Every single day, I find another reason to be ashamed of my country. We're on a speedrun to turn a modern democratic country into a corrupt shithole in every way imaginable.
Because they're not terminally online and don't know why this is bad. But they do know that making the rich less rich is bad, just like in the US.
Europe retains more counterculture than the US does, but not enough.
It never gets to that in countries already deeply aligned.
They all agree on this because it will be a hidden sticking point for some others,
If that's not an impediment some lobyists will make it so.
If that doesn't work us ambassadors, state departments and/or USTR will pressure or even put you on a trade watchlist.
If that doesn't work some 3 letter agency folks will land on a domestic airfield and have some talks.
If that doesn't work some media might peculiarly shift it's tone.
etc
Like how you never stab your enemies because you'd go to jail, even though it never gets to jail because you don't stab your enemies because you'd go to jail
Indeed tho we of course also have rare examples of what happens when someone does stab someone which keeps the memory fresh and spain did get the state department and USTR pressure in the past, sweden nearly ended up on the 301 Watchlist. The cia did both use foreign/multinational media for it's goals and defended it's interests, etc
I don't know about the rest of Europe, but in Spain, this happens because people are extremely dependent on government handouts. Most people dislike the government's policies, but they are afraid of having to work, so they don't want to rock the boat.
In Spain, half a million more people depend on getting money from the government than work in the private sector: <a href="https://theobjective.com/economia/macroeconomia/2024-09-16/ayudas-sueldos-publicos-nominas-privado/" rel="nofollow">https://theobjective.com/economia/macroeconomia/2024-09-16/a...
It isn't. But reform would a political suicide, because all of these people are voters. So the status quo continues, and for now everyone can feel great about how caring the society is.
That's a crazy stat. In the UK, 53% of people are net recipients - about 2M people! (<a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/personalandhouseholdfinances/incomeandwealth/bulletins/theeffectsoftaxesandbenefitsonhouseholdincome/2024" rel="nofollow">https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/personal...)
State dependents - either benefits/welfare or employed - have a very different experience of the economy than others; the disconnected work/pay relationship.
The disconnect between income and effort is causing people to have warped priorities, which, ultimately, results in inflationary economics and impoverishment.
coopykins · · focus · HN ↗
anax32 · · focus · HN ↗
letmetweakit · · focus · HN ↗
stingraycharles · · focus · HN ↗
mitxela · · focus · HN ↗
Europe retains more counterculture than the US does, but not enough.
mvdwoord · · focus · HN ↗
trumpdong · · focus · HN ↗
modo_mario · · focus · HN ↗
They all agree on this because it will be a hidden sticking point for some others, If that's not an impediment some lobyists will make it so. If that doesn't work us ambassadors, state departments and/or USTR will pressure or even put you on a trade watchlist. If that doesn't work some 3 letter agency folks will land on a domestic airfield and have some talks. If that doesn't work some media might peculiarly shift it's tone. etc
trumpdong · · focus · HN ↗
modo_mario · · focus · HN ↗
bsoqk · · focus · HN ↗
In Spain, half a million more people depend on getting money from the government than work in the private sector: <a href="https://theobjective.com/economia/macroeconomia/2024-09-16/ayudas-sueldos-publicos-nominas-privado/" rel="nofollow">https://theobjective.com/economia/macroeconomia/2024-09-16/a...
ecshafer · · focus · HN ↗
ColonelBlimp · · focus · HN ↗
clarionbell · · focus · HN ↗
anax32 · · focus · HN ↗
State dependents - either benefits/welfare or employed - have a very different experience of the economy than others; the disconnected work/pay relationship.
The disconnect between income and effort is causing people to have warped priorities, which, ultimately, results in inflationary economics and impoverishment.