Most Americans are clueless about the rest of the world and think they live better than anywhere else in the world. What little they know comes from the MSM, and for the wealthy, a few visits overseas in an American Bubble that insulates them from the places and the peoples they visit - mostly sites seen numerous times in movies and TV s…
Most Americans are clueless about the rest of the world and think they live better than anywhere else in the world. What little they know comes from the MSM, and for the wealthy, a few visits overseas in an American Bubble that insulates them from the places and the peoples they visit - mostly sites seen numerous times in movies and TV series. If my BFF in grad school had not been a German, I would be just as clueless about foreign countries as my neighbors. But that got me visiting at least once a year, then there would be the occasional international conference, making more EU friends, invitations to give lectures, invitations to provide consulting support to top government officials, making more friends, and more friends. Twenty-five years ago, I married a Foreigner.
I have never once been on a bubble-tour full of English-speaking Americans. Tourless travel forces one to use public transportation, learn how to communicate a little in various languages, and participate in foreign celebrations. That is how one learns that the average European has a higher standard of living than the average American. They have more diverse worldviews. Most, not all, are far less greedy than Americans. Doctors make way less than in America - but they do not need to own a business to practice. Teachers, not just professors, are held in high esteem and are paid like it. Kids readily appreciate that playing by the rules ensures a comfortable future. Those who do not, just like in the US, learn what jail is like.
Because greed is lower in Europe, climate change is less problematic. For centuries, they have built their houses mostly from stones and concrete with heavy tile roofs that do not blow off in storms or catch fire in wildfires. That is why many are centuries old. Most, surely not all, avoid building in floodplains. Those who do, typically live above the 1st floor and use the 1st floor for parking, storage, even livestock. In contrast, Americans still slap together houses out of wood and cover the roofs with flammable tar shingles. They are cheaper to build than concrete and thus have higher profit margins until the next storm, flood, or fire eradicates them. Europe is also moving faster to replace gas cars and buses than the US is.
Another cool thing is that, unlike the US, every state is a nation with a unique language and customs. Thus, Europeans experience foreign cultures from childhood. For $30, I can fly from Sofia to Rome in less than 2 hours. They learn to respect and learn from cultures different from their own, rather than to mock and disrespect them for not speaking English or wearing funny clothing, etc. They are more united, and free, than most Americans can understand.
Most Americans are clueless about the rest of the world and think they live better than anywhere else in the world. What little they know comes from the MSM, and for the wealthy, a few visits overseas in an American Bubble that insulates them from the places and the peoples they visit - mostly sites seen numerous times in movies and TV series. If my BFF in grad school had not been a German, I would be just as clueless about foreign countries as my neighbors. But that got me visiting at least once a year, then there would be the occasional international conference, making more EU friends, invitations to give lectures, invitations to provide consulting support to top government officials, making more friends, and more friends. Twenty-five years ago, I married a Foreigner.
I have never once been on a bubble-tour full of English-speaking Americans. Tourless travel forces one to use public transportation, learn how to communicate a little in various languages, and participate in foreign celebrations. That is how one learns that the average European has a higher standard of living than the average American. They have more diverse worldviews. Most, not all, are far less greedy than Americans. Doctors make way less than in America - but they do not need to own a business to practice. Teachers, not just professors, are held in high esteem and are paid like it. Kids readily appreciate that playing by the rules ensures a comfortable future. Those who do not, just like in the US, learn what jail is like.
Because greed is lower in Europe, climate change is less problematic. For centuries, they have built their houses mostly from stones and concrete with heavy tile roofs that do not blow off in storms or catch fire in wildfires. That is why many are centuries old. Most, surely not all, avoid building in floodplains. Those who do, typically live above the 1st floor and use the 1st floor for parking, storage, even livestock. In contrast, Americans still slap together houses out of wood and cover the roofs with flammable tar shingles. They are cheaper to build than concrete and thus have higher profit margins until the next storm, flood, or fire eradicates them. Europe is also moving faster to replace gas cars and buses than the US is.
Another cool thing is that, unlike the US, every state is a nation with a unique language and customs. Thus, Europeans experience foreign cultures from childhood. For $30, I can fly from Sofia to Rome in less than 2 hours. They learn to respect and learn from cultures different from their own, rather than to mock and disrespect them for not speaking English or wearing funny clothing, etc. They are more united, and free, than most Americans can understand.