3 ms·

The point of regulation in Europe is usually to protect people. Regulation in the US seems to be done with the purpose of protection companies. I'm not 100% sur

The point of regulation in Europe is usually to protect people. Regulation in the US seems to be done with the purpose of protection companies. I'm not 100% sure, but this feels non-ideal for most people.

Sharlin 3mo ago
To take the point further, the US still protects people. It's just that the people tend to exclusively inhabit the top 0.1% or 0.01% quantiles.
- WarmWash 3mo ago
  More like the top ~35%, but it's taboo to talk about that.
  - aeve890 3mo ago
    What do you mean ~35% ?
    - WarmWash 3mo ago
      I mean if you cut out the bottom 65% and the top 1% (but perhaps even top 5%) of americans, you are left with a group of generally affluent people who are the actual backbone of the US economy. These people work white collar career jobs, own houses, own stocks, have retirement on track, college debt paid off or soon to be, good health insurance, go on vacations, drive new(ish) cars, let their instagram impulse buying get a bit out of control sometimes, maybe they work from home or are hybrid, and they mostly all go out and vote. These people are the antithesis of "America is a Shithole", and they know it, so they keep their head down and point at the top 1% like everyone else. It's virtuous and pure to do so (and of course keeps the heat off them, the wealthiest contingent). If you isolate this group and compare them globally, it spells out why for decades so many white collar workers wanted to be in the US rather than Europe or the East.
      - embedding-shape 3mo ago
        > If you isolate this group and compare them globally, it spells out why for decades so many white collar workers wanted to be in the US rather than Europe or the East. Given it sounds like you've already done this, care to share the results you got? When I meet peers from the US, it still seems like things are more rough there, regardless of class, compared to in other countries, but this is of course based on my personal experience, would love to see concrete data about it.
      - cindyllm 3mo ago
        [dead]
      - Ey7NFZ3P0nzAe 3mo ago
        Reminds me of the speech "America is not the greatest country in the world" from the show Newsroom: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTjMqda19wk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTjMqda19wk It was made 14 years ago and I don't think the US improved on any of those statistics.
baxtr 3mo ago
You mean like Chat Control 2.0, by which ordinary people are targeted and politicians are exempt?
- deleted 3mo ago
  [deleted]
- embedding-shape 3mo ago
  Many examples of when this is not seemingly the goal, hence the "usually". Some people suck, everywhere, and sometimes they end up with power to enact things, this happens everywhere, Europe is probably no better. Hopefully the institutions we've built up and continue to build, are more resilient when the future real tests come though, so far they haven't really been put under real stress.
nradov 3mo ago
Please explain how making it difficult to start a business and hire employees protects people. I've never understood that logic but maybe I'm missing something.
- embedding-shape 3mo ago
  The goal isn't "making it difficult to start a business", the goal is to protect people, meaning things affecting the public are more controlled, slower and more bureaucratic to initiate. The slowness is a feature and there really isn't any "difficulty" in starting a business, it just takes time to fill out papers and wait for approvals and what not.
  - amarka 3mo ago
    "the slowness is a feature" - I grew up in eastern block of Europe in the 80-90s, this type of sentiment has a real "the party loves you, this is for your own good" vibe.
    - embedding-shape 3mo ago
      Difference in opinion isn't authoritarianism or means you live a dictatorship. Slowness is actually a feature in lots of societies, for example in Spain where I live, for better or worse. Your comment gives of a "so you hate waffles?" vibe.
- invalidusernam3 3mo ago
  What regulations specifically do you find make it hard for you to start a business or hire people?
- paxys 3mo ago
  Go live a few months as an average middle class person in Western Europe and then do the same in the US. You can argue in favor of US superiority based on GDP and stock market and number of billionaires a hundred other similar metrics, but looking at basic happiness and quality of life there’s really no comparison. Europeans value maximizing family, community, physical and mental health, leisure time, hobbies, culture, and so their laws and policies are written in that way.
deleted 3mo ago
[deleted]

Sharlin 3mo ago

To take the point further, the US still protects people. It's just that the people tend to exclusively inhabit the top 0.1% or 0.01% quantiles.

WarmWash 3mo ago
More like the top ~35%, but it's taboo to talk about that.
- aeve890 3mo ago
  What do you mean ~35% ?
  - WarmWash 3mo ago
    I mean if you cut out the bottom 65% and the top 1% (but perhaps even top 5%) of americans, you are left with a group of generally affluent people who are the actual backbone of the US economy. These people work white collar career jobs, own houses, own stocks, have retirement on track, college debt paid off or soon to be, good health insurance, go on vacations, drive new(ish) cars, let their instagram impulse buying get a bit out of control sometimes, maybe they work from home or are hybrid, and they mostly all go out and vote. These people are the antithesis of "America is a Shithole", and they know it, so they keep their head down and point at the top 1% like everyone else. It's virtuous and pure to do so (and of course keeps the heat off them, the wealthiest contingent). If you isolate this group and compare them globally, it spells out why for decades so many white collar workers wanted to be in the US rather than Europe or the East.
    - embedding-shape 3mo ago
      > If you isolate this group and compare them globally, it spells out why for decades so many white collar workers wanted to be in the US rather than Europe or the East. Given it sounds like you've already done this, care to share the results you got? When I meet peers from the US, it still seems like things are more rough there, regardless of class, compared to in other countries, but this is of course based on my personal experience, would love to see concrete data about it.
    - cindyllm 3mo ago
      [dead]
    - Ey7NFZ3P0nzAe 3mo ago
      Reminds me of the speech "America is not the greatest country in the world" from the show Newsroom: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTjMqda19wk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTjMqda19wk It was made 14 years ago and I don't think the US improved on any of those statistics.

baxtr 3mo ago

You mean like Chat Control 2.0, by which ordinary people are targeted and politicians are exempt?

deleted 3mo ago
[deleted]
embedding-shape 3mo ago
Many examples of when this is not seemingly the goal, hence the "usually". Some people suck, everywhere, and sometimes they end up with power to enact things, this happens everywhere, Europe is probably no better. Hopefully the institutions we've built up and continue to build, are more resilient when the future real tests come though, so far they haven't really been put under real stress.

nradov 3mo ago

Please explain how making it difficult to start a business and hire employees protects people. I've never understood that logic but maybe I'm missing something.

embedding-shape 3mo ago
The goal isn't "making it difficult to start a business", the goal is to protect people, meaning things affecting the public are more controlled, slower and more bureaucratic to initiate. The slowness is a feature and there really isn't any "difficulty" in starting a business, it just takes time to fill out papers and wait for approvals and what not.
- amarka 3mo ago
  "the slowness is a feature" - I grew up in eastern block of Europe in the 80-90s, this type of sentiment has a real "the party loves you, this is for your own good" vibe.
  - embedding-shape 3mo ago
    Difference in opinion isn't authoritarianism or means you live a dictatorship. Slowness is actually a feature in lots of societies, for example in Spain where I live, for better or worse. Your comment gives of a "so you hate waffles?" vibe.
invalidusernam3 3mo ago
What regulations specifically do you find make it hard for you to start a business or hire people?
paxys 3mo ago
Go live a few months as an average middle class person in Western Europe and then do the same in the US. You can argue in favor of US superiority based on GDP and stock market and number of billionaires a hundred other similar metrics, but looking at basic happiness and quality of life there’s really no comparison. Europeans value maximizing family, community, physical and mental health, leisure time, hobbies, culture, and so their laws and policies are written in that way.

deleted 3mo ago

[deleted]