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I get the argument, but what’s the upside of the US approach? Germany is on par or better in society happiness (couldn’t find a metric to confirm that). Why d

I get the argument, but what’s the upside of the US approach? Germany is on par or better in society happiness (couldn’t find a metric to confirm that). Why do so many people feel the empty need for soulless growth of these monster companies?

lazide 6y ago
Those companies provide the foundation of pensions (including German ones in many cases), give opportunity for people to move social ladders, provide jobs, etc. Money also is the most universal proxy for value you're going to find anywhere, and for those seeking to maximize their chances to get the most of it - the US is the place to be right now. Which is also why there is so much demand immigration wise (along with not terrible schools, reasonable social discourse, stable govern't comparatively, etc.) - if you're an up and coming, ambitious person looking to make it big, there is no better place in the world right now, with some notable edge cases. (China for instance, but only if you're Chinese). Germans (and most Western Europeans, but definitely not Eastern Europeans from what I've seen!) currently prioritize social stability and a base level of comfort and care over over the possibility of getting (individually) filthy rich. There are pros and cons to this, obviously, and different people will weight them differently based on their backgrounds.
stainforth 6y ago
"Socialism never took root in America because the poor see themselves not as an exploited proletariat but as temporarily embarrassed millionaires." - Steinbeck
- lazide 6y ago
  Very true - but it isn't just Americans, or even mostly Americans (by birth) playing this game, at least in tech. I've worked with plenty of Indians, Germans, Chinese (fewer hard chargers though - they tend to stay in China more recently), French, Czech, Russians, all here to, for lack of a better phrase - to get paid. More than 'native born' Americans, that's for sure. Even for 'native born' Americans, they almost all moved to the bay area (or the office/city they are in) from another state, sometimes half way across the country, and almost none grew up in the area the business or office is in. People who are ambitious will move to the opportunity.

lazide 6y ago

Those companies provide the foundation of pensions (including German ones in many cases), give opportunity for people to move social ladders, provide jobs, etc. Money also is the most universal proxy for value you're going to find anywhere, and for those seeking to maximize their chances to get the most of it - the US is the place to be right now. Which is also why there is so much demand immigration wise (along with not terrible schools, reasonable social discourse, stable govern't comparatively, etc.) - if you're an up and coming, ambitious person looking to make it big, there is no better place in the world right now, with some notable edge cases. (China for instance, but only if you're Chinese). Germans (and most Western Europeans, but definitely not Eastern Europeans from what I've seen!) currently prioritize social stability and a base level of comfort and care over over the possibility of getting (individually) filthy rich. There are pros and cons to this, obviously, and different people will weight them differently based on their backgrounds.

stainforth 6y ago

"Socialism never took root in America because the poor see themselves not as an exploited proletariat but as temporarily embarrassed millionaires." - Steinbeck

lazide 6y ago
Very true - but it isn't just Americans, or even mostly Americans (by birth) playing this game, at least in tech. I've worked with plenty of Indians, Germans, Chinese (fewer hard chargers though - they tend to stay in China more recently), French, Czech, Russians, all here to, for lack of a better phrase - to get paid. More than 'native born' Americans, that's for sure. Even for 'native born' Americans, they almost all moved to the bay area (or the office/city they are in) from another state, sometimes half way across the country, and almost none grew up in the area the business or office is in. People who are ambitious will move to the opportunity.