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Returning to Europe after a few years in the US, the first thing I noticed back here was that nobody was afraid.

xnx 5y ago
Exactly. You're a lot more likely to practice the tightrope (and benefit from the experience) when there's a [social] safety net.
vlahmot 5y ago
Afraid of a specific thing or no fear in general?
- granshaw 5y ago
  Afraid of their future I’m assuming, with a much better welfare and safety net in Europe
  - jokethrowaway 5y ago
    A self employed person I know (not by choice: finding an employment "il posto fisso" in Italy is a blessing) won't get a pension because he didn't put enough pension contribution during his career. Will he at least get back the money he put into the system? Also no.
- tormeh 5y ago
  Hard to generalize over European countries, but you can think of most European governments as insurance companies with their own army. No matter how hard you fuck up, as long as you are able to fill out paperwork you'll have food, healthcare, and a (shitty) apartment. None of this is free for taxpayers, obviously, but it is what it is.
- somewhereoutth 5y ago
  No fear in general. You can sense when people are fearful. No one - not one single person - is fearful in Europe (hyperbol of course, but not so far off). Again, it is the very visceral lack of fear that hit me when I returned. Hit me really hard (in a good way!). Visceral is exactly the word. It doesn't mean it is paradise, but it is a good start. I suppose in Europe the land and the people are one, in a way that doesn't really apply to our historical now completely out of hand 'camping trips'. I do really miss the US though, there are many good things - like your trucks with snouts!
jokethrowaway 5y ago
Even ignoring the current corona craze, which had most of Europe under draconian policies - people in Europe see stagnant salaries, less and less jobs, no prospect of a pension you can live on, high skilled youth immigrating out, low skilled youth immigrating in, more crimes, prices raising. Most europeans have been worried for the last 20 years. Scandinavia, the UK and Switzerland are the only places where the magnitude of the effect is lower.

xnx 5y ago

Exactly. You're a lot more likely to practice the tightrope (and benefit from the experience) when there's a [social] safety net.

vlahmot 5y ago

Afraid of a specific thing or no fear in general?

granshaw 5y ago
Afraid of their future I’m assuming, with a much better welfare and safety net in Europe
- jokethrowaway 5y ago
  A self employed person I know (not by choice: finding an employment "il posto fisso" in Italy is a blessing) won't get a pension because he didn't put enough pension contribution during his career. Will he at least get back the money he put into the system? Also no.
tormeh 5y ago
Hard to generalize over European countries, but you can think of most European governments as insurance companies with their own army. No matter how hard you fuck up, as long as you are able to fill out paperwork you'll have food, healthcare, and a (shitty) apartment. None of this is free for taxpayers, obviously, but it is what it is.
somewhereoutth 5y ago
No fear in general. You can sense when people are fearful. No one - not one single person - is fearful in Europe (hyperbol of course, but not so far off). Again, it is the very visceral lack of fear that hit me when I returned. Hit me really hard (in a good way!). Visceral is exactly the word. It doesn't mean it is paradise, but it is a good start. I suppose in Europe the land and the people are one, in a way that doesn't really apply to our historical now completely out of hand 'camping trips'. I do really miss the US though, there are many good things - like your trucks with snouts!

jokethrowaway 5y ago

Even ignoring the current corona craze, which had most of Europe under draconian policies - people in Europe see stagnant salaries, less and less jobs, no prospect of a pension you can live on, high skilled youth immigrating out, low skilled youth immigrating in, more crimes, prices raising. Most europeans have been worried for the last 20 years. Scandinavia, the UK and Switzerland are the only places where the magnitude of the effect is lower.