How is your life in the US better than the UK?
#181
Re: How is your life in the US better than the UK?
You are so wrong on that. You really are.
#182
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Re: How is your life in the US better than the UK?
I've lived all over Europe, and particularly in Germany, and I can assure you, like me, the lack of blatant class "rules" is one of the things Germans (and most Europeans) always point out as appealing about American culture.
I have to admit that the Spanish are quite a bit less class-divided. They really don't seem to make nearly as clear-cut distinctions. But most Northern Europeans do.
#183
Re: How is your life in the US better than the UK?
I personally wouldn't care, unless he got the table I was about to get.
Chances are though, he's probably a douche.
Most people are.
I'm not finicky.
#184
Re: How is your life in the US better than the UK?
I understand your response, but everything's relative. Surely, from your point of view, there are indeed class divisions (and I'm not denying that). But from a European point of view, they're a lot foggier. Really.
I've lived all over Europe, and particularly in Germany, and I can assure you, like me, the lack of blatant class "rules" is one of the things Germans (and most Europeans) always point out as appealing about American culture.
I've lived all over Europe, and particularly in Germany, and I can assure you, like me, the lack of blatant class "rules" is one of the things Germans (and most Europeans) always point out as appealing about American culture.
They might not call people upper/middle/working/lower class, but that does not mean that they don't slot everyone into a group just like other countries.
#185
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 41,518
Re: How is your life in the US better than the UK?
I understand your response, but everything's relative. Surely, from your point of view, there are indeed class divisions (and I'm not denying that). But from a European point of view, they're a lot foggier. Really.
I've lived all over Europe, and particularly in Germany, and I can assure you, like me, the lack of blatant class "rules" is one of the things Germans (and most Europeans) always point out as appealing about American culture.
I have to admit that the Spanish are quite a bit less class-divided. They really don't seem to make nearly as clear-cut distinctions. But most Northern Europeans do.
I've lived all over Europe, and particularly in Germany, and I can assure you, like me, the lack of blatant class "rules" is one of the things Germans (and most Europeans) always point out as appealing about American culture.
I have to admit that the Spanish are quite a bit less class-divided. They really don't seem to make nearly as clear-cut distinctions. But most Northern Europeans do.
#186
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Posts: 19,367
Re: How is your life in the US better than the UK?
So your first impression would be that there must be something undesirable about anyone that appears well-off? Even before you have spoken to them? Would you even bother to try, solely because of that impression?
#187
Re: How is your life in the US better than the UK?
Well, let's see, aside from an extremely broad range of liquors, wines, beers, etc... What else? Let's compare:
To keep it simple, let's just take the top 50 >German< companies selling German products in the US:
Top 50 German companies operating in US
Now, let's look at American companies in all of Europe selling American goods:
(on a side note, I find it interesting that if you google the term "American Companies in Europe" you get pages of "Best Jobs in Europe" and "Europe's most successful companies")
Anyway, I did a quick google of that, and the results are a bit foggy and convoluted, so I'll offer this:
Biggest S&P 500 Companies With European Exposure And Weak Balance Sheets - In Photos: Biggest U.S. Companies With Large European Exposure - Forbes
You're right, this isn't a like-for like metric, but it does strongly suggest a rather significant difference in trade each direction.
And certainly, it appears that the trade from Europe is heavily consumer-goods oriented (suggesting that European consumer products are indeed more readily available in the US), whilst the trade from the US to Europe is more industrial and B2B.
To keep it simple, let's just take the top 50 >German< companies selling German products in the US:
Top 50 German companies operating in US
Now, let's look at American companies in all of Europe selling American goods:
(on a side note, I find it interesting that if you google the term "American Companies in Europe" you get pages of "Best Jobs in Europe" and "Europe's most successful companies")
Anyway, I did a quick google of that, and the results are a bit foggy and convoluted, so I'll offer this:
Biggest S&P 500 Companies With European Exposure And Weak Balance Sheets - In Photos: Biggest U.S. Companies With Large European Exposure - Forbes
You're right, this isn't a like-for like metric, but it does strongly suggest a rather significant difference in trade each direction.
And certainly, it appears that the trade from Europe is heavily consumer-goods oriented (suggesting that European consumer products are indeed more readily available in the US), whilst the trade from the US to Europe is more industrial and B2B.
That said, I suspect that much of the discrepancy you note in availability of consumer products, relates to the fact that there are more Americans with more disposable income than there are Europeans with significant disposable income. So American businesses can make good profits in the US market that they would find hard to replicate by entering the European market, whereas European companies are able to "muscle in" on the buoyant US market. Logistically, American businesses face promoting products in a "single market" in Europe which has probably 20 different languages and remarkably diverse and entrenched cultures, which is markedly different from marketing in the US to a relatively homogenous English-speaking population.
#190
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Re: How is your life in the US better than the UK?
Just because "obviously American" products do not appear in European shops doesn't mean that America is not selling goods in Europe. The US is a major supplier of agricultural products, including "hard" wheat necessary for baking bread, as well as corn and rice. American companies are major suppliers of chemicals, including paints, pigments, plastics, and synthetic textiles, all of which end up in consumer products.
That said, I suspect that much of the discrepancy you note in availability of consumer products, relates to the fact that there are more Americans with more disposable income than there are Europeans with significant disposable income. So American businesses can make good profits in the US market that they would find hard to replicate by entering the European market, whereas European companies are able to "muscle in" on the buoyant US market. Logistically, American businesses face promoting products in a "single market" in Europe which has probably 20 different languages and remarkably diverse and entrenched cultures, which is markedly different from marketing in the US to a relatively homogenous English-speaking population.
That said, I suspect that much of the discrepancy you note in availability of consumer products, relates to the fact that there are more Americans with more disposable income than there are Europeans with significant disposable income. So American businesses can make good profits in the US market that they would find hard to replicate by entering the European market, whereas European companies are able to "muscle in" on the buoyant US market. Logistically, American businesses face promoting products in a "single market" in Europe which has probably 20 different languages and remarkably diverse and entrenched cultures, which is markedly different from marketing in the US to a relatively homogenous English-speaking population.
But go to the local safeway and look around for European products. You'll likely find quite a few. And I bet you can afford them, too.
And I need to check on this, but I do believe some or all US agricultural products are banned from the EU for human consumption, due to the threat of "genetic engineering".. But I'll check on it.
Anyway, you didn't answer my other question, but based on your first answer, I'd say that's precisely why I find American attitudes refreshing. Because it's far more about the person than their class (at least comparatively).
Except of course, in Bob's case, who say his first impression of anyone who appears to be more prosperous than he would be suspect in some way, which is more of a European mindset.
Last edited by amideislas; Jan 23rd 2015 at 4:10 pm.
#191
Re: How is your life in the US better than the UK?
OK, fair enough.
What if you went to a dinner gathering, and met a well-dressed bloke and his wife. Both obviously well-off, sporting Rolexes and driving a high-end car of some sort.
What would be your first impression, and would you feel intimidated, fearful, even angry... and reluctant to "mingle" with them?
What if you went to a dinner gathering, and met a well-dressed bloke and his wife. Both obviously well-off, sporting Rolexes and driving a high-end car of some sort.
What would be your first impression, and would you feel intimidated, fearful, even angry... and reluctant to "mingle" with them?
Every city in America has a "country club set", and if you roll up to seek membership of said country club to play golf, tennis, swim, or just socialize in the bar, you are not going to get much of a welcome if you drive a battered old jalopy and are wearing jeans and a T-shirt.
#192
Re: How is your life in the US better than the UK?
Amideslas you are aware that almost every single food/detergent product sold in Europe is owned by an american multi-national? What about the pharmaceutical products? Many owned by J and J, only a couple owned by european companies now.
American/New World wines are not so favoured in mainland Europe because , well why would they? Most european countries (NOT UK!) have their own excellent wines and certainly in France, the french consumers mostly will buy their local wines.
Anywhere I've lived where there is a largish Anglophone population I have been able to go into a local supermarket and buy British and US products. Even Hershey's chocolate!
American/New World wines are not so favoured in mainland Europe because , well why would they? Most european countries (NOT UK!) have their own excellent wines and certainly in France, the french consumers mostly will buy their local wines.
Anywhere I've lived where there is a largish Anglophone population I have been able to go into a local supermarket and buy British and US products. Even Hershey's chocolate!
#193
Re: How is your life in the US better than the UK?
..... One example I have some familiarity with is a major US tobacco merchant. They sell tobacco around the world, supplying many European manufacturers of cigarettes with tobaccos from the US, as well as from other countries. So while consumers might be buying Gitanes or other European brands of cigarettes, or even American brands produced locally under licence, the tobacco in them in often from the US.
The US also grows about 80% of the world's almonds, so you can pretty much guarantee that any product with almonds in it has American content, and 10% of the worlds peanuts, which are also often exported to Europe.
Last edited by Pulaski; Jan 23rd 2015 at 4:16 pm.
#194
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Joined: Feb 2011
Location: Mallorca
Posts: 19,367
Re: How is your life in the US better than the UK?
Amideslas you are aware that almost every single food/detergent product sold in Europe is owned by an american multi-national? What about the pharmaceutical products? Many owned by J and J, only a couple owned by european companies now.
American/New World wines are not so favoured in mainland Europe because , well why would they? Most european countries (NOT UK!) have their own excellent wines and certainly in France, the french consumers mostly will buy their local wines.
Anywhere I've lived where there is a largish Anglophone population I have been able to go into a local supermarket and buy British and US products. Even Hershey's chocolate!
American/New World wines are not so favoured in mainland Europe because , well why would they? Most european countries (NOT UK!) have their own excellent wines and certainly in France, the french consumers mostly will buy their local wines.
Anywhere I've lived where there is a largish Anglophone population I have been able to go into a local supermarket and buy British and US products. Even Hershey's chocolate!