3 ms·

Europe has among the lowest food prices in the developed world. If you spend 3-5 EUR on ingredients you get a really healthy meal... Agricultural products are u

Europe has among the lowest food prices in the developed world. If you spend 3-5 EUR on ingredients you get a really healthy meal... Agricultural products are usually taxed below 10% and the agricultural sector is heavily subsidized; I would suspect that farmers in India live closer to the poverty line than in Europe - maybe that explains part of the differences for prices of raw materials; supply chain certainly is another: it’s true if everything is bought as locally produced the costs might be lower because no transportation, cooling etc. is needed... But kindly also do not forget food safety: I never had food poisoning in Europe - India is a whole different story... In Europe, drinking water comes out of the tap for free, electricity is super reliable and veeery cheap... Farmers in Europe do not have a history of committing suicide at scale... Dumpster diving is not a big thing and it is simply incorrect that half the products are thrown away... People in Europe are generally very sensitive to food waste and the infrastructure we put in place to keep it fresh is pretty decent. Democracy in Europe (and other places) decided that it is justified to “take money disproportionally from society” because “majority vote justifies that 20% of population need to pay for 80% of costs”. I may not like this aspect of democracy (e.g., majority gives always a justification over whatever you want to do) but well... Indians might want to understand that Europe see taxes as a way to create a liveable and fair society. That the need and desire of the individual sometimes is not as important as “the greater good”. In India, the rich are certainly not subsidizing the poor. If I am not mistaken, your “elite” keeps 2x India’s GDP hidden away in Switzerland still? The Swiss offered help - but your government refused and felt the money better stays where it is. The society you see in India is the society Indians created. I would not trade it for Europe ever.

naruvimama 7y ago
You are missing my point which is "foreigners aren't being ripped off just because they pay more than the locals". The locals pay for the subsidies directly or indirectly. Think of it as tourist tax (charged in some countries of Europe) if that still bothers you. To your point above, I do appreciate the quality of life in Europe. However, even the most conscientious among the Europeans - the Nordics are not anymore greener than the american, it is largely a feel good window dressing.
- looping__lui 7y ago
  I really wish I could think of it as a “tourist tax” benefiting the needy. But I rather have the feeling “its ending up in the pockets of the rich, powerful and corrupt”. So misses the point. Prices for museums etc. ARE in fact much higher for tourists (factor 5-10x usually if I recall). In a sense the tourists probably subsidize many cultural sites for the Indian population (which is fair). The energy consumption in the US is twice as high as in Europe per capita - eyeballing the numbers I believe India is not exactly green either (rural areas without any access to electricity etc. distort the numbers unless you want to keep those people “in the dark”...) But it’s not only energy consumption - it’s also the passionate “trashing and burning of trash” that doesn’t do the Indian environment any good. Delhi, Mumbai etc. - the air has become more and more toxic over the years. I don’t want to start a “who is better who is worse” - but the “I only care for myself and nobody else” mentality affects all aspects from tourism to environment and harms the people themselves. That was the entire point.

naruvimama 7y ago

You are missing my point which is "foreigners aren't being ripped off just because they pay more than the locals". The locals pay for the subsidies directly or indirectly. Think of it as tourist tax (charged in some countries of Europe) if that still bothers you. To your point above, I do appreciate the quality of life in Europe. However, even the most conscientious among the Europeans - the Nordics are not anymore greener than the american, it is largely a feel good window dressing.

looping__lui 7y ago
I really wish I could think of it as a “tourist tax” benefiting the needy. But I rather have the feeling “its ending up in the pockets of the rich, powerful and corrupt”. So misses the point. Prices for museums etc. ARE in fact much higher for tourists (factor 5-10x usually if I recall). In a sense the tourists probably subsidize many cultural sites for the Indian population (which is fair). The energy consumption in the US is twice as high as in Europe per capita - eyeballing the numbers I believe India is not exactly green either (rural areas without any access to electricity etc. distort the numbers unless you want to keep those people “in the dark”...) But it’s not only energy consumption - it’s also the passionate “trashing and burning of trash” that doesn’t do the Indian environment any good. Delhi, Mumbai etc. - the air has become more and more toxic over the years. I don’t want to start a “who is better who is worse” - but the “I only care for myself and nobody else” mentality affects all aspects from tourism to environment and harms the people themselves. That was the entire point.