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World’s happiest countries: Here’s why U.S. slipped in new report

TU Curmudgeon said:
The "rating" system that I use is


If you divide the world's political spectrum into seven general categories "Far Left", "Left", "Left Center", "Center", "Right Center". "Right", and "Far Right" then divide each of those categories into " - ", "neutral", and "+" so that your scale now runs from "Far Far Left -" [equaling 1] to "Far Far Right +" [equaling 21]. For simplicity, think of the divisions as

1. “Far Left” (1, 2, &3),
2. “Left” (4, 5, & 6),
3. “Left Center” (7, 8, & 9),
4. “Center” (10, 11, & 12),
5. “Right Center” (13, 14, & 15),
6. “Right” (16, 17, & 18) and
7. “Far Right” (19, 20, & 21).

When you use that scale then:

• Canada’s “New Democratic Party” probably comes in around an “8” or “9” (sort of “[Moderate to Conservative] Left Center”) ; and
• Canada’s “Liberal Party” probably comes in around an “11” or “12” (sort of “[Center to Conservative] Center”); and
• the "Libertarians" probably coming in around "12" to "13" (on the "Center" - "Right Right" border); and
• Canada’s “Conservative Party” probably comes in around a “13” or “14” (sort of “[Progressive to Moderate] Right Center”); and
• the Democrats probably come in around "14" to "15" (sort of “[Moderate to Conservative] Right Center"); and
• the Republicans probably come in around "16" to "17" (sort of “[Progressive to Center] Right"); and with
• the T.E.A. Party probably coming in around "17" to "18" (sort of “[Center to Conservative] Right".

The vast majority of world politics is probably in the "7" ("Progressive Center Left") to "15" ("Conservative Center Right) range.

[NOTE – “Kleptocracies” and “One-Man-Band” governments don’t really have “politics” as we generally consider them to be.]
​
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my definition of European center left :

i support what other first world countries have been doing for decades, with emphasis on looking at improving those systems and custom fitting them to the US. also, debt free college.
 
OlNate said:
Good grief, TAAC...you've boiled down all of this to racial diversity = unhappiness? You're ignoring miles of variables in economics and culture, in all your examples. You really shouldn't be so dismissive of BH.

Canada gets made fun of all the time for it's inclusiveness and politeness. Despite having issues of racism here, we are constantly moving towards a better track record of political correctness and civil rights success, and Toronto is the most diverse city in the world, and has been for years:

2003 article: Toronto most ethnically diverse in North America - The Globe and Mail

2017 article: Toronto Named The Most Diverse City In The World By BBC Radio

We're #9 in happiness. Your analysis needs work, bud.
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You provided 2 links which attest to the diversity level of Toronto- yes, Toronto is diverse. I think we can agree there.

But does diversity play a role in increasing or decreasing the happiness of people? Well, your unsourced claim that Toronto ranks 9th was something I looked into, and it turns out you're wrong. Not merely wrong, but dead wrong.

"Toronto and Vancouver ranked at the very bottom of Canadian cities in a 2015 happiness ranking from Statistics Canada.

Money really isn’t everything: The surprising new ranking of Canada’s happiest - and most miserable - places to live - The Globe and Mail


Even within Toronto itself, the happiest neighborhoods are also the least diverse.

"In Toronto, for instance, the happiest neighborhood is a swath of the city’s midtown, encompassing posh neighborhoods such as Rosedale, Leaside and Moore Park."

Key demographics of Toronto's happiest neighborhoods, contrasted with the city as a whole:

1. Rosedale and Moore Park-18% minority residents, as opposed to Toronto's 51% minority residents.

2. 82% of residents in Rosedale and Moore Park are white, as opposed to 49% white for Toronto. (By the way, Toronto's happiest neighborhoods are 10% higher in whites than Canada as a whole.)

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...FjAKegQIAhAB&usg=AOvVaw12YBo6oY8ZRYRP1lhK_VtY

Demographics of Leaside contrasted with Toronto as a whole:

1. 17.6% minority residents, as opposed to Toronto's 51%.

2. 82.4% white residents, as opposed to Toronto's 49%.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...FjAAegQIAxAB&usg=AOvVaw2foEPlSHr9nCF2pidLEmsL


Now I know your first response is going to be that Toronto's happiest neighborhoods are financially better off than its miserable neighborhoods. But research from the first study I linked disproves the notion that money is the deciding factor in determining happiness, (which, duh, everyone should know by now) by the fact that Toronto and BC score well below rural Canadian towns with less income.

Finally, Harvard University researcher Robert D. Putnam has already concluded rather definitively that diversity doesn't bring about happiness, it actually brings about the opposite-

"...more diversity in a community is associated with less trust both among and within ethnic groups. Putnam describes people of all races, sex, socioeconomic statuses, and ages as "hunkering down", avoiding engagement with their local community as diversity increases."

Putnam waited nearly 6 years to publish his findings, due to being terrified of the results, which he was clearly not seeking, or expecting. The initial motive behind Putnam's research sprang from his belief that a comprehensive study into diversity would prove the opposite of the results he actually found.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_D._Putnam
 
RetiredUSN said:
I never said anything about employment overseas......you just injected this because you have zero truth in your argument. I also know that America has it's own warts, so that nonsense of yours is BS too.

Come to think of it, most of yours posts are anyways.
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Yes you did. You implied because the rest of the world has liberal concepts implemented like UHC, paternity leave, affordable college, that nobody is working.

RetiredUSN said:
Same ole whiny ass liberal mantra.

Gimme free ****.

Get out an get a job.
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That's a pretty lame ass way to dismiss the fact that America is 19th in happiness. Mayne we have a few things to learn.
 
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TU Curmudgeon said:
From The San Jose Mercury News

World’s happiest countries: Here’s why U.S. slipped in new report
​

HELSINKI, March 20 (Reuters) – Finland topped the ranking of the world’s happiest countries for the second year in a row, with the Nordic countries taking the leading spots, an annual survey issued on Wednesday showed.

South Sudan came last in the U.N. Sustainable Development Solutions Network’s 2019 World Happiness Report.

It ranked 156 countries according to things such as GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, social freedom, generosity and absence of corruption.

Taking the harsh, dark winters in their stride, Finns’ happiness is boosted by access to nature, safety, affordable childcare, free education and heavily subsidized healthcare.

The top 10 was again dominated by the Nordics, with Denmark, Norway and Iceland taking the other leading spots followed by Netherlands, Switzerland, Sweden, New Zealand, Canada and Austria. The United States dropped one place to 19th.

COMMENT:-

I wouldn't worry about being 19th out of 156. After all that's still in the top 1/8th.

However, the whole report might be interesting to some people and there is a link to it in the article.

PS - The reason for the drop is NOT "Donald John Trump".

PPS - Did you know that 60% of the top 10 countries are monarchies?
​
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Depends on how you define happiness. If happiness is having lots of guns, then we’re number one!

“Happiness is a Warm Gun” — John Lennon
 
MauiMan said:
Depends on how you define happiness. If happiness is having lots of guns, then we’re number one!

“Happiness is a Warm Gun” — John Lennon
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It's probably my favorite Beatles song, and I'm a huge Beatles fan. That thing must have sounded revolutionary in '68- I think the Monkees were still a thing in '68.
 
truthatallcost said:
{snip cuz I plan to answer you at length}
Canada is 9th. Canada. And we don't lock all our non-white folks in Toronto and Vancouver...lol... Though the cultural diversity is a draw for tourism and out of town business, so maybe those cities would like to...hehe... I live in a village of around maybe 500, and we have every continent represented.

I know it's tempting to look at statistics and draw correlations, but you have to be a little more disciplined. The fact that Toronto and Vancouver are the least happy places in the country (though I would love to see that broken out by income bracket) has nothing to do with the cultural makeup of those places.

You jump in front of the obvious explanation, that it has to do with income, and suggest that other places in the country are much happier at lower incomes. However, I moved out of the city specifically due to the cost of living there. I took a 20k cut to my paycheck to live in rural Ontario, and I'm still way out ahead, due to the fact that the house that would have cost me $750 000 in the city cost me $235 0000 in the country. I also don't have a $350 a month toll expenditure in my budget (look up the 407 toll rate breakout, if you doubt that). My insurance costs less. My commute is twice as far, but about the same time, because I'm not stuck in traffic - I'm looking at hills and trees and lakes on my way into work. Also, my kid is going to a school where there is, on average, 6-8 less kids per class than in the city. My wife was able to start her own business because we had the financial flexibility for her to make less out of the gates - not so in the city, where we needed every penny we made, and barely had any left over at the end of the month.

In fact, the diversity is about the only thing we miss about the city...well, that and decent high speed internet...hehe... There's been a number of people that have done the same as us - families with younger kids, getting out of the city. When we get together, we all agree life is better in the country, no question … but inevitably someone always says "But, DAMN, it's white out here". And no one hollers "hell yeah!"...lol...

And of course new citizens tend to group together. It's natural to find people you are comfortable with, have the same first language as, and therefore can network with in order to get settled. Cool thing, though, in the cities you mentioned a lot of these ethnic communities have great festivals that bring everyone into these areas.

Nah, man, sorry, nothing about what you say makes any sense to someone who lives here. :shrug: That's not to say we don't have our racists - hell, we have them represented on this forum. But there is so much to why people are miserable in the cities, almost all of it having nothing to do with diversity. If one has such a big issue being around people who are different than them, to the point that it would take away from their happiness, they should feel free to find a big empty plot of land to live on, where they can be as xenophobic as they like. Thankfully big empty plots of land are pretty easy to find up here as well. :)
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truthatallcost said:
1. Rosedale and Moore Park-18% minority residents, as opposed to Toronto's 51% minority residents.

2. 82% of residents in Rosedale and Moore Park are white, as opposed to 49% white for Toronto. (By the way, Toronto's happiest neighborhoods are 10% higher in whites than Canada as a whole.)
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:lamo sorry, one more thing. Your post says "it has nothing to do with money", yet the two communities posted as being "most white" and "most happiest" are also two of the "most rich in Toronto" neighborhoods... lol You really ought to do a little more research before you attempt to school someone on their own stomping grounds. Have you ever even been to Toronto? Canada?

Go on with ya... ;) :lol:
 
Verax said:
Fins are just happy from all that fresh air and sunshine they get from raking.
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I'm not Finnish, but fresh air, sunshine and raking brings me a sense of peace not available on the internet.
 
Helix said:
my definition of European center left :

i support what other first world countries have been doing for decades, with emphasis on looking at improving those systems and custom fitting them to the US.
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Not all that bad a definition, albeit short on specifics.

Helix said:
also, debt free college.
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Having had some experience on the Board of Governors of a major Canadian university, I have some difficulty with "debt free college" UNLESS the person proposing it tells me how they intend to finance it.

Only, around, 10% of the people who attend universities actually increase their income enough so that the additional tax revenue that they flow back into the system is enough to actually cover the "state subsidized" portion of the cost of their university education. Mind you, those 10% actually end up covering the "state subsidized" portion of ALL of the other people who went to university.

Now if you want to suggest something like an NON-CANCELABLE liability to pay a "tax surcharge" of something like 1.5% of GROSS income per year of post-secondary education (i.e. the "deferred tuition" for a 4 year degree [for example, a BA] would be 5% and for an 8 year degree [for example, an MD] would be 10%), I'd be more than willing to consider not charging the students for their education up front (when that education might actually not prove to be any benefit to the student at all).
 
MauiMan said:
Depends on how you define happiness. If happiness is having lots of guns, then we’re number one!
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It is true that the "number of guns per capita" in the US is on the rise.

It is true that the "percentage of Americans who own guns" is on the decline.

How is that possible?

Those who own guns are owning more guns per person at a faster rate than the general population is stopping buying guns.
 
truthatallcost said:
In fact, the diversity is about the only thing we miss about the city...well, that and decent high speed internet...hehe...
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Had the same problem here, but when I checked the basement of my igloo, I found that the rawhide string that connected my computer to the Internet had gotten damp and slack. Dried it out by burning a couple of gallons of Maple Syrup/Poutine mix and things really improved.
 
OlNate said:
:lamo sorry, one more thing. Your post says "it has nothing to do with money", yet the two communities posted as being "most white" and "most happiest" are also two of the "most rich in Toronto" neighborhoods... lol You really ought to do a little more research before you attempt to school someone on their own stomping grounds. Have you ever even been to Toronto? Canada?

Go on with ya... ;) :lol:
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What most Americans don't realize is that "Toronto" is an essential unifying force for all of Canada - EVERYONE (except the people who live in Toronto) dislikes it.
 
TU Curmudgeon said:
It is true that the "number of guns per capita" in the US is on the rise.

It is true that the "percentage of Americans who own guns" is on the decline.

How is that possible?

Those who own guns are owning more guns per person at a faster rate than the general population is stopping buying guns.
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Who gives a ****?
 
truthatallcost said:
1.) Oh no J, I believe you're mistaken.
2.) The starting quarterback of the Raiders said that the coaching staff was trying to lose games on purpose.
3.) They are indeed factually retarded my friend.
4.) It's far past my usual bedtime, but luckily I have the rest of the week off. You will not win this debate!
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AGENT J said:
1.) again it has nothing to do with me im simply going by facts and definitions, again we are aware this is a topic you dont understand.
2.) meaningless to facts and definitions
3.) nothing you posted supports your clalim
4.) awesome! i look forward to it. Your record of 0 - lifetime against facts and it will be yet another hilarious ownage of your retarded lies :) In fact would you like to make a bet on this? you lose you never post again, i lose ill never post again. Bet?
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truthatallcost said:
Who decides who is factually the winner?
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AGENT J said:
easy, facts and definitions . . nothing else can LMAO
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truthatallcost said:
We need a judge. Where's Bucky - he can be the decider, he's a football fan.
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AGENT J said:
LMAO i knew you'd be too scared. The dictionary is the judge, Take the bet or wuss out like i knew you would :)
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truthatallcost said:
Do teams play games without a referee? Hello? Now you sayin the dictionary can talk back to you. This place has sho gone crazy!
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AGENT J said:
Translation: you are scared just like i said and are wussing out LMAO thats what i thought!
ONce again your lies get destroyed and go down in flames, I love it!:2wave:
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Crickets!!!
 
TU Curmudgeon said:
Not all that bad a definition, albeit short on specifics.



Having had some experience on the Board of Governors of a major Canadian university, I have some difficulty with "debt free college" UNLESS the person proposing it tells me how they intend to finance it.

Only, around, 10% of the people who attend universities actually increase their income enough so that the additional tax revenue that they flow back into the system is enough to actually cover the "state subsidized" portion of the cost of their university education. Mind you, those 10% actually end up covering the "state subsidized" portion of ALL of the other people who went to university.

Now if you want to suggest something like an NON-CANCELABLE liability to pay a "tax surcharge" of something like 1.5% of GROSS income per year of post-secondary education (i.e. the "deferred tuition" for a 4 year degree [for example, a BA] would be 5% and for an 8 year degree [for example, an MD] would be 10%), I'd be more than willing to consider not charging the students for their education up front (when that education might actually not prove to be any benefit to the student at all).
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the way i look at it is that we're already paying for a lot of it on the backend. when you look at who is collecting social aid, it's largely those who didn't go to college. while that alone wouldn't pay for it, there would most likely be significant savings if college is almost as accessible as high school. remember, a little more than one hundred years ago, high school for all was probably somewhat controversial.
 
RabidAlpaca said:
I get 6.5 weeks of paid vacation a year, about a dozen paid holidays, up to 14 months of paid paternity leave when we have a baby, my bachelors and masters cost less than 1000 euro total, and I pay about 300 euro (~340 USD) a month for full health and dental coverage for my entire family. I'm happy, my tax burden is reasonable and I don't know why so many Americans don't want these things.
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Because conservative politics is a religion that the adherents don't even expect to make sense. That's why. They're a bunch of McCarththys, always looking for someone to blame for their own incompetence.

They assure the defeat of socialist ideas by associating them with the downfall of nations. Never mind that they simultaneously inflate the debt to give huge gifts to fascists. No, socialism is the problem here. Yeah, that's it...that's the ticket!
 
Helix said:
the way i look at it is that we're already paying for a lot of it on the backend. when you look at who is collecting social aid, it's largely those who didn't go to college. while that alone wouldn't pay for it, there would most likely be significant savings if college is almost as accessible as high school. remember, a little more than one hundred years ago, high school for all was probably somewhat controversial.
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Admittedly one hundred years ago "high school for all was very controversial".

Equally, one hundred years ago any high school graduate was functionally literate.

Currently approximately 32,000,000 Americans are "functionally illiterate" and a goodly percentage of them are high school graduates.

That "Each year, many students graduate from high school and enroll in college only to find out they do not place into college-credit English classes. In some states, up to 90 percent of students are placed in remedial English after assessment tests." indicates that simply expanding the number of students enrolling in post-secondary education courses isn't likely to actually do much good (except for those who teach "Remedial English" [or "Remedial Math"]).

Someone who has graduated from high school may very well be able to figure out the menu at McDonald's without having sufficient grasp of English to be able to understand a written explanation of how a light switch works. The same person may well be able to work cash in a checkout line without actually being able to be able to read prices or calculate change, but would have "a bit" of difficulty solving some of the arithmetic problems in Harvey's Essentials of Arithmetic.

Education is a bit like a bucket, you can only put as much in as the bucket is capable of holding and, much as it distresses some people, NOT everyone is capable of putting 10 gallons of milk into the size of bucket they have.
 
RabidAlpaca said:
I get 6.5 weeks of paid vacation a year, about a dozen paid holidays, up to 14 months of paid paternity leave when we have a baby, my bachelors and masters cost less than 1000 euro total, and I pay about 300 euro (~340 USD) a month for full health and dental coverage for my entire family. I'm happy, my tax burden is reasonable and I don't know why so many Americans don't want these things.
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No idea what country you are in.
When I was stationed in Germany at Christmas many employees received a bonus that was approx up to 4 weeks pay????

Friends lived in the next building. Married, he was Canadian,she was German
She became pregnant, and her Doctor made house calls.
 
OlNate said:
The fact that Toronto and Vancouver are the least happy places in the country (though I would love to see that broken out by income bracket) has nothing to do with the cultural makeup of those places.
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Natives of BC were featured in media stories complaining about not being able to afford to live in the city they were born, because of Chinese people buying up huge amounts of real estate, and only renting to other Chinese people. The stories detailed how Chinese landlords publish ads online in Chinese, so that English speakers don't answer the ads. This is but one example of dozens that show the effects of multiculturalism on your cities.

You jump in front of the obvious explanation, that it has to do with income, and suggest that other places in the country are much happier at lower incomes.
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But unhappiness due to monetary problems primarily effects people who are below the poverty line, where affording basic necessities like healthy food, providing for your kids, or living in a safe, decent neighborhood is unattainable.

Many people may blame their unhappiness on income disparities, or not having lots of money, but that's often an excuse used to cover up some other problems that are the real source of their unhappiness.

However, I moved out of the city specifically due to the cost of living there. I took a 20k cut to my paycheck to live in rural Ontario, and I'm still way out ahead, due to the fact that the house that would have cost me $750 000 in the city cost me $235 0000 in the country. I also don't have a $350 a month toll expenditure in my budget (look up the 407 toll rate breakout, if you doubt that). My insurance costs less. My commute is twice as far, but about the same time, because I'm not stuck in traffic - I'm looking at hills and trees and lakes on my way into work. Also, my kid is going to a school where there is, on average, 6-8 less kids per class than in the city. My wife was able to start her own business because we had the financial flexibility for her to make less out of the gates - not so in the city, where we needed every penny we made, and barely had any left over at the end of the month.
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That's great. But that's still your personal experience, and not indicative of the overall situation.

In fact, the diversity is about the only thing we miss about the city...well, that and decent high speed internet...hehe... There's been a number of people that have done the same as us - families with younger kids, getting out of the city. When we get together, we all agree life is better in the country, no question … but inevitably someone always says "But, DAMN, it's white out here". And no one hollers "hell yeah!"...lol...
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'We all agree life is better here'- social cohesiveness.

'But then someone says "DAMN it's white out here"- let me guess... that person is usually you, right? And the others awkwardly laugh, because you've all had the same race-shaming public education experience.

And of course new citizens tend to group together. It's natural to find people you are comfortable with, have the same first language as, and therefore can network with in order to get settled. Cool thing, though, in the cities you mentioned a lot of these ethnic communities have great festivals that bring everyone into these areas.

Nah, man, sorry, nothing about what you say makes any sense to someone who lives here. :shrug: That's not to say we don't have our racists - hell, we have them represented on this forum. But there is so much to why people are miserable in the cities, almost all of it having nothing to do with diversity. If one has such a big issue being around people who are different than them, to the point that it would take away from their happiness, they should feel free to find a big empty plot of land to live on, where they can be as xenophobic as they like. Thankfully big empty plots of land are pretty easy to find up here as well. :)
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The Harvard researcher's study didn't say that only newcomers huddle together in diverse neighborhoods, he said everyone does, regardless of background. The study also said that trust amongst neighbors evaporates in diverse places. So no, it's not just those darn white xenophobes isolating themselves because of their racism, it turns out that every race and ethnicity does.

Liberals want to portray diversity in a completely unrealistic manner, similar to TV commercials that show a group of friends out at a restaurant dining, and one guy is black, his girlfriend is white and blonde, another friend is Asian, and his wife is Latina, the waiter is transgender, and everyone has big smiles on their faces, showing how amazing diversity is. Scenes like this are non-reality though in most of real life.
 
TU Curmudgeon said:
Only those who care about reality.
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Let me rephrase so you can understand: No one gives a **** about your mindless post on how some people are accumulating guns. Doesn’t matter in anyone’s reality except yours.
 
OlNate said:
:lamo sorry, one more thing. Your post says "it has nothing to do with money", yet the two communities posted as being "most white" and "most happiest" are also two of the "most rich in Toronto" neighborhoods... lol You really ought to do a little more research before you attempt to school someone on their own stomping grounds. Have you ever even been to Toronto? Canada?

Go on with ya... ;) :lol:
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Money does not create happiness. Happiness is a product of being fulfilled in life, and money does not buy happiness, sorry. I don't believe causation has ever been found between money and happiness either. Thailand is known for 'the smiling people', a phrase that reflects the happy, good natured Thais, who don't often have much money, but belong to a community with similar people from similar backgrounds. These people make a fraction of the amount that the average American does, yet suicide is uncommon, drug use is rare, and people from around the world come to Thailand to appreciate their country and culture. They're rich in happiness, but not financially rich. Contrast this with South Africa, where the people are both not rich, and not seemingly very happy. As a consequence, no one wants to visit South Africa anymore. It's a ****hole.

Iceland is both well off, compared with Thailand and South Africa, and one of the happiest countries on earth. Iceland has low crime, friendly people, beautiful nature scenery....and little to no diversity. If Iceland were to become 25% white, 25% black, 25% Asian, and 25% Arabic, it would absolutely ruin Iceland as a happy, prosperous country. Tourism would dry up, and crime would increase enormously. That's just the reality of things.
 
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RabidAlpaca said:
Yes you did. You implied because the rest of the world has liberal concepts implemented like UHC, paternity leave, affordable college, that nobody is working.



That's a pretty lame ass way to dismiss the fact that America is 19th in happiness. Mayne we have a few things to learn.
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Some lacky opinion piece........... and of course you lap it right up just like any good angry liberal.

You can shove maternity leave up where the sun doesn't shine along..... with all the other BS that you didn't earn.
 
JANFU said:
No idea what country you are in.
When I was stationed in Germany at Christmas many employees received a bonus that was approx up to 4 weeks pay????

Friends lived in the next building. Married, he was Canadian,she was German
She became pregnant, and her Doctor made house calls.
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It's Germany. I was also stationed here and met my wife, ended up staying because she wanted to. At my company, and this is very common, your paycheck for the year is split into 13 paychecks. At the end of November you get two paychecks, the second is supposed to be "Christmas pay" for presents and stuff like that. Additionally, if the company is doing well we get a bonus that is about the size of a monthly paycheck. So the first 13 are just my yearly paycheck split up differently and the last one is a real bonus.

And yes, house calls are pretty common here, especially for the elderly and bed ridden. When my old dog fell very sick and couldn't move, our vet made a house call so that we could say goodbye to him in the comfort of our own home.

All in all its a very comfortable society with a very high standard of living.

RetiredUSN said:
Some lacky opinion piece........... and of course you lap it right up just like any good angry liberal.

You can shove maternity leave up where the sun doesn't shine along..... with all the other BS that you didn't earn.
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What are you talking about "earning"? I work hard in a highly paid engineering job, I pay my taxes, pay my health insurance premium, and I get a lot more than you do for much cheaper. You're just trying to convince yourself you're not being ****ed when you are.

I'll enjoy my 6.5 weeks of vacation a year my job offers me as a perk while most Americans might get 2 weeks if they're lucky. Next year when my wife and I have a kid I'll enjoy taking many months off to focus on my family. I earned every bit of it, chief. You sound bitter as hell.
 
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RabidAlpaca said:
It's Germany. I was also stationed here and met my wife, ended up staying because she wanted to. At my company, and this is very common, your paycheck for the year is split into 13 paychecks. At the end of November you get two paychecks, the second is supposed to be "Christmas pay" for presents and stuff like that. Additionally, if the company is doing well we get a bonus that is about the size of a monthly paycheck. So the first 13 are just my yearly paycheck split up differently and the last one is a real bonus.

And yes, house calls are pretty common here, especially for the elderly and bed ridden. When my old dog fell very sick and couldn't move, our vet made a house call so that we could say goodbye to him in the comfort of our own home.

All in all its a very comfortable society with a very high standard of living.



What are you talking about "earning"? I work hard in a highly paid engineering job, I pay my taxes, pay my health insurance premium, and I get a lot more than you do for much cheaper. You're just trying to convince yourself you're not being ****ed when you are.

I'll enjoy my 6.5 weeks of vacation a year my job offers me as a perk while most Americans might get 2 weeks if they're lucky. Next year when my wife and I have a kid I'll enjoy taking many months off to focus on my family. I earned every bit of it, chief. You sound bitter as hell.
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I laugh.....

You're the one bitching about everything American.
 
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