4 ms·

Out of interest, what do you believe your future looks like? Also do you own anything?

wkat4242 1y ago
My future? More like this. And green and healthy. The city has become much greener over the last years. Socialist places tend to value the environment more. And yes of course I own things. I don't own a car because I don't want one, I hate driving. And I don't have to because public transport is so great and cheap (22€ per month for an unlimited pass). That won't even buy half a tank of fuel. I don't own a flat but I could, I'm looking for the right one. I'm just fussy. And I own all my stuff, I hate renting or leasing stuff. In fact the dogma "You will own nothing and you will be happy" comes from the WEF which is basically all the big capitalist billionaires thrown in one room. It's funny how Americans think socialism is such a hellscape. And then come to Spain and love it. Spain is very socialist even by European standards. Like I said: socialism, at least as we know it here isn't really communism. It's much more of a balance.
- jalapenos 1y ago
  They come to Spain and love it because they bring their own money, they spend that in Spain, and Spain supplies the chill culture and weather and costs of living (much like Thailand). I appreciate your sentiment and I don't think it comes from a bad place. I also hate driving, it's an unpleasant experience in total. But I also think you're young. Please, just for yourself and those around you, keep a keen and dispassionately analytical eye to the surroundings of all these things and the future.
  - wkat4242 1y ago
    But what's so bad about the future? I don't really understand. Spain has been very socialist ever since the fall of fascism in the 70s. Now that was bad. Things have only improved a lot since. We in Spain live totally fine too :) I have more than enough money to buy what I need. We always go for lunch in a restaurant when I'm at the office, it's not like we don't have two pennies to rub together. All the restaurants have cheap lunch menus. Everyone goes for lunch there in Spain, so much so that we don't even have a real canteen in the office. And no I'm absolutely not young lol, I'm 50+. I've also lived in many countries (4 in total) including ones with much higher wages. And much more capitalist ones like Australia. But Spain is by far my favourite. I think the country is doing great and the system works really well. I would definitely not want to live in the US. Even if I could make 3 or 4 times as much money there. Which, realistically, is probably how much more I'd make in silicon valley (including stock bonus, which tbh I don't want, I prefer real money) In fact, a FAANG offered me a job there just before the pandemic. But looking into the cost of living around their fancy office I'd still have had to live tens of miles away from the office in some dopey town (San Francisco wasn't possible either financially) and they wanted in-office presence every day. Here I just take a 15 minute subway ride. I'm supposed to be at the office regularly but I don't actually bother to go there often (another thing about Spain, rules generally aren't enforced very much). Anyway, I declined due to quality of life. I love living in a big city that is also quite compact. And have no worries. I'm not very ambitious, I just want to enjoy my life and work is but a means to that. Money really isn't everything. Especially as you get older, having good and free (well, tax-paid) healthcare is a huge plus. Same with all the other benefits like job security, state pensions. In the US I'd have to cover all that myself, be dependent on my employer for healthcare plans and have a lot less rights as an employee. Another thing that's important because an employer can easily consider you 'too old' and it's very hard to find something else at my age. One of my friends has been on a (genuine and pretty bad) long-term sick leave of over a year and has had no worries due to the illness benefit. This kind of worry-free life matters a lot. It's bad enough when you get a serious illness, having to worry about being able to live is not something you'd wish on top of that. I don't mind a large portion of my taxes going to such things, because it means it's there for me too if I ever need it. The one exception is the housing market which is a bit crazy here (but nowhere as crazy as in the US). But the problem is not the socialism, it's that it's too much of a free market. They are bringing in more restrictions like a rent price limitation and longer mandatory contract terms. And banning AirBnBs all over the city so we don't have to compete with tourists paying 100-200 euro a night anymore. They never should have allowed those in the first place, but anyway... But the idea that the American model is the only one that could work is just not true. If your goal is to get lucky and become a millionaire/billionaire and be one of that sweet 0.001%, then yeah, sure. For the rest of us it works way better like this. Also, America is tearing itself apart right now. Here things are mellow, as LGBTIQ+ we are respected and welcomed, rather than be considered a 'political ideology'.
    - jalapenos 1y ago
      Sound like you're doing alright then. Spare a thought for the young then, don't be all "I've had mine thanks", 25% unemployment for them in socialist-paradise Spain. I don't envy them or what that does to a person at all, unless it's just because their boomer parents/grandparents are being generous.
      - wkat4242 1y ago
        Sorry that's not a correct figure. That 25% is only in Melilla. Which is basically an small town-exclave in Morocco (a bit like Gibraltar which is a British exclave in Spain). With a population of only 86.000. Same with Ceuta (21% unemployment). These are very isolated towns because they are in the middle of Morocco (and don't have very good relations with their surrounding country). Overall it's about 10,29% (first half of 2025) with only around 8% in highly industrialised communities like Catalonia. Which includes people with disabilities. Which is also around 8% in fact, but some of those people are only partially disabled and do work. It's really not bad. The southern areas have higher unemployment but this is because their economy is very seasonal and tourism/farming driven. Things can still be improved but it's not bad at all. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unemployment_in_Spain https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unemployment_in_Spain Many of my friends are young and they don't have issues or worries about their future. Though several just got laid off because Meta suddenly closed their moderation office (after Trump decided that moderation was only "woke" and could be done without, and Zuckerberg couldn't wait to follow on). It's also important to note that Spain has a very high number of Latin American immigrants, for whom it is a bridge into Europe (Spain has an easy path to citizenship for its former colonies). for them it's however harder to find a job because their qualifications are often not recognised or quite as valued by companies, especially large multinationals. It generally takes some years of upskilling locally. It's one of the reasons the unemployment is higher. They are however very welcome <3 unlike latin american immigrants in the US.
        jalapenos 1y ago
        Are you afraid of learning the figure I describe, wkat? Here you go: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Youth_unemployment_in_Spain https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Youth_unemployment_in_Spain Truth is, your generation isn't going to be looked on favourably in the future (already now actually, but I think that's just a start). You've all been too self-centered.

My future? More like this. And green and healthy. The city has become much greener over the last years. Socialist places tend to value the environment more. And yes of course I own things. I don't own a car because I don't want one, I hate driving. And I don't have to because public transport is so great and cheap (22€ per month for an unlimited pass). That won't even buy half a tank of fuel. I don't own a flat but I could, I'm looking for the right one. I'm just fussy. And I own all my stuff, I hate renting or leasing stuff. In fact the dogma "You will own nothing and you will be happy" comes from the WEF which is basically all the big capitalist billionaires thrown in one room. It's funny how Americans think socialism is such a hellscape. And then come to Spain and love it. Spain is very socialist even by European standards. Like I said: socialism, at least as we know it here isn't really communism. It's much more of a balance.

jalapenos 1y ago
They come to Spain and love it because they bring their own money, they spend that in Spain, and Spain supplies the chill culture and weather and costs of living (much like Thailand). I appreciate your sentiment and I don't think it comes from a bad place. I also hate driving, it's an unpleasant experience in total. But I also think you're young. Please, just for yourself and those around you, keep a keen and dispassionately analytical eye to the surroundings of all these things and the future.
- wkat4242 1y ago
  But what's so bad about the future? I don't really understand. Spain has been very socialist ever since the fall of fascism in the 70s. Now that was bad. Things have only improved a lot since. We in Spain live totally fine too :) I have more than enough money to buy what I need. We always go for lunch in a restaurant when I'm at the office, it's not like we don't have two pennies to rub together. All the restaurants have cheap lunch menus. Everyone goes for lunch there in Spain, so much so that we don't even have a real canteen in the office. And no I'm absolutely not young lol, I'm 50+. I've also lived in many countries (4 in total) including ones with much higher wages. And much more capitalist ones like Australia. But Spain is by far my favourite. I think the country is doing great and the system works really well. I would definitely not want to live in the US. Even if I could make 3 or 4 times as much money there. Which, realistically, is probably how much more I'd make in silicon valley (including stock bonus, which tbh I don't want, I prefer real money) In fact, a FAANG offered me a job there just before the pandemic. But looking into the cost of living around their fancy office I'd still have had to live tens of miles away from the office in some dopey town (San Francisco wasn't possible either financially) and they wanted in-office presence every day. Here I just take a 15 minute subway ride. I'm supposed to be at the office regularly but I don't actually bother to go there often (another thing about Spain, rules generally aren't enforced very much). Anyway, I declined due to quality of life. I love living in a big city that is also quite compact. And have no worries. I'm not very ambitious, I just want to enjoy my life and work is but a means to that. Money really isn't everything. Especially as you get older, having good and free (well, tax-paid) healthcare is a huge plus. Same with all the other benefits like job security, state pensions. In the US I'd have to cover all that myself, be dependent on my employer for healthcare plans and have a lot less rights as an employee. Another thing that's important because an employer can easily consider you 'too old' and it's very hard to find something else at my age. One of my friends has been on a (genuine and pretty bad) long-term sick leave of over a year and has had no worries due to the illness benefit. This kind of worry-free life matters a lot. It's bad enough when you get a serious illness, having to worry about being able to live is not something you'd wish on top of that. I don't mind a large portion of my taxes going to such things, because it means it's there for me too if I ever need it. The one exception is the housing market which is a bit crazy here (but nowhere as crazy as in the US). But the problem is not the socialism, it's that it's too much of a free market. They are bringing in more restrictions like a rent price limitation and longer mandatory contract terms. And banning AirBnBs all over the city so we don't have to compete with tourists paying 100-200 euro a night anymore. They never should have allowed those in the first place, but anyway... But the idea that the American model is the only one that could work is just not true. If your goal is to get lucky and become a millionaire/billionaire and be one of that sweet 0.001%, then yeah, sure. For the rest of us it works way better like this. Also, America is tearing itself apart right now. Here things are mellow, as LGBTIQ+ we are respected and welcomed, rather than be considered a 'political ideology'.
  - jalapenos 1y ago
    Sound like you're doing alright then. Spare a thought for the young then, don't be all "I've had mine thanks", 25% unemployment for them in socialist-paradise Spain. I don't envy them or what that does to a person at all, unless it's just because their boomer parents/grandparents are being generous.
    - wkat4242 1y ago
      Sorry that's not a correct figure. That 25% is only in Melilla. Which is basically an small town-exclave in Morocco (a bit like Gibraltar which is a British exclave in Spain). With a population of only 86.000. Same with Ceuta (21% unemployment). These are very isolated towns because they are in the middle of Morocco (and don't have very good relations with their surrounding country). Overall it's about 10,29% (first half of 2025) with only around 8% in highly industrialised communities like Catalonia. Which includes people with disabilities. Which is also around 8% in fact, but some of those people are only partially disabled and do work. It's really not bad. The southern areas have higher unemployment but this is because their economy is very seasonal and tourism/farming driven. Things can still be improved but it's not bad at all. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unemployment_in_Spain https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unemployment_in_Spain Many of my friends are young and they don't have issues or worries about their future. Though several just got laid off because Meta suddenly closed their moderation office (after Trump decided that moderation was only "woke" and could be done without, and Zuckerberg couldn't wait to follow on). It's also important to note that Spain has a very high number of Latin American immigrants, for whom it is a bridge into Europe (Spain has an easy path to citizenship for its former colonies). for them it's however harder to find a job because their qualifications are often not recognised or quite as valued by companies, especially large multinationals. It generally takes some years of upskilling locally. It's one of the reasons the unemployment is higher. They are however very welcome <3 unlike latin american immigrants in the US.
      - jalapenos 1y ago
        Are you afraid of learning the figure I describe, wkat? Here you go: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Youth_unemployment_in_Spain https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Youth_unemployment_in_Spain Truth is, your generation isn't going to be looked on favourably in the future (already now actually, but I think that's just a start). You've all been too self-centered.