The United States and European countries sometimes feel worlds apart. And it’s a natural thing for different nations to develop unique cultures, systems, and institutions. But once you start traveling a bit more broadly, you start comparing your destinations. Each place has its upsides and downsides, but the differences can be striking at times.
Redditor u/TREE__FR0G, an aspiring herpetologist, asked people to share the things that are completely normal in most places in Europe but would seem very strange to someone living in the US. Scroll down to see what the internet thinks are the biggest differences between Europe and the US.
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Providing healthcare to sick people without bankrupting them.
If anyone tells you how difficult Universal Health Care is to do, remind them that only 35/36 of the largest economies can make it work.
Prices already includes taxes
Should be this way everywhere, so no one's surprised by the full cost. I know what is taxable and how much tax where I live, but not where I travel.
Nudeness.
No, we don't all walk around naked all day.
Yes, we have nude beaches. Yes, on most regular lakes where people go swimming, you most likely see their little kids running around nekkid. Yes, most saunas are "nude only". Yes, you see boobs, a*s and penis on TV (like, if there's a movie and the situation "demands" it). Yes, we have sex education where they use books with images of naked humans in school.
It's just a body. And no, nude doesn't mean "sex!!1!".
A major peculiar aspect of life in the States is the existing tipping culture. As we’ve explained on Bored Panda recently, one of the issues with the way the culture exists in its current form is that it tricks some consumers into paying more than they planned to. In essence, Americans are falling victim to tip inflation or tipflation.
As a result, some customers might decide to boycott some chains or local restaurants, preferring to go elsewhere, where they feel less pressure to tip extremely generously. If tipping is mandatory, it’s not really tipping, now is it? It’s just a hidden tax—one that might not be reflected in the menu.
I’m a project manager in the US and it baffles me that my European team gets an entire month off in the summer.
I’m over here saving my vacation days incase I get sick.
dd/mm/yyyy
SO sensible and completely logical. Also, meters, kilometers, degrees Celcius. It is just plain stupid that the US clings to imperial when nearly all the rest of the world is on metric!
Another big issue for many Americans living in the US is the abhorrent healthcare system. It’s not just a question of opinion, though. The system is very inefficient, incredibly expensive, and markedly worse than in other developed nations. It’s a major issue that ought to be solved.
The Peter G. Peterson Foundation explains how the US spends more on healthcare per person than other wealthy countries around the world. This came to an average of $12,555 per person in 2022, the highest among developed nations. The second-highest spending was recorded in Switzerland, standing at $8,049 per person. Now compare that to the average for OECD countries (excluding the US) which is $6,414 per capita.
Walkable cities
Portland, Oregon, Boston Massachusetts, New York City. There are a few who have it figured out. The rest of the country is living in the dark ages if Mid 20th century car centered life.
Meanwhile, Germany spent $8,011 per person on healthcare in 2022. The Netherlands spent $7,358, Belgium clocked in at $6,600, France stood at $6,517, and Sweden shelled out $6,438 per person. Ireland spent $6,047, slightly below the OECD average. As did the United Kingdom ($5,493 per person) and Italy (merely $4,291 per person).
All in all, healthcare prices in the US are roughly twice as big as the average. However, this does not mean that Americans get healthcare that is ‘twice as good.’ There’s an issue with how these funds are utilized. For one, there’s a lack of competition between hospitals, which has led to administrative waste and inefficiencies in the entire system.
taking an ambulance without a worry in the world
I'm pretty sure anyone taking an ambulance ride has at least one thing to be worried about
Online bank transfers. Americans get all excited over stuff like Venmo but I can send money to anyone via my online banking app for free.
Cashiers having chairs
Cashiers in the US stand all day? I had no idea. What do the trade unions have to say about this?
“The United States spends over $900 per person on administrative costs—four times more than the average of other wealthy countries and about the same as we spend on preventive or long-term healthcare,” the Foundation notes.
Furthermore, the American healthcare system leads to worse health outcomes (e.g. life expectancy, unmanaged diabetes) than in other wealthy countries.
6 weeks vacation
Okay - it should say "Up to" etc. - the timeframe differs greatly between the regions, thee workplaces, the disablement status, the age, the experience, the time of your employment....
The hugest mindf**k for me is the maternity leave. An entire, paid year?! I get that they can channel more money into that stuff since the US has military needs paid for, but that’s still pretty impressive.
The issue isn’t the US’s military budget, although this is higher than is typical in Europe. The issue is that US government is hamstrung by ‘conservatives’ who are simply misogynists who won’t recognise that maternity leave is hugely beneficial for mother and child, and that supporting mothers results in better long-term economic outcomes.
100%. Conservatism (US version) is a toxic, vile, morally bankrupt excuse for sociopathy.
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Many European countries make the US look like a third-world country...in medical care, education, fair wages, women'srights ,.etc.
To be fair, many 3rd world countries make the US look like a 3rd world contry in those areas.
Load More Replies... Sweden here- 480 days in total of wich eatch parent have to take at last 90 days.
I don’t understand why America is so reluctant to give maternity leave. I mean, you grow the baby, you birth the baby and then what? Are you supposed to hand it over to strangers at the local nursery to raise for you? This is probably why the national birth rate is dropping in America. People aren’t being given the time and money they need to care for their child so they’re not having them
The Right fiercely protects embryos and fetuses, but entirely forgets about them after the moment of birth. After Roe v Wade was overturned, the number of women seeking to have their fallopian tubes tied off skyrocketed. An unplanned, unwanted pregnancy is bad enough; not having affordable prenatal and perinatal care or decent maternity leave makes it way worse. Women shouldn't have to work with babies on their hips.
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Does the US military need to be paid for? The USA seems pretty good at not paying for a lot of other things. Just saying.
For them to keep up their warmongering over oil and other resources to keep the inhabitants fat and content, yep needs a lot of 💵💰
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Well, you can choose if you wanna 1, 2 or 3 years of maternity leave here in CZ.
Men in Iceland, Norway and more nordic counties have mandatory months and it would be bad seen in society and friends If men refuse to take care of wife and babies
Up to 3 years in CZ and SK. But it is mostly because (speaking for CZ) that chances of getting your child into kindergarten is equal of winning a lotery. Aaaand we don't have any public nurseries (for kids 0-3yrs), only private ones, there are not a lot of them and they are so expensive..
You're talking about a country where the hospital charges you $40 to hold your child after you give birth. We're lucky to get any maternity leave as women are basically viewed as less valuable and easily gouged. That's why if I bring a shirt to the dry cleaner, it's $10. If my husband brought in the same shirt, it would be $7. Our sanitary products are considered 'luxuries'. They figured why not take away our reproductive rights since we're already treated like sh*t. We make .78 cents for every dollar a man makes for the same job. The Equal Rights Amendment that was proposed decades ago was never passed, if you can believe that. Things need to change here, that's for sure.
US having astronomical military budget has absolutely nothing to do with things like us having maternity leave.
A part of that budget could fund national child care and take it off companies shoulders. Stop paying $23 for a screwdriver and support families instead.
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The problem with the US is, is that the government, and the big businesses, along the way started to become entwined-nobody stopped it, regulated correctly, and over time, it's gotten worse and worse, and a "power shift has occurred. The political "sphere"used to hold all the power, and at one time, government actually got things done. And got things done " for the people". But as businesses grew and grew, they became bigger and bigger-made more and more money. That gave this economic sector more influence. And more power. This is the 1% folks. They hold all the wealth. They love capitalism. They are getting the people they want, with the same " like mindedness", in the political positions that they want-remember, they have the power now- and you start to see things like the Supreme Court turning over Roe vs Wade, as unbelievable as it is. And the president has no power, no more influence, so he twiddles his thumbs while things go to h#$l in a hand basket..............
This also differs a lot between each country. In Norway it's 12 months (49 weeks) split between both parents (the parents decide who cares for the baby, and when). The pregnant woman gets 3 weeks in addition; the weeks leading up to the predicted birth date. The other parent gets 2 the weeks leading up to the birth off. It is possible to do part time parental leave (80% off) for up to 59 weeks. The first 6 weeks are mandarory leave for the pregnant woman. Each parent has to have a minimum of 15 weeks of (individual) parental leave. This is bluntly and frankly a tactic to force men to bond with their child, and has statistically been very successful. 16 weeks are shared time off (both parents home at the same time). It's kind of complex so I may have gotten something wrong. 😅
Unfortunately, only some countries in Europe. In Spain we only get 4 months.
So in the Netherlands. I'm italian but my daughter is born in Amsterdam.
Load More Replies... Fun fact: If your workplace is under a certain size (20 employees, I think) they are not subject to the Family and Medical Leave Act. I got two weeks, one week paid and one taking all my vacation time. Then they "let" me come back part time for another two weeks, but started pestering me to return to full time after the first day.
The issue is we have a bunch of old men making decisions for woman. I bet your a*s that if a men were to get pregnant, his maternity leave would start as soon as they found out, and would get a year off with the baby. I have never understood where the 6 weeks came from. Like okay, it has been 6 weeks, you are fine to return to work. No wonder post-partum rates are so high now
A least here, you can have a baby at hospital and leave without a bill.
This is not quite true for the UK. We get up to 39 weeks maternity pay. The first 6 weeks we get 90% our average weekly earnings, then for the remaining 33 weeks we get £172.48 per week. Yes it’s better than the US, but generally we get lower salaries / less disposable income, and for most people it’s impossible to save up for any kind of unpaid leave. The majority of our maternity leave is £172.48 per week - not exactly liveable.
better than going to work a week after giving birth
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And the maternity leave is equally divided between parent. (At least most of the days are) no matter the gender of the parent. Single parents probably get all maternity leave. I’m not sure. But if for example the father chooses to not stay home with his child, the mother can’t use them paid days and the expire. I think it’s even allowed to be home longer time from work. But without payment from government.
Thats kind of the most american things i read in a long time. Thinking millitary needs are is as important as childcare, sorry thats just stupid. Nearly as stupid to believe as "more guns in schools will lead to more savety". Guns will never bring peace, kids will.
The government has nothing to do with the duration or pay of maternity leave in the US. The duration of the leave is actually set by the individual company (and some DO offer longer leaves as part of their benefit package), and the pay for leave is paid for by the company's insurance with a smaller amount paid by the company's itself. Literally has nothing to do with the federal government.
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In Canada you have to have been working long enough,and through paycheques, pay into "employment insurance'.. then you décide on 12 month leave with 55% of your pay or 18 months with 33% of your pay. If you already can not afford to take a half cut in pay then many opt to go back early. ( some employments top up but where I live that is few and far between)
In the US, the length of the leave is at the discretion of each individual company, with some offering lower duration and some much longer. And the pay is paid out by the company's insurance. Neither has anything to do with the government.
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is it a year though? I had to replace a coworker and that "only" took half a year.
That varies greatly from Country to Country. I think in this regard Switzerland is very "behind". Here still seem to be a lot of old farts who think a woman with children has to stay home behind the hearth. It's getting better though.
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In Canada mothers get 1.6 years maternity leave. The mindf**k for me is going back to work 6 weeks after having a baby and sending your 6 week old baby to daycare!!!
If the the parent or baby have problems, it could be up to two years paid maternity leave. We know in the US we has miscreants who would never go back to work. Then again, they preach "Education, Contraception, Responsibility" to everyone starting in childhood. Unwanted pregnancies are seen as highly negative for the most part but not always.
In some poor Central European countries it is like two years. It is a choice.
It should be noted that this isn’t necessarily due to an entitlement issue, but rather an incentive by governments for people to have children. Birth rate in many European countries is extremely low and since many people in Europe will live in another country at some point in their life there is a realization that Birth rates need to increase or countries could face economic disaster in a generation or two. America has a relatively high birth rate, most Americans will live their entire life in America, and we have a lot of immigrants. There simply is no incentive for encouraging more children.
In Hungary, in the last half century, 90 percent of mothers stay at home with their children for 3 years. In the first half of the year, you will receive an amount equal to your full salary, and for another year and a half, 70 percent of your income. For the third year, only a nominal amount is paid, but usually it is arranged by the families so that the mother does not have to work anymore
In the UK this isn’t exactly true. As standard, we get up to 39 weeks maternity leave. For the first 6 weeks we receive 90% of our wage. For the remaining 33 weeks we get £172.48 per week.
Bulgaria here - 410 days paid in 90% of the salary, 365 days more paid in the minimum wage. 6 months unpaid leave for each of the parents until the kid is 8 years old. If the family decides, the father or grandma/grandpa can take the paid leave after the 6th month OR the mother can go back to work and get 50% of the maternity leave money.
Never understood why people would want to pay someone to not work for a year. Is there a requirement to return after the employer has paid you not to work for a whole year? Good luck implementing that in America where most corporations literally are eager to pay for your abortion instead.
Go to the grocery store on your bicycle.
Walking from shop to shop in the city centre.
I live in Portland, Oregon and haven't driven a car in almost 20 years. I have a dedicated shopping bike I use one a week and all winter. It's the bike with fenders. I can carry two shopping bags home at a time and that's how I control my spending.
Taking your own shopping bag(s) to the supermarket.
Totally normalized in all European countries as far as I know. Or buy a (firm) shopping bag at the store if you don't have one with you.
All those plastic bags in US stores, so small that it can only hold two cans of milk so you see customers with a dozen plastic bags for their groceries.. unthinkable in Europe.
Not wearing shoes in our homes.
I'm from the Netherlands and most people I know don't mind if you wear shoes in their homes. It's a personal choice, not a cultural thing.
Mayo with french fries.
I’m in the US but have cousins in Holland. They introduced me to to this years ago and it’s pretty awesome.
Coalition governments
YES!!! Seriously I am so sick of a two party system! Democrats and Republicans BOTH suck! How did we get stuck with this BS?
Work Life Balance
Going to Europe and then coming back to Texas and visiting our corporate offices in Dublin, London, Paris.
Yes the European working hours are different. But it seems there’s more of a balance and respect for personal time and medical time or absence. Vs in America working yourself to the bone.
Also the absence of Tipping, and availability of metro and being able to conveniently walk where you need to get to. 1 mile in Europe feels shorter than the 1 mile walk in USA hahaha sidewalk availability and lack of parks to cut through etc.
This is very noticeable. Most Europeans have a far greater respect of the life part of the Work Life balance, and so this is seen reflected in cultural norms and often laws. (For example, try to go shopping in Germany on a Sunday or see the consequences of non-emergency work-related 'phone calls outside standard office hours.)
trains
We have trains. Yeah, this country is backward as f**k but we have goddamned trains.
The right to roam.
It's glorious to be able to hike across private land when you grow up used to signs saying "Trespassers will be shot."
Unlocked phones.
When I lived in the US it was hard for me to get around the idea that I couldn't use the phone that I bought with AT&T with a SIM card from T-Mobile. In Europe I interchange my SIM cards with zero problems. I can even change my provider and keep the same number and of course the same phone.
You can get your phone unlocked if you've finished paying it off
Legally enshrined right to online privacy
I'm curious how this differs from eu legislation. For example, the app store must clearly state how data is collected and how it is used. Sites can be prohibited from collecting data and the use of cookies can be adjusted manually. Apps can be denied access to, for example, the camera, messages or gallery if you want.
Roundabouts. They're like the rotary phones of the road - Americans look at them in utter confusion and wonder where to dial.
Biking, public transportation, walking in the city, basically not living life centered around driving a car.
The United States has an extremely low population density. When you live 25 miles from the nearest Walmart and there's nothing in between except corn and soybean fields, you need a car.
Mandatory recycling
E-government, being able to do 99% of the things needed online.
This one is also not true. It depends on the country. Some countries in Europe are still very, very bureaucratic
More people are day drinking in Europe than I have ever seen in America.
Please come visit us on the West Coast. Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, and LA know how to day drink.
Inter country travel. I don't even live on the main European land mass. I live on a European island. But I can fly to most European countries in under four hours. And it's not a million euro to do so.
Having your washing machine in your kitchen.
European houses are small, often no room to incorporate separate laundry room.
Paying to use a toilet.
"The Committee to End Pay Toilets in America, or CEPTIA, was a 1970s grass-roots political organization which was one of the main forces behind the elimination of pay toilets in many American cities and states." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Committee_to_End_Pay_Toilets_in_America
Well, in some countries, having a monarchy (UK, Denmark + the Faroe Islands, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Spain, Leichtenstein, Monaco, technically also Andorra and Vatican City) or even a quasi-monarchy (Romania, Serbia, where the monarchies have a sort-of-official role while still being a Republic).
Also, having a religion tax (which you can opt out of if you formally leave the Church or other religious organisation if there's an option for it to go to a non-Christian one), in Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Spain (as a choice of where your tax goes, doesn't change the overall amount) and some cantons of Switzerland. And having a particular state or established Church (England, Scotland, Denmark, Faroe Islands, Iceland) or national/"people's" Church (Sweden, Norway).
Electric kettles.
Again, I’ve seen a lot of electric kettles in the Us, I even have one
being able to tilt open your windows
in usa your windows only open like doors, i couldnt imagibe living in a house lacking such basic features as tilting open the top of the window
Not really an unknown concept but letting cats go outside and roam around. It's just the norm in the UK.
A majority of veterinarians in the UK now recommend keeping cats indoors. Also,the UK does not have coyotes...who would just as soon kill your cat than look at it.
I am european and this is getting quiet boring. There's nothing new in this articles and our american friens pretty much know what their country is lacking. No need to check if they still remember it... You know it is called bullying to constantly put someone down?! Can we please have more posts that show the good and beautiful sides of america? I know there is a lot to cover.
Agreed, I’m European too and it’s always the same weekly ‘Americans do it wrong’ post. That’s probably enough now.
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is it Monthly? I thought it was biweekly but I am known to be wrong quite often.
Load More Replies... Reposting the same hatred again, Bored Panda? How many times are you going to recycle the b******t?
OK, the US has major shortcomings. But why is there never a featured post that bashes Russia? Or China?
honeslty bashing Russia is being done just fine. Just not here. I've shat in cleaner outhouses than all of Russia.
Load More Replies... Kettles, trains, cars yup all there. Just another repeat of the usual Xenophobic b******t. I'm going to start reporting these threads because frankly they are just stupid. We know we have issues here. Its not news, no one is teaching us anything we don't already have thorough self awareness of. Politely put, European countries are also highly dysfunctional in their own ways. worry about whats in your own borders. I mean Victor Orban is far from a progressive, future forward leader. Macron and Schultz and their back channel Putin relationship. S**t, Merkel was basically the main supporter of Putin from the 90s. Thanks Mutti! Y'all are ready to s**t on the USA for our problems yet you all have let Russia chip pieces of your countries away and do nothing about it. Transnistria, Kaliningrad, S Ossetia, etc. Get your own house in order or help us. Jonas Grinevičius, Pushing xenophobic content is not your best look. bring back cat pics.
They don't have that in all Europe right now, either. Muslims are terrified for their kids in Scandinavia.
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This is like the thirtieth post bashing America. I'm wondering if a hardcore USA hater is writing these. We KNOW our country is terrible. But maybe once in awhile highlight some good things? Even Russia has at least one good thing (pretty buildings).
our country is not terrible. Yes it has issues but it is not terrible
Load More Replies... Oh great. Another America sucks article. Haven't had one of these in almost 3 days. Gaps in bathroom stalls? Really?
Well for a website supposedly dedicated to showing such things as beautiful pictures, cute cartoons and loveable animals, BP sure has made a hard turn into bullying and vitriol, and starting arguments amongst normally nice people. I've seen a lot of the original people who came for the fun. completely leave the site, never to be heard from again. I think that's a shame.
I see a double standard in all these ever present US bashing posts. Any of us could be banned at a moments notice for a comment that other people or the BP censors don't like, but BP itself is engaging in bullying by belittling the US constantly. I think by now even countries other than the US are getting sick of it.
Just what I needed… yet another article on European civilization vs American barbarism. And yet I’m the fool for reading it and getting bothered by things with which I often agree…
So many of these are myths or outright not realizing the US is larger than their tiny country. When you live 80 miles from your job, you need a car. Our cities are walkable and have good public transportation. Which is great if you live and work in the city. But not everyone does.
American with family in Europe. UK and EU alike. The world is not as different as this post wants people to believe. Some of the most walkable cities I've seen are in the US, and some of them are in Europe. Violence is not exclusive ot the US. Poverty, either. Could the US do better? Yes. However, that doesn't mean there's no wrongs elsewhere, so please, just find a real topic or re-post kitten and puppy pictures.
I think a notable accomplishment has been made here. The first time in history a comparison between Europe and America, and not one mention of the metric system versus the imperial system! 😂
I guess it has been a week or two since the boring, beaten to death topic of xenophobic Europeans pointing out the glaringly obvious issues with the USA that they have nothing to do with... P**s off BP with the nonsense.
Can we just stop treating Europe like it's one country? It isn't! All of these vary a lot from country to country. For instance, I'm Greek, and probably half of those (maybe more) are not the norm in Greece. Things are not even the same in each US state, and they all belong in the same country.
I agree that these articles dissing the US are bullying and divisive. I teach international students and one of the first things I talk to them about is being respectful of other people's countries and cultures. I would feel awful if I came here every week to read hate about my country.
And every country has its issues, but .... I've been downvoted nearly to oblivion for simply saying that fact, so I apologize in advance. It's basiaclly BP's "thing" now to make sure everyone worships Europe, even Russia, and never mention anything unifying other than "Europe vs US".
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And the other way around. It's much easier to start your business and earn money with lots of opportunities, and less bureaucracy.
Okay here we go 😛 1). Don't rinse the fries before baking them, that's a big no no... 2) You cook them a first time around 140 Celsius, not for long they shouldn't get color yet. Then dry them a little with household paper and let them cool down completely 3) when you're ready for dinner you cook them again around 180 Celsius 😉🤗 and indeed .. no veggie oil 😅
One thing I got from this is that millions of Americans know nothing about parts of the US that they've never seen, and are as willing as Europeans to make invalid generalizations about the US
It's extremely obvious that many Europeans think they know things about Americans, but they are clearly clueless.
They forgot to add PATERNITY leave! In other words, the father can take off work to take cafe of a baby instead. In Sweden, we also have sick days for kids. Basically a parent can stay at home to take care of a small child and be covered for 80% of their salary-
Place I worked at had paternity leave. Six weeks, but better than nothing. Obviously wasn't a minimum wage place.
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I am european and this is getting quiet boring. There's nothing new in this articles and our american friens pretty much know what their country is lacking. No need to check if they still remember it... You know it is called bullying to constantly put someone down?! Can we please have more posts that show the good and beautiful sides of america? I know there is a lot to cover.
Agreed, I’m European too and it’s always the same weekly ‘Americans do it wrong’ post. That’s probably enough now.
Load More Replies... is it Monthly? I thought it was biweekly but I am known to be wrong quite often.
Load More Replies... Reposting the same hatred again, Bored Panda? How many times are you going to recycle the b******t?
OK, the US has major shortcomings. But why is there never a featured post that bashes Russia? Or China?
honeslty bashing Russia is being done just fine. Just not here. I've shat in cleaner outhouses than all of Russia.
Load More Replies... Kettles, trains, cars yup all there. Just another repeat of the usual Xenophobic b******t. I'm going to start reporting these threads because frankly they are just stupid. We know we have issues here. Its not news, no one is teaching us anything we don't already have thorough self awareness of. Politely put, European countries are also highly dysfunctional in their own ways. worry about whats in your own borders. I mean Victor Orban is far from a progressive, future forward leader. Macron and Schultz and their back channel Putin relationship. S**t, Merkel was basically the main supporter of Putin from the 90s. Thanks Mutti! Y'all are ready to s**t on the USA for our problems yet you all have let Russia chip pieces of your countries away and do nothing about it. Transnistria, Kaliningrad, S Ossetia, etc. Get your own house in order or help us. Jonas Grinevičius, Pushing xenophobic content is not your best look. bring back cat pics.
They don't have that in all Europe right now, either. Muslims are terrified for their kids in Scandinavia.
Load More Replies... This is like the thirtieth post bashing America. I'm wondering if a hardcore USA hater is writing these. We KNOW our country is terrible. But maybe once in awhile highlight some good things? Even Russia has at least one good thing (pretty buildings).
our country is not terrible. Yes it has issues but it is not terrible
Load More Replies... Oh great. Another America sucks article. Haven't had one of these in almost 3 days. Gaps in bathroom stalls? Really?
Well for a website supposedly dedicated to showing such things as beautiful pictures, cute cartoons and loveable animals, BP sure has made a hard turn into bullying and vitriol, and starting arguments amongst normally nice people. I've seen a lot of the original people who came for the fun. completely leave the site, never to be heard from again. I think that's a shame.
I see a double standard in all these ever present US bashing posts. Any of us could be banned at a moments notice for a comment that other people or the BP censors don't like, but BP itself is engaging in bullying by belittling the US constantly. I think by now even countries other than the US are getting sick of it.
Just what I needed… yet another article on European civilization vs American barbarism. And yet I’m the fool for reading it and getting bothered by things with which I often agree…
So many of these are myths or outright not realizing the US is larger than their tiny country. When you live 80 miles from your job, you need a car. Our cities are walkable and have good public transportation. Which is great if you live and work in the city. But not everyone does.
American with family in Europe. UK and EU alike. The world is not as different as this post wants people to believe. Some of the most walkable cities I've seen are in the US, and some of them are in Europe. Violence is not exclusive ot the US. Poverty, either. Could the US do better? Yes. However, that doesn't mean there's no wrongs elsewhere, so please, just find a real topic or re-post kitten and puppy pictures.
I think a notable accomplishment has been made here. The first time in history a comparison between Europe and America, and not one mention of the metric system versus the imperial system! 😂
I guess it has been a week or two since the boring, beaten to death topic of xenophobic Europeans pointing out the glaringly obvious issues with the USA that they have nothing to do with... P**s off BP with the nonsense.
Can we just stop treating Europe like it's one country? It isn't! All of these vary a lot from country to country. For instance, I'm Greek, and probably half of those (maybe more) are not the norm in Greece. Things are not even the same in each US state, and they all belong in the same country.
I agree that these articles dissing the US are bullying and divisive. I teach international students and one of the first things I talk to them about is being respectful of other people's countries and cultures. I would feel awful if I came here every week to read hate about my country.
And every country has its issues, but .... I've been downvoted nearly to oblivion for simply saying that fact, so I apologize in advance. It's basiaclly BP's "thing" now to make sure everyone worships Europe, even Russia, and never mention anything unifying other than "Europe vs US".
Load More Replies... And the other way around. It's much easier to start your business and earn money with lots of opportunities, and less bureaucracy.
Okay here we go 😛 1). Don't rinse the fries before baking them, that's a big no no... 2) You cook them a first time around 140 Celsius, not for long they shouldn't get color yet. Then dry them a little with household paper and let them cool down completely 3) when you're ready for dinner you cook them again around 180 Celsius 😉🤗 and indeed .. no veggie oil 😅
One thing I got from this is that millions of Americans know nothing about parts of the US that they've never seen, and are as willing as Europeans to make invalid generalizations about the US
It's extremely obvious that many Europeans think they know things about Americans, but they are clearly clueless.
They forgot to add PATERNITY leave! In other words, the father can take off work to take cafe of a baby instead. In Sweden, we also have sick days for kids. Basically a parent can stay at home to take care of a small child and be covered for 80% of their salary-
Place I worked at had paternity leave. Six weeks, but better than nothing. Obviously wasn't a minimum wage place.
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