3 ms·

> We can't have a functioning society if people who opt out of paying for it demand to benefit from it anyway. We clearly can. Why can't you? Over here, we he

> We can't have a functioning society if people who opt out of paying for it demand to benefit from it anyway. We clearly can. Why can't you? Over here, we help first, figure out who owes who later. In America, first you gotta figure out who's paying, then you get help.

ekianjo 4y ago
Taxes is still paying.
abduhl 4y ago
In the last century you (as in “you over there,” not you) made Iceland default on its loans rather than help them out causing them to suffer both as a country and as a people. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008%E2%80%932011_Icelandic_financial_crisis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008%E2%80%932011_Icelandic_fi... In the last decade you failed to offer help to hundreds of thousands of refugees because nobody could figure out who owed who. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_European_migrant_crisis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_European_migrant_crisis In the last year you failed to aid Ukraine in their war against Russia, failing to even provide weapons that you’d agreed to provide (but only agreeing after terms had been reached to make sure you got paid something). https://www.cnbc.com/2022/09/16/ukraine-slams-germany-for-failing-to-send-it-weapons.html https://www.cnbc.com/2022/09/16/ukraine-slams-germany-for-fa... In the last month you failed to provide public transportation because you couldn’t agree on wages. https://www.wantedinrome.com/news/italy-national-general-strike-friday-2-december.html https://www.wantedinrome.com/news/italy-national-general-str... And that’s just on the continent in the last 20 years. If we were to go back to say around 1945 I’m sure we could find a couple more instances of Europeans being not so helpful.
- LadyCailin 4y ago
  I think it’s fair to compare only intranational affairs with other intranational affairs, as correct as you may be to point out the shortcomings. But these are apples to orange comparisons. The public transit point is fair, but my understanding is that that is due to the right wing government, which is also the root problem in America.
  - abduhl 4y ago
    France will have a second public transportation strike over wages shortly. https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/french-train-guards-go-ahead-with-christmas-new-year-strike-union-2022-12-19/ https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/french... Not helping someone until you figure out who’s paying is a way of life for Europeans.
- dang 4y ago
  Please don't take HN threads further into nationalistic flamewar. It's not what this site is for, and destroys what it is for. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
dang 4y ago
Please don't take HN threads further into nationalistic flamewar. It's not what this site is for, and destroys what it is for. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

ekianjo 4y ago

Taxes is still paying.

abduhl 4y ago

In the last century you (as in “you over there,” not you) made Iceland default on its loans rather than help them out causing them to suffer both as a country and as a people. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008%E2%80%932011_Icelandic_financial_crisis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008%E2%80%932011_Icelandic_fi... In the last decade you failed to offer help to hundreds of thousands of refugees because nobody could figure out who owed who. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_European_migrant_crisis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_European_migrant_crisis In the last year you failed to aid Ukraine in their war against Russia, failing to even provide weapons that you’d agreed to provide (but only agreeing after terms had been reached to make sure you got paid something). https://www.cnbc.com/2022/09/16/ukraine-slams-germany-for-failing-to-send-it-weapons.html https://www.cnbc.com/2022/09/16/ukraine-slams-germany-for-fa... In the last month you failed to provide public transportation because you couldn’t agree on wages. https://www.wantedinrome.com/news/italy-national-general-strike-friday-2-december.html https://www.wantedinrome.com/news/italy-national-general-str... And that’s just on the continent in the last 20 years. If we were to go back to say around 1945 I’m sure we could find a couple more instances of Europeans being not so helpful.

LadyCailin 4y ago
I think it’s fair to compare only intranational affairs with other intranational affairs, as correct as you may be to point out the shortcomings. But these are apples to orange comparisons. The public transit point is fair, but my understanding is that that is due to the right wing government, which is also the root problem in America.
- abduhl 4y ago
  France will have a second public transportation strike over wages shortly. https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/french-train-guards-go-ahead-with-christmas-new-year-strike-union-2022-12-19/ https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/french... Not helping someone until you figure out who’s paying is a way of life for Europeans.
dang 4y ago
Please don't take HN threads further into nationalistic flamewar. It's not what this site is for, and destroys what it is for. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

dang 4y ago

Please don't take HN threads further into nationalistic flamewar. It's not what this site is for, and destroys what it is for. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html