I did not define what I meant by socialized health care, but I meant it in a positive way. Everyone is insured, and your insurance is not bound to any employer.

I did not define what I meant by socialized health care, but I meant it in a positive way. Everyone is insured, and your insurance is not bound to any employer. Ironically, this means there is some actual competition in Germany (or at least more so than in the US where you can choose between the cheap and the expensive option your employer signed up for.) No, you cannot work as an employee for as long as you want. My numbers were wrong, but it's a 10hr cap per day, and 48hr cap per week, as written in another comment. In its default, beyond that, your boss is personally responsible for this. I am sure all you write about he financial system is true, but the thing is that compared to the US you can get away with much less savings and liquidity, and you get a much higher standard of living for a lot less money. Compare rent, cell phone, internet, health insurance, and you get a lot more for a lot less in Germany. With your health insurance not tied to an employer, you also don't run the risk of losing it when losing your job - e.g. in case of severe sickness, when you need insurance most. You don't need to save up for college of your kids, and can just send them to a public school. [edit: typos and added schools}