/b/ - Random

We've been through this countryball discussion for over a decade.

We get it. We live in a dystopia where half of everyone is fat, education sucks and people are proud to be exploited because they're temporarily embarrassed millionaires. Some of us admit this and go "please Europeans piss in my mouth our country is shit" and then other US posters will call us cucks or something and call this country prosperous.

>>27930
What do you mean by Europe?

You mean the Mediterranean countries where income is low and high-paying jobs are few but with the added benefit of a long life expectancy and a casual stress-free lifestyle (happiness)?

Or you mean central Europe with its numerous high-paying jobs with strong tertiary education/apprenticeship networks and competent governance but where they take 2 hour lunchbreaks and the police beat you up if you jay-walk or litter because they have nothing to do? (no crime)

Or you mean Scandinavia where its strong social safety nets and low corruption are noteworthy around the world, yet its population is heavily into antidepressants and introverted?

Or you mean UK where people speak one language and every metropolitan area is a dumpster but there's nothing to do in country-side? And where while having better safety-net than USA is arguably in the bottom-tier in safety-net compared to it's continental European counterparts yet has lower wages than it's American and Teutonic European counterparts despite that.

Please explain in great details I am from China

>>27932
Imagine being from America

I’ve been to Europe.
You can keep it, and please stay there.
I’m from Alabama and when I got to Europe I was shocked at how everyone is poor. Tiny houses (that are expensive), tiny cars (expensive), and most things are shoddy (and expensive).
Do I only get a few months of unemployment payments if I lose my job?
Sure.
But I can afford to heat my apartment.

>>27936
>Or you mean central Europe with its numerous high-paying jobs with strong tertiary education/apprenticeship networks and competent governance but where they take 2 hour lunchbreaks and the police beat you up if you jay-walk or litter because they have nothing to do? (no crime)

I would see no fault in this - IF it was true.
I live in Germany and while there are very wealthy people, there are also many many poor ones. Nearly 25% earn less than 10€ per hour.
Strong tertiary education? Here only a third gets into Uni. The others are deemed "too stupid" and no amount of money could change that.
While dumb Americans are allowed to laze around in school until they're 18, Germans who aren't blessed with good grades have to start to work after just 9th grade - meaning some are just 14 years old.
Nobody, really nobody, takes 2 hour lunch breaks. Most only do half an hour or eat at the desk / eat quickly while standing behind the builing they work in.

And not even the lovely old stereotype of jaywalkers being severely punished is true, instead the normal population has to take that matter into their own hands.
And don't even get me started on "muh low crime"; here literal rapists get zero jail time, only probation - but hey, at least our criminals aren't treated as inhumane as american ones. /s

To all americans who love to whine about us getting free education without informing themselves on how our education system really works: YOU, would have never even made it into a german (or any european) university.
If who gets to study isn't decided by "who/whose parents can afford to pay for tuition", then why aren't there more people in Uni??? Hm, maybe it's because they really only let in the best ones?
In germany you go to primary school until 4th grade, then the teachers divide you into 3 groups: the stupd ones - who go to school til 9th grade and then usually end up in some low pay physical job, the "normal" ones and the good ones, who are the only ones who are allowed into high school and then maybe into uni…
The future of most people gets decided by how good their grades were as a 9 or 10yo - I bet you americans would find that rather discriminatory, no?

This is what causes so many refugees to come
>Europe is paradise!!!
>everybody there is rich!
>if you live there you don't even need to work!
I wish people would just stop with that bullshit.

>>28123
>Nobody, really nobody, takes 2 hour lunch breaks. Most only do half an hour or eat at the desk / eat quickly while standing behind the builing they work in.

It was a joke caricature reference to this blogpost by naive American expat
https://www.vox.com/2015/7/21/8974435/switzerland-work-life-balance

>Which brings us to lunch. In Switzerland, you don't arrive to a meeting late, but you also don't leave for your lunch break a second past noon. If it's summer, jumping into the lake to swim with the swans is an acceptable way to spend your lunch hour. If you eat a sandwich at your desk, people will scold you. I learned this the hard way.

>To all americans who love to whine about us getting free education without informing themselves on how our education system really works: YOU, would have never even made it into a german (or any european) university.
If who gets to study isn't decided by "who/whose parents can afford to pay for tuition", then why aren't there more people in Uni??? Hm, maybe it's because they really only let in the best ones?
In germany you go to primary school until 4th grade, then the teachers divide you into 3 groups: the stupd ones - who go to school til 9th grade and then usually end up in some low pay physical job, the "normal" ones and the good ones, who are the only ones who are allowed into high school and then maybe into uni…
The future of most people gets decided by how good their grades were as a 9 or 10yo - I bet you americans would find that rather discriminatory, no?

Nah that's the way it should be, that is beautiful. Unlike you, the Americans force everyone (even the kids who can't even do algebra) into a academic path at university where they waste several years doing remedial courses and another 2 years of general education courses unrelated to their major until the last 2 years in undergrad are finally spent on their major. Such attempt to replicate a system in the USA would fail because all the public school teachers are retards who whine about "standardized testing" despite the SAT being babby-tier compared to the Abitur in Central Europe. Despite this most Americans who glorify "free education" in Europe largely discount and ignore this; and the closest equivalents to said policies are attacked as being discriminatory in USA (Charter schools).

Abitur is however SAT-tier compared to the Gaokao in China

>>28119
>I’ve been to Europe.
Which countries?

I'm from the USA and wish I was European, I went to Spain and France and liked it a lot there. Not that I hate the USA though, I still live a pretty comfortable life here.

>>28123
I went to an ivy, couldn’t help but chuckle at the naivete of this post. Even many second rate American unis outrank european ones enormously.

>>32276
Keep telling yourself that

>>27936
>this

Not gonna flag wave here but I'm gonna say this: literally every country has drawbacks and benefits. The EU/US/Canada/Japan ain't special.
Additionally If you were a failure in [insert country], you'll probably be a failure if you were born into another country. Sorry ladies.
Unrelated, but I appreciate seeing political stuff on the front of CC. Nice to know woman aren't as vapid as everyone (men) say we are

>>32278
Honestly from experience, if you're looking for work, Japan sucks worse than any other first world nation. Their work culture and racism are awful. Not to mention the freaky culture of sexual harassment. Never working there again.

>>32276
Our industries may be wildly different, my experience is Euro vocational schools will land you the same jobs as ivies. We work off of portfolios and high ranking American schools don't mean much. Their reputation in my field has gone down spectacularly as of late, even.

>>32276
They do so when taking into account research and graduate programs. However American undergrad system is worst in developed world. So much time is wasted on GE courses so American undergrads lag behind their international counterparts in curriculum that is covered and the financial burden of that education. However the amenities given to undergrads are pretty much top tier even in public colleges. The paths are also a mess where as another miner pointed out the much better vocational/intern programs for undergrads in Europe. In Germany for instance it's not uncommon for a third year undergrad to get in some decent internship/apprenticeship and decide to go full-time in that and not finish their degree. Meanwhile in the US if you dont finish your degree you're as good as some high school graduate + the saddeled debt from the years in school

Take the Australian Pill
>Salaries aren't as high as USA (adj for CoL) but higher than EU. Workhours aren't as long as USA/Asia. Low unemployment
>national healthcare program in-place and much more efficient than the ones in Europe in wait times and costs
>temperate climate all year long on the major population centers. Lack of major disasters
>Public transport not as good as Europe but much better than USA. Easier to live without a car
>Lower crime than USA and Eastern-Europe but not as low as west-EU and east-Asia.
>Ingleesh speaking country makes it easier to intergrate. God-tier cultural exports (the Wiggles, 5SOS) known worldwide
>attractive men due to athletic culture with attractive accents

I'm not even Australian though, I would like to see a Australian point out my naivety and explain to me how Australia isn't paradise. I've seen Kiwis complain about their country and get this their major complaint is traffic and congestion. I'd imagine the only thing bad with Australia is cost of living

What are weapon/self-defense laws like in European countries? I only know of the loicense memes from the UK.
The notion of living somewhere where you're not allowed or given the tools to use deadly force to defend your own life is crazy to me.

Went to Germany last year, jelly as fuck that the cashiers get to sit down a lot of the time. My feet hurt after every long shift unless I take a painkiller before it starts.

>>32290
>God-tier cultural exports
>the Wiggles
I see you're a woman of culture as well.

>>32292
' somewhere where you're not allowed or given the tools to use deadly force to defend your own life is crazy to me.'
funny because the same way you are not allowed to own lethal weapons to defend you, everyone else is not allowed to own lethal weapons to harm you. So there is no need at all.

>>32320
>criminals have to obey the law
We're going here, aren't we.

>>32320
>everyone else is not allowed to own lethal weapons to harm you
Boy I'm sure glad heroin is illegal, can you imagine the damage it would do to people's lives if they were able to acquire it?
Oh wait.

>>32322
With social security almost all violent crime is criminal to criminal, very rare personal murder or drunken fist fights. People mostly won't go around armed robbing strangers, most robberies are to empty houses and cabins.

The immigrants are kinda the exception with some over the top fucked up rare shit that I'm sure is normal in the US like ganging up on and killing the weak elderly etc. But other than the large countries and large cities problems with them are pretty manageable and they stay with their own. Violent problems between ordinary folks and them are pretty rare. I think it's more common they fight with each other and most problems start when they start to focus on certain areas.

>>32337
Yeah, we're going there. Moderator please moderate.

The immigrant exception exists right now so you can't get rid of what a criminal will still have.

>>32337
>most robberies are to empty houses and cabins
The term for that is burglary.

>>27930
Most of the tax dollars are going to our greatest ally, Israel, rather than using it for social welfare programs.

Make Israel Great Again after all.

>>27932
>We live in a dystopia where half of everyone is fat, education sucks and people are proud to be exploited because they're temporarily embarrassed millionaires.
This. You can't even criticise any aspect of the US because they get terminally assblasted about it. The less someone is educated or has traveled, the worse it is. Especially southerners. They're sure damn proud of 80% obesity rates and meth cabins.
Europe has issues and they'll freely admit it without having a conniption and going tardmode about it.
There's significant downsides to both the US and europe. Even japan has serious issues that would make me hesitant to live there. The best advantage of the US is the size–there will be a city/place that at least sort of fits what you want. Can't help the god damned TOXIC work culture though. It's korea tier.
>>32348
Essentially. We give all these tens of billions to israel and other countries every year, but our own citizens are being crushed by debt, can't afford rent or decent food, and go without medical care. infrastructure crumbling, scientific progress plummeting, but oh man better make sure israel is provided for.

HALT! Stop making these threads, we do not want any more americans wanting to move to Europe.
CEASE IMMEDIATELY!

>>28123
>The others are deemed "too stupid" and no amount of money could change that.
There's two sides to that. In America people are told that absolutely everyone should go to college because that means money for some people. It turns out that academia isn't the best route in regards to education for many people, despite what movies or whatever might tell you. And people who work blue collar jobs are still needed. At least Germany doesn't have social gaps as large as the americans, which allows you to choose a lower paying job and still live with dignity. My brother always talked about how he'd like to do something in the trades but couldn't because of the wages. If he could live in a low cost european countryside town he'd do it though.
>inb4 it's not low cost
It's not only about things such as how much taxes you pay, but also about what you get in exchange for it.

>>32609
If I become a $500,000-aire I can already obtain a visa to settle in Portugal

I hope we can all agree that whatever the faults of Europe and the USA, that the UK is actually the worst of the lot -
>European restrictions on freedom
>American style economics
It's a nightmare. I worked there as part of a Republican exchange programme with the Conservatives, don't judge me! and it was horrible. London is disgusting, and they arrest people there if you say mean things. If I was living there on their minimum wage (which is like $12 an hour or something, in a city which is impossible to live in unless you make over $75k) I'd have a few mean words to say too, but they're so oppressed it's unreal. And the men there…I feel so sorry for any British poster here! I wish I could rescue you and take you back to Texas!

>>32626
Africans can also get visas, that doesn't mean they're welcome. Government != people

>>32640
The government represents the interests of the people for which they govern over and are appointed by

http://www.portugalinvestorvisa.com

Only need $320,000 to do so and then I am free to live and work in the Schengen area. Though the Azores seems like a comfy area

>>32642
>The government represents the interests of the people for which they govern over and are appointed by
That's cute.

>>27930
There are a few, but important things you left out of the equation.
For one, Europe doesn't spend shit on military, while the US army is the only thing protecting Europe. If it weren't for the US paying for Europe's defense, Europe couldn't afford it's generous welfare system.
The other thing is that everything you said only applies to Europe as of now, meaning that the European welfare system is completely unsustainable. When the boomers leave the workforce, the whole system is going to collapse. In fact with the pandemic it's probably happening now.
Another difference is that Europe doesn't really have an underclass of less productive minorities who contribute less than average or even is a net burden as the US, as of yet, but with the current trends in immigration that's going to change too.

>>50482
european countries don't need spend as much money as america on army, nobody does. American army is there to "protect" europe from europeans. There are no militarily threats to europe except europe itself.

>>50482
>US army is the only thing protecting Europe
fucking kek