How I see the US after living in Europe for 5 Years
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 9 พ.ค. 2024
- Cultural shocks? Differences between Europe and the USA? Stereotypes or Truth? In this video, I want to share with you how my view of my home country of the United States has changed after spending 5 years living in Europe.
Ready to give Lingoda a try? Click
my link to save up 30% and use my code TYPEASHTON for an additional 20€ or $25 off!
try.lingoda.com/TypeAshton
🔎 Video Highlights:
0:00 Introduction
02:18 Stereotypes about Americans
04:58 Freedom
09:09 Community
13:59 Language
19:07 Work-Life Balance
22:31 Wealth
Episode No. 133
📷 Follow me on Instagram: / typeashton
🤳🏻 TikTok: / typeashton
🖥 Website: www.blackforestfamily.com
📧 E-mail: typeashton@gmail.com
S𝗨𝗣𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧 𝗠𝗘
👑 Patreon: / typeashton
![คณะขวัญใจ - นางสาวขวัญใจ [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/a8zn5pGlRUY/mqdefault.jpg)
Ready to give Lingoda a try? Click
my link to save up 30% and use my code TYPEASHTON for an additional 20€ or $25 off!
try.lingoda.com/TypeAshton
Excelent. I waited all the video hoping that you would get the root of all problems of USA. But you didnt.
The most important diference between EU and USA are the political system.
The political system controls everything, including the legal and economic power of the private sector.
USA are a 2 party autocracy. 2 elected wings full controlled by the same not elected eagle group, forever perpectuated in power by the winner takes all the seats robery.
Here in EU we can rise and fall political parties. The main parties are centrist and the small ones are the extremist for 360° ideology directions.
EU are not under a 2 party dictatorship and thats why our governments protect more citizens and punish more the rich.
As while USA dont abolish the winner takes all the seats crime, your economy and media and everything, will never change because no matter what you vote, you vote always in the not elected eagle power cartel group..,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,..,.
Imagine, after 35 years in Europe...the chasm is so much more acute to the eye and heart...my mother passed away 5 years ago and now I have no desire to visit, unless it is Manhattan....
@@ricardoxavier827 Umm, I mostly agree, but you posted it as a reply to the message where Ashton promotes the sponsor, where it will be mostly invisible.
Ashton was not offering solutions - perhaps she should have; I have no doubt that she sees this problem as well as we do,
@@kevinjewell233 Yup, I fell in love with NYC, but not with the most of America (OK, SF has its charms, and so does Seatle.)
The segue to Lingoda ad was sleek... 😀
I have never heard someone talk about the difference between "freedom to" and "freedom from" before and I think it's an excellent point and distinction.
Yes, I thought Ashton outlined a very good point between ‘to’ and ‘from’. I think the emphasis on individualism in the USA is what drives people in America. The idea of a ‘pursuit of happiness’ has become disconnected and untethered from its original idea of pursuit of knowledge and ‘to’ whatever your view-and ego-demand. It’s more about personal rewards and selfishness than anything else.
Unfortunately the wording was switched. "Freedom from" is called _negative freedom_ and means "freedom _from_ interference that prevents you from doing what you want", whereas "freedom to" is called _positive freedom_ and means "freedom _to_ control and direct one's own life". Both types of freedom are not mutually exclusive; "freedom to" is an extension that requires a certain amount of "freedom from" in the first place.
An example: Americans have the _freedom from_ being declined to go to university based in the color of their skin, but they do not have the _freedom to_ go to university if they are too poor to afford it.
So you have never had some course in philosophy?
Then I would highly recommend you to read a bit of philosophy.
You are right. But she is using common language, not philosophical language. Her conceptualization is clear though. @@NeovanGoth
My favourite one is Freedom from religion :)
What I see as one of the most important differences is that Americans tend to a culture of "having something". Having houses, boats, children, guns, money... Whereas Europeans value "being something". being happy, being healthy, being part of a good community, being a good friend, husband, parent... This difference in focus on "having" vs. "being" is a fundamental different approach to life. "Having" focuses more on what you see on the outside whereas the target of "being" leads to focus more on inner values.
Spot on. As an European, I fully agree with you
As an American, I also agree. When you are on your own to provide basic human needs and stability for yourself, you do stay focused on having things. When your society has decided to collectively (and far more efficiently) provide the basics for everyone, it gets much easier to think about who you are. It's Maslow's hierarchy of needs in action.
Eric Fromm. Haben oder Sein.
Worse Americans brag about what they have / brag about how much they make. This is regarded as exceptional rude by many Europeans.
Well said, thank you.
I was happy to discover an intelligent presentation of the differences. I was born and grew up in the USA. At 80, I have lived most of my life in Europe (Norway, Sweden, Italy) and will die in Europe. It is a personal choice that began in my 20s. The turning point for me was when I had this one exchange with my Norwegian boss in 3M company. I asked, "Since you lead a capitalist company, how can you feel good about paying taxes to support beggers on the street?" His answer made me aware of so many things. He said, "I don't mind at all. It keeps those same people from finding it necessary to break into my house."
How can't a normal brain person understand that when you are rich and everyone is poor you will have to live in a jail to protect and separate from the poor?
Good life is when you can live with your door open and don't worry that something bad will happen to you.
What can you do with an expensive car if the streets are of mud? Do you enjoy living with homeless on the door of your house? 🤯 That's why capitalism don't work neither for the rich.
Not only that, the same CEO easy can run out of luck and end up on the street himself, not counting that many from those US bums actually cost more, because chances are with a little help they could be contributing to the country and society.
I think that Europeans understand better how everything/ everyone is interconnected.
This is such a great quote, thanks for sharing it!!
Other benefit, you don't have to put 2% of your population in jail.
USA will collapse under its own egoism, and I'm definitely not a leftist!
As an Italian, what I love the most of the (both European and African) Mediterranean cultures is the "slow pace of living". It's heart-warming to see our elders in small towns, sitting on a chair by their doorstep, chit-chatting and gossiping with neighnours, family members, and friends, looking at passers-by, while kids are cheerfully playing around them. This picture is literally the depiction of success for me.
The thought of this makes me so happy. I am an American with a dual Italian citizenship. My husband and I fantasize about moving to Europe with our children, possibly Italy, and living the life you described. ❤️
@@tamalijuga8 I wish you and your husband to make the decision and move to Europe. Of course, each counrty in EU has its problems, and daily routines and work may be exhausting, just as everywhere in the world. But at least, you can have brief moments of joy, and think, "Yes, this is where I belong to."
After 8 years in the USA, I am moving back to Germany. I am moving back for many of the reasons you stated in this video. In the 8 years I have lived here, I have had zero work life balance and found myself working 15-hour days with no vacation. It's just not worth it. Coming from Germany I am aware of what I lost coming here. I am coming home to retake my Freedom.
Why would you were you expecting when you moved here? This isn't a place where people should want to live if you have a better option. Germany for all it's faults is a much better option than the United States.
You do know that you chose 15 hours days you could've gone to a different job you know not all jobs are the same you chose to work that hard and now you blame your choices on the part of American culture you chose to join you could have chosen a more laid-back area and culture within this enormous country but you chose to work 15 hours a day. Germany is deindustrializing rapidly your freedom is fragile. I hope you saved a lot of money while you were here it sounds miserable.
@@thebigphilbowski it was a company move, I was given the opportunity to live and work in the USA and they covered the cost. I was curious, it turned out the company I work for has different values in the USA as they do in Germany. I was not aware of the demand put on people here. So now I have the option to go back, and I am taking it. Call it a lesson learned.
@@johncremeans969 Actually I did not chose a 15 hour a day job. I was given the opportunity to move to the USA via my job. In the field I work in here in the USA many people are working those hours. It is either work those hours or take a job with less pay, this is not always an easy option. Yes, it could be done but I have the option to go back and make the same money for less time investment. My experience here in the USA has been considerably less than I expected in so many ways.
@@thomashammel524 Ah, that makes a lot of sense. I figured it had to be something like that but didn't want to make any assumptions.
If I wasn't trapped here I would have been gone a long time ago. I'm trying to find my way out. It's probably never going to happen but I can dream.
The clip with Joe Rogan, saying that paid parental leave wouldnt work in the US, because america "is not europe, its better" was probably one of the funniest things i saw this week.
The stupidity of this statement can hardly be topped
Leave it to Carlson , "we fought off the Metric system,thank god we did" stupidity.
Topped only because of how firmly he believes it in spite of no evidence to support his assertion
I think he was joking.
Joe Rogan makes content for gullible people.
Yeah, Americans belief in their 'exceptionalism' is so toxic and stupid. I've stopped getting annoyed or bothered by it since it will never change.
I am an American citizen from Miami and I have been living In Bordeaux for over 30 years ! I listened carefully to every sentence that you said ! I could not agree with you more !
@mikegill4038 I want to move to France permanently myself, glad to hear you're enjoying it.
There are many USA/Europe comparison videos on TH-cam but this is by far the most incisive and intelligent one I have ever seen. The content is made even better by being written and delivered by someone who treats their audience as intelligent rather than people with a four second attention span who need to be yelled at in TH-cam-speak. What a breath of enlightening fresh air.
I agree.
I'm German and never visited the US, but my view of the US has certainly shifted over the years. As a kid and especially as a teen I got most of my views from movies and TV shows and it seemed such a cool place to live with all the school and college activity's and such. Of course we learned in our English classes, that not everything was that great and Hollywood-like, but at that age you focused more on the fun stuff. Later on, through friends who went to the US, the news and especially through TH-cam and Socialmedia my view shifted. I believe now, that the US is a great country if you are young and healthy and want to make it big, but I value my 30 days vacation, the security, that my boss can't just fire me without reason, that I don't have a set amount of sickdays and I'm allowed to study and get sick without fear of going into financial debt. I think it would be amazing to spend some time in the US to experience the culture and see the nature and sights, but I wouldn't feel comfortable moving there and not having the "safety net" we Germans often take for granted...
wtf
Agree 👍
@@gmaaster11what are you worried about in this? I’d genuinely be interested to know.
I would agree with @tainz9791, though I am Swedish.
I am here in the USA, almost 60 years old and I don't see why any of what you mention above isn't here. You may find work which has all of those conditions. It seems that mini-jobs, self-employment or working for someone in self-employment, or small family businesses do not have all of those particular benefits in Germany, Those benefits, if one has them there, are not free: everyone pays for them whether one has them or not, with lower wages, higher taxes on everything, and higher cost of living. As for being fired for no reason here, assuming there is a situation where that is legally possible, that works both ways: both the employee and the employer are free to leave each other at any time and that is not quite the case in Germany. That being said, it is not realistic to imagine that an employer fires someone or an employee quits for no reason, As much as an employee may be hurt, just as much an employer may be hurt by losing a good employee, and employers keep the good ones and can remove the bad ones with less effort than one can do that in Germany. As you are aware bad employees in Germany can work the system to their personal advantage over the company, other employees, and customers. This not to say that doesn't happen here, because of course it does happen.
Good summary. I was born in Europe, spend my forming years in USA, including military service, I am an US Citizen, and I have been living in Europe for 20 years now. I think you analysis is spot on.
I had a bad luck years ago, child of mine was born with terminal heart defect. He received top notch health care but passed nevertheless. I always think about this when looking at my other children. Non of them would go to college or have any financial support from me if we lived in USA. It would have required all my assets and lots of debt and result would have been the same.
Like you, i'm sticking around here.
I am so so sorry. It must have been incredibly hard to lose a child. I am glad that at least you did not have to worry about finances so much.
I doubt you'd be in debt in the US, almost everyone has health insurance and if you were in the military you'd have VA health care, which is awful, but as good of a socialist system in the US that you could expect. The American government is a vampire and could never make a good health care system, it shouldn't even be compared to other countries because what works there could never work here because the government is too crooked to manage it.
@@j.a.1721 thank you. It's a crap lottery, someone "wins" it and they get to live though it. No one "earns" it. It is only when you go though something like this, you get to see how much hidden suffering there is beneath the surface all around us. It makes you appreciate things you have.
Stay here, we need motivated people like never before.
@@fdski1 I look at some terrible events in my life the same way. I've never had a loss as great as yours, but I take some comfort in your kind words. And yes, people often only see the surface.
The whole “Freedom Towards” vs. “Freedom From” comparison is one of the best I heard! Gonna remember that one! 👌🏼👌🏼
Have you not talked about that in school? ... In society talk, filosofi, religious studies (freedom from believing in one or more gods)?
I'm an American veteran who will be moving to Europe in the fall to go to school. I think you really encapsulated a lot of why I'm wanting to jump ship and leave it all behind.
You are wecome here! As soon as you study, work and pay taxes, not only because of the social health care
@TheGovernor2003 Russia is one of the worst places in the world where human life is worth nothing.
@TheGovernor2003 But not in Russia
We had an American come over to the UK to run a training course. He was shocked to find that we didn't start till 9 and finished at 5.
He was even more shocked when he ran out of teaching material half a day ahead of schedule because the attendees didn't waste time and didn't take long coffee breaks.
Longer working hours aren't the same as doing more work.
Excelent. I waited all the video hoping that you would get the root of all problems of USA. But you didnt.
The most important diference between EU and USA are the political system.
The political system controls everything, including the legal and economic power of the private sector.
USA are a 2 party autocracy. 2 elected wings full controlled by the same not elected eagle group, forever perpectuated in power by the winner takes all the seats robery.
Here in EU we can rise and fall political parties. The main parties are centrist and the small ones are the extremist for 360° ideology directions.
EU are not under a 2 party dictatorship and thats why our governments protect more citizens and punish more the rich.
As while USA dont abolish the winner takes all the seats crime, your economy and media and everything, will never change because no matter what you vote, you vote always in the not elected eagle power cartel group..,.,.,..,.,.,.,.,.
„Americans are diligent, Germans are productive.“
@@maxking3yes, diligent enough to go over there and stop your 1933-1945 killing machine.
@@ricardoxavier827 First Past the Post electoral systems bedevil the politics of the US and the UK much more than the citizens of these two countries can realise. They've only ever seen FPTP and the idea that there must be a single overall winner after any election is deeply engrained. But it leads directly to the extreme polarisation that is undermining democracy in the US and holds us back in the UK too. Maine is pioneering saner systems, maybe the US will get lucky and follow Maine's lead.
Yeh, just a couple of years too late..@@Paul-vf4wv
As someone living in the US and becoming more and more aware of our BS- Tucker Carlson saying "fighting off the Metric system" gives me the same feeling as a kid when their Dad says something really embarrassing.
I feel like quoting George Carlin: "They call it the American Dream- because you have to be asleep to believe it."
George Carlin was not a comedian. He just observed American society and people laughed it off
Same thoughts and feelings😆 I was like aaa no way - funny enough many use the metric system even in the US (S&T or R&D sector)
@@sportysp Oh that's priceless...
I've never understood the US aversion to the 'metric' system as their currency has been 'metric' for hundreds of years !
Well it was up until about a century ago when big government and big global corporatism came along. The federal income tax didn't even exist until 1913.
After spending some time in the US I kept coming back to the same thought, and that was; you have very many freedoms BUT ONLY AS LONG AS YOU ARE NOT POOR OR VULNERABLE.
In america, you can have a dream... in europe, you can have a life
not really Europe is becoming irrelevant.
This is very strong and true
@@willdanger6833 To whom?
@@AdStellae- Their economy
@@willdanger6833 Europe is becoming irrelevant to the European economy? What.
I moved to Poland last summer after living in America for 60 years. I have made more friends in 6 months, despite the language barrier than in several years in the US. This Christmas one friend invited me to spend Christmas with her family.
Indeed the friendliness in the US is superficial. It seems to be more quid pro quo than just genuine kindness.
In America the greeting of "how are you" is really a hello, but in Poland "jak się masz" will get you a detailed story.
I used to visit my brother in New Hampshire where he was working for a few years (we're half British half French). I remember when at the supermarket the woman at the checkout always said How are you? and I answered but she didn't give a damn. Puzzling when you're not used to such impoliteness!!
@@patrickdemarcevol I actually prefer our greeting in Poland. Dzień dobry, dobry wieczór. It's just good morning/afternoon, good evening. At least it's genuine, after all most people don't really want to know about other's problems.
Just keep it real.
You're right, same over here in France, bonjour or bonsoir. Cześć!
Six of my great grandparents moved from Poland to America, and we are very close in age. I met some distant relatives on a trip to Poland many years ago, and am considering it as a country to move to. Can suggest resources to make that transition?
@@brianwilga1432 I would suggest making another trip here because Poland has changed a lot and it's changing almost right before my eyes. New buildings, highways, and railways.
They just completed a new rail line to Zakopane and almost have a new freeway complete as well.
As for resources, I chose Katowice for the music and culture scene but also because of the rental agency, Wellcome Home. They provided complete support including airport pickup when I arrived.
I only brought what I could carry but if you have things to ship they recommend DHL. Also, bring any paperwork on your ancestry, birth certificates, baptismal certificates. You'll need all that to apply for residency.
You'll need to have it all translated into Polish but you can do that here.
That's all I can think of for now, good luck.
As a German, I, like many others, was fascinated by America during my teenage years. I even remember declaring that I would immigrate there someday. Now, at the age of 42, I’ve come to realize how fleeting life is and the importance of seizing the moment, rather than postponing our desires for an uncertain future that arrives faster than we can imagine.
Over the years, as I’ve learned more about the US, I’ve also come to appreciate what we have here in Europe. Many of the societal structures we’ve fought for and established seem like logical steps towards a better society. Take universal healthcare, for instance - how can a modern society function without it? How can we allow individuals to exist who can’t afford potentially life-saving medical procedures? How can we claim to respect human life without such a system in place? These questions extend to numerous other aspects of life, such as employment. I find it hard to comprehend working for a company that could dismiss me without reason at any moment. How does one live with such uncertainty?
Furthermore, the gun ownership laws in the US and the celebration of this right is something I struggle to understand.
When it comes to the political system, the dominance of two parties and a voting system that often results in a near 50:50 split seems flawed. It hardly seems representative of all voters, leading to extreme political climates.
I truly value what we have here in Europe and find it difficult to comprehend how Americans can live under such different circumstances.
Yeah, as an American with European roots, I wish I had moved there in the late 90s and stayed there. I am now an EU citizen and spent months there this summer, and will spend more. Unfortunately, you Western Europeans are destroying your own countries. The gun laws and transportation are the worst in the USA. So stupid.
I think that last part with the flawed voting system and the 2 powerful parties leads directly to slot of hesitation on other things that work well in Europe. In terms of universal healthcare, I think it is great. However with the country bouncing between extremes every 4 years I don't trust the government to be in charge of it.
Reforming our voting system, most directly through things like ranked choice and how we cast ballots, I think is the first step we need to take. If a third or more parties are able to gain some power we hopefully can move away from the us and them mentality that is making everything needless difficult and worse.
That's the problem -
In the U.S., respect for human life, and value of family decreases exponentially every year.
Why does Europe talk like this about the US and then always take our money and military weapons? Bunch of hypocrites!
👍❗️
As a german, I can be very pessimistic about my country and often have quite a negative view of not only my own economic future but the fute of the coutry as a whole. Watching your Videos showed me that it probably will still be a great place to live. Thank you for that.
Your perspective is common due to our human nature of having a negativity bias and preferentially noting negatives, especially if you have only lived in the one place and one country, you don’t know anything else, so it can lead to a bit of entitlement/lack of understanding of how good their country is. I experience it a lot as an American who immigrated to Australia, Aussies will crap on their healthcare system and say how shit it is, but they’ve literally never been anywhere else to compare it to. And as someone who studied public health, grew up in America, and now works in health in Australia, I can say that is unequivocally not true, while the Aussie health system isn’t perfect (nothing is) it’s far far better than what I saw and experienced in America. The fact that no one here has heard the phrase “catastrophic health spending” or “medical bankruptcy “ speaks volumes.
Congratulation!! A very fair and objective description of the situation!!
Parental leave is something which constantly has me shaking my head during American debates. They'll decry single parent families, blaming non-nuclear families on every ill in existence (when that's the topic), but when it comes to doing something to help with that, besides finger pointing, blaming and shaming, it's "personal responsibility", "too much money", "*socialism*".
The state of economic decay is too complicated to even scrape the surface of in a dumb little YT comment, but the fundamental problem with cost of living, is that we shipped all the jobs out and allowed megacorps to suck up wealth through a myriad of tricks, while penalizing all the workers and small businesses with draconian taxes, fines, red tape, which just further empowers the corpos and destroys what's left of the middle class.
"Socialism" is just more of the same. Tax the lower brackets of society, to pay for things the megacorpos are responsible for causing. Your stress, your poverty, your cost of living problems, your low pay... Most medical problems are caused by stress. Who caused that? The government and the megacorpos that control them.
Socialism will not fix this.
It hurts to think of all that infant trauma and lack of opportunity for a normal emotional bonding ... but that explains a lot of USA social issues.
You're absolutely right and it's sad.
There is nothing stopping American workers from negotiating parental leave as part of their contract just like one would do with a company-supplied lease car, profit sharing, etc.. The average wage in the US is a higher percentage of GDP than anywhere in Europe and in some professions, like long-haul lorry drivers, wages are double or more of those in even richer European countries (a trucker working for Wal-Mart can make as much as 110k/year, that's a doctor's salary over here, same for longshoremen working in ports etc.) so it's not like the labour market in the US is all that bad.
Also, the fertility rate per woman in the US is still significantly higher than in many European countries.
Something doesn't add up here.
@@classicallpvault8251/videos If you actually believe there is "nothing" stopping American workers negotiating for such, then you're far more dis-informed than informed and you're part of the disinformation campaign by trying to cherry pick bits and bobs to muddy the waters.
I'm sure in your alternate universe, those who work multiple jobs are the financially wealthiest in the country, as they're in such demand they've negotiated thousands of dollars an hour in wages, have personal assistants, company cars, 60 days paid vacation and get weekly manicures from the CEOs.
I have heard more than one American say they have a gun to protect their home against intruders. As a European you think 'what sort of neighbourhood do you live in?'.
I agree. In Germany I trust my neighbours. I can let my car open or my garages and no one takes anything away. Burglars are usually strangers. Why do people need guns in a suburban area ? I can comprehend that you need a gun and you live in the wilderness you need a rifle, but in the city? It makes no sense to me.
Sadly in the U.S. there is a large criminal element. Many people have guns out of genuine fear. The fear is real. Also our government is very big on dividing the population making things worse.
It really depends on where you live.
I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. I was born in the 60's and have never felt the need to own a gun, although many people do. I lived in a middle-class neighborhood, but home robberies were still a potential. Nowadays, with rampant homelessness and mental illness, even more people feel the need to own a gun.
I currently live in rural Arizona. Arizona is an open-carry state where one can carry a visibly holstered pistol or probably even an assault rifle. Granted, there are many people who still live on ranches and hunt for sustenance, so having a firearm is essential to some. There are also many politically/socially belligerent people such as preppers and those who want strictly to be left alone.
I actually do own a gun now but as a non-firing prop. I work as a Jeep tour guide for a company with a western cowboy theme where all the guides are dressed as cowboys/girls. My .45 is a prop that I sometimes wear but I only wear it when I'm on duty as a guide. I take off my holster whenever I go grocery shopping after work and definitely before going into a bank!
@@hendrsb33 the firearms culture is incomprehensible for most Europeans. In Germany owning guns and shooting is strongly limited and regulated. You have to make a licence. That is expensive. You learn everything about guns. Laws, security rules, Shooting training, maintaining, storage rules. You need saves for guns and munitions. Normally only professional hunters, security services, police staff have a license and members of sports shooters have licence. 1 of 10.000 have a legal firearm at home.
@@hendrsb33 This is to my point - in the US owning a gun may often be considered a rational precaution given the circumstances. In Europe, carrying a weapon to defend yourself is considered insanity - unless you are a drug dealer. If this is what 'freedom' means in the US, it seems to come at a very high price.
What a thoughtful and insightful comparison, really enjoyed watching it, many thanks for posting 👍👍
Nice explanation of the difference of freedom. Never thought about it that way. Thanks.
And the longer you live in Germany (or elsewhere for that matter), the more you realise, that, you've grown apart from each other. It wasn't immediately apparaent, but I left the US in 1977 and have been living since in Switzerland. It became more and more difficult for me to return to the US, even for visits. So, so much there simply cause rolling eyes and shaking head syndrome. And still ... it took 45 years for me to take that important step of renouncing my US citizenship (as being unwanted and unnecessary) in favor of my Swiss citizenship I got in 2004.
That’s interesting. I lived in Germany for 3 years and then left for Canada. I will probably try to move to the US soon but getting a visa is hard. Switzerland is probably my second favorite country but it’s very hard to get a visa to live there
you also have to let yourself to be grown apart with the Place/Country you were born and the place you choose to live and stay... seen this problem by many fellow Germans living here in Switzerland too, not to let leave and think hey it's some strange other Germany but it isn't... for me was from day one the decision, if moving abroad, then there will be no return... when i am looking now back at germany, i have also rolling eyes, head scratches and shaking head syndrome, but not as regular or heavy as it sounds... stopped actively listen to German News about 11 years ago, stopped voting there, and talks with family where all about family and greater world, but not the "German Angst", German Policy or the changes in my birthplace, i am not a part of if anymore...
@@SirHeinzbond I get that. I don’t want to have anything to do with my home country. But that’s a bit easier because it’s a full-blown dictatorship now. I don’t intent on ever going back there. I did like living in Germany though and I miss it now.
@@nicktankard1244 full blown dictatorship, that sounds really bad, but i was more about the changes at home, people, marry, get childs, shops closes, others open, the bus line is changing, the subway has a different number (again), that house i loved to see on the way to school has been torn down and there is now an ugly modernistic cube of ugliness in his place, things like that... but dictatorship is never ever a good thing, not for one day, week or the lifetime...
@@SirHeinzbond yeah I’m from Russia if you haven’t guess that :) most of my friends left the country as well. Because it’s impossible to have a normal life there anymore. I left 5 years ago. But I never like it to begin with and always wanted to leave. It was hard to get out. Now that I’m out I don’t want to even think about it.
I spent 63 years in the US before moving to Europe (Spain) six years ago. To a certain extent I was influenced by social behavior I've seen in Europe that are similar to those I saw in the US as a young person but that we lost a long time ago. There are many different examples of this but one that comes to mind is seeing school children walking in rows and guided by parents who are taking a classroom to visit a museum or other cultural exhibit. Also seeing young people with children in strollers and a grand daughter pushing an elderly family member in a wheelchair down the paseo. It's a bit nostalgic on my part but it brings me back to a better time.
Regarding the American Dream, I've always understood it to mean the creation of a better future where one's children can have better lives than one's self. By that standard I think that the American Dream is dead but many haven't noticed yet.
I think that for most emigres from Europe, American Dream = same job, higher salary. There's nothing more to it than that.
I think the idea that most immigrants to the US are going there because the Statue of Liberty is beckoning them to find freedom is quite laughable. They are going there to make money. They are leaving friends and family behind to make money, and not returning.
Naturally this self-selection of the kind of people that put money over love of family tends to have awful consequences over time.
I also notice that America is full of people that have been thrown out of countries because they are a pain: religious fanatics, anarchists, communists, fascists.
@@PGHEngineer In the US I used to be a software engineer and worked with others from many different countries including India and China. Yeah, they were there for the money with no perminent plans to stay.
"By that standard I think that the American Dream is dead . . . ." Yep.
The American Dream is alive and well or 7 million wouldn't have come here in the last 18 months. Now Ukrainians are coming similar to previous generations. If you've been gone six years you have no idea how things are evolving. In the last five years, my community here in Iowa is unrecognizable from when I moved here.
@@Eric-Marsh Just long enough to learn the language and go home to hack and steal elderly people's money.
This is the first of your videos I've watched, and although I could comment about US vs. Europe, I'd rather say that I was really impressed by both the production values and how well articulated this video was.
I just discovered your channel: nice and interesting topics! I love the calm and extreme politeness with which you say what you think. I also appreciate the technical aspects of video (shooting, editing, lights, sounds); last, but not least, the fact that you have a sweet "TV" face. Ciao from Sardinia
The price of the American dream is anxiety. Anxiety for getting ill, getting shot, getting obducted, getting robbed, getting fired, getting in an accident, not meeting religious, work and social expectations, etc. Imagine a life where that anxiety is much, much less.... The price is less wealth and stuff in your life. The price is things you don't really need or don't use anyway. The added benefit is less worry and psychological exhaustion and more free time.
Hear hear
I would say the anxiety of getting shot, abducted or robbed is overblown in the media - the way so many things are in media in this day. Not that violence is not real or that some areas are not places you should steer clear of, but imo it is not obviously worse overall than in other modernized countries. As for the other points that are mentioned, I agree with you. There are people in the USA who say that it is the greatest country in the world. My response to them is that they have probably never spent much time anywhere else in the world.
@@imaprinta When you assess risk, you don't just take the probability into account. You also take the seriousness of the consequences. Maybe you aren't significantly more likely to be in a bad situation... but the US punishes not only mistakes, but also any bad luck, so severely.
@@Darkprosper What type of mistakes and bad luck are you referring to?
@@imaprinta I'm talking about the list of sources of anxiety from the original post. What I mean is that the American Dream is built to let people get to the top if everything goes well... but one little stumble and you are off the road.
Fighting off the metric system, how heroic is that?
I lived in Germany, but as an Army brat, the needs of assimilation were reduced by the size of the American community around me. I had German friends too, but any German who wanted to speak with Americans also wanted to speak English, so I didn't get the opportunity to develop fluency in their language. However, returning to the US was an unpleasant culture shock. Kids my age weren't in tune with the rest of the world because of an arrogant willful ignorance that was just embarrassing to me. And that's as deeply ingrained in the culture in Southern California as it is in the most rural Bible Belt. Americans see themselves as cool all over the world, and don't owe anyone else on the planet any understanding. But to me the warts are so highly visible that the image of "American coolness" strikes me as highly undeserved. US doesn't grasp how backward its own culture is because it's never sufficiently confronted with it.
The US adopted the metric system over 100 years ago. We use "Customary Measures" which are based on...the Metric system. An Inch is 25.4mm, for example.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_customary_units
@@JustBCWi Ask an american what 2.54 cm is in inches.
@@JustBCWi Yes, I was being facetious, I was aware of all of that; I did pay that much attention in class.
@@JustBCWi The USA adopted the metric system????? If this is sarcasm, don’t do it any more. You don’t understand how to use it.
@@sharongillesp I understand how to use sarcasm. It is my native language.
Perhaps you should read the Wikipedia article. The US definition of weight and length were defined off the Kilogram and Meter in 1893, and refined in 1959. All other measures are defined by their metric equivalent. So while I may say "inch" it means "25.4mm." Just because most Americans (and general plebs) aren't aware of this does not mean we are not on the metric system. We just "identify it as something else."
Again a nicely-researched and presented video. I love these ones. Nice working out the different definition of "freedom to" vs "freedom from".
I loved your video. The in-depth observations you presented where a breath od fresh się after tons of superficial videos I saw earlier
I am a 67 Yeard Old male. I moved to Albania 3 years ago and would not go back to the US. I have been able to travel around Europe and love the cultural differences. Growing up in the states from the late 50's until 2019 we are brought up with blinders about the rest of the world. Travel if you can and be open to all of the differences mostly great but sometimes challenging.
I've been wanting to move to Europe for years and have yet to be able to nor convince my now spouse to just go and do it... so we talk of retiring there (hopefully Prague) ... but now my fear is as we get older that it will be hard to make connections to people there. Do you find that to be the case and is my fear unwarranted?
Don't worry about making social connections with either the locals or members of the expat groups. Expats form strong connections with other expats, we all understand the anxiety you are fearing most of us have had those same feelings. You and your wife will have no problems meeting with others from all over the world we have all been there and welcome others to follow. You will find the community connections that the US and other western countries have lost. You will actually know who your neighbors are. Visit, get an airbnb for at least a month and I can pretty much guarantee you will not want to go back.
Mirëserdhët, shpresoj që po ju pëlqen vendi ynë
Faleminderit. Unë e dua vendin tuaj.@@TIR_ANA
because with your american pension you live like a king in Albania
I have a friend who works in a big company in the United States and he says that leaving aside the higher salary, there was nothing in the United States that motivated him and when he says this last thing he can't stop laughing because he says it was because of the nightmare of the motivation so he left his job there sooner than he had planned. He tells us that he had several monthly "motivation" meetings and that it seemed more like a cult than a company, one day he couldn't take it anymore and told them that he was not motivated by selling more or producing more, that what really motivated him was a good meal with a good wine, followed by a conversation while drinking coffee and liquor, being able to drink a beer and eat some tapas when leaving work, vacations, women, traveling and above all that Real Madrid will not win more Champions Leagues. ...that he only worked there for the salary, he says that they looked at him as if he were possessed and that after that they no longer called him to any motivation meeting and he lifted a great weight off his shoulders, but he also knew that he had to return to Spain
Wonderful example.
I moved to France 7 years ago and 'motivation' was THE factor in my decision to move. I wasn't motivated by living in a huge home in the suburbs just to have my future kids go to the best schools possible. I wasn't motivated by the risks involved and required to maintain that lifestyle. I wasn't motivated by working so hard and long to live in a country where food quality and way of life shortens my lifespan only to make other people richer. I wasn't motivated by feeling like I was living in my car because I spent so much time in it.
The list is almost endless for aspects of life in America which were completely demotivating.
I'd rather have a €20 meal in Spain than a $100 meal in the USA (because they will be around the same quality, only 5 times as cheap in spain)
Your comment is a work of art! This is so accurate. I did find these American companies are like cults. They want you to be one of them and have you there for long hours, even if you're unproductive. And Spain, spain is wonderful. The outdoor culture, the long lunches, overcrowded bars, the sun and nature. I love it. They work when it matters, get stuff done, and everything else can be mañana. There's time for everything important. Thank you for sharing.
@@alexclifford2485 the 'getting stuff done' part could use some improvement
Excellent video. Cannot agree more with your points and perspective. I think it resonates with a lot of people whom have moved to Europe from the US.
You made so many good points in this video Ashton, but the one that hit me the the hardest was freedom "from" vs. freedom "to". A real eye opener for me... Nice job, thanks!
I´m Swedish and I started talking to an American guy on a dating app a few years ago. He was middle class and worked full time as a truck driver/crane operator for an oil company so for me as a Swede that is someone who would be able to have his own house/apartment and live pretty good. When I came to visit him he was renting a trailer in a ghetto and didn´t even have wifi or TV.
He told me that if he was at work and the company had no job for him at the time, he didn´t get paid, but he still had to be at work if jobs came in. For me that was crazy cause I worked as a dump truck driver in Sweden and I got paid for my 40 hours even if there was nothing to do. According to him he sometimes had to work for like 20 hours a day. If he was telling the truth then that´s insane!
When I told him about Swedish middle class he just said that it sounded like rich people to him. It was shocking to say the least.
Truck drivers with a couple of years of experience make over $100,000 in the US. So something is not adding up in the story.
@@barspinoza I'm not in the US but I saw the Last Week Tonight story on truck drivers and I think the story lines up perfectly with what I already knew about truck drivers in the US.
😂😂😂😂 how old are you?
I am French and have lived and worked in Washington for 40years I am back in Paris now longing for this “ certain je ne sais quoi “ I can only find here
exceptionally high taxation and wages lower than germany ?@@arlettedelong4112
My good friend Jeff Rogers asked me, 'does it feel good to be free now?' as I attended my first borough meeting in Fairbanks Alaska! I was a little taken aback and explained that I'm from western Germany and was free all my life😂
😂👍🏻👍🏻. Sense of entitlement of Americans is breathtaking
depends a little on your point of view, if you enjoy social security and tax payer funded health and education maybe, especially if you like driving your car on the Autobahn.
if you enjoy owining a gun and paying 25% instead of 50%+ taxes then maybe not so much
Well you can own a gun in european countries too, its Just Not as easily accessable as in the us, Like children shouldnt have access to a gun. And in accessability I mean, you actually get trained how to use a gun, when an where before you're allowed to use that gun. And with the Tax you only enjoy that If you are rich, otherwise No thank you
German here. When I was asked this the first time I would think it is irony -a joke.
I do many of this sort of jokes about Germany by myself if I meet with immigrants or tourists. Like „How great do you find the „German friendlyness“? - „Ah, okay, and on a scale from 1-10? Precise please! 😂“
The average American pays more than 25% tax, the average European pays far less than 50% tax, and owning a gun is fun? That should be a reason for not owning one!f@@Furudal
I am Mexican living in US for 5 years now. I may have nothing to share with you about the differences between US and Europe but to me US offered me an opportunity to view things in perspective. I am some of the few fortunates that came to this beautiful country as a legal immigrant, start raising a family of two, great job opportunities in the horizon and still there are so much things that don't feel quite alright. I hope to have the opportunity to live/wotk with my family in Europe, right now my temporary home is US which is the country of my kids; my true home still is waiting me in Mexico.
Yooo, greetings from around your Freiburg neighbourhood! Lived in the US for one year when I was in high school and can definitely relate to what you are narrating. All the best! :)
I've always lived in Ireland but for 30 years before retirement I worked in IT for American companies. In the 3 years since retirement I've lost weight and and I no lnger need blood pressure medication. My experience of American work culture was that it was bad for my health.
Excelent. I waited all the video hoping that you would get the root of all problems of USA. But you didnt.
The most important diference between EU and USA are the political system.
The political system controls everything, including the legal and economic power of the private sector.
USA are a 2 party autocracy. 2 elected wings full controlled by the same not elected eagle group, forever perpectuated in power by the winner takes all the seats robery.
Here in EU we can rise and fall political parties. The main parties are centrist and the small ones are the extremist for 360° ideology directions.
EU are not under a 2 party dictatorship and thats why our governments protect more citizens and punish more the rich.
As while USA dont abolish the winner takes all the seats crime, your economy and media and everything, will never change because no matter what you vote, you vote always in the not elected eagle power cartel group..,.,.,.,.,.,..,,.,..,
I've been in construction, here in the USA all my life. Great pay. Fulfilling and creative work. I watch my diet and have great health. My co-workers are great family oriented people. But, if you say that's a bad way to live......maybe you better keep "bottoms up", Paddy.
@@Paul-vf4wv Construction would certainly be a healthier lifestyle than sitting at a computer day in, day out and pulling all nighters when systems broke down or hackers attacked the systems. One of my first jobs after our equivalent of high school was as a quarryman, I don't think I've ever been fitter or healthier since.
You get paid a lot in American IT but the work culture is terrible, especially at the bigger companies. It's very go-go-go but going to what in the end? Sky won't fall tomorrow if you don't finish coding your project. I've seen lots of health problems from fields like IT, consulting, and finance. All that extra money doesn't mean as much if you spend the rest of your life using it to medicate yourself.
@@Paul-vf4wv This comment right here, is the reason people don't like America.
Immigrant, Great take !
I'm also an immigrate 4th generation Californian who's made a home in Europe.
Loved your Freedom vs. Freedom From take, exactly ! I immigrated in 1980 and returned once to test my choice, Found that I was right and returned to Europe for good.
I think it has to do with the personality of the individual whether or not Europe and European Culture is a good fit. I found I felt more at home in Europe, That was 43years ago 🙂
Hi there - a guy watching you in Austria. What a deep and thoughtfull analysis you did in this video. Thank you. Opened my eyes on the life in the USofA . Subscribed. Hoping fot more videos coming. Thank you
Great video, I like your perspective and especially your way of presenting personal views.
I've been to the US on business trips twice. There seems to be two kinds of friendliness. The friendliness of a random passerby quickly helping out with removing the snow from your car when he sees you struggling, or the gun section guard seeing the European baffoons and taking the time to be friendly, explain stuff and allow pictures for fun memories. That's what I would call the honest kind of friendliness and it's very nice. Then, there's what I'll call "business friendliness" and I hate it to the core. Never felt so much fakery and superfluous embellishment than in business. In your face, everything is great and the best thing ever, but none of it is sincere. It's as if the entire nation is in one big competition to slime themselves towards the top and it's disgusting.
I always think the car seller is the best representative of American culture, tbh. Selling is inbreed in their culture.
Being fake nice is important to our culture. We are either being nice and helping strangers we will never see again or we are “complimenting” somebody by using words like “brave choice”. American culture values friendliness even when bullying others
I'd call this latter thing the race to the bottom.
I can't stand american restaurants. Always pushing stuff on you.
Asking people for help in the US was mind blowing. Okay, I was robbed the first time at that giant busstation in NYC. But after that? You ask people for the way, they ask you if you are from england because your english is so great and just drive you where you need to be.
When I was traveling the US I went there with like 2000 Dollars in cash and a credit card. It was 1980 Dollars because of that dude that robbed me at the trainstation afterwards.
After three years in Spain, there is such an emphasis on community and family. The work/life balance is so important here. I cannot imagine going back to a life where work has to be the number one priority. In terms of community, there is a sense that when one person struggles here, it is the community's responsibility to help, which is also to everyone's benefit.
I am going to join the Lingoda Language Sprint. Thank you for the codes. I am stuck at the intermediate level and want to start the new year with something that will push me to improve.
I know exactly how you feel. 4 Years in Spain, and I don´t see myself living in the states anytime soon.
community and family..... yikes lol
Never seen a more thoughtful assessment on this topic, great work.
Very well done, hope you're still enjoying staying in Europe and looking forward to see another video. Next one about Prague, maybe? haha
To me American Politics is like you can only choose between Coke and Pepsi, not any of the other quazillion beverages. The majority doesn't like the healthcare for profit but there is no party you can vote for to fix that. The lobby bought both parties and I don't understand why people think they live in a democracy if there is no real choice.
Yes it seems the US is really a plutocracy. Billionaires have turned the word 'socialism' into something evil so that their taxes can remain low.
Democracy is not about choice. The main part is between the elections. You have to organize yourself within a party. This is where you influence politics.
Excelent. I waited all the video hoping that you would get the root of all problems of USA. But you didnt.
The most important diference between EU and USA are the political system.
The political system controls everything, including the legal and economic power of the private sector.
USA are a 2 party autocracy. 2 elected wings full controlled by the same not elected eagle group, forever perpectuated in power by the winner takes all the seats robery.
Here in EU we can rise and fall political parties. The main parties are centrist and the small ones are the extremist for 360° ideology directions.
EU are not under a 2 party dictatorship and thats why our governments protect more citizens and punish more the rich.
As while USA dont abolish the winner takes all the seats crime, your economy and media and everything, will never change because no matter what you vote, you vote always in the not elected eagle power cartel group..,.,..,,..,.,.,..,.,.,.,.
I hope Trump wins
@@ThomasVWormits a winner takes all the seats dictatorship. No party born already a winner. That 2 party autocracy are forever perpectuated in power, by the winner takes all the seats robery.
USA are a hostage nation from the not elected eagle group, and only a militar coup can take the power away from that 2 criminal parties.
Another reason that kids don’t walk to school is our dangerous street design, unchecked driving, and the overwhelming car culture, which has all grown worse in recent years. And change is way too slow in coming. Great discussion - thank you!
Exactly! Modern U.S. roads are dangerous enough for an adult in a car, let alone a child on foot.
My son can cycle to school.
Have a look at this US custom regarding transportation m.th-cam.com/video/jN7mSXMruEo/w-d-xo.html&pp=ygUDc3V2
@@nadjadavidson411yeah, sadly that's not the case for the vast majority of people in the States and chances are that the route your son can cycle is much more dangerous than the average cycling trip in half of Europe
@@houndofculann1793 We're less than a mile from his school. And no, we live in a safe area. And, yes, I'm actually from Germany, so I have first-hand experience, and I was more afraid of him using his bike in Europe than here.
Very well articulated, your “to” and “from” observation is very astute. Your ability to look at the subject at lift it to a higher abstraction level is top notch 👌 you come of as very bright 🙌
That's in impressive breakdown.
Thank you for your work.
Hey French Guy here
I really appreciated your analysis. It is deep, very thoughtful. You do not give absolute statement, leaving space for insightful questionning, and leads for that to occur.
I especially liked your thoughts on the difference of definition of what freedom means, more on the philosophical approach that just raw difference.
Good work !
And happy new year ! ;-)
Smart lady. I’ve had the reverse experience, having lived and worked in the Bay Area CA and in Cambridge MA, three years each time. I thought a lot about the issues Ms Ashton raises while I was there. I have long since returned to Europe (specifically Dublin, though it could have been Germany, France, Italy, etc.) and am glad I did so. It’s about the ‘texture’, the ‘feel’ of society around one, about social trust, about care for one’s community over the I-do-whatever-the-hell-I-want individual.
And here’s a litmus test for the difference. An American lady living next door to me here in Ireland said after a year living here for a year: “When I go back to (name of State withheld) I will again fear whether my children will come home from school alive. I never even thought about that here”.
thats a great way of seeing how the differnce in what freedom is. thank you. that helped me understand it better.
Americans says that we have a freedom to bare guns. I don’t need that kind of freedom. In Europe you have freedom to open a beer in the park or the beach without too get arrested.
what about the refugees that cause crimes? how will u defend yourself?
And the freedom of not being shot by that free gun, even if it's just by accident.
"You shouldn't be penalized for having Children" is probably the best takeaway from this Video. Merry Christmas to you and your Family.
That and the non-existence of solidarity in the US.
Excelent. I waited all the video hoping that you would get the root of all problems of USA. But you didnt.
The most important diference between EU and USA are the political system.
The political system controls everything, including the legal and economic power of the private sector.
USA are a 2 party autocracy. 2 elected wings full controlled by the same not elected eagle group, forever perpectuated in power by the winner takes all the seats robery.
Here in EU we can rise and fall political parties. The main parties are centrist and the small ones are the extremist for 360° ideology directions.
EU are not under a 2 party dictatorship and thats why our governments protect more citizens and punish more the rich.
As while USA dont abolish the winner takes all the seats crime, your economy and media and everything, will never change because no matter what you vote, you vote always in the not elected eagle power cartel group.,.,..,.,.,..,.,,,,.,.,....
you should not be penalized for not having them either. There is a big issue with social norms that can put you in a dammed if you do and dammed if you don't situation.
@@hugsandcurses We're not there though. Let's not jump to hypothetical philosophical explorations of equity when there is a real, big problem in front of us. The discussion of "why do these people get something and I, who isn't in this situation, don't get anything ?" is really not helping.
@stop viewing children as a retirement plan.. the next generation shouldn’t be seen as a group of people we can exploit when we get old. I hate when people say that crap.. my two sons are not on this earth to provide you with social security. People should be looking for ways they can help the little future people not ways little future people will help you.
We left the US over 12 years ago.. best thing we ever did. I love America as a concept, but the world has so much more to offer. I am enjoying your video content, you are articulate, humorous, and factual. Thank you for that.
America... is a big continent. Not a country. "Americans" in general don't realize that, to start with 🙂🙃🙂
@@lortigosa many nationalists mean the state will save them to pay the bill... the reason why the founders guaranteed that idiots better shut up their black holes.
concrete will never help against those kind of mental illness
those "new world" has the same age just like the "old one" - there was a crash from the alien space breed
It's frustrating that the only kind of wealth or poverty we discuss is financial. I know someone who has pots of cash, but lives in abject poverty because her family makes her utterly miserable.
Greetings from a fellow immigrant. What interested me especially in your video was your view of "freedom from" and "freedom to". I have always seen that exactly the other way around: Americans (U.S. citizens) seem to me to be very attached to "freedom from" EACH OTHER. From the earliest times, it seems as though many came to America in order to get rid of all the dead weight of families and societies that imposed themselves upon the "free" person. They hated taxes with such a passion that they dumped perfectly good tea into Boston Harbor, packed up their Conestoga wagons and moved to Vegas - all to get away from those pesky parts of society that needed help with education, health care, public security and often just daily sustenance. Many actually did bootstrap successfully, while the poor stayed deservedly (in the opinion of the rich) poor. If people needed help, they should join a church. This "freedom from" is an attitude that has been destroying the soul of America for more than 300 years.
Europeans, on the other hand, were left behind and stuck with each other. After the mass slaughterings of the World Wars finally died out, many people realised that Europe needed societies, in which everyone could have the bare minimum necessary to live. With time, this gave the majority of people "freedom to": Freedom to establish themselves because contracted wages were high enough to fund a modest family, freedom to get an education because schools and universities were publicly funded, freedom to live without the fear of some threatening illness destroying your life and leaving you dying in the street, because health care is paid for by everyone (whether they think they need it or not), freedom not to have to defend yourself with your own gun because the state has a monopoly on deadly force and your neighbour also most likely does not have a gun to threaten you, at least not legally acquired. This gift of "freedom to" do all kinds of things is the reason I have lived in Europe for the past nearly 50 years, raised my family here and even (relatively) happily paid taxes and social security costs for my entire professional life. In the end, this system is guaranteeing my "freedom to" live and die in a dignified manner.
Exactly, she got it wrong, even if explained in a convoluted way you can make it work. In europe we don't have liberty from a medical bankrupcy. We have liberty TO live without fear of tomorrow bein in poverty. In the US they don't have freedom TO be themselves. They have freedom FROM the state to impose them how to be, or FROM others to not be violent upon them. Well, in Europe too.
These are pretty common philosophical concepts, Positive and Negative liberty. From wikipedia: Positive liberty is the possession of the power and resources TO ACT in the context of the structural limitations of the broader society which impacts a person's ability to act, as opposed to negative liberty, which is freedom FROM external restraint on one's actions.
Very well written, and fascinating that the English language is so flexible here, that both views make sense to me and actually add to each other.
I'm always amused by Americans insinuating that they'd be the only country championing freedom, when they don't even have the freedom to roam or to enjoy an alcoholic drink in public. 😅
It was taxation without representation, that was the fight. The Boston Tea Party was about not having a vote, no democracy... and yet still being heavily taxed. Learn history and stop spouting nonsense, ffs.
@@buddyrevell511 Do you really want an argument about who knows history better, you or I? That would be a silly dispute. To me, you sound like somebody who read the American history series printed in the 1960s by the Heritage Foundation - but you are probably too young for that (in contrast to me).
Unfortunately the wording was switched. "Freedom from" is called _negative freedom_ and means "freedom _from_ interference that prevents you from doing what you want", whereas "freedom to" is called _positive freedom_ and means "freedom _to_ control and direct one's own life". Both types of freedom are not mutually exclusive; "freedom to" is an extension that requires a certain amount of "freedom from" in the first place.
An example: Americans have the _freedom from_ being declined to go to university based in the color of their skin, but they do not have the _freedom to_ go to university if they are too poor to afford it.
Very insightful take on the "freedom from" vs. "the freedom to" juxtaposition. As a European I never thought about it this way but it makes a lot of sense. Bonus points for calling yourself an immigrant and not an expat.
👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
As a long-term expat- (mostly in the Asia/Pacific) i can't agree with you more!
Take good care!
Thanks for a real and correct video. it really surpriced me. So rare to find nowadays. THANKS!
My wife is American. We live in Ireland. I love the USA, it has changed in the last few years but is still a great country. However we have a far superior standard of living as a family in Ireland.
I have a better standar of living rather poor in Quebec than i did rich in the states...everything is free here..the people are hot and sexy.. i get laid not bills in the mail lol. And who the hell needs to own a home when we have rent control? I live with zero worries compared to the usa..everything is chaching to the credit card there.
Excelent. I waited all the video hoping that you would get the root of all problems of USA. But you didnt.
The most important diference between EU and USA are the political system.
The political system controls everything, including the legal and economic power of the private sector.
USA are a 2 party autocracy. 2 elected wings full controlled by the same not elected eagle group, forever perpectuated in power by the winner takes all the seats robery.
Here in EU we can rise and fall political parties. The main parties are centrist and the small ones are the extremist for 360° ideology directions.
EU are not under a 2 party dictatorship and thats why our governments protect more citizens and punish more the rich.
As while USA dont abolish the winner takes all the seats crime, your economy and media and everything, will never change because no matter what you vote, you vote always in the not elected eagle power cartel group..,.,..,.,.,..,.,..,.,.,.,.
@@stoneneilsquebec has more french mindset. More socialist balance mindset. Neither savage capitalist neither communist dictatorship. A mix. A balance.
@@ricardoxavier827while I share some of your views, but reading your exact same comment now for the fifth or so time doesn’t really help…
@@ricardoxavier827 As a frenchman who lived for a bit in Québec, believe me, if it's a mix, it's at least 80% American to 20% French. It's better than the US, and it's a lovely country... but I would never choose to live there over France, for the reasons listed in this video and more, if less extreme.
Putting a value on solidarity, compassion and empathy is difficult in a world where everything is measured in material terms.
Merry commercialized Christmas 🎄
awsome content, love it
After immersing myself in the American and European lifestyles, I found in this video the synthesis of the thoughts I have had about similar topics. Love your videos 😊
I’m German but I lived in the States for two years in the 2010’s and a lot of what you say in this video are the reasons I ultimately decided against trying to permanently stay in the country. I started my work life in the US and did just fine on 10 vacation days a year, and I fortunately have a great immune system and rarely get sick, so the concept of limited sick days didn’t really worry me at the time. I did however not visit my family in Germany while in the US because I would have needed to use up an entire year’s worth of vacation days, and the academic focus for preschool children I witnessed is not something I would want to subject my own kids to (and then there are the expenses of college, and cost of health insurance, the prices for fresh produce, the lack of work life balance, the divisive politics…).
To this day, the US holds a dear and special place in my heart, but I can’t see myself living there long-term.
I'm a Brit working for a magazine based in CA. I notice everything is quantified by dollar value. The more dollars you have the better you are. Lagom is a Swedish word meaning "just the right amount" or "not too much, not too little". Maybe that's why Sweden is so civilized?
civilized? and what about Jante laven? the same here in germany.
You think too much of yourself.
Boring is more appropriate than civilized
It's called Jantelagen. Your point being?
@@Xiroi87 "Janteloven", coined by a not so friendly, Danish Author, living in - Norway: Axel Sandemose, in a book about his life and childhood in his fictional hometown in rural Denmark: "Jante".
Actually it is a rather universal, lower class rule, but we Danes just have a - name for it!
That word is Scandinavian. Lagom/passe means the same thing and janteloven also exists in all three countries😉
@@finncarlbomholtsrensen1188 thank you, but I don't need an explanation, I wrote Jantelagen, in Swedish, and was replying to alge2402 whose reply made no sense, as it was questioning Sweden was a civilised country in connection to Jantelagen.
WOW😱! What a smart, open minded, self reflected and credible woman 😎. I was not expecting that. You got a new subscriber. Greetings from a German guy living in Thailand for 6 years now. Ich wünsche dir und deiner Familie alles Gute 🤝.
Vielen Dank für die differenzierte kluge massvolle Darstellung!
As an American living in Germany for over 30 yrs now. I believe you hit the nail on the head with your observations. I've said the same things many times over the years. I don't ever believe I would ever move back to the US partly because my way of thinking is too european.
Well, just FYI, the last 30 years were nothing similar with what the next 30 years will be... sorry, to break it to you, but Germany was riding the gravy train for way too long, hence the arrogant way of thinking about the Americans, the very ones who ensured that the Russian won't became mandatory!
Sweet dreams...
@@mitchdiaco2565 Oh, and the US is what singularly caused the Germans to ride the gravy train right up to now in 2024? The Germans did nothing of that on their own at all? Maybe you should consider a few facts about current US successes. Your entire rocket and missile industry is based on German ideas already being used in it's early stages during the war you talk about. Some of your avionics in military aircraft are procured from Denmark (Yes, a tiny nondescript country), Great Britain, France and even Israel. The US refined radar, but they wouldn't have had it during the war if Great Britain hadn't presented it to them. The internet was given to you from Switzerland. Henry Ford made the car an every mans item, but it was the Germans and British hat invented both it and the combustion engines driving them forward. Guns, both heavy and handheld, are inventions from old feudal China. Not America.
Oh, and speaking about little Denmark and aircraft. The wright brothers are credited worlwide as being the first to fly with an aircraft with an engine. But a guy named Ellehammer in Denmark actually flew successfully in the same manner hours before the Wright brothers. The only reason for the Wright brothers getting the accolade of being the first is that Ellehammer performed his flight later in the afternoon local Danish time than the Wright Brothers did local time in the US, but due to the difference in time zones, Ellehammer was actually almost 10 hours ahead of the Wright brothers, only this difference in time zones was omitted in the news across the world of both events, leading to the popular belief that Ellehammer was only the second to fly, while he was in fact the first. In later years, this problem of time zones and the ensuing misunderstanding is becoming more and more of a dispute in aircraft historical communities around the world. And to top it of, the first guy in the world to make detailed and scientifically based drawings of flying machines, though way before combustion engines or even steam engines was ever imagined, was actually the Italian inventor Leonardo DaVinci. So, even the scientific approach to inventing aircraft is not American.
In fact, the US have refined almost every conceivable item in this world of ours to the level we take for granted today, but in reality, the only things they invented from scratch and in common use today around the world is the fridge and the and the household TV. Not even movies or sound movies were invented in the US, but only made use of on a wider scale with the US as the first ones. And even if Thomas Edison was the big man that turned electricity into a common thing, he only refined the light bulp into something actually useful and spread it to the world. The science of electricity was invented in Germany and France long before.
So, when it comes to your country, it is great in many respects, but the common American notion that you were the inventors of everything we deem normal today is based on misconceptions. Not truth. Your greatness first and foremost lies in the ability to take an already existing thing and evolve it far beyond the imagination of the original inventors. And that is not a bad thing. It is actually a really good thing that you should be proud of. Because otherwise, a lot of all these things might never have become the common things they are today.
@@mitchdiaco2565That's such a silly and ill informed comment at so many levels. I sincerely hope that Germans reading it forgive you for your very obvious ignorance about them, the way they view America and certainly the history of Europe and the Soviet Union in the 1980s onwards.
You don't seem to understand at all that Germany has been - by far - the greatest financial contributor to other European countries and largely funded the development and integration of Eastern Europe into the EU. Not only this but West Germans paid a (quite high) solidarity tax to pay for the reconstruction and reintegration of post-soviet East Germany.
The Germans had spent so much on their military during the cold war that after the Soviet Union fell they genuinely didn't need to spend much on defence. They had so much ammunition and kit that they took a couple of decades to burn through it all or for it to wear out. They spent their money making sure that they had no enemies around them in Eastern Europe (by integrating those countries into their economy and the EU) and investing in them. That worked. All those countries are now firmly part of the West and allies in NATO. Or want to be. Even Hungary (which has a pro-Russian authoritarian in charge) wants to be part of the West rather than a satellite of Russia.
Germany demonstrated over the last 3 decades that it would never again be a threat to Russia after Gorbachev allowed East and West Germany to start reunification. Instead it actively sought to reassure Russia of its good intentions by fostering trade with Russia rather than maintaining a huge military.
The problem is that Russia today under Putin is not the Russia of the 1990s. And what worked in Eastern Europe (that became genuine democracies) failed in Russia (which became led by a fusion of the KGB and the Russian mafia). Germany didn't freeload at all. They just didn't understand that basic fact about Russia.
But then, until 2022, neither did the United States. Which is why so many American companies heavily invested in Russia and by doing so helped Russia rearm. So the Germans are hardly on their own when it comes to being naive.
Largely thanks to German money, foresight and foreign policy, Russia is almost completely isolated in Europe. And even the majority Belarusians - especially the young - would prefer to be part of an integrated Europe than become a satellite of Russia. Many Russians also feel that way.
Much of the credit for that lies with the Germans.
I'm not German. I'm British. And until the end of the cold war my career was destined to be designing weapon systems to kill Russians if a hot war broke out. After a good chunk of my career working for the British government in security-related areas this is something that I am possibly going to be doing again very soon. So I am hardly a dove-like peacenik.
The Germans have more than done their part to make Europe safer. And they're stepping up right now with Ukraine. Which, due to some cowardly self-serving Republican congressmen and the traitorous rapist that they fear is more than can be said of the United States right now. Reagan and hundreds of thousands of very brave American servicemen (who are remembered and honoured here in Europe) are spinning in their graves. Today's so-called Republican party sh*ts...SH*Ts.. on their memory and sacrifice.
Not the Germans. Nor anybody else in Europe and North America. For that you need to visit a Trump rally.
@@mitchdiaco2565 As a German: No matter how bad things get here, I thank whatever power out there exist that I at least don't live in The US. Your country used to be something to look up to. When you had commuinity, cared about kids and still had public transport in cities that looked not unlike Europe's. Then you trashed all that to grab more and more and couldn't get behind screwing eachother over fast enough.
As for the Russians.. look who's talking. The country that unlike most of the free world is the first to not help another free country against the Russians. The country that pays less of its GDP to help than Bulgaria... which says it all again about solidarity...
A country that complains about everybody else in NATO not doing their part, when the only country to ever declare article 5 was the US and had ALL of its allies support it, even countries like Poland and Norway who had absolutely no issue with either Afghanistan or Islamic terror. Yet we all helped anyway, unanimously, without question... because we understand solidarity.
Where I'm concerned, and I've always been the biggest critic of German anti-americanism... but in this context, the US can go fuck themselves. Over the last 20 years you've turned from a country I respected into the biggest embarrassment to the planet.
I can drive 4 hours into any direction and end up in a country where I don't have to be scared of police, where I can drink a beer in a park without getting arrested, where people actually need to learn how to drive from an instructor before they can drive a car, where we let our kids walk to school because we know our fellow citizens are not all a bunch of psychos and where there's no such thing in any city as entire tent-towns because nobody has a home in one of the richest cities of the world. I still live in a country where everybody would be appaled at such a homeless crisis. I still live in a country where I can have any emergency in health and have it taken care of, and not have to embarass myself as the "oh so richest country" but then go begging on the internet for donations from other people so I can get my medical bills paid.
The fact that you americans claim you're rich and independent and then beg strangers for money to get your health fixed and don't even stop to think how pathetic that is... that will be something I'll never understand. You'd literally rather beg publically for money than create a health security system that just covers it. And if you now claim you have a better healthcare system that the rest of the world... check the data once in a while. The US isn't even close to at the top. Northern and central europe is. Spain has you beat easily.
If I were to move to the US, I'd easily earn twice what I earn right now, but I'd constantly be worried about losing everything, I'd be terrified of my health acting up, I'd have no idea how to get my kids a good education and I'd be terrified of drinking the wrong thing in the wrong place in the "land of the free" or be constantly harrassed by cops that are better armed and more paranoid than I was when I served in the military.
The US is the last place on the planet I'd move to. Even in a third world country I'd have a better sense of community and honestly and willingness to help eachother out than I have in the US. Yes Americans are friendly abroad and curious optimistic wonderful people. But as a country you're nothing but divided, viscious, sexually completely screwer up and terrified of actual freedom, because you'd rather be on your own and totally screwed than being bound to someone else and secure.
@@mitchdiaco2565sorry but looking what the US is heading into politically you are just wrong. Germany might get a hit poorer but all the benefits listed in this video will stay
Great video, thank you for your perspective.
I'm 67 and have lived in Colorado all my life. I've never been outside the US.
I've seen it as VERY important for my kids to be able to experience other countries. When they have a chance I support them to help them travel and experience other cultures.
Being retired I'm able to do this now. I'm not sure when but I do hope to visit Germany since my ancestral heritage is in Germany. I would also like to visit Montana and some other US states I've never been to. I just counted and I've been in 22 of the 50 states.
I looked forward to movement to the metric system when I was in junior high school and I'm sad that we've never moved there.
67 is hopefully not end of life, just buy ticket and come to Europe to experience it at least once in life.
Wow! Deeply impressed. A very well made lecture, which challenged my English, but - this is what I want to.😂 Thanks to not only the erudite (imho as a German) language but to the valuable content which made me think once more of what we have here in Europe and always took for granted. Simply thank you very much.❤
You're very welcome!
Great video Ashton, thanks!
When I first moved here in 1999, my intention was to only be here a few years. Only learn enough German to get by. Enjoy each new experience. I travelled back to the US at least twice a year, once 5 times. I was an expat. I lived here, but it was not my home.
Once I decided to stay here, build my entire future here with no thought of moving back, raising my children here, integrating as fully as possible, I became an immigrant.
We in UK would probably describe the US as 'all fur coat and no knickers' meaning looks good but nothing underneath. It's like big on christianity but puts none of that into practice the direct opposite to Europe.
wrong, left wing propaganda about Christianity in the US is totally misleading (and Europe has a bit greater problems with Islam anyway - together with left wings also the most antisemitic/antizionist/antidemocratic ones). Why misleading? Because similar to Europe but to a greater extend many regional communities are driven by Christian support - from events to rock concerts to all kind of structures. thats the Christian normality, not what is propagated. That exists (because in the US you have more extrems as you always have in a less collectivist/homogenous society) but thats not representative. Btw, i am German (or better a thinking individual) and I notice a lot of stupid European perceptions (about not much videos exist) - and a HUGE LACK of knowledge about history and true political ideologies (in the 21. century most stereotypes are shared within the West and beyond anyway. Many things are less separated as it seems due to globalization/media etc... this video is just one example of this fluctuation)
And Brexit was a marvelous economic decision...just don't look to us for a bailout like WW 2...
I call the fur coat no knickers the Campbell’s Chicken Soup effect. Canned soup with flashy label, but when you open it you see a few bleak pieces of processed chicken floating in a dull colorless broth.
In Texas they would say All hat and no cattle.
Whitewashed tombs.
Very interesting analysis, thanks. And even the comments are valuable.
Great video! Thank you for sharing.
Ashton, your comments are right on target. I worked for an American Corporation for 17 years in International Marketing covering the German-speaking Countries. New top management with new ideas, fired all of us from the International Marketing Division in 1974. My friends at the German aircraft engine company hired me to wave their flag back in Connecticut, and I was a German employee for the next 16 years. Today, I still have a lot of good friends from my German employment time, and we are continually on SKYPE calls with each other. I have no friends from my old company. I was formally called and asked for all sorts of help when I lived in Germany, but when I was no longer employed by the American company the number of "friends" rapidly approached 0 since I no longer could help them progress up the ladder in Connecticut with my knowledge and contacts.
Keep up your most interesting work and comments. Enjoy German "Gemuetlichkeit". It's sadly lacking in the USA.
This American called us hygge !:D
Thanks ;)
As a European living in the US, I agree 100% with your perspective. While I'd like to obstain from generalizations, I will say that people are kinder, more optimistic and having more of a getting-stuff-done done attitude. There is a strong sense of belonging when it comes to their nation, the city they live in, their employer, school or college and they love supporting them financially (or by wearing their jerseys). On the downside, US politics opposes universal healthcare, more PTO or the metric system. Not because they believe these things are flawed, but out of pride and the defensive resentment that if the US, the greatest nation in existence, didn't do it first, it can't be right. As you say, the US has a strong sense of patriotism which often stands in their way. It seems like the US views Europe the same as Western Europe views Eastern Europe. They don't really keep up with what's going on there because they themselves are the center of the universe. They're wealthier, have plenty of culture, no need to dub any movies or series etc. What could they possibly gain from looking outside their country?
Will I stay in the US long term? I want to have kids and send them to university one day, I want to bike to work, stroll downtown, have 30 days of vacation, take a 1h train and be in another country, not pay deductibles for health issues. I don't care to be filthy rich and just don't want to worry about hitting rock bottom. Perhaps it's my upbringing, but Europe just feels like the place where i fit in more naturally.
Bingo! 💯
The ironic thing is though, that the US did do metric first (at least it was among the first).
@@sagichnicht6748 Of course, US currency is metric, whereas the UK used to have a system of 12 pennies to the shilling and 20 shillings to the £sterling right up until 1971.
Ironically, France adopted the metric measuring system in 1795, barely 20 years after the US achieved its independence, and was setting up its new nation. That would have been the perfect time for America to go metric. On the other hand, Canada waited until 1975 to make the switch to metric, and Australia in 1974, so it's never too late!
Metric is also the measuring system of science, so as a leading industrialised nation, it makes little sense for the US to not adopt metric. From the outside, using the avoirdupois or imperial measuring system seems rather backwards and stuck in the past, especially when incorrect conversions between the two systems leads to $multi-million spacecraft crashing.
However, the UK also clings on to miles and mph, and sells milk and beer in pints, even though most other measurements and food weights etc. have gone metric. People become very attached to the system they are familiar with.
The UK was forced to change somewhat, because we were in the EU for a long time, and followed single-market rules and standards, which was economically beneficial.
@@freddiefox. And they'll be back in the EU : they're conscious of all the benefits they lost with Brexit...
@@harounel-poussah6936 Not on my watch, they won't! We're far better off without the UK constantly cherry-picking and boycotting European progress. Culturally, the UK is not ready for the EU, they are stuck in the past and think they are something better. Heck, they don't even consider themselves part of Europe and talk about Europe as if it was some far away lands that has nothing to do with them. Europe is about solidarity, the UK is about themselves. Bugger off.
As a person that has frequently been travelling back and to the US i have to agree with pretty much all of your points ....i also love the diversification and subtle nuances you used so compliments to you and thank you for the vids
This is an extremely intelligent, insightful and thoughtful summary.
Your observation that in the USA freedom is "towards" some goal, whereas in Europe freedom is usually "from" something, is an excellent observation. I can see that dynamic in so many different ways now you articulated it so well.
Yeah, I found that thought one of the highlights of 2023, to be honest.
Positive and negative liberty is at the cornerstone of the debate between the EU and US, I think.
TBH, it's the opposite. The US defends mainly Negative liberty while in social democracies there is a focus on Positive liberty too. From wikipedia: Positive liberty is the possession of the power and resources TO act in the context of the structural limitations of the broader society which impacts a person's ability to act, as opposed to negative liberty, which is freedom FROM external restraint on one's actions.
Ofc, she explains the concept and it is what she said, just the towards/From is quite the opposite and makes the explanation a bit convoluted.
We're not short of freedoms to in Scotland IMO. Maybe not quite as many as in the US but those that are curtailed here (eg gun ownership) are curtailed becuse of the popular will, not because of dictatorial government. We even have one the US doesn't, freedom to walk anywhere (other than the yard round a house or a field of crops), whether that land is privately owned or not. And we have more freedoms from than the US. I was sel-employed most of my life, didn't earn particularly well and could only have afforded a minimal private health insurance if any. But my taxes insured me and I've just had a tumour removed in a major operation without having to think about what it cost.
We have freedom of something, not freedom towards something.
What an excellent video. I was born in Britain, but left when I was 20 years old to work overseas. During my working life, I worked in many countries, including the USA for five years. For the last twenty years I have lived in Italy, and I think I’ll be staying. One thing I’d never really realised is that once you become an exile from the country of your birth, you will always be an exile. For even if you return, the country you left has gone, vanished into the time of your memories.. But you can’t argue that travel broadens the mind…and is also the best university anyone can attend.
You worded this perfectly. Once you leave and are changed, then go back, it's different and you feel alien because you are different and because countries change over time. Nothing is the same, even our memories fades over time.
Well thats kinda scary. I've been out of the UK for about 6 years but I want to return soon, so I can save up some money. (the minimum wage in UK is like 30x higher than where I live now) but I'm only going back there for money, and not because I missed anything else
Wow, what a great and wise comment. I lived for 2,5 years abroad and returned to Germany. After nearly 3 years I was not able to re-integrate myself back into society. This year we will leave again. As you said, you will always be an exile.
I am Italian and I lived in the UK for 7 years. I came back cause for the most part is like the US. Now with Brexit even more, racism and Capitalism grew up like crazy so I just went back.
Congratulations on a well reasoned calm essay on the issues.
I lived as German in Switzerland, Ivory Coast and Spain. And soon I will live in winter time in Cameroun.
And I never had a door surveillance camera. And I never had been assaulted all over the world. 😂😂😂❤❤❤❤❤
Regarding American distrust, I am an American who moved to England a couple of years ago and plan to stay. At least in my area, neighbours will often accept packages for each other. You don't even need to know the neighbour. I was shocked the first time I got a "delivered to [insert neighbour's name at neighbours address]," but it is normal now. I think people see it as doing a nice neighbourly thing for both your neighbour and for the parcel delivery person.
Life among 350 million people is indeed different than 56 million people!
@@chattingwithu Europa has 746 miilions according to google.
not in ONE COUNTRY!@@kirstinevad347
Not really. The number of people in your community that you interact with will be roughly the same@@chattingwithu
Depends on who you are and what you do in life, personality has much to do with it as well!@@omnitraveller
Hi! European here. I paused at the moment you raised the question of freedom and I tried to explain it to myself fist... I could not find a clue... You nailed it!!
I was in Mexico when Corona showed it's face to the world and I really was scared to get sick in a foreign country. I felt save when my country offered an opportunitiy to fly back home at no cost and knowing I would get get the best treatment available also at no cost. That is totally worth half of the money I earn. I'd rather stay poor and poor and healthy than living in a castle of glass.
As a side note, Mexico has a great healthcare system and also offers universal healthcare. But I can see why being sick in a foreign country would be scary. That being said, if you were to get sick in the US, it would break you...
For the record, Mexico was one of the best places to be during the pandemic.
Not "Corona showed it's face to the world"! *Unscrupulous and misanthropic globalists and criminals show their true face!*
Mexico is certainly the best place to get (a) Corona anyway...
I really enjoyed listening to your thoughts and ideas. Good video.
your observations on freedom definition . so brilliant
Having visited my sister in law in California in 96 and 98, there is no way I would want to live there. Every single day at least one person was murdered. My in law and her husband had to work their butts of just to make ends meet. They had no health insurance, only US citizens who have not been outside of the US still think that they live in the worlds best country. And a lot of friendliness in the US is "oberflächlich".
As an European who has never lived in US, but had a few opportunities, I've always struggled with people try to show it down my throat that I'd be better off living in the US. As said I am sure USA is a great place for those who can afford it, but life isn't something you can fully prepare for and all it can take is one case of bad luck with your health and you are in a lot of debt in the US. In my home country, if I couldn't pay the bill, the government would pay it for me.
When I mention this to the people, they then say "yeah, but you pay like 70-80% tax". What? Yes, I do pay more tax, but I also get far more back in return for my taxes and in my country people are happy to pay their taxes for this reason. Also I couldn't imagine living in a culture where status or signaling your wealth was a thing. In my country you can often be sitting next to someone wealthy and you'd never know it on the outside, people don't want to make a big fuss about themselves or their accomplishments.
It suits me fine, life is about more than wealth in my opinion, it can help you do more, but it should never be the end all be all.
If you take into account US healthcare is a private tax then we Americans pay more taxes than you by a long shot. 30 million Americans can’t afford it at all and 45,000 Americans die EVERY SINGLE YEAR because they can’t afford healthcare or they waited too long to see a doctor.
we get nothing but broken and dead soldiers and intentionally crumbling infrastructure.
All she does is blow up stereotypes and make them seem the norm.
I enjoyed listening to your smart and balanced comments. French, I spent a few years in Florida a long time ago and was very surprised at the time by the mindset differences.
This is the smartest and most insightful reflection on US/Europe cultural differences I have watched on TH-cam so far. Thanks for that.
Spot on - I am an expat living in the US and the difference in what is considered freedom is what causes the US to be an anxiety-driven country. For example, yes.. it's all about chasing dreams but because they don't have the "freedom from" healthcare debt, unemployment, etc there is a latent anxiety that this will hit you. And there are plenty of examples of it in everyone's circle that they can see firsthand.
Isn’t really true. If you get und 27k$ a year you are covered Medicaid which fully government health insurance. Over that annual income you can get Covered health plans depending on the state. This program covers most of you insurance leaving you with about 20$ a month you have to pay for insurance yourself
Excelent. I waited all the video hoping that you would get the root of all problems of USA. But you didnt.
The most important diference between EU and USA are the political system.
The political system controls everything, including the legal and economic power of the private sector.
USA are a 2 party autocracy. 2 elected wings full controlled by the same not elected eagle group, forever perpectuated in power by the winner takes all the seats robery.
Here in EU we can rise and fall political parties. The main parties are centrist and the small ones are the extremist for 360° ideology directions.
EU are not under a 2 party dictatorship and thats why our governments protect more citizens and punish more the rich.
As while USA dont abolish the winner takes all the seats crime, your economy and media and everything, will never change because no matter what you vote, you vote always in the not elected eagle power cartel group.,.,.,..,.,.,,,,,,.,.,.....
She is right about the distinction, but most philosophers explain it the other way around. The US values Negative liberty while in europe we try to take into account positive freedoms too. And Positive freedom is the freedom TO do something while negative the freedom FROM external power. From wikipedia: Positive liberty is the possession of the power and resources TO ACT in the context of the structural limitations of the broader society which impacts a person's ability to act, as opposed to negative liberty, which is freedom FROM external restraint on one's actions.
"Angst essen Seele auf!"
I am 60 years old and have been to the USA more than 20 times (usually for 2-3 weeks). My view certainly has changed over the years. The USA is no longer the United States but is today the Divided States. It seems as if the people living there cannot agree on anything and cannot accept any viewpoint other than their own. I used to perceive the USA as the land of opportunities, but that has now become the land with a lack of opportunities. Most people seem only to be able to struggle to survive another day, hoping not to be hit by some misfortune that will destroy their lives completely. And as I have a strong interest in history, I also see quite some parallels between the rhetoric used in fascist/nazi idealogy in the 1930s and what is used in the USA today. There is so much hatred and so little humanity in the current public discussions.
That's a big factor in my decision to leave the US after retirement.
If you want to see a repeat of 1930s Germany, come to Canada. It's frightening.
@@jennifermarlow. in what way? Fascism? Brown shirts? A Night of the Long Knives? The creation of a Jewish getto?
Inquiring minds want to know.
@@jennifermarlow.I'm Canadian. How so?
Spot on. I'm getting on in age and how the U.S. values have changed breaks my heart. I was born loving America and will die wishing I was European.
Thank you for the very convincing analysis. :-) This is a high quality video in my opinion. (/from Germany)
Very well expressed!!