How is your life in the US better than the UK?
#196
Banned
Joined: Feb 2011
Location: Mallorca
Posts: 19,367
Re: How is your life in the US better than the UK?
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.
..... 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.
But you still don't find many US imports on the shelves here. Those that we do have are far more expensive than the European equivalent. And those that aren't are almost always manufactured in Europe, by European manufacturers.
Whereas, you do find many European imports on the shelves in the US, at similar prices to what they are sold for in Europe.
I'm only illustrating that there is a big difference in trade "character", and that Europe is far more protectionist in its trade character, and that is one of Europe's problems. We hate competition. And it shows.
#197
Re: How is your life in the US better than the UK?
#198
I have a comma problem
Joined: Feb 2009
Location: Fox Lake, IL (from Carrickfergus NI)
Posts: 49,598
Re: How is your life in the US better than the UK?
No, it wasn't. Ad hominem means to the man/person. Sally didn't say you were bilge, she said the content of your post was. What she did was ad doctrinas.
#200
Re: How is your life in the US better than the UK?
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.
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.
Another irony of your statements is that you dislike the negative prejudices of the Spanish and German locals but seem perfectly willing to believe their positive prejudices that the USA is a classless society of opportunity and tolerance, even when people who know better explain to you that you are mistaken.
#201
Banned
Joined: Feb 2011
Location: Mallorca
Posts: 19,367
Re: How is your life in the US better than the UK?
Stay with me, I'll try to be brief...
My neighbour has a huge almond grove. (actually most of Spain is awash with almond groves) I have no idea how large but it's many many hectares, been in the family for generations. But he never harvests them. Over a drink one evening, I asked him why. This is good.
He doesn't harvest them because California Almond producers are so efficient, and produce such high quality products, that the Almond industry here simply can't compete. So...
He gets a subsidy of about €75K per year for not harvesting them, and has since the 70's. He has to do nothing. No equipment, no employees (for which he's have to pay €16 per hour minimum AND support them during the off-season). Life is good. Needless to say, He has nothing but good things to say about California.
Now, you can take that in any way you wish, but I can't help but think "protectionism". Rather then encourage efficiency and productivity, just pay 'em off to avoid competition. That's Europe, folks. And explains a lot about the state of our economy.
I should add that almonds ain't cheap here either. Funny, because we're surrounded by almond groves.
Last edited by amideislas; Jan 23rd 2015 at 4:55 pm.
#202
Re: How is your life in the US better than the UK?
There's nothing really anything deeper than that.
Either way, you're reading to deep into things and you are making wrong assumptions about wrong knowledge and people have told you that you are wrong.
You can either accept that you're wrong, or continue in lala land.
#203
Banned
Joined: Feb 2011
Location: Mallorca
Posts: 19,367
Re: How is your life in the US better than the UK?
but I can understand that she may be more offended by my "tone" which would aspire to dismiss the entire premise on that basis of that perceived "error".
#204
I have a comma problem
Joined: Feb 2009
Location: Fox Lake, IL (from Carrickfergus NI)
Posts: 49,598
Re: How is your life in the US better than the UK?
I think to even attempt to suggest that something so subjective as 'a point' doesn't exist would be beyond the esoteric
#205
Re: How is your life in the US better than the UK?
You have a serious lack of comprehension that it's getting a little tiresome, bordering on a second rate troll :/
#206
Banned
Joined: Feb 2011
Location: Mallorca
Posts: 19,367
Re: How is your life in the US better than the UK?
No, it's simply most people are douchebags and I don't like people.
There's nothing really anything deeper than that.
Either way, you're reading to deep into things and you are making wrong assumptions about wrong knowledge and people have told you that you are wrong.
You can either accept that you're wrong, or continue in lala land.
There's nothing really anything deeper than that.
Either way, you're reading to deep into things and you are making wrong assumptions about wrong knowledge and people have told you that you are wrong.
You can either accept that you're wrong, or continue in lala land.
I suspect you are somewhat unique, however, because we are close friends with quite a few Americans of many different economic classes, and it's quite obvious that they are far less mindful of those distinctions than our European equivalents.
#207
I have a comma problem
Joined: Feb 2009
Location: Fox Lake, IL (from Carrickfergus NI)
Posts: 49,598
Re: How is your life in the US better than the UK?
Class, wealth or otherwise doesn't come into it. If I see someone that's a person, that's enough to suggest that they're probably a ****.
#208
Re: How is your life in the US better than the UK?
Well, your view is rather mirroring of the European mindset. Anyone, richer or poorer is likely to be "questionable" in some way, just on that basis alone. And that is class division. It is socially heavily embedded here, as I illustrated earlier. And frankly, people will openly discuss it. It's not a secret.
I suspect you are somewhat unique, however, because we are close friends with quite a few Americans of many different economic classes, and it's quite obvious that they are far less mindful of those distinctions than our European equivalents.
I suspect you are somewhat unique, however, because we are close friends with quite a few Americans of many different economic classes, and it's quite obvious that they are far less mindful of those distinctions than our European equivalents.
#209
Re: How is your life in the US better than the UK?
OMG, hell yeah. The Americans would like the world to think there is no class system and that everyone is equal, but certainly in my neck of the woods, there is an air of entitlement with some. Of course, they are nearly always the well off. It's an air of entitlement I never encountered in the UK (although I'm sure it exists). If that isnt a class divide, I don't know what is.
#210
Banned
Joined: Feb 2011
Location: Mallorca
Posts: 19,367
Re: How is your life in the US better than the UK?
But the premise is still valid, even if he truly doesn't despise people of another class (although if that's true, why would he mention it in that context?).