> This fantasy of people not working just doesn't work. Who do you think stocks your supermarket, delivers your packages, bakes your bread, fixes your car? Are you saying it's bad that these people still manage have some social life and some fun? Should they be closed in their tiny increasingly overpriced flats so they don't polute the streets?
I'm not saying that at all mate. I'm saying that the people who sweep the streets, stock the supermarkets, sit in the banks etc here have a lot of fun and free days. 34 hour work weeks, many vacation days (bank holidays + free days which you can plan together for large stretches). I was not saying people should not have that ; they should. Not having to work at all is also fine. I was responding to you who said people are not relaxed. I don't see that, but then again, you didn't answer;
> but around me everybody taking second/odd jobs because their salaries froze 5 years ago
Where? And it sure can be that I see other things than you see, it's gonna be different per country and region of the country. I know many people who whine how bad it is (which was part of my start point), but they go on vacation 4-6x / year; then it cannot be that bad right? But I'm not saying you are not seeing something different, I'm saying what I see around me, in, for instance, NL.
I think the main question now still to be determined is how much of the European lifestyle is being subsidized by the US. As the US switches its decision making from long-term hegemonic tactics to short-term transactional tactics we will see just how naked Europe is when the tide recedes. That in my view is the main open question.
What about the other way around? What happens with US economy when europe (and similar allies) stop buying US information technology (they for sure can replace a lot of it) and embrace digital tax?
They are for sure tied to each other but i am not so sure it would be EU loosing that much more in case of a breakup.
The US economy has a degree of energy and raw materials independence that Europe lacks. No amount of replacement IT development will compensate for the weak European position regarding essential low-level feeder inputs to their overall economy.
That is true. I just wanted to point out that the reason US economy is doing ok right now are exports of tech companies. Especially software could be replaced by EU surprisingly easily. It was response to comment saying how subsidized and hopless EU is.
I'm not saying that at all mate. I'm saying that the people who sweep the streets, stock the supermarkets, sit in the banks etc here have a lot of fun and free days. 34 hour work weeks, many vacation days (bank holidays + free days which you can plan together for large stretches). I was not saying people should not have that ; they should. Not having to work at all is also fine. I was responding to you who said people are not relaxed. I don't see that, but then again, you didn't answer;
> but around me everybody taking second/odd jobs because their salaries froze 5 years ago
Where? And it sure can be that I see other things than you see, it's gonna be different per country and region of the country. I know many people who whine how bad it is (which was part of my start point), but they go on vacation 4-6x / year; then it cannot be that bad right? But I'm not saying you are not seeing something different, I'm saying what I see around me, in, for instance, NL.