Wanna live like a European?

[Kalyke]

If you do, you would:

Eat more real fat - not processed fat.

Smoke more - yes you would!

Drive an American car! Really?! Yep... you'd drive a Ford, if you needed a car.

Drink more... not just red wine, but alcohol, in general. Not one or two glasses, but not "binge" drinking, either.

Have more sick time.

Have more vacation time.

Have maternity leave. Hell... you'd have PATERNITY leave!!!

You would not be shunned for not being a work-a-holic.

Have access to health care. At least the basics, which is more than we have here.

Wow... when can we move?

[Hannah Bell]

1. which are these countries where most people drive fords?

[rockymountaindem]

2. I saw a fair share of them in the Czech Republic n/t

[WCGreen]

4. I think it's the Scandinavian one's..

You know the Fjord Fiesta

[Hardrada]

7. Ah yes. Move to Norway. There's a Fjord in your Future!

[malaise]

31. LOL - DUzy

Certainly not Denmark - hahahahahahh.

[unblock]

82. for the duzy he has to spell it "fjesta"

:evilgrin:

[jmowreader]

60. Cute

Ford Europe makes some nice little cars--the Fiesta, Ka, Transit van (the first ones looked like Econolines, the new ones look like Sprinters), and Transit Connect are all very good vehicles.

[Kalyke]

9. England and France. eom

Here... to save you the trouble: http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/world-news/ford-focus-voted-uks-most-popular-car-of-the-decade_100293079.html

http://www.caradvice.com.au/51412/ford-focus-decades-most-popular-car-in-uk-poll/

[Hannah Bell]

16. i've traveled through both, & fords aren't the best-selling cars in either, unless something's

changed dramatically from the 80s.

better say: "drive a volkswagen"



France: Peugeot 207 becomes top-selling car model in September
Date of publication: 2008-10-22 09:41:32

In September, the Peugeot 207 sold 11,746 units in France, pushing past the Renault Clio III to become the nation’s best-selling new-car model last month and up-to-date.
France’s Top-10 car models in September:

- Peugeot 207: 11,746 (+20.1%)
- Renault Clio III: 11,436 (+47.4%)
- Peugeot 308: 7,189 (+81.7%)
- Renault Twingo II: 6,591 (+22.0%)
- Renault Scenic: 5,995 (-24.8%)
- Citroen C3 Picasso: 5,037 (-18.7%)
- Citroen C3: 4,218 (-16.3%)
- Renault Modus: 3,947 (+139.5%)
- Renault Megane II: 3,685 (-11.8%)
- Ford Fiesta: 3,375 (+63.4%)


Looks like you're right about the UK though -- times *have* changed.

http://www.orange.co.uk/cars/picturegalleries/pics/6724_11.htm?linkfrom=cars_picturegalleries_pics_6724_10&link=link_next&article=britainsbestsellingcarscarsalesjanuarysalescarsorangeuk





best selling cars in europe 2009

1st Volkswagen Golf - 571,838 EU Sales

2nd Ford Fiesta - 472,091 EU Sales

3rd Peugeot 207 - 367,160 EU Sales

4th Opel Corsa - 351,807 EU Sales

5th Fiat Punto - 323,536 EU Sales

6th Renault Clio - 312,925 EU Sales

7th Ford Focus - 309,134 EU Sales

8th Fiat Panda - 298,914 EU Sales




Volkswagen easily maintained its position as best-selling motor vehicle brand or marque in Europe during 2008. Although unit sales were down for almost all car brands, Volkswagen increased its market share. Ford, Opel/Vauxhall, Renault, Peugeot, Fiat, Citroen, Toyota, Mercedes and BMW rounded out the top 10 best-selling car brands in Europe in 2008.

•New passenger car registrations in Europe totaled 14,712,158 cars in 2008. This was 7.8% lower than the 15,959,804 new cars registered in Europe in 2007.
New Passenger Car Registrations in Europe in 2008 by Marque/Brand
The top 20 best-selling car brands in Europe* in 2008 by marque according to the ACEA were as follows:

•Position … Brand / Marque …No of Cars Sold … % Market Share … % Change vs 2007

1.Volkswagen … 1,570,583 … 10.7 … -3.8
2.Ford … 1,224,750 … 8.3 … -4.1
3.Opel / Vauxhall … 1,155,422 … 7.9 … -14.0
4.Renault … 1,102,011 … 7.5 … -8.8
5.Peugeot … 1,007,713 … 6.8 … -9.0
6.Fiat … 957,267 … 6.5 … -2.0
7.Citroen … 857,694 … 5.8 … -9.2
8.Toyota … 785,242 … 5.3 … -11.8
9.Mercedes … 687,199 … 4.7 … -7.5


Read more at Suite101: Best-Selling Car Brands in Europe in 2008: Twenty Most-Sold Passenger Vehicle Marques in the EU and EFTA http://internationaltrade.suite101.com/article.cfm/bestselling_car_brands_in_europe_in_2008#ixzz0hqgQdKVk

[maddezmom]

89. good to see your edit

Because I was going to say, lots of Fords here in my area. :hi:

[tigereye]

102. hey there! How are ya MM?

:hi:

[Tesha]

47. With a few exceptions, European Fords are not "our" Fords. (NT)

[slampoet]

58. Australia is the only one i can think of......

[JackRiddler]

99. Ford's often been the #1 carmaker in Europe...

They're selling European made cars, the main factory is in Cologne. They don't sell monsters over there, they've got compact models like Ka and Fiesta that are virtually unknown here.

[Libertas1776]

3. you'll find plenty of binge drinking

in europe

[Kalyke]

10. I'm sure you would. I was being a generalist.

[alfredo]

15. There are no drunks in Germany.

October Fest is a celebration of sobriety.

[LeftishBrit]

51. What, you think there might be binge drinking in the UK for instance? Perish the thought!

[Cleita]

5. Drinking moderately and not being judged for it would suit me.

I also wouldn't mind having tea with friends in the late afternoon instead of fighting traffic. Having access to health care for my friends, relatives and other young people who aren't old enough for Medicare would be fantastic.

[Hardrada]

8. But you can't go out and buy an ink cartridge in the middle of the

night as i often do since everything closes at 5 PM.

[Incitatus]

6. smoke more - IIRC their cigarettes aren't nearly as harmful as the ones in the US.

If I didn't have so many family and friends here that I cared about, I would look into moving there.

[Kalyke]

12. You are correct.

I would love to move there - take my Mom with me. But, it's harder than hell to immigrate to a European country.

[Sebastian Doyle]

11. Sign me up for all of that

The only smoking I would do would probably be in Amsterdam though.

[Kalyke]

14. Either way... it's fine.

The hysteria over both tobacco and marijuana is overblown.

Take care of pollution, large amounts of stress, overly processed foods and, hey! You've got near Eutopia!

[Alias Dictus Tyrant]

13. It isn't better, just different.

There are a lot of things I liked about it, a lot of things I didn't.

Lifestyle is pretty good, though a touch spartan. Beats the hell out of craptastic US suburbs.

Business, on the other hand, is a godawful nightmare. It makes US business look good and wholesome.

[proteus_lives]

17. Been there, nice, but wouldn't want to live there.

What happens if you like working as much as you can?

[Common Sense Party]

18. They forcibly relocate you to the French Riviera for three weeks.

[SoCalDem]

28. and sometimes they force you to travel to Majorca for weeks at a time

:)

[MrScorpio]

53. I spent a weekend there once

I didn't want to leave

[Yavin4]

19. Two Weeks Ago, I Saw A French Family of Five Sight Seeing in NYC

The thought then occured to me, "how many American families of five are sight seeing in Paris, right now"? The quality of life of the average European is light years above what our quality of life is.

[CTyankee]

35. NYC seems to be crowded of late. I think it is the fact that our dollar is so cheap

against the Euro...my guess is that Europeans can fly to JFK on bargain fares and shop til they drop...

[Yavin4]

36. True, But Besides The Dollar...

How many American families can even get the time off from their jobs in February to take such a trip?

[CTyankee]

37. Yep.

I wish Americans knew more about Europe, but so many are adamantly stupid. I am amazed at how many people I know think they "know" all about European countries' "socialized medicine" and have never set foot out of their own neck of the woods.

It drives me crazy...:crazy:

[PassingFair]

44. Not to mention trying to take the kids out of school...

without the school putting your kids BACK a year...

[Yavin4]

67. Exactly

Their kids looked younger than 12.

[BlueMTexpat]

92. That is true ... but there are still hurdles to jump through to get

numeric passports or visas that have been required since the BushCo years. Some also just don't like the TSA hassles, etc., so while the cheap dollar is encouraging some, several others have been so turned off that the US is not their top choice of a tourist destination. It still does rank high, however, and especially since Obama's election. They really love him over here.
So far, thank God, European countries haven't retaliated by requiring visas for US citizens to travel here.

[karynnj]

41. There likely are some doing so

It is highly likely that this could be a special vacation for that family, just as similar rare vacations to international spots were not all that unusual among the families my kids went to school with in the upper middle class town where we live. I treasure the the memories (and video tapes) of my 3 kids seeing Paris when they were in elementary school. The older two had both learned a small amount of French in school which delighted people they used it on - saying things like "merci" when given anything or "glace de chocolat", which for some reason they quickly picked up there.

Just as even then, this was out of the price range of the average American, a trip to NYC is likely out of the question for the average French family.

[CTyankee]

61. I don't know about mid winter vacations in France, but my guess is that the fares to NYC

are pretty low just now (I'll have to check that) for Europeans. And they get more for their money with the dollar now so flat...

[karynnj]

66. I agree - I know many older people who take vacation trips now and in fall

because the fares are low. The reason it is hard for most families of 5 to do so in February is the school calendar.

It is very true that things will seem really cheap for them compared to how they would have seemed in 2000. (Here's a euro to dollars converter - where you can play with the time frame. http://www.oanda.com/currency/historical-rates

[paulsby]

20. i'd rather live like an american

fwiw, i don't eat processed fat
smoking disgusts me with every fiber of my soul
i drive a BMW
i drink only occasionally. never more than two drinks at a time. i'm an athlete. it's not compatible to drink more than that
i have 17 days of sick time a year
i have 20 days of vacation a year plus holiday time
my job offers maternity leave as well as leave for fathers
nobody at my job shuns me for not being a work-a-holic. some people work 30 - 40 hrs OT a week. i work a bout 4 hrs a month
i have access to a PHENOMENAL health care plan. my employee pays 100%. i get massage, chiro, etc.
i also have MUCH cheaper gas
much more freedom of speech
cheaper food (its not even close, on a %age of disposable income basis)
the right to keep and bear arms
i love france. great surf. but i'll stay in the USA , thanks

[Go2Peace]

23. "much more freedom of speech"? And you know this how?

You have it pretty good. But if you could only find work at WAL-MART you would:

Likely Eat Fatty Processed foods -(too much stress, not enough money to eat better)
Drive a beat up 1991 car with a bad paint job
Only Drink occassionally, but be too beat to work out
have 10 days of sick leave a year, but if you use more than one or two expect to get sacked
have 5 days of vacation, after your first year, 10 days after 5 years, don't know after that, nobody seems to make it to 15 years
no paid holidays, you have to work them all. But you do get double time for them, so $16/hour 3 or 4 days a year!
Everyone is too petrified and busy trying to keep from getting fired to think anything about your work habits
No health care, in fact your friend was fired because they could not lift for 6 weeks after their heart surgery (this really happened to a friend of ours)
You have cheaper gas, but you would rather have a good mass transit system, insurance takes money you could use elsewhere
Speech? If I say what I think at work forget it. When do I have time to speak anywhere else except at home
Cheap food definitly, I can even buy it at work and get a discount on soda pop.
Guns? Definite must, have to protect my family as I live in the worst part of town

[paulsby]

24. because i can compare laws

france has hate speech laws. we don't. that about sums it up.

look at the bardot case for a particularly ridiculous example.

we have that pesky constitution and the 1st amendment. they have nothing NEAR that strong

in france, it is a crime to merely insult a police officer. "hey, officer. you are fat". that's illegal.

we have greater freedom of speech than any nation i am aware of.

i've taken police training (i am a hate crimes train the trainer instructor) with london metro and RCMP among others. they marvel at the crap we can get away with in our countries regarding speech that is illegal in theirs.

heck, in many countries it's illegal to deny the holocaust happened.

try actually reading comparative law and not just assuming "it's europe so they must be better" as so many people do.

in some ways, i think france is better governed. but when it comes to speech freedom, hell no

[Call Me Wesley]

77. Bull.

"in france, it is a crime to merely insult a police officer. "hey, officer. you are fat". that's illegal."

Get your facts straight. This is handled the same way like if I called you a 'jerk' while you're on duty denying the holocaust (because you can, jerk!), ready to taze me into oblivion for nothing whatsoever.

You like hate speech, do you? The Jews, just between me and you, they really suck. Right?

[paulsby]

85. way to be ignorant

AND ignore the issue.

like i said, it is a CRIME in france to insult a police officer.

there is a criminal statute for it

there is no such statute in any US jurisdiction, because the constitution forbids it

in france, it is a crime to deny the holocaust and various other crimes against humanity

research: Gayssot act

fwiw, i read and speak fluent french, so i can go to source documents.

and there are also various crimes related to hate speech etc. disparagement of various racial groups, etc. that limit free speech

we have no such laws.

we are FREER in regards to speech

here's an analogy.

i don't LIKE criminals, or more correctly CRIMES

yet i support the right of criminals to have fair trials, free lawyers, jury trial etc

similarly, i do not like anti-semitic speech. however, i support the right of those who make anti-semitic speech to speak their mind.

i believe in the marketplace of ideas.

fortunately, i have both the constitution (a radical document if there ever was one), and the ACLU on MY SIDE

you have speech codes and laws limiting freedom on yours.

i like my company better

[hunter]

100. It's not a crime in the USA to insult a police officer if you are a white guy driving a nice car.

Otherwise, in many places, the police will find a reason to beat you up and a crime to charge you with.

[Withywindle]

29. As far as I can tell about the "freedom of speech" issue...

France is contemplating banning burqas.

Germany has long banned Nazi paraphernalia and Holocaust denial.


OH! the humanity. How can anyone live in a place that's so oppressive? *hand to forehead*


Here in America, I can pin all the SS medals to my burqa that I want, goddammit. (Even though, when I get beaten up, as I inevitably will, I have no reliable access to medical treatment.)

Those poor Europeans. How do they manage?

[comtec]

50. I'd call tits on TV pretty free

yeah yeah, i'm gonna get attacked by the feminists.

point is Europeans aren't afraid of nudity.

after 11 light porn is allowed on tv.

you can say FUCK on the tv, even the radio!

The BBC has dramas - after 10pm - that have sex, violence, swearing, and GAY PEOPLES! (or worse, the dreaded... BI MAN!!!!)

You just can't say the queen is a stupid cunt.... beyond that there is a lot MORE you can get away with here on tv and in general.

murikan free speech is not as free as it is in most OTHER places.

We over rate ourselves, to a very detrimental degree.

Come into the rest of the world.... the culture shock and reality nearly killed me to be honest. But I survived, and I don't know if I can go back to the abusive way things are in the US anymore =<[br />and god knows i miss it!

[paulsby]

54. you mock freedom

how progressive.

and maybe that is "as far as you can tell"

otoh, if you actually STUDIED comparative laws you might be able to really understand the issue vs. just regurgitate what you have been spoon fed.

we have much more freedom of speech than france

that's not opinion. it's fact. ask any civil rights lawyer familiar with both countries

hth

[LanternWaste]

70. I think the poster is simply mocking the idea...

I think the poster is simply mocking the idea that either Europe or America has a sum-total amount of freedom more than the other as had been implied.

I imagine we read what we want to.

[paulsby]

84. not really

it is not merely an idea, it is a fact that we have more freedom of speech in the US than in france

that's not even REMOTELY arguable

*if* one understands comparative law

if i argue that france has better health care (which is an OPINION) than the US, ThaT is an opinion

that france has less freedom of speech, otoh is a fact.

the previous poster mocked such freedoms.

[misanthrope]

95. "Amurica, FUCK YEAH!!"**nm

**

[paulsby]

96. team france (tm) will be the sequel

it just has to be

[provis99]

90. American free speech is pretty limited; you can do severe jail time for death threats.

A death threat in Canada or Europe might net you a night in jail or probation; a death threat against someone in the states will send you to prison.

So get off your free speech high horse. And BMW drives are obnoxious assholes.

[aquart]

25. Not an average American, are you?

BMW!

[mr blur]

30. Guns and "freedom of speech", eh?

How's that working out for you?

Why do you need to keep and bear arms, anyway? Does it make you feel important? Macho? Is it because you're much more likely to be murdered that we are?

Arrogance and ignorance disgust me with (to borrow an over-wrought phrase) every fiber of my soul.

[paulsby]

55. it's working out great for me

ignorance and myopia bother me

so, i guess we bother each other

neato!

here's the interesting double standard

on DU it's de rigeur to negatively compare the US to any other country.

iow, a post that extols france, or europe, or whatever as SUPERIOR to the US in any (or all) matters is not viewed as arrogant, nationalists, offensive, etc.

however, standing up for the US will get you cries of "arrogant", "Nationalist", etc.

fwiw, i love france. been there 3 times.

[CTyankee]

68. Well, I think DUers probably tend to be better educated and better traveled than

most Americans...that's my conjecture. We are self identified liberals and progressives who quite often have experienced life in western European countries or at least visited and had friends there. As I have said, it is infuriating to me to listen to Americans carry on about how terrible the French or the Spanish or the Italians are because they have a lifestyle that Americans just can't understand. To hold a western European nation in contempt because it takes care of the health needs of ALL of its people is an American trait that I despise. It's arrogance about ignorance. And they don't know what they are talking about, they just parrot the Republican Party line, and they've usually not even BEEN outside of the U.S. So what you view is arrogance on DU I see as a reaction to some Americans' arrogance about places they haven't even bothered to visit -- they just swallow the lies they are told.

That is one liberal/progressive's take on it at least...

[paulsby]

83. which imo ignores the point

there are metric assloads of posts and even thread starters with a basic theme

country (or region) X is SO much

1) better
2) more enlightened
3) treats its citizens better

etc.

than the US.

those are NOT criticized.

the OPPOSITE, a post (let alone a thread) that says

the US is SO much

1) better
2) more enlightened
3) treats its citizens better

than country X, especially if country X happens to be in europe or is canada, will get sneers of NATIONALIST or other such tripe

iow, there is a ridiculous double standard.

not surprising considering the level of self-loathing

[CTyankee]

94. Wow, that is some generalization! We're a bunch of "self-loathers"!

For the most part, what I see on DU is a distinct feeling that America has great ideals but does not always live up to them and therefore, liberals get upset. And that too is a generalization but since when does criticism of our country mean we are not patriotic? No, I've never believed in that bumper sticker that read "America. Love it or leave it." Far too broad brush and simplistic for me...

[paulsby]

97. the generalization is consistent

again, it doesn't take rocket science

look at DU

look at how many posts (and even many threads) have a clear theme

country X (or region X a la europe) is better than the US

or something like "if only dumb merkuns were as smart as the people of country X"...

those are COMMON

and uncontroversial

the converse is met with derision and cries of "nationalist" and name calling etc.

that's clear evidence of self loathing

what else could explain the absurd double standard?

[CTyankee]

101. Again, argumentation benefits from a bit more specificity.

"Dumb Muricans" are parodying the super jinoistic crowd...nothing new here, remember Mencken's "boobwasie"? Broad parody has always been employed in political fights just about everywhere throughout history...

If you are specifically referring to the health care debate you can't really characterize a statement like "The French have the best health care in the world and why the hell are we not getting it too?" as anything remotely resembling self loathing. I loathe our health care system because it fails to deliver health care while its proponents falsely demean countries like France who do. People are suffering and dying for lack of health care in this country and the RW spreads LIES to gullible people. And why? To line the pockets of insurers at the expense of American citizens and I believe that is unpatriotic if not downright criminal. Far from self loathing, I think we are standing up for some solid American principles of fairness and decency. AND against shooting ourselves in the foot as a country. If we don't have a healthy populace how can we succeed as a nation? It makes no sense in terms of patriotism to want our country to fail.

When my grandson, at the age of 2, was denied health insurance because he wore glasses and GW Bush vetoed the S Chip insurance plan, I was outraged. But it wasn't at myself, it was toward the people running the government. Anger has been and will ever be useful in effecting social change. I'm doing fine and you seem to be doing fine but I won't be satisfied until we can have REAL health care for everyone. And for everyone's grandchild, not just mine.

[kctim]

48. This is the 'dirty little secret' of the US

The majority of Americans would rather, and actually do, "live like an American."

[paulsby]

56. just like the majority of french people

would rather live like a frenchman/woman

good for them. good for us

vive la difference

heck, when in france, i probably live a bit more like a frenchmen than i do here.

love france.

like i said, great people,. great surf and god knows great food

[Fire1]

64. My favorite place in the world. n/t

[Name removed]

49. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[paulsby]

57. childish response

name calling

god forbid.

you don't impress me much

(a canadian sang that)

hth

[LanternWaste]

71. Much like calling someone ignorant or myopic?

"childish response name calling"

Much like calling someone ignorant or myopic?

[bluethruandthru]

63. How nice for you....

I work for a large company. After 15 years of service my vacation time has been cut from 4 weeks to 2. Five sick days and one holiday taken away. All vacation (ten whole days) must be taken before any maternity leave is given.

I totally understand companies cutting back to save money and I'm happy to have my job...however, almost no one in the company has a temp replace them when they are on vacation. It doesn't cost the company anything when I go on vacation. I do my work before, during and after my vacation. Cutting vacation was just a way to screw the employees.

It's nice to know that some employers in this country treat their employees well.

[Heidi]

65. Have you ever LIVED in Europe (outside of a US military base, which isn't the same at all)?

We live in Switzerland. My husband is Swiss. I am American.

fwiw, i don't eat processed fat
We don't eat processed either, and we avoid natural fats, too.

smoking disgusts me with every fiber of my soul
Public smoking here is no more common than it is in the US, and tobacco is much more expensive here, due to taxation.

i drive a BMW
Volvo here. I only know one Swiss person driving an American car, and its a late 1960s muscle car.

i drink only occasionally. never more than two drinks at a time. i'm an athlete. it's not compatible to drink more than that
Bully for you. That's your business. You're more likely to be congratulated in the US than in other parts of the world, but that's due, in my opinion, to morality-cop-mindset value judgments.

i have 17 days of sick time a year
You're not a typical American. Further residents of most developed European nations would look at your 17 days and say, "Only 17 days? Not as much as you need?"

i have 20 days of vacation a year plus holiday time
Again, that's not typical in the US.

my job offers maternity leave as well as leave for fathers
Again, not typical in the US, whatever anyone claims to the contrary.

nobody at my job shuns me for not being a work-a-holic. some people work 30 - 40 hrs OT a week. i work a bout 4 hrs a month
If you work only four hours of overtime per month, that's why no one shuns you for being a workaholic. You're NOT one.

i have access to a PHENOMENAL health care plan. my employee pays 100%. i get massage, chiro, etc.
So do we, and so did I at my last job in the US. But I was not a typical American, and I don't pretend to be one on DU.

i also have MUCH cheaper gas
You might want to look into the reasons behind that fact.

much more freedom of speech
Please cite examples. I mean, if you're gonna smear a whole continent, you ought to be able to do it in more than five words...unless you're into the whole brevity thing.

cheaper food (its not even close, on a %age of disposable income basis)
Cheaper does not equal healthier, now does it?

the right to keep and bear arms
We have two registered handguns in our home. How is your right to bear keep and bear arms superior to ours?

but i'll stay in the USA , thanks
Aw, now, don't be like that. We'd love to have you _visit_.

[CTyankee]

72. I was waiting for someone to pipe up about guns in Switzerland!

Your response was quite on target.

We have extended family living in Switzerland. Their son has recently had extensive treatment for a brain tumor and is doing well. Both kids attend the University w/o tuition costs and will graduate debt free. They often take winter vacations to Malta. He is an American whose father is a RW Republican, she is Swiss. His father doesn't say too much about Swiss "socialism" since it's HIS grandkids that are benefitting...funny how things just happen...

[Call Me Wesley]

75. Glad to hear about he's doing well!

Yeah, graduation debt free ... We must be so backwards since we consider Education a public good and is largely financed by the cantons and the Swiss Confederation. Socialism, it's such a curse ...

I had to give up my freedom for it. Which means, I cannot even post this on DU. I hear them knocking on my door already. :sarcasm:

:hi:

[faithnotgreed]

87. may i say how much i love this response:

i also have MUCH cheaper gas
You might want to look into the reasons behind that fact.

(oh if we only would)

[Call Me Wesley]

73. Much more freedom of speech?

I really doubt it. Yes, if you count wearing Nazi badges as your 'freedom,' you probably won't be really happy in certain Europe countries for a certain reason. Ya know, it's like, errm, you want to have the right to go back to segregation. If that's your definition of freedom, uh wow ...

The right to bear and keep arms? As my wife just said, we have some. I think everyone in the little town we live have some. Registered, of course.

What if you get fired from Blackwater? You'll lose your PHENOMENAL health care plan. You'd probably start smoking.

[Lagomorph]

76. Glad you're happy...

...getting to that comfort level is a challenge.

[RainDog]

21. ... walk more, take public transit, live in a smaller dwelling, don't drive brinks trucks

to go to the grocery store,

have smaller friges and buy your produce a few times a week so that it's healthier,

don't eat portions the size of a mail box,

pay more for gasoline,

don't have sports teams at school,

pay school teachers very well and don't require them to major in education rather than a masters level of a subject,

learn to speak more than one language,

read about what's going on in the world outside your own country,

watch tv and film from other countries,

don't sound like a jerk because you're ignorant of the horrible things your nation did elsewhere,

support small businesses selling better-designed products,

torch wal-mart (but not Ikea)

get rid of the Puritan bullshit fundie think,

don't spend so much of your budget on the military,

support unions,

never worry about going bankrupt because of ill health, family illness,

spend time making real food and spend time eating it with people whose company you enjoy,

graduate from high school with the equivalent of two years of American college,

live with taxes on luxury items for the rich.

maybe I can start putting jars in my local 7-11s to raise money to move.

[cabluedem]

22. You missed one: No living with 50 % of the people owning guns and shooting each other to death.

[Withywindle]

32. Sounds good to me.

haven't owned a car in 16 years and don't miss it at all - but that's because I'm lucky enough to live in a big city.

everything on your list pleases me immeasurably, except I would want to set fire to IKEA too.

[WVRICK13]

33. You Mean Higher Taxes

on luxury items like a BMW? Oh, now I get it. LOL.

[DFW]

26. I do live like a European (I live in Europe) and your stereotypes miss by a kilometer

I eat little fat period, ever since my German cardiologist discovered my potentially fatal cholesterol problem.

I have never smoked, nor have my European wife or daughters, and don't intend to start now.

I drive a locally made (i.e. German) car

I do not drink alcohol at all

I take, with my American employer's blessing, all the sick/vacation time I want or need.

Same went for paternity leave 25 years ago when it mattered.

No one here cares about my work hours.

I have all the access to health care I need, but in Europe, I have to pay up front and fight with our American
insurance for reimbursement, which they always try to deny (Blue Cross is the real-life version of John Grisham's "Great Benefit")

I "moved" in 1979, get back to the States frequently.

It's all good, although if I start to civilians packing guns all over the place back home, I'm going to start to change
my long-term plans for retirement from the USA to staying here.

[HipChick]

34. +100

I was raised and born in Europe..its too easy to stick with stereotypes rather than actually know how people live...

[SoCalDem]

27. Tahitians live that way too..

On Moorea, there's a school bus that goes 'round the island, and for $2, anyone can hop on.. the benches on the bus have built-in ashtrays:)

[beac]

38. I'll be happy to move, but I'm getting a Smart Car.

Parking PERPENDICULAR to the street? So cool.

[elleng]

39. And you would WALK MORE, A LOT MORE, in 'town!'

[Bluenorthwest]

40. You might drive a Ford. Or a Renault or a BMW or a Saab

or any number of European cars. Mercedes Benz taxis and trucks, vans are all over the place. Fords sell well in some places, of course last time I was there and saw a Ford I liked, it was not being sold in the States when I returned.
Your broad generalizations are hilarious. I've not been in Europe for a few years, but you need to understand that I'm on the phone and email to European friends on a daily basis. Others here live in Europe full time or part time. I've been visiting on and off since I was a child. So you have to do better than this.
Smartcar, someone I know just bought one of those. I will agree that over the last several years, Fords were far better liked there than here. But the idea that all European drivers drive Ford cars is beyond absurd.

[bridgit]

42. Well yes, but my increased red wine intake would help to balance all that out

[CTyankee]

80. As a frequent traveller to Europe I have decided that the Italian

drinks MORE than the average American, but just not all at once...in other words, the Americans often drink in one place (binging) but the more southern european drinks a little bit in cafes during the day and evening. It probably averages out that on a daily basis if the european drinks a bit more in volume.

I think that is interesting. Altho I cannot and would not drink during the daytime in those little charming cafes and bars, I don't see people falling down drunk there either. They seem perfectly fine to me (altho I don't like their smoking in the restaurants in Spain). In fact, I have seen little restaurants where the whole family is gathered for dinner and there is a bottle on the table for the adults and the bambini are paraded thru the restaurant for admiration and praise...it is so adorable and nice, I just love it...

[slackmaster]

43. That's all very compelling - We pay enough in taxes here that we could have all that and more.

If only we'd stop wasting money on stupid wars and corporate bailouts and subsidies.

[SOS]

45. Smoke more, drink more, drive faster and...live longer.

It must be the stress of living in this country that's doing us in.

[Kievan Rus]

46. I've been thinking about moving to Europe since I was eighteen

[slackmaster]

52. I used to know a guy from Indio, California who decided to move to Paris after he graduated.

He didn't speak a word of French, and came home two weeks later.

:D

[closeupready]

59. You'd have to learn another language,

unless you consider Ireland and the UK "Europe", and many residents there do NOT.

But that aside, you'd have to find work, and that's hard enough for natives, who have family and business connections which most migrant almost certainly do not have.

But having lived there before, I did enjoy it immensely, and would do it again, if the circumstances were right.

[Fire1]

62. I'm working on it!!! n/t

[Scout]

69. no n/t

[Quantess]

74. You would do a lot more walking (or public transit or biking) and a lot less driving.

[upi402]

78. You soashlist 'mericuh hater you!

kidding! :fistbump:

[Festivito]

79. People here think we pay less taxes here. Not so, I think.

If you add what we don't tax: Retirement, Health Care, Disability, Unemployment, Sick days, Vacation days and Holidays. If you add these to our American wages and all our taxes and call it "taxes" as they do -- you find WE PAY MORE AND GET LESS.

Add it all up some day. Make the division yourself.

Then note that we don't get TRANSPORTABLE health care, retirement, disability, vacation days, sick days, ... BY PAYING MORE MONEY.

[Odin2005]

81. That's it, I'm moving to Norway...

[Lorien]

86. I'll do without the smoking, thanks

and I'm not a fan of Ford, but the rest sounds good.

[KillCapitalism]

88. It's too bad it's too hard to emigrate to those countries.

It's just not possible for your average American looking for a better life there.

With European countries, it's kind of opposite of the inscription on the statue of liberty that says "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses..."

France, Denmark, Sweden, etc. should just put signs at their borders that read "Give me your wealthy, your elite, your most educated."

[Tx4obama]

91. NOT IN ITALY

Folks in Italy use olive oil, use butter very seldom.

Just as many NON smokers in Italy as smokers. Cigarettes are expensive there too.

I didn't see very many American cars in Italy and I spent quite a bit of time here 'several times'.

Drinking wine at meals is the norm but not for everyone.

Many folks work the 'season' and when not working do not get paid.

Health care: yeah, you can stand in line and see a doctor but the 'quality' is not the same as here in the USA. You get what you pay for.

Don't expect the same normal luxuries in Italy that we have here in the USA. Electricity and gasoline is VERY expensive. Refrigerators are VERY small compared to USA fridges. Dishwashers are not as common in homes as there are here in the USA. Clothes ashers and dryers are much smaller than here in the USA. Many folks don't have dryers, ya hang your clothes up outside or in a room INSIDE on cold or rainy days.

If you want to work (even native Italians) you have to apply for a work permit.

The grass always seems greener on the other side of the fence until you are on the other side ;)

[Jennicut]

98. My Mom's family was all from Italy. It was a tougher way of life

for them in some respects...they did not have modern appliances and their way of life was definitely simpler then ours. But the simple way of life is not a bad thing, either. Many people there do not have the pressures we have here. Even now, in 2010, they don't have a ton of modern conveniences.
My Mom's family settled in NYC and then later to Long Island and Connecticut, which is where I am now. Lots and lots of immigrants came to CT through NYC. Now, they are all living a faster-paced lifestyle with tons of congestion on the roads!

[BlueMTexpat]

93. The top cars driven here (western Switzerland) are

Volkswagen Golfs, Renaults and Peugeots. With respect to Renaults and Peugeots, all makes are good sellers but the smaller models are preferred. Ford Kas were quite popular but they're getting some real competition from Fiat's smaller models now.
As for smoking, it is gradually being phased out altogether. Public administrative offices, the UN and the international organizations based here all have no smoking policies. Smoking bans for restaurants, etc. have passed overwhelmingly in recent referenda, although there are still very small die-hard groups opposing them, so the questions keep coming up for re-vote. It's really beginning to piss many voters off. Those in favor of bans keep growing more numerous.
I first moved here to work in 1994 and smoking was everywhere. I got daily headaches from passive inhalation and my sinuses kicked up hell. Now, when one lands at an airport, one isn't met by a room full of chain smokers, all puffing away. It makes everything more pleasant ... and much healthier.