I asked that same question "but are you happy" to a guy who i knew through a game we played together. He was talking about all the promotions he got, all the good credit score he accumulated, how he does better than his coworkers... none of it was about life itself, no actual passionate hobbies, so i asked him "but are you happy with your life". Dude said he would have time to be happy once he retires, no he has to focus on earning as much as possible. Died in a car crash not even 2 years after that convo. Really changed my view on life, i quit a well payed manager position and got a far more life-friendly job. Doesn't pay as much, but the free time is 10 times more and the stress is 100000 times less.

[@danaknight1513]

I am retired, on vacation in England for 6 weeks. This is my 3rd summer to vacation here. I love it. I don't miss all the many brands and choices of foods in the USA. Most all food comes from about 6-7 companies like Tyson, Kraft, Kelloggs, Purdue,etc. Quality is much better in UK. No GMO & High Fruitose corn syrup. TV ads are fun & informative. No prescription ads. No guns! Pubs are great! Trains & buses great! I would like to live here. Rain is the only negative, but Brits escape & holiday in Spain, Portugal, Italy to warm up. Keep up the great videos. ❤ Them! Cheers!

[@tussk.]

Whenever I talk to Americans about the poor work/life balance, they always say that it's worth it because the USA has the best and strongest economy in the world, but at what cost? The obsession with being the biggest and the best has come at the expense of health, family, wellbeing and peace of mind. What's the use of earning more than the next guy if you're working 60 hours a week? When do you get to take a breath and enjoy what you've worked for? We don't work ourselves into the ground, rushing around and exhausting ourselves, and we still enjoy a pretty good lifestyle. When we take a holiday, we typically go to one place and spend a week or two there, safe in the knowledge that we can go to that other place later in the year. We don't have to cram everything into the one week we get because we'll get fired if we take a single hour longer. Our job is what we do, it doesn't define who we are. When I go home, I don't spend a second thinking about work until 9am the next day. You have been told that this is socialism and will lead to the collapse of the country, but we are doing just fine. Come try it. You might like it.

[@Čangrizavi_Cinik]

Money means nothing if you lose your health and sanity while chasing it. I dont want to live to work, I want to work to get money to live how i want. The free time is the king. Americans cant have free time, they would rather work 3 jobs in a day.

[@L0CkEyE]

Same for me i tried to Tell an American its Better to live in Germany but she prefer to Work 70 hours a week, her Job is her Family... It Looks so sad

[@donnabaardsen5372]

I agree 💯 percent. I lived in Europe for years and Americans are clueless about just how wonderful it is.

[@marcelmoulin3335]

Impeccably said!

[@Anaxarete]

over 33 trillions dollars national debt, i don't exactly call it "best and strongest economy"....

[@Dutch-linux]

I have lived in the USA 8 years long in Lima OH... but I just could not get happy in the states got in a deep depression and home sick I had to go back home back to the netherlands back to my culrure away from the violence and the money driven society now back home I am happy I feel way more free here then i ever felt in the usa .

[@thomasscheicher9779]

10 years NYC, back to Austria years ago, and happy and better off today ...

why u want more money if u dont have the time to spend it?

[@wykydytron]

This. I have so many corpo rat friends. They work entire day, every day. They earn shit tone of money but they have nothing, they have been nowhere, they seen nothing they just live like npcs, good corporate dogs. I take my average wage but with a lot of free time over theirs super high wage anytime. I have time to live and I work because I have to not because work is my life.

[@x-Phire]

Because its Freedom! /sarcasm off

[@sedmidivka]

yeah I live in the poorer EU country and my salary is like half of what American would call average. I've been to Japan, Cuba, Indonesia, most European capitals, I've been to Barcelona 3 times, Prague around 15 times, Berlin 4 times, Vienna around 15 times, Budapest 8 times, Paris, Madrid, I've been to Croatia, Greece, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Norway to catch Northern Lights (which we did a huge one, really lucky) and many more. I have my own apartment near the city center and a car. and I don't have rich parents, far from it. you don't need that much money to live. at all. just please travel, see the world, it's the best memories, I've never been to 5* hotel but had gazillion 5* experiences which those guys with their expensive guides following the formal tourist route will never ever have

[@rikekonrad2094]

They pay their hospital bills with it.

[@LalaDepala_00]

Because it makes you "better" than others.

[@KimSmith-b9v]

I had a history teacher who once said that the USA is a third world country. All the students in the classroom was shocked by his statement but after I have seen a lot of YT-videos with poor and homeless people I am starting to understand that he was not wrong. Greetings from Sweden!

[@sungod86]

I´m a Swede too and that statement sounds like something coming from a tired Socialist. America Bad - Sweden Good. Sweden is almost a third world country now, the healthcare system is in shambles, young people have to wait 20 years to get an apartment, the gang crimes and bombings are making society very unsafe etc.

[@rtyria]

We are not a 3rd world country yet, but our government seems determined to make us one.

[@oeokosko]

There is great disparity between rich and poor, particularly so in the red states. I was shocked to see the rural poverty in Mississippi when I did a road trip in the late 80's. Also shocked by the religious and rightwing talk on the local radio stations.

[@stanspb763]

@@oeokosko Try the "progressive cities like San Francisco that used to be a great city and now is a ruin. Actually poor in most countries are less poor than the middle in the US. If a person in rural India was given a dollar they would have a positive net worth but give the average American family $50,000 they would still have a negative net worth of several hundred thousand, but less free time. How many 20 year olds have $150,000 negative net worth in the US? Most. College loans even for those who could not afford to continue they already have at least $100,000 in debt and if they needed a car ...which they need because the US has very poor public transportation...they need a car and it is a depreciating asset that never has a positive impact on their economic health. I moved from the US 24 years ago and dropped my cost of living $23,000 a month and have much better life than was possible. I have a choice of 273 drama theaters with in walking distance. I attend world class opera at least once a week, top ballet performances with a choice of 9 main ballet theaters, 474 museums, 54 concert halls. The last time I was in NYC with GF, she spotted a ad for an opera we both like so as it turned out the theater, the MET had tickets left, not the best but ok for only $1600!! We pay $20 for a better casts, sets, theaters and orchestra. Or 53 jazz clubs and a hundred rock clubs. When I fell carrying a heavy load, and bashed my head open the ambulance arrived with a crew of 4, one being an MD, I was taken to a head trauma hospital and two surgeons saw me as I arrived and took care of everything and was told they I could stay there or return home and a doctor would come to me, Total cost Priceless...free and I was not even a citizen. I asked by it was free and the straight answer was "you needed it". I have 600 beautiful parks within walking distance. I need no car because of excellent public transportation that is faster and cheaper, free university, twice the percentage of population have degrees compared to the US. 58 min paid vacation days so adding weekends it is 72 days minimum. up to 3 years paid family leave and having a baby allows a grant to buy a larger home for the growing family. Having a second baby created a grant of a full years income, almost no crime. My GF can walk through any neighborhood or district of the city of 7mil alone...at 3am and be perfectly safe. Our cost of living is higher than normal because I lease my home but she owns two apartments free of debt, and cost of living which is at a high level is $1400 a month for 2 adults and a spoiled cat. During covid we both contracted it and was visited regularly by a doctor, free of course. I have more access to great art, dance, music, theater, and much more than any American can have access to. Being able to walk anywhere in the stunning city, where everyone gets along. I have never seen a fight or argument on the street or in a club. 200 separate cultures are native and everyone accepts other peoples views or beliefs. There is no homeless, and the vast majority own their homes free of debt, no wonder people get along, there is little or no stress and little if any debt. The government focuses ore on the wellbeing of the general public ore than corporations or wealthy. I only return to the US for 1-2 weeks every 3-5 years and it is shocking how angry, triggered and divided people are, it is really depressing to return.

[@AlejandroGaupp]

The US has both, the first and the third world in one country. It is fundamental important for the US to have homeless. Everybody can see every day what happens if you do not attend or obey the system.

[@LadyMurasaki44]

I am Polish About 20 years ago me and my friend were students. I remember our other friend brought to meeting her cousin and his friend. They were from USA. Her cousin was a Polish emigrant who left Poland as a teenager. When he came again to visit his motherland he was in his 30`s. He and his family in the USA were economically very successful. So whole meeting was him being very vocal about how very developed and successful America is, how he is as well, and being very surprised that in Poland things are not about success and money. After 2 h of that we were so mentally exhausted. Me and my friend really couldn`t stand him. We felt like he didn`t respect our country and he tried to show us how we are underdeveloped in comparision to USA. After years I see that we might to overreact and I know from our other friend, his cousin, that he didn`t mean nothing bad. It was just that cultural difference in mentality. Don`t get me wrong, here in Poland Poles work a lot. And we are ambitious country. We want to be better and better. But not at all cost. After hard days at work we want to be with families, doing small things after work for the rest of the day, we want to visit other countries etc. We work for that. We deserve free time. It`s our right.

[@dutchman7623]

Americans have thirty kinds of toilet paper in a shop a half hour car drive away, which is nice. I am Dutch and have thirty supermarkets, at the same distance, which have only eight kinds of toilet paper. So within five to ten minutes cycling, I have four supermarkets with eight choices, makes thirty two to pick from. The claim Americans have more choice is an illusion! I can even walk to Aldi, Jumbo, Albert Heyn, Coop, or Lidl.

[@Blackadder75]

but some of those 8 choices in 4 supermarkets will be the same Page TP that every shop sells, so your poor buttocks are having less choice... oh how will you survive!? 😉

[@SusanaXpeace2u]

Same where I am in ireland. I can walk to aldi, Lidl or supervalu. I walk everywhere as I'm on a few vus routes, id be embarrassed telling American people that I don't own a car!

[@dutchman7623]

@@SusanaXpeace2u So you have a giant car, triple size biggest pickup truck, with a chauffeur! Wow! I worked in city center with few and expensive parking, so used my bicycle to go to work in ten minutes. On the way home I picked up groceries from the market or shop. Car wasn't needed. Neighbors have one, but does leave its parking place only once or twice a week. Train station is about five minutes walk from my home and with connection to all cities and even the airport. Haven't been in a traffic jam for forty years!

[@reindeer7752]

I live in a small town in the USA. I can WALK to Aldi and a large chain grocery store, two drug stores plus another in the grocery store, one compounding pharmacy, doctors, shopping, restaurants, fast food, a movie theatre, etc. I can walk out my door onto a multi-use path where bicycles and people walking to work, walking for exercise, walking their dogs go by all day. Unlike Europeans, however, I own my home with a large fenced yard for my dogs, my car is parked next to my kitchen door. I'm a few miles from a national forest with hundreds of miles of trails, gorgeous mountain views and waterfalls. Like many Americans, I can buy produce grown locally from farmer's markets and roadside stands. You Europeans simply don't know what you are talking about!

[@Blackadder75]

@@reindeer7752 of course you know that millions of europeans also own their own homes with yards and space for cars and swimming pools, we don't all live in soviet block flats..... btw in what State do you live? it sounds nice

[@fliplefrog8843]

@work-life-balance: I work in Denmark. Because of some service on machines from external personal, I've got 6h overtime that day. There were absolutely no discussions with my boss, having freetime the next friday and stay at home! Because he knows, if its neccesary, I would stay the whole night. This is respekt on both sides, and makes life so much easier. US haven't got the idea behind this. For me, this is modern sl@very over there!

[@CamaroMann]

This. I work in Medical practice management, and at the beginning of each quarter I regularly have to work overtime (because of the doctors' invoicing to the health insurance companies), and often also at weekends for maintenance work on technical equipment (ultrasound machines etc). I do this without flinching because I know it's necessary - and in return my boss doesn't flinch when I tell her on Mondays that I'll be away for the next three days. We take each other into consideration and benefit from each other at the same time. I can hardly imagine that it could work any other way.

[@Thenoobestgirl]

Speaking of Denmark, I had to go to the emergency room on my Copenhagen vacation a few years ago and the tests and medications I got were so cheap, I ended up not bothering with my insurance.

[@hansemannluchter643]

​@@ThenoobestgirlSo, you are not a EU-citizen? Had you been, the ER-visit itself would have cost you NOTHING. Medical "drugs" do cost money, but are heavily subsidised by the various tax-funded health-authorities, so you won't have to take out a new mortage in your house just to pay for pills..

[@Celisar1]

I live in Germany. We are expected to work overtime without payment. And if we work unpaid overtime due to staff shortage we even get criticised because being understaffed is obviously not a factor but us being not fast enough. PS working at a big hospital but it was the same in other medical institutions.

[@hansemannluchter643]

@@Celisar1 Don't you have trade-unions in Germany? This would never happen in Denmark!

[@teroholopainen1017]

I am a Finn (Finland, the happiest country in the world seven year in a row) living in Australia. I did live in Germany for a year late 90's, and a few months in California in 2002. So I see where the guy in the video, the one being reacted to, is coming from and I agree. In Australia I work 40 hours a week, in US I worked 60, and in Finland I worked 37.5. What I miss in Australia are the extra 3.5 weeks of vacation time we had in Finland, as in Ozzie we only have 4 weeks a year. And here in Australia, same as in Finland, no one was really concerned about who you work for, but they do ask how you're doing. And then they are surprised when I tell them how I really am doing, as just like in US, they really don't want to know. Unlike in Finland, that question would not be asked if they really would not want to know.

[@MsAnpassad]

We Nordics are quite spoiled. Like we don't even have to work 37.5 to make ends meet, I worked part time in the healtcare and could still afford going abroad and at the same time study at university. Why I could afford it was that I don't have to spend tons of money on insurance or a car. People become happy when they don't have to worry and then you have the energy to care about and help others. There are no longer a need to be selfish.

[@MikkoRantalainen]

@@MsAnpassad I agree. I'm a Finn, working 37.5 hours per week and I have 38 paid vacation days per year in addition all the national free days such as xmas, new years day etc. And I'm thinking I would be willing to reduce my income a bit to have more free time. I live in a house with adequate temperature control system (I walk barefoot and in t-shirt regardless if it's +30 °C or -30 °C outside), I have FTTH internet connection and good municipality maintained outdoor recreation routes about 100 m from our house (good for running or mountain biking during summer, lighted cross-country skiing route during the winter). Basically the only bad thing is November when it's really dark and wet here. And of course, I don't agree how society spends money but I guess that's worldwide situation.

[@omega1231]

As a Dane with family from the US, we also had to tell them to stop saying 'how are you' as a greeting, they kept getting people's life stories lol

[@ejss]

​@@MsAnpassad As a Finn I agree that its very easy to make ands meet, but there is no way I could afford to go abroad while studying unless you are talking about those cheap ferries or transfer programs. If you dont live in a big city a car is a necessity in Finland. If I didnt need a car I probably could have afforded some trips abroad.

[@MrDomingo55]

Australian working week is 38hrs I think and it has not been 40 hours for decades now.

[@madmark1957]

I am a European who has been living in the USA for more than a decade (my wife is an American) so I know both Europe and the USA well. Interesting video. Can't imagine what that guy is doing for a living in Europe that he makes significantly less money than in the states. Taxes in the US, when you include the cost of all the things that are free in Europe, are much higher. Despite what Americans are taught, people in Europe have the freedoms you do and often more so. Variety in supermarkets? You have 50 brands of the same thing. There is nothing like the variety that is available in the UK, except in low quality pasta sauces, Mexican food, and coffee. There is a lot of fast food in the US but a lot of what you sell as food would often be illegal to sell to humans in Europe. Actually some American foods would be illegal to sell as animal feed in Europe. The quality of food both in restaurants and grocery stores in Europe is of a much better order. It is also cheaper to buy groceries in the UK and I am sure in many other parts of Europe though I do not know about all of them.

[@Blackadder75]

salaries in tech industry really are much higher in usa, but in general the salaries are higher . except maybe in the london finance district. but as you noticed the higher salary in Dallas or San Jose don't mean anything if your housing, car and health also cost double that of a Europe living

[@madmark1957]

You are talking about regional differences and in certain industries. That works both ways. According to various sources average pay in the USA is only marginally higher than that in many European countries bearing in mind that a minority of Americans work in finance or tech industries just like everywhere else. By the time the expenses associated with living in the states are taken into account many Americans live in poverty. I felt the guy who made the video was very careful and diplomatic when talking about the USA. @@Blackadder75

[@rtyria]

I am old enough to remember when American food tasted better and didn't come preloaded with crap. People were skinner back then too. They generally seemed healthier as well. If I were less cynical I'd be surprised people haven't drawn a connection and stopped packing the food full of crap.

[@Blackadder75]

@@rtyria I am sure there is plenty of excellent food in the US, but it's very expensive, while the fast food and industrial food options are cheap This was already happening 20 years ago, when I visited California I could find decent european style restaurants (lower priced) The only choice was endless amounts of fast food chains OR top end $$$ high cuisine (which we also have in europe, but people only go there on special occasions, like family anniversaries )| normal people can't go there every week.

[@shelleyphilcox4743]

If comparing the UK to EU for food, the UK is relatively inexpensive, ranking somewhere in the low mid ground. However...housing in the UK is very expensive, particularly in the south/ south east of England, which suffers from being London adjacent pushing up property prices to the point that ots incredibly difficult to buy a 3 bed family home on two median salaries.

[@createinspain]

As a Brit living in Spain, it is noticeable even between the UK and EU, let alone the USA. Spain is more relaxed and you don't have the grocery choices here either. The politics in the UK is going the same way. Divide and conquer. Lol, if you think answering about your job is bad, try answering that question if you are a housewife and or stay at home mother. The most important job, relegated to 'what do you DO all day?' -even by other women. Designer clothes and flashy cars mean nothing.

[@budapestkeletistationvoices]

Due to the common language Englanders are attracted to the US and they adapt more and more of their lifestyle. At the same time public services are underfunded, police are underfunded and officers are poorly trained, public transport is dismal. Met Police are just a bunch of useless waste of taxpayers money

[@fablb9006]

The only thing about Europe that Americans must understand is that it is not a country…. But 50 totally different countries with different cultures, languages, religions, climates, ethnicities, ways of life and level of economy. Some european countries are high income like the US, but other are much lower economically, and some are poor. You can’t say « i know Europe », europe is like this or like that… if you have lived in just one country. The same way you can’t make generalisations about the americas if you have just visited the US. Is Bolivia the same as US ? albania, montenegro or Moldova are nothing like Iceland. Portugal is nothing like Finland or Sweden,,,

[@OhArchie]

50?

[@Lafayette_Ronald_Hubbard]

@@OhArchie He said europe, not the EU, so he is maybe 5 off. At least 44 but depending on how you count.

[@leokaloper4132]

@@Lafayette_Ronald_Hubbard Mind that you have to follow European politics in terms of number of States. I'll be 50 (number is pure coincidence) years old soon and my hometown ( a capital) at birth has changed three States since.

[@Blackadder75]

like it or not but Bolivians are called Bolivians, Brazilians are called Brazilians, etc , not Americans... Americans are those from the Divided States of America, (formerly known as USA)

[@fablb9006]

@@Blackadder75 no all people that live in America can be called Americans.

[@karenmoore5843]

You're an intelligent guy. Get Out!!! See what the rest of the world has to offer you. I think you'll be delighted you did. Hi from Oz

[@katn1952]

What she said ☝😊👍

[@PedroConejo1939]

You're new here, aren't you?

[@brendanpelly213]

I agree 👍

[@RJM56]

"Melbourne is so central. In twenty-four hours you can be anywhere else in the world." - one Melburnian quoting another.

[@niallrussell7184]

@@PedroConejo1939 that made me lol

[@markstack463]

About 10 years ago I was in the US with a friend touring around a bit. When in Dartmouth, New Hampshire, we happened to be there during Dartmouth College's graduation week. Sat in a bar some parents picked up on our English accents and started chatting to us. It was really fun, really nice. Then after about 5 minutes they asked what we did for a living.. Because we weren't earning mega mega mega bucks like themselves (Dartmouth College is Ivy League) they immediately stopped talking to us and blanked us as if we did not exist. It was like shutters being slammed down. I wasn't upset, we just found it utterly hilarious. But on reflection we thought if this is the attitude they are going to pass onto their kids, how much are their kids going to miss out on life? How many opportunities are they going to miss out on? I felt sorry for them having to live their lives that way. I live in Brighton, possibly the most tolerant, non-judgemental (on the whole) city in the UK so the juxtaposition was enormous.

[@PedroConejo1939]

Americans love to sneer at the UK and class, saying they don't have one. They do; it's just different, but it's just as, if not more, judgemental.

[@lynnm6413]

Most tolerant, non-judgements if you belong to the Alphabet maybe, but if you‘re a girl or woman that wants safe women-only spaces, suddenly all that tolerance goes away, let‘s not even talk about non-judgemental. Being misogynistic is discrimination as well, you know….

[@Celisar1]

@@lynnm6413 You make things up to then fight against them 😂. Sounds stressful.

[@JR-mh8vn]

@@lynnm6413 you sound like a American lmfao

[@lynnm6413]

@@JR-mh8vn German, sorry 😂

[@terminalterminus]

I live in the UK, love visiting the US but always glad to return home. At home we don't own a car, I walk to the shops, cycle to work. Don't worry about health care, it's there when I need it without worrying how to pay for it. I have plenty of vacation I can book when needed. The environment I work in is very supportive of everyone employed. However what worries me is my government seem to hold up the US as an ideal state, and appear to want to move us more in that direction where business is king and employees are resources...

[@DonaldoJTrumpet]

Yes, absolutely. Unfortunately the Conservatives value wealth above true values, community, culture, tradition and society. They will pump sewage, if profitable. They "know the price of everything, and the value of nothing," to quote Wilde. Labour, on the other hand, can not do the maths. Some choice.

[@juliaforsyth8332]

Shame the UK isn't looking after it's pensioners or Genuine people laid low by unemployment or illness.

[@findherfiner]

Same in Germany - the US have brilliant people, but the system is a fraud and it produces countless victims.

[@tube.brasil]

You have the mindset of a retired person

[@nellitheretrogamer8666]

That difference about how people talk about education is interesting. Americans very often say where they studied, but don't necessarily say what subjects they studied and what degree they got. Here in Finland, it is the other way around. If someone asks me about my education, I say that I have a Master's degree and then they usually want to know what subjects I studied. But it is very rare that people would ask which university I went to, because here it doesn't matter. A Master's degree is a Master's degree, it doesn't matter where it is from. IF people ask me where I studied, then it usually is because they are interested if they know anyone from there, if we maybe have some common friends or acquaintancies.

[@Blackadder75]

@@MO_2023_ silly, shallow, superficial, you forgot the 4th S, sad

[@MichaelHedegaardJensen]

Im sorry to say it, but I really dont see USA as a democracy.. Yes, there are free elections, but there are only 2 candidates to choose between.. thats 1 candidate from a dictatorship.. Here in Denmark, we have 14 parties and severel hundres candidates to choose from... and its not the rich people, but ordinary people with big and small educations and jobs... And you dont need to be registrered to vote... everyone over 18 with an adress in Denmark, can vote at local elections.. and to vote for the parlament, you have to be 18 , have an address in Denmark and have a danish citizenship... See.. thats a democracy in my opinion.

[@Arthur-fi8qy]

I agree with you. There is no way a country that have the politics divided in lobbies of big companies be a democracy

[@MichaelHedegaardJensen]

@@Arthur-fi8qy a other problem, is like i said... That there only are 2 candidates... Remove one of them, and you have a dictatorship. In Denmark we have 14 parties and severel hundred candidates... We elect 179 members to parliament, and the party with most votes, get the primeminlster... If they cant get majority, they team up with other parties to form a government. We have almost always had a minority government and they can do that.. As long as the government dont have a majority against them, if that happen.. They HAVE to annonce a new election... That what happened 2 years ago.

[@reindeer7752]

There are 2 (actually there are often 3 or 4) candidates running AFTER the primaries. Are you not aware of the debates and campaigning that take place to narrow the field to one Democrat and one Republican? There is also a green party and others. Third and fourth parties just take votes away from the other two. You obviously don't understand what a dictatorship is. Presidents only get 4 yrs. in office before they have to run again for a maximum of 8 yrs. They have less power than Congress. If you don't know this, you're ignorant. If you do, then you're deliberately misrepresenting facts. If the USA was as tiny as Denmark, the voting process would be simple. Do you have 12 million (conservative estimate) non-Danish living there illegally who could vote since you don't require them to register? I know that's twice the population of your entire country.

[@reindeer7752]

The USA has always had more than 2 parties.The greens, independents and libertarians just don't get enough votes. Your statement to the effect of removing one party is just silly. There are also two vice presidential candidates. Congress has more power than the president, in any case.

[@MichaelHedegaardJensen]

@@reindeer7752 you can still only vote for one of the 2 candidates... Thats still not democrattic... And they others dont get neough vores is bull.. Its because your entire system is broen and bs.. We have more that 50 parties in Denmark.. Only 16 is in parliament including parties from Greenland and Faroe Islands. All 50.parties can run for the parliament.. If a party gets 2% of the votes, they are in the parliament.. And it is actually votes we are takling about.... And they party with most votes usally gets the primeminister. And not like in USA, where the one with most votes still can loose..

[@higgolini]

To put it succinctly, in Europe, they have culture. In the US, they have consumerism.

[@reindeer7752]

@higgolini - Europe has unfriendly snobs and the USA has plenty of culture about which you are completely ignorant. You should travel more and open your mind.

[@BillLaBrie]

Consumerism is our culture. It’s our religion.

[@joanofarcxxi]

Have you ever watched European tv?

[@BillLaBrie]

@@joanofarcxxi You don’t get it: America has a total of two social classes: those who can fully participate in consumerism and those who cannot. Those who can are seen as inherently superior to those who cannot.

[@smartladylr]

yes it's true, but you forgot they have SOOOOOO muche ignorance about the rest of the world, I'm allways amazed about this -

[@raggeragnar]

I’m 58 years old. I work 30 hours per week in my towns parks department. My wife (56) works 25 hours per week in childcare administration. We earn just about mid-level salary. Our middle sized house is paid off , we own the land it stands on , we have a geothermal system for heat , we have solar panels on our roof for ALL our electricity , we have our own water well supply and our 2021 average-in-everything-car is paid off. 3 grown up sons live and work within 90 minutes distance. No luxury , nothing out of the ordinary , fairly healthy , no debts , no mortage and no loans. We feel that we don’t miss anything here in Sweden.

[@j.c4007]

😊 in France, for most part of the people, it will be impossible/ not sufficient to live with the salary of so few hours working (particurlary in Big cities). I know that, because I was used to live with work during 5 years, and travel one year. And people was always astonished : " how is it possible? ".😅 ** In France, we own the land of our house. But some people of the governement want us not to be the owner anymore....

[@lolofantje11]

i have 8 weeks vacation and it makes me more productive and happy when i ḿ at work.

[@loruamasouza2699]

What country do you live in?

[@possummagic3571]

Lucky you. I have six weeks of paid vacation, but I rarely take it. 1. Because the amount I earn on leave isn't enough to pay the bills 2. Because my workplace is always short staffed, so it's hard to cover my section when I'm away

[@lesleycarney8868]

In the UK ( or where i live now in Spain ) no matter what someone job was, if it came up in conversation, you would find something positive to say. " So John what do you do for a living ?" John: " I'm a road sweeper " me : " wow, i bet that keeps you fit and it's such a valuable job "

[@PedroConejo1939]

I worked in state schools in Spain for some years and what impressed me most was the head teacher sitting under the stairs in the cleaners' cupboard, sharing coffee with them. I now work in state a state school in England (things hit our island badly during the crisis, so we had to move), and our head and SLT wouldn't even sit with the teaching staff, let alone the cleaners. The difference in mood at the schools is palpable.

[@lesleycarney8868]

@@PedroConejo1939 Yes Pedro there are snobs in all Countries but give me the cleaning cupboard under the stairs any day especially if they had good coffee. Here where i now live in the Yecla campo ( real campo lolll ) i have a 96 year old neighbour who is our nearest but 1k away who still farms the land. He can not read or write but runs a successful business with plenty of land and a few furniture factories. I know some people would loose interest in a friendship because of his literacy but he is great ,i love him and his stories.

[@connyc.5346]

I'm a cleaner for the council, and I'm damn proud of it 😊 This is what I tell everyone but sometimes you get the odd people who will then look down on you. 😅

[@lesleycarney8868]

@@connyc.5346 Good for you Conny. I was a " shop girl " all my working life and loved it but i would of loved a cleaning job as it's so satisfying , for me anyway.

[@connyc.5346]

@@lesleycarney8868 It is highly satisfying I must say. At the moment I am working within retirement housing with a warden daily. I just love the people there and they're so damn grateful that I clean. 😭 Seriously one of the best jobs you can do. There is nothing to be ashamed of, we also have a fancy job title for it: City Council Facility Assistant 😄

[@Martina-eva]

Hi, I love this content, thank you for being so reflective. I’m Argentinian, I’ve lived in the US 2 years (PNW) and now I live in Spain. For me Spain is an amazing place to live, way more than the US. I’m a student in both countries (and an international one, so my view in both of this countries has that filter, just so you know). Argentinians have very strong personalities and are very friendship-oriented, so I was very shocked with the difference in relationships when I first went to the US. In the US (at least in Washington state) people are very nice and all, but I felt there was always something missing. I was shocked with how many disposable stuff they buy all the time and the low quality of the food (I eat pretty healthy, lift weights, and cook all of my meals but somehow I gained 20kg). If you don’t have a car all of your endeavors become 100 times more difficult, and healthcare is low quality too, on top of being extremely expensive. Someone told me that people in the west coast are nice but not kind and people in the east coast are kind but not nice; I identify more as the latter, and when I visited NYC I understood what they meant. I was also shocked by how ignorant people are, not only about big issues (like politics or history) but also about little things like not knowing where Argentina is, or the fact that Super Bowl is only important in the US. In Spain everything is way easier, I live in Valencia, if I want to go to Barcelona or Madrid, there are many ways to do so, you can take the train for 40€ and go to Paris on a weekend. Public transportation is AWESOME, it’s cheap and clean and you have subways, tranvías, trains, and buses to go anywhere in the city. People are super warm, they’ll invite you for dinner at home the third time you see them, and talk about deep personal stuff, so the bonds you’ll make become meaningful in a heart beat. Healthcare is completely free and high quality (even as a tourist). You can still buy anything you want, but people are not interested in buying that much stuff. Spain is also so much cheaper than Washington state, 1000€ is livable wage. For instance, I would go to Walmart every four days and spend US$70 every time, just buying the essentials. Here you can eat a great homemade meal for less than 7€, drinks included. So if I buy more or less the same things in the supermarket, you would spend 25€ or average (drinks, toiletries, food for four days). Everything closes between 1pm and 4pm for the siesta, cities are completely walkable and bike friendly, and you can always spot groups of people having coffee or a beer on the terraces. Frankly, I’m interested in making money, but more than anything, I want to enjoy my life while doing it, and you can definitely do that in Spain.

[@t.a.k.palfrey3882]

You should seriously consider spending at least a few years living/working/studying overseas after you graduate, Joel. Five of my six children have studied abroad, and three are now settled with their own families, in 🇨🇦🇦🇺🇬🇧. Their lives, and the lives of all my grandsons, have benefited greatly from the interchange their kids have with cousins across the globe.

[@francescathomas3502]

CAAUGB - Canada, Australia & Great Britain...

[@AfricatwinJK]

This is probably exactly the point: be open to other countries - not everything is comparable and should also not be done in the same way. That is exactly what makes it interesting. I was born in the Netherlands, lived for a while in the UK and pay my taxes in 6 countries. The EU offers a variety of different approaches to things like health care, way of living etc. and I fella enjoy that I can choose between different options and cultures. However, for many years people in Europe thought everything way great in the US. This has dramatically changed and the US has lost its nimbus of freedom. They are at least as bureaucratic than we are in Germany, they do not have the technical advantages anymore, their houses are not higher than in the US and they do not drive larger cars. In reality the average person in the US lives from my perspective on a lower standard than in Europe and when I see the results of the education system in the US I fear it will become worse.

[@andyheritage]

In the US you have the illusion of choices but if you really do your research...you have no choices at all since all products are owned by the top 3 companies.

[@OhArchie]

Even if that were true, how does it change the number of choices available? (Hint: it doesn’t)

[@marcossonicracer]

same products with different packaging and some are overpiced. it is literally the same here in Brazil. take bottled water for example, here we NEED it, because our faucets doesn't dispense drinkable water (you can still shower and wash your clothes but it is a VERY BAD IDEA drinking it/cooking with it without at least boiling it or using a purifier. talking purely via personal experience), anyway, we got the very expensive european brands of water, the middle range national ones and the regional ones, and if you look at them very closely, you will notice that most if not all of them come form the same regional spring site, even with the same characteristics like PH, minerals and spring temperature. it is literally you buying a pretty package. and lots of stuff that you guys take from granted like electronics and electrodomestics, cost a fortune here on top of that because of ultra high taxation. we do have better in other regards than the U.S. (medicine is not super-overpriced, since our government is super happy on breaking abusive patents, and altough we got a universal healthcare system it is not as good as a the european ones. don't get me wrong, you will get treatment there eventually, and it is free, but you better not be in a hurry or your condition require immediate treatment, because the lines are huge and you can very easly die before geting the treatment. there is private insurance which altough much much better than public system, still got a lot of problems and gremlins to solve). another thing to notice is that Brazil has some good constitutional protections if you got a formal job: 30 Day paid leave, at least 4 weekends (or 8 days) with a guarantee of at least one sunday off by law, salary is paid by month and not by hour, so you have no pressure watsoever on immediate results, once your boss decides to lay you off you get a 90 Day job guarantee before you get fired, and the retirement funds are public, retirement money is deposited by the employer (it does not make a part of your liquid income), and does not rely on companies doing good or bad (there is private retirement plans too, but if you want them, you gotta pay both and you'll be entitled to both). also, since we produce a lot of the food the world eats, food tends to be cheaper than in the U.S. or Europe, i mean, don't get me wrong, it is still expensive, but cheaper than in the nothern hemisphere.

[@johnp8131]

I went to the US for about a month with the British forces in the seventies. Had a great time and the people were excellent too, if a little overly inquisative. I went back with the RAF ten years later and noticed a change for the worse, mainly with their uneducated attitude towards some foreign visitors. Would I go back now? No, I think I'd be even more disappointed?

[@speleokeir]

Good video. I've got a lot of friends who have lived abroad in various places and others who moved to Britain from abroad. Some have stayed, some have returned home. Here are some things to consider: 1) It doesn't have to be for ever. Consider living abroad for say 12 months and see how you get on. Then you can consider if you want to stay, try another country, go home, etc. I once met a guy with a dual British/Australian passport. He spent 6 months in Europe* and then 6 months in Australia. Basically he lived in perpetual summer!😀 *That was pre-Brexit so he had EU status then. 2) Remember nowhere's perfect. Everywhere has it's up and down sides - Write a list of pros and cons and decide which are most important to you. e.g. - Average wage vs average cost of living. That can vary in the county. Many have a north/south divide and capital cities tend to have the highest wages, but higher costs. - Health care. - Education. - Safety/gun laws/police. - Food. Particularly food safety/healthiness. Also animal welfare if you eat meat, variety. - Culture/history. - How different is the language/culture to your own? The closer it is to the US the quicker you're likely to adapt. Obviously in time you'll want to know the local language and culture, but the transition may be easier in a country where English is the first language and the culture closest to the US. e.g. The UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa. Or where English is common as as second language. Many northern Europeans speak very good English, e.g. Switzerland, the Scandinavian countries, Germany, Netherlands, etc, especially the younger generation. In Southern Europe it's more hit and miss, especially outside the big cities and the older generation. And somewhere like Japan you'll be instantly illiterate outside the tourist areas. Outside of Europe English is more common in places which were once part of the British Empire e.g. Singapore, India, etc. - Transport/ease of getting around. e.g. Do you need a car? Is there good and affordable public transport? - Long term what are job prospects like? - Work/life balance. - Workers rights. e.g. Average days holiday/yr, sick pay, what protections do workers have? etc. - What do you like doing? What activities entertainments are there on offer locally? Do you like the outdoors, et? Is it a place you can use as a base to easily explore both that country and others nearby? - What's the current political scene? There's a lot of growth in the far right in many western countries with threats to democracy. In the US too. Putin has stirred up a lot of this as he knows division in NATO countries is good for him. This was his speciality when he was in the KGB, making close links with the German far right groups to stir up trouble. Almost every far right group in the western world has links with Putin. - lastly how close are you to your family? This is a big one. You will make new friends when you move, but people who are close to their family often miss not being able to easily see them. Those who are less close to their family find it easier to move in my experience. Finally you're right in saying happiness is the most important thing of all, so what makes you happy? There's no getting away from the fact that you need money for life's essentials: Accommodation, food, clothes, utility bills, etc. My personal view is that once you earn enough to cover those and are no longer stressing about money other things become much more important: Friends, family, hobbies and most of all TIME to enjoy them away from work. Anything that increases stress in your life is bad, things that ease it are good.

[@dudoklasovity2093]

we have a saying in Czech republic: "A coffin does not have pockets". What is the money good for when one cannot enjoy it due to failing mental and physical health? And why to wait for retirement, when one can have good life/work balance and enjoy life still while still young? I have been working in USA for past 5 years, both jobs in corporate companies, and it's terrible how they treat employees. I am moving back to Prague this year :-)

[@PokhrajRoy.]

5:19 Yes, nothing like attaching your self-worth and personality by working under punishing standards.

[@dawnstone610]

I moved to Paris France in 1987 when I was 27 years old. Nothing compares to living here. I live alone, never married, no family, but I have everything you could ever want or wish for at your feet just outside your front door. I have never driven a car or paid for medical visits or needed renovations in my apartment. I have an excellent job I do for four hours a day and enjoy all the sports and clubs I have joined for free paid for by my company. I get six weeks of vacation a year and take them to Germany, Italy, Spain and all over France and stay in cheap hotels, eat excellent food and see some amazing sites and museums for free or low costs. I walk everywhere. I eat healthy food in restaurants almost every day. i meet and chat with people all the time from my bakery, butcher, open market, cheese shop and café every day. I meet friends for lunch and coffee and a drink all the time. I sit in cafés and read for hours without being disturbed. I eat food without chemicals. I could go on.

[@jonc4403]

No one eats food without chemicals, life is chemistry. But your meaning is clear, and it's possible to do the same in the US, at least where I am. Fresh food is readily available, you don't have to eat everything from a box, and I generally don't. It would be nice to have vacation. I haven't been to Paris since about the time you moved there, it's a beautiful city.

[@BibaSenana]

Manifique!

[@jeannetonic2207]

@@jonc4403paris is not that dream Life anymore, dont go now

[@sandrinecozic7214]

Dans les grandes villes t as pas besoin de voiture mais ailleurs oui

[@sandrinecozic7214]

Et tu te fais attaquer par les gentils racailles du coin .

[@juwen7908]

I've rewatched Blue Bloods yesterday and, I think it was ep. 1 at the graduation scene when Tom Selleck said something like " You've earned the distinction of being the best trained police officers in the world." At this scene I had to laugh soo hard, but really it is very sad. Not only is it soo rude against every other country in the world. But the fact that something like this is been told in reality over there and the young people believe it. That's absolutely a shame. If there would be a ranking about policemens education, the US would rank way way down, when even basic stuff like de-escalation isn't part it. Greetings from Berlin 😎

[@lynnm6413]

Agreed…it‘s never the US championships, no, it‘s the world‘s best….with only Americans competing…and no one even questions it….

[@ichmeiner4531]

I like our German police. Usually they are pretty chill, nice and will try to help you out with stuff outside of their normal job, like giving directions or taking a picture of you. When I drove to visit a friend (6 hour drive) and my phone died mid travel, I just went into the police station in the next town and asked if I could charge my battery. They gave me a charger so that I didn't have to unpack my bag to search for mine, offered me coffee and a snack (it was around Christmas time, so they had a bunch of cookies and stuff) and, just to be sure, printed the directions to my friends house (from Google maps). Never had an unpleasant interaction with them and never had anyone I know tell me about one either (I have a couple of friends with an immigration background, they were never treated differently). Sure, that's not how police is everywhere in Germany, but overall we can't complain much about them.

[@leaderofthegang3771]

👍🏻 „World Series“ als Bezeichnung für das Finale der US-amerikanischen Baseball-Profiligen. Geht es auch kleiner? Es ist so unfassbar überheblich.

[@GrouchoEngels]

I am sure that "basic stuff like de-escalation" is the ONLY part of "policemens education" in Berlin. THIS makes me laugh so hard. Greetings from Bavaria.

[@leaderofthegang3771]

@@GrouchoEngels Hauptsache die Einsatzwagen tragen die Regenbogenflagge und die Deutschlandfahne ist zur EM verboten 😁 ich verstehe was er sagen will, aber Berlin als Beispiel ist schon echt schräg (woke) 😎

[@jannetteberends8730]

Last year there were more people from the USA emigrating to the Netherlands, than Dutch people emigrated to the USA

[@karl6458]

yeah, usa has a bigger population than netherlands

[@rikmetz4720]

​@@karl6458But netherlands has a higher population density. Actually were getting overpopulated.

[@fzkxl9931]

​@@karl6458 you don't get it. America is attractive only to 3rd word people or very naive young people fed by Disney and Hollywood.

[@petergriffinowl]

Do the ratio, that would be the key stat here.

[@willzyxOfficial]

@@karl6458 That's not how that works, as migration isn't only between US-NL, there are many more countries. This is still a net loss for the US vs NL. And it isn't normal either, as for decades more Dutch people moved to the US than the other way around. This reversal says something about the attractiveness of NL vs the US.

[@gabzie1668]

I know everyone is commenting that you should move, but I'm going to be honest with you. Moving across the world is extremely difficult. I moved to the UK at 23. I'm extremely close to my family, and it was so hard not being able to get into a car and visit them whenever I felt like it. Also, people never talk about how difficult it is to make friends in your 20s. You're no longer at school or Uni to meet people. Also, my first time shopping for groceries was overwhelming, I didn't know any brands, and everything felt so unfamiliar. Everything is unfamiliar; renting, tax, etc. It's a lot to get used to. It takes time... loads of time to get used to missing your family, being comfortably on your own, making friends, and settling in. I'm very happy now and I'm so glad I didn't give up. I had friends that stayed for 2 years but missed home too much and left. If you're thinking of moving, definitely decide on the 'why' and make sure that why is strong enough... because it'll be lonely for a while, and you'll need something to keep you going.

[@puccaland]

I don't see the point of having such large selection of food and almost no choice for healthy food. In certain European countries the entire cereal aisle wouldn't even be allowed by law because of their content.

[@possummagic3571]

The US doesn't sell fruits and vegetables?

[@puccaland]

@@possummagic3571 They do but it's very expensive despite the fact the US is one of the main fruits and vegetables producers in the world.

[@B-A-L]

My nearest Tesco hypermarket here in London has a world food aisle and the American section is literally just cereals and junk food!

[@andrewyoung5126]

To be fair, there is a large Costco near me in England. We also have problems with homelessness. Having spent a lot of time in the US, there does seem to be an imbalance with work and home life. I'm always amazed at how a 20 minute walk is a welcome thing that we all do in Europe but Americans will drive to a shop half a mile away. One thing is for sure, there's pros and cons to living in any country.

[@Blackadder75]

UK is halfway between USA and EU, both in location and in culture.... (good and bad)

[@teresadeacon7667]

In my case I can't find one pro for America never have. Always thought I was strange as everyone else seemed to think the US was wonderful. How times have changed unless people have family there not many seems to go there anymore. On the whole Americans think their country is years ahead of the rest of the world in everything. Usually they have never been anywhere out of their bubble.

[@sofialadune9351]

In France we say " On a qu'une vie" than mean " we have only one life" That s why i love my country!

[@monacophotographyevents2384]

All citizens in Europe are entitled to the health care system here, no matter their financial status, or if they are unemployed or even homeless. The health care system, along with the insane gun laws and lack of employee protection (amongst other things) in America is disgusting. No one in Europe has to worry about being able to afford health care. We do, of course, have our problems in Europe, but by and large, Europe takes care of its citizens, better than America does.'

[@tube.brasil]

Your health system sucks. Low quality and it takes forever to get a simple consultation

[@HelenEk7]

My husband was visiting some friends in the US, and wanted to make them a homecooked meal as a thank you gift. So the host took him grocery shopping in a nearby regular supermarket. But it was impossible to find just regular wholefoods, wheat flour with nothing added for instance. So they ended up driving to a organic speciality shop, where my husband were able to find what he needed. And he says the only shop that looked like a European shop was the organic speciality shop. Which is rather mind blowing.

[@reindeer7752]

@HelenEk7 - I live in the USA 1/4 mile from a chain grocery store that has an organic section as well as organics mixed in the regular shelves. Two miles away is an all organics store.

[@helenooft9664]

I love David, he is so honest and completly himself, i am from the Netherlands.

[@jannetteberends8730]

He also does a lot of research for most of his videos, that’s what I like about him.

[@helenooft9664]

that's @@jannetteberends8730

[@johnnewman366]

Putting Europe aside, here’s a comparison of work/life balance between the USA and Australia: The US Federal Government does NOT mandate a single day of ‘paid’ annual, sick or public holiday leave (all left to the discretion of the employer). In Australia every full time worker is entitled, by law, a minimum of 20 days (4wks), paid annual leave, a minimum of 10 days (2wks), paid sick leave and, depending on what state we live in, between 8-10 days of paid public holidays, again, that is the legal minimum. Healthcare - in the USA, no federally mandated universal healthcare for all, US citizens regularly file for bankruptcy over medical bills, even with private health insurance, they often beg others for help on GoFundMe. In Australia, every, and I repeat every, citizen is entitled to universal healthcare, yes you can have private insurance if want, but no one goes bankrupt over medical costs. Pharmaceuticals - the Government here regulates the price, no one dies because they can’t afford basic medicines, not so in the USA. Minimum wage, USA, $7.25 p/h, Australia, $23.23 p/h, we also aren’t forced to ‘tip’ minimum wage earners, we don’t have to make up for what their employer should pay. On top of everyone’s full time wage is Superannuation (retirement fund), Australian employers are required by law to deposit another 11% of your wage into your selected Superannuation Fund. Life expectancy - USA 77.28, Australia 83.20, approx six (6) years more in Australia. US Americans often talk about work ‘benefits’, we call them ‘basic worker rights’, we don’t have to ‘beg’, employers are required ‘by law’ to pay a decent min wage, plus all of the other ‘benefits (rights)’ that US workers don’t receive. I could go on with many other comparisons too. Bottom line, the life of the average Australian is far better than the life of the average US American. Cheers,

[@jacquelinehillson9589]

Well said , it’s actually extremely said for everyday American citizens, they really are modern day slaves .

[@MrDomingo55]

Australian Goverment regulating price of pharmaceuticals is not as it sounds. First, it divides pharmaceuticals as 'over the counter' and 'on prescription', ie. as specified by doctor. Prescription medication cannot be advertised and as a consequence there is generally no pressure from patients on their doctors to prescribe any particular medication just because a patient saw it advertised as the greatest thing around. Furthermore, prescription medication is divided into two groups, primary gropup is a set of medications that is subsidised by government and is part of Pharmaceuticals Benefit Scheme. This covers just about all common medications needed for a population. It also includes medications that may be rarely needed but are critical for minority of population else they may not survive their ailment. Critically, government rarely accepts medications that may cost tens of hundreds of thousands of dolars. All other prescription medication may be available but at full cost. Naturally, doctors would always elect to use ones from PBS scheme unless there was no alternative. PBS scheme medication does cost a fraction of actual price for most residents but even less for most retirees. Because government determines which medication to place on PBS scheme, it also effectively becomes sole buyer of this medicine and being a gatekeeper in this process has the ability to get the best price possible from manufacturers. Unsurprisingly, US companies have attempted to overturn this system during various trade deals signed between Australia and USA as this limited their ability to make much more money. In a free marke, price of medication is as high as 'what the marke can bear'. This is what is in place in US and why medical events bankrupt people. Here, while Pharmaceutical companies don't make as much money, neither do they spend a fortune on advertising. They DO try to influence doctors by means that are illegal but hey, that has never stopped them anywhere. Doctors get invited to events, paid for seminars, get free samples etc.

[@PokhrajRoy.]

I think Joel would be a great fit for Europe. Also, I want to vicariously live through vlogs

[@pachecodecastro2593]

Stop referring to Europe as if it were a country! Different countries in Europe are very different. This is ignorance

[@thierrythier2525]

As a Dutch guy I agree with you on some level, but you have to understand the size difference between Europe and small European countries and the us. It is also that the general culture of Europeans is similar to each country and very different to the us. So I think it’s fair to generalize Europe as an American.

[@pachecodecastro2593]

@@thierrythier2525 I beg to differ. Small countries like Portugal, Switzerland and, say, Estonia, are completely different in terms of culture and living habits. Even Italy and Switzerland, neighbor countries, could not be more different. It’s about time the US stop being so self centered and ignorant about the rest of the world.

[@hartyewh1]

If the US was hidden between European countries it would stand out very clearly. From Finland to Iceland to Portugal to Turkey and everything in between the similarities are far higher.

[@pachecodecastro2593]

@@hartyewh1 yes, it would stand out as a sore thumb. The vast majority of Europeans (pick a country, a assure you it will be so) speak 3 languages, is well traveled internationally and is certainly aware of countries outside of Europe. It’s not a matter of money, it’s a matter of culture.

[@hartyewh1]

@@pachecodecastro2593 Yes and history which makes a distinction between the US and Europe quite a reasonable one. It's a massive simplification to refer to the american people the one and the same as well.

[@PencilaPaper]

In Sweden 🇸🇪 some companies are testing a new idea, that a person isn’t productive for 8 hours a day, so they will only need to work 6 hours per day.

[@ralfpimpernel7031]

Welkom in Europe ... You are just on your place here... Greetings from Belgium 🖤💛❤

[@markwalker5231]

Interesting vid, I come from Australia so there are similarities with the US but a different mindset, Australians are a lot more relaxed and don’t work as many hrs as you guys. The average hrs worked for those on a minimum wage are 38, obviously a lot work longer but it’s all based on a 38 hr week. Minimum holidays are 4 weeks paid per year, with 10 days paid sick leave and paid parental leave. Hospital care is generally free, for instance I had heart surgery and was in hospital for 3 weeks, no charge. There is elective surgery which would cost but no where near as much as the US. Housing is expensive and the cost of living is higher than the US but I own my own 4 bed 2 bath home with swimming pool and my kids kids are all buying there own homes, so it can be done. There’s not as much crime as you have and the gun laws are in place to protect the population. You can buy a gun but you just can’t walk into a store like Kmart and buy one, you have to have a good reason to own one. Sydney is the biggest city, but I wouldn’t recommend living there, Perth is better or Hobart, or Melbourne. Anyway love your vids, keep at it. Cheers mate 👍

[@ipezmusic]

I'm an italian. I live in Italy. Let me tell you, it's all about what you are able to do with your life. Take what you have, use it, transform it, twist it... live the italian way! Just half-joking. USA are a lot of things. EU is a lot of a lot of states, micro-states, unique cultures and languages... you have plenty to do, no matter where you live. Buona fortuna, e buona vita!

[@lubicafreeman4932]

when I relocated to Europe, it took me about 5 years to "accept" that the job comes after the family. In a nutshell, the attitude towards work is very different. You dont need to be totally stressed out while at work, there is a way to fit in 2 breaks and a hot lunch and still get your work done ... and go home on time.

[@tube.brasil]

Wait until china bankrupts europe

[@davidanderson6736]

Thank you for an honest, open reaction. I just returned to the US after living in Europe for 21 years, so this certainly hit home. I wish more people took the opportunity to experience living in other cultures. One thing: "defund the police" is poorly worded, but a good idea. It's not about not having police when we need them, but rather not expecting the police to solve all of society's problems. Our police spend a large fraction of their time dealing with homelessness, drug addiction, domestic violence, mental illness, etc, and they often lack the training to do so. Instead of giving the police more funding to "reduce crime", let's spend the money on hiring trained professionals who are better equipped to give people the help they really need.

[@L0CkEyE]

Can i ASK you why you regurned to the us after 21 years?

[@davidanderson6736]

@@L0CkEyE To be closer to family.

[@L0CkEyE]

@@davidanderson6736 this make sense, i Hope you enjoy your time Back in the us, Wish you a great time with your family

[@lachlanmain6004]

Enjoyed that video. It explains something I've noticed when I've met American tourists here in the UK. The amount they cram in to a relatively short visit and the age groups, either young pre uni/uni backpacking or older retired types. I suppose this will be the case if your working life is dominated by work and holidays/ time off is already in short supply. And in it's turn this situation is hampered by the culture and presumption that taking a break you're entitled to is a sign of weakness. It dosen't sound like a satisfying lifestyle, all work and no play etc. Working to give yourself a comfortable lifestyle either for yourself or yourself and family is a fine thing but it's a finely balanced thing. Thanks for the video Joel, this guy looks to be worth following up.

[@frankmitchell3594]

In Europe you have time. Shorter working week, more paid days off and no worries about health costs. In the US you have space. Larger houses, cities are not cramped together, national parks are huge. That is where you notice the difference. Of course in Australia you could have both.

[@budapestkeletistationvoices]

If you look at the EU it is small in size and has 1.5 times more population than the US. Everything is cramped here

[@kenyup7936]

⁠@@budapestkeletistationvoiceshi I’m learning English now, sorry for interrupting, what does cramped mean?

[@ShabanAjeti]

​@@budapestkeletistationvoices The EU is not europ.

[@budapestkeletistationvoices]

@@ShabanAjeti EU=Europe

[@alanmon2690]

@@budapestkeletistationvoices Name all the countries in Europe and all the countries in the European Union...

[@cathykem]

My friend and I visited the US in October for a month. We couldn’t believe how bad the food was. It was a standing joke for the month. We are from Australia - food is great, we have free health and have 4 weeks annual paid vacation leave

[@reindeer7752]

@cathykem - I visited Australia. Guess what I remember about the food. Absolutely nothing.

[@cathykem]

@@reindeer7752 then you don’t understand good food or went to foodchains

[@ChrisR395]

@@reindeer7752 Australian food is excellent. American food is packed full of sugar and fat - just like the people ;)

[@simonottomusblinkinsob94]

@@ChrisR395 Is there an obesity epidemic in the Commonwealth of Australia?

[@ChrisR395]

@@simonottomusblinkinsob94 Compared to the US? Not even close lol

[@rob5197]

Europe : few hours away at best you find yourself in a different world of magical cities / towns / villages, mountains, seas, lakes... Stunning views scenery - - the best continent in the world

[@BobbysWorld_of_Art]

Exactly!!! I’ve been in Norway for 20 years and now I walk into Walmart and I’m overwhelmed!!

[@samuelbhend2521]

The thing about the Police, as a outsider, never been to the us and never will go. correct me if i'm wrong: Police in Europe: Proper Education from the Beginning, must have a Proffession, in some Countries also done your Military Service, must complete a quite heavy Entrytest to get 4 Years of proper Apprenticeship to become a Policeman/-women. And then only ever work in Pairs, single cops on their own aren't allowed to take action, must be two together at least to ensure neutrality and proper ettiquette. every year Courses to further develope/not forget like 1st Aid, driving in Rain/Ice/Night, Psychology, Handycapped People handling etc... Police in the US: drop out of a really bad "School"-System with 100'000s debt, join army some time, get uniform and car and hey presto you go.

[@Blackadder75]

So Police Quest (old MS DOS game serie) was another lie? 😪

[@MrShidimaOne]

As a Europeaan, I don't think I ever asked any one about there job.

[@CallousCoder]

This is something I like about the Zoomers, they understand that you just need enough to live comfortably and enjoy life. You don't need lots of money or a big house or big cars. I am 50 I still live in a small flat and everybody here in NL goes like: "Why don't you buy?" Why don't you move to bigger. I am like: "a little bit bigger would be nice but I don't need much. If anything I have too much already." And I realise how well I have it! And appreciate it and in America that is pretty rare. People going out to dinner or buying idiotically prices Starbucks is seen as normal. It is not that is sheer fucking luxury! And that's why you shouldn't do it everyday because it becomes common, when it is not. When I now go out for dinner it's a treat to myself and my friend(s) that join me.

[@captain_context9991]

I used to travel and write, and Im a decent photographer. Thats what I did in my 20s. Every time I went to the US, I was always the windswept and interesting foreigner in a social setting. And people used to always come up to me and tell me their life story. "Whats your story" they would say. Because everybody has a story, it seems. As if they are rehearsing to play the lead actor in the story about their own lives. And then they would proceed to usually all tell me the exact same story. Of how they clawed themselves out of poverty. Without access to decent housing, real education, or proper healthcare. -And now I make six figures, they would say. Always the same line. Then a pause, and then SIX FIGURES!! And then a long part about how blessed they were. And how "ONLY IN AMERICA could my journey be possible" I used to cut in and say thats not really how a civilized, modern country should work. But I quickly learned to just let them carry on and not interrupt or question it. Never get between an american and his flagwaving opportunity. Things havent really changed a lot since then. Some, but not a lot.

[@PeterRobertsson]

The problem with the american thinking is that work has to be "lots of work hours" because quantity must beat quality, right? Not! Imagine that the Nordic countries work hard when working and their work-life-style produce extraordinary well,...but not because they must put in 60 hours per week and take no vacation. To the contrary, their work-balance make sure that the hours at work is effecient and the output is of high quality. Also less injuries and burn outs (which occur as well ofc) from and at work is the result which means that you dont have as many people who are gone from work, or stay at work sick as in the US. The quality time they spend outside work with family, friends etc makes them more productive when at work and more happy outside work. Its a human system that allows both those employed and e.g. the owners of a company to gain from the way of working and thinking etc. Balance of life! And of course there is competition and you can grow from there, an din addition the school system is way better than the us so you get in general a high average level of education among the population.

[@stewartmackay]

I'm from the highlands of Scotland, when I was 22 I went to canada (Alberta) for 5 years, then the US (Washington state) for 18 months, then back to Scotland, then London, and now I live on a Greek island. Be open minded, going to other countries and experiencing other places is really good for you. It makes you look at your own country, and yourself, in a different light. I believe it makes you more broad minded. Differences are a good thing, not a bad thing.

[@simonottomusblinkinsob94]

Hey, I been to Alberta, Canada! Did you live in one of the small towns - Ponoka, Okotoks, Lacombe or did you live in one of the cities - Edmonton, Calgary, perhaps Red Deer or far up North to Fort McMurray. It's a beautiful province - Alberta. One of their Hockey teams is in the playoffs. Go Edmonton Oilers go! Though I heard they lost their first game in their series with the Canucks of Vancouver. I've been to Nova Scotia too and it does remind me of Scotland.

[@stewartmackay]

@@simonottomusblinkinsob94 I was in Calgary for 1 year and Lethbridge the rest of the time.

[@christianvonhout997]

Fun fact, I saw Peets coffee in the video, the founder was Alfred Peet, a dutchman from Alkmaar in the Netherlands , he emigrated to the US, he was the man who brought gourmet coffee to the US

[@alicia.3740]

That's nice to know. I'm from Alkmaar and I didn't know this. I'm going to look into this. Thank you.

[@Dioni-y9j]

I wanted to end up in America. Now looking your channel.I realise.That Europe was a great choice!😉👍

[@Non-Doctors-Music]

It's great to visit the US. The food is awesome ... for about 3 days and then you realize you're eating some sort of gloop most of the time filled with sugar. Noodles have sugar. Bread has sugar. Sugar is cheap. You crave something without sugar like a salad ... and then find that the dressing has sugar. And then you look at all the unnecessary additives. You see that things contain cheese-like substances. The chocolate tastes vile (Hershey's take note). And yet, people seem happy shoving junk down their trunks.

[@djwroodbwoy]

With your way of thinking, you would fit in better in Germany, Denmark or the Netherlands. You only have one life and the time we have in this world is short. Make your decision while you still can.

[@Therealgdog]

I can GUARANTEE you that moving to europe would make you so much happier and healthier. You might not even realize the sheer difference.

[@Piasecznik72]

Selection in US is illusory. You might have 15 different brands but are they selling different toilet paper? There was shot of shelf full of sausages - this is my personal experience: I live in Poland and was on business trip to NY. I went to Target to buy some food. I decided to go and buy sausage. To my surprise I found whole wall full of Polish Sausage, some of them labeled as Polska Kielbasa, some even including polish special character - Polska Kiełbasa. Great!!! Unfortunately when I started to read ingredients list every single of them contained corn syrup. I can assure you, we never ever use corn syrup to make sausage in Poland. We hardly use corn syrup at all. In US it is in everything (no supprise as US is biggest corn producer in the world). Our sausages is protein and fat with trace amounts of carbs. US version of sausage is mainly carbs. Another example - Oldspice. I like one particular aroma - namely Wolfthorn and I thought it would be easy to get in US but no, not as easy as in EU. It was present but not in all products. US has very good craft beer and small breweries there are excellent. But beer selection in supermarkets is garbage.

[@kona2001]

Yeah same with "Italian" food you find in US stores which claims to be from Italy when it actually isn't. And most ""Italian"" restaurants offer Alfredo Pasta, Marinara Sauce and claim them as Italian when they are not at all part of our food culture. Literally brainwashing US citizen on thinking our food culture is that. As an Italian and a son who's father is a Cook I was annoyed by how many "Italian" restaurants claimed to be real in the US when i visited.

[@jackjames3190]

Wow wise words from an old soul in young sneakers - VERY impressed, in London x

[@TierchenF95]

16:52 That's what I really like about German culture. People don't talk about money. So we talk about it with partners, with very close friends and family. But it's not a constant issue and only comes up when money is tight somewhere and you want to change jobs or if you want to invest in something larger. In partnerships/marriages it is now common for each partner to have an account and also a joint account for fixed costs such as rent etc. and household money. Especially if both are working full-time. Most of the time it is 50/50, but this also varies if there are significant salary differences.

[@sandyyoung9582]

As Americans work so many hours, how on earth can they be there for their children, it is do sad. I couldnt imagine not having been there when my kids came out of school in the afternoons etc and having the weekends off to be a family, quality time x

[@pauljmorrow509]

There’s a BIG welcoming world outside the U.S.A. Go for it.I’m lucky enough to stay in Scotland and I’m off to Turkey on paid holidays for ‘culture’ then Lanzarote on October to ‘party’.The world is a friendly place.

[@rosemiller2990]

My son landed a great job in the Netherlands. He had completed a post doc in the southern part of France along Côte d’Azur, and fell in love with a work life balance of the Europeans. He really misses family and friends a lot, but said to me and his father, that he was so much happier living in Europe. He said life is more simple and there wasn’t such an emphasis on money and status. Very doubtful that he will return, but we do see one another often and we talk every day. Warms my heart that he is happy.

[@JasminLeudesdorff]

I would highly recommend you visit him one day. Hearing it or seeing it in videos is one thing, but experiencing it gives you a completly new level of understanding. Just come over for a couple of days and inhale the atmosphere!

[@Iusuallydontcommentbut...]

The picture at 5:41 is the Royal Alcázar of Seville, Spain. This is the most unique palace with the most beautiful garden I ever see! Higly recommant to look it up! About the policitcs the two different story is also exist in Europe, in my county Hungary we divided as well, an the government part is fueling hate (copying the u.s.a far right strategy, and mix it russan propaganda, devastated.

[@karinavoggel5741]

I did the opposite and moved from Europe to the US for a few years to work there. And yeah the work culture & workaholism were a bit of a shock and I almost hit burnout within 3 years. its just not sustainable. But for some positive side I really appreciated the "lets do it attitude". Lots of Europeans have a truly limited mindset and it was really cool to see even old people be e.g. adventurous and try new things. I had never seen that back home. But yeah the negative sides that are mentioned in this video are definitely correct. Nowadays being back home in Europe it actually makes me appreciate the advantages here so much more. From the health care to the work life balance.

[@jurgenolivieira1878]

Great ending monologue very insightful. Thanks for the video!

[@bertoverweel6588]

Right lets see who is most important in a company, when a CEO is going on vacation for 3 weeks the company is still running, when the employees are going on vacation for 3 weeks everyting stops, so who is most important?

[@bastyaya]

I also don't think Americans are overall more ambitious. How would you measure that? By working hours, or by how importannt their work is within their life, or that they do not take their holidays and work instead? Not really with this point as it is proven that in many positions it is not about how many hours you work, but how productive!

[@claudiakarl7888]

There are researches that show American workers are often less productive than Europeans although they work longer.

[@jurgen_haan]

Depends on what you count as 'ambition'. Most people would say that my intention to have as many good times with friends and my family is all but ambitious. Then what would be ambitious? Earning lots of money? Being "employee of the month"? Having a bigger house/car/BBQ than my neighbor? To what end? I know what choice I would enjoy most when looking back at the end of my life.

[@sweetaznspice1]

The reality is that the vast majority of working Americans are not "ambitious" at all. That Asian guy referenced represents a very narrow minority of people engaged in tech and other highly paid professions.

[@LLCoolT1994]

Come to Germany! We welcome you with open arms 😊

[@PotsdamSenior]

And we have way more choice when it comes to sausages!

[@peterm.2385]

I second this. Open minded people like you are very welcome!

[@lbergen001]

​@@PotsdamSenior ...and beer

[@leniobarcelos1770]

​@@PotsdamSeniorA few hours ago I saw a Conan O'brien video of him in Germany learning to make your sausages. lol

[@mr.inaktiv3818]

@@PotsdamSeniorAnd gras!

[@jericoba]

You are open-minded, thoughtful, and interested in the world. I love to see this. I hope you find your place in Europe that suits you. Good videos!

[@HippAnimates]

Hey, I've been watching your videos lately and I really liked them. I love how open minded you're and how the comments aren't overtaking the video and still being relevant. If you would ever consider coming to Switzerland (Geneva), I would gladly make you visit. Thanks for the vid ✊🏻

[@tonnymiller123]

when I was a kid 40 years ago in Denmark, there was a thing called "the american dream"..this is now the american nightmare.

[@gtd65]

The main thing, is to get out there and see the world with your own eyes and not simply take it for granted that third party opinions are objective. I'm Scottish and have also lived and worked in the USA previously. It used to be a great opportunity and a low cost of living but viewing from afar, during the past few years, it doesn't appear to be a particularly attractive place to be right now. One thing I will say, based on my time in the USA, is that it's the most paranoid society I ever lived in. One of my American pals, is always worried about going overseas, as he firmly believes the locals would be out to get him! Edit: The news channels make me laugh, back in the day Fox news was laughably biased but CNN seem to have taken that challenge up and surpassed the levels of bias that Fox used.

[@Blackadder75]

yeah I noticed the paranoia, I guess gun society is a reason, any madman could have a gun. an outdoors yt guy I watch is always afraid somebody will steal his stuff, in the middle of nowhere.... meanwhile here I sometimes forget to lock my car in the city and nothing has ever been stolen. ( note DO lock you car, I am just stupid to forget it it, but I bring it upto show theft is rare)

[@gtd65]

@@Blackadder75 I was working in California number of years back and one of my co-workers was a keen photographer. He was out in the middle of nowhere, taking photos, when some guys approached him, with a view to committing a crime against him (stealing his equipment). They soon backed off when he let them know he was prepared. I guess in that particular scenario, it was certainly a good idea to be armed. Despite being a British Army veteran, I'm not particularly pro gun but I do believe that you should have the ability to protect yourself, as and when required to do so. My car locks automatically, so never really need to worry about locking it but I lock it as a matter of habit, more than anything else.

[@rientsdijkstra4266]

The problem with the variety in the US is not really variety. It is better to have 3 or 4 brands that actually different, than a wall with 60 brands where you see no difference between any of them.

[@Alfablue227]

Buddy, get yourself across the pond and enjoy life in Europe. I lived in the USA x 40 years, and honestly, it made me sick, literally! I have been living in Portugal for the past 7 years, and the thought of going back to the US creeps me out. I still have family there, which I visit once every two years for one week tops. Once you get away from the USA, your life there turns into a distant, unpleasant world that you have no interest in, at least I don't. Moving to Portugal was the best thing I ever did, just sorry that I waited so long to do it. Hope you make it over the pond!❤

[@MegaJJ1968]

Very good video. I noticed those differences. And I met so many good people after 8 years in Chicago. Best greets from Cologne, Germany