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I think the problem is much deeper, and has very little to do with attempts to foster tech success. Europe as a whole is broken: depressed, angry and locked-up,
by nirnira 13y ago
I think the problem is much deeper, and has very little to do with attempts to foster tech success. Europe as a whole is broken: depressed, angry and locked-up, largely as a result of the colossal fuck-up that was World War 2. They think they know better now, but really they're still completely mind-fucked over it. They don't believe in themselves - they don't even trust their own emotions (look how wrong things went every time Europeans have been excited about Big Ideas.) The older generations are seething. And the young Europeans I meet are all in one way or another trying to escape this anguish - by "living the dream" overseas (South America! Australia!) or partying themselves into oblivion, or running headlong into the tight, blinkered embrace of an anonymous middle-class life and career. Sure, Europe has it's large, successful industries - but often this is another form of escape - easier to pour your life's energy into building a more perfect car engine than face up to the devastating emotional history of your country.
Ultimately what you want in a country is happy, confident, well-adjusted people. Until someone finds a way to heal Europe's soul, arguments about impediments to the European Silicon Valley are academic.
- memracom 13y agoThis does not sound like the Europe I lived in for 11 years. You have a typical America-centric view of the Europe that is totally out of touch with reality. Europe is not a simple place because it has many cultures and a huge population, but it is far from broken. America on the other hand, appears to be an empire in decline. Also, be wary of defining Europe based on its history. Europe is going through great change. In particular, the younger generation of Europe has a lot more in common across cultures than the previous over-30 generations. And they are every bit as driven to succeed as the folks in Silicon Valley. In fact, I would say that if you look at the whole under 30 age group in America and compare it to the same age group in Europe, you will find a lot more pessimism and self-destructive behaviors among the American group.
- nirnira 13y agoThanks for the reply. Just noting that I'm not American (don't assume every ignorant-sounding person you meet on the internet is American!) I have visited several European countries and met and interacted with many young and old Europeans, and I hope to live there permanently in the future, and so find add more depth to my admittedly incomplete data. I do know that every part of Europe is different - some parts are in my experience much worse than even than the picture I painted (Hungary for instance). I guess I was exaggerating for dramatic effect. Still, I think there are serious emotional problems in modern Europe, and I'm not satisfied that people are really acknowledging or facing up to them. I really do have a lot of love and hope for Europe. It just frustrates me I suppose. Perhaps a corollary of meeting primarily younger, party-oriented Europeans? Hope this explains my views a little better.