Quote: (01-29-2016 10:14 AM)Samseau Wrote:
And the biggest flaw of all, which hasn't been mentioned so far, is that the EU spends virtually nothing on military compared to the USA. The USA pays for the EU's military protection, and the EU squanders the extra money they save on worthless social programs so people can waste their time on frivolities like traveling, drinking, smoking, and generally doing nothing.
€170bn a year is "virtually nothing"? You realise this is more than any nation on Earth bar China? Or are you perhaps speaking without being aware of the actual numbers? Short of any real external threats emerging this seems a perfectly sustainable amount of money to waste on the military industrial complex.
The US wastes it's population's blood and gold on invading countries in the Middle-East, unfortunately. The waste of lives and money are not something to aspire to. A more isolationist US foreign-policy (the sort Rand Paul advocates) would be far more beneficial for Americans.
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The fact you think giving people more free time to enjoy their lives is frivolous speaks volumes about your life view. Spending more time with your family, exercise, travel... working 40 hours a week vs 60 makes a huge positive difference to anyone's life.
I worked in finance in the U.S. and was working 60 hours a week. I moved to Europe to do the same job, took a paycut of about 20%, and work 40 hours a week here. In either job I was completely financially secure, but in America between carefully balancing work/exercise/women/friends I never had any 'spare' time. And I didn't have a family to look after, luckily.
I get the impression that most people who are arguing "its possible to work 60+ hours a week and have a normal life!" have never actually tried it. In Europe I actually have time to read books, to spend quality time with my parents, to cook meals from scratch etc - to enjoy life. Not even mentioning the holiday time. When I have kids the difference will be even more pronounced - I'll be able to be an involved father, while not cutting back on the other aspects of my life. Good luck trying that working 60+ hours a week.