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How is your life in the US better than the UK?

How is your life in the US better than the UK?

Old Jan 23rd 2015, 3:35 pm
  #181  
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Default Re: How is your life in the US better than the UK?

Originally Posted by amideislas

Now, having said all that, I find the same social stigmas are far less defined in America, nor that a person's character is first identified by their perceived economic class, and I simply find that refreshing. That's all I was commenting on.
That is the biggest joke of the day.

You are so wrong on that. You really are.
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Old Jan 23rd 2015, 3:42 pm
  #182  
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Default Re: How is your life in the US better than the UK?

Originally Posted by Bob
That is the biggest joke of the day.

You are so wrong on that. You really are.
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.
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Old Jan 23rd 2015, 3:42 pm
  #183  
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Default Re: How is your life in the US better than the UK?

Originally Posted by amideislas

What would be your first impression, and would you feel intimidated, fearful, even angry... and reluctant to "mingle" with them?
What would you think of that person?

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.
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Old Jan 23rd 2015, 3:44 pm
  #184  
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Default Re: How is your life in the US better than the UK?

Originally Posted by amideislas
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.
And that's why we're all laughing at you, because there are blatant class separations in the US.

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.
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Old Jan 23rd 2015, 3:48 pm
  #185  
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Default Re: How is your life in the US better than the UK?

Originally Posted by amideislas
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.
Absolute bilge.
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Old Jan 23rd 2015, 3:49 pm
  #186  
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Default Re: How is your life in the US better than the UK?

Originally Posted by Bob
What would you think of that person?

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.
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?
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Old Jan 23rd 2015, 3:51 pm
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Default Re: How is your life in the US better than the UK?

Originally Posted by amideislas
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.
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.
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Old Jan 23rd 2015, 3:53 pm
  #188  
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Default Re: How is your life in the US better than the UK?

Originally Posted by Sally Redux
Absolute bilge.


from someone who has indeed "lived in europe", on both sides of the channel.
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Old Jan 23rd 2015, 3:53 pm
  #189  
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Default Re: How is your life in the US better than the UK?

Originally Posted by Sally Redux
Absolute bilge.
No, it's actually pretty well known, and is discussed openly amongst people here. You may not like my tone, but that's being rather ad-hominem.
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Old Jan 23rd 2015, 3:55 pm
  #190  
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Default Re: How is your life in the US better than the UK?

Originally Posted by Pulaski
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.
You can tell me that until you're blue in the face, but come to a supermarket and find them please, because they just ain't here. The few that are - that includes a few brands of cheap wine, Budweiser, peanut butter, and few other items - but generally all of those are outrageously expensive.

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.
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Old Jan 23rd 2015, 4:01 pm
  #191  
 
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Default Re: How is your life in the US better than the UK?

Originally Posted by amideislas
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?
No, but then it wouldn't be any different for me in the UK either. I'm still me, and moving to the US didn't change anything. I still don't see the distinction that you are trying to make. Rich people in the US have no more desire to mix with riffraff than the rich do in Europe.

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.
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Old Jan 23rd 2015, 4:02 pm
  #192  
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Default 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!
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Old Jan 23rd 2015, 4:09 pm
  #193  
 
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Default Re: How is your life in the US better than the UK?

Originally Posted by amideislas
You can tell me that until you're blue in the face, but come to a supermarket and find them please, because they just ain't here. .....
You have completely ignored or misunderstood what I said. American companies are providing raw materials or components for products that are made elsewhere. Just because the product doesn't say "Made in the USA" on the packaging, doesn't mean that European consumers aren't buying American products.

..... 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.
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Old Jan 23rd 2015, 4:12 pm
  #194  
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Default Re: How is your life in the US better than the UK?

Originally Posted by petitefrancaise
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!
ALL manufactured in Europe by European manufacturers, using European-manufactured materials. Otherwise, the import duties would price American products out of the market.
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Old Jan 23rd 2015, 4:14 pm
  #195  
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Default Re: How is your life in the US better than the UK?

Originally Posted by amideislas
ALL manufactured in Europe by European manufacturers, using European-manufactured materials. Otherwise, the import duties would price American products out of the market.
I can only assume that you posted before you read Pulaski's reply.
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