Apologies for the meme. Just felt like so god damn European today.

  • @[email protected]English
    90•2 years ago

    I know this isn’t a popular opinion, but I love what all the EU bureaucracy does for us.

    Ofc it can’t be 100.0% efficient, but why would anyone expect that, or fault it entirely for it. We should be glad we can spend like 1% of our time filling in various reports or talking with regulators or whatever - that indirectly gets us a society not run by corporations, an economy where demand is more of a driver than supply, etc.

    • @[email protected]English
      73•2 years ago

      It really shouldn’t be unpopular. EU bureaucracy might be slow, but it really does make a difference. Remember how you had to pay ridiculous roaming mobile charges if you crossed into another country? Or how you has to pay ridiculous money to transfer money between countries ridiculously slowly? Or how you had to charge that iphone with a ridiculous connector? Or how EU employment contacts stack up against US ones? Regulation works. The EU works.

      • Cosmicomical
        13•2 years ago

        Or how you had to go around with different currencies, stop at all borders with your passport etc

      • WhiteHotaruEnglish
        6•2 years ago

        And it does not only work against cooperations, but against things like surveillance laws as well. Those have been fought successfully on an European level.

      • @[email protected]English
        9•2 years ago

        Exactly!

        And regarding ‘slow’, while I agree, I also might not want them to act any quicker in a lot of situations because some systems are just really big & complex (even w/o counting lobbying from corps & foreign politics). And some systems even need to develop a best practice approach (with help/push of regulation ofc) because some bureaucrats just can’t know or predict everything. Multi-tier (eg every couple of years an upgrade to a directive) and decade-long legislation development whilst gathering data to see effects & what makes most sense to develop further … is actually efficient.

        But climate change & other ESG stuff? I would gladly have a faulty over-reaching system sooner (what, worst case some rich ppl will get less rich?) than a mildly better system later. They could easily mandate for like every company over 100 employees to employ a person/department that can perform one job only - to follow & report companies effect on environment, socials, and governance (along with future plans on the subject, owner effects, etc). And by report I mean to the regulators and general public. Would “people” complain about how regulation is only costs? Ofc, ppl like to complain (or just repeat the complains their bosses said). But I’m sure the net benefit for Europe would still be positive because ppl that have a job usually tend to get good at it. And even if not, ppl get jobs, we get statistics, and all for extremely negligible or no effect on economy (one salary lower profits for the owners on one hand, but a development of a whole new industry sector on the other).

  • @[email protected]English
    6•2 years ago

    Now, if only the same regulatory mindset was applied to industries which are strong inside the EU (like Communications, Finance and Auto) as applied to other industries.

    Notice how you can’t simply buy your car anywhere in the EU and be able to use it in any other EU country when you live there (so, no single market) as you’re forced to register it locally and pay full tax (again, since it was already paid elsewhere), or how for many things still now in the XXI century you can’t just use a bank account from anywhere in the EU locally (mainly taxes/social-security requiring local accounts, as well as local payment systems which are not open to non-local banks) or the non-existent single market in mobile comms due to government granted mobile comms monopolies or ready-made cartel situations due to per-nation “radio spectrum” licensing and no regulation forcing open-access or a similar mechanism.

    And don’t get me started on the complete total joke which was the handling of the Diesel Emissions Scandal, itself a product of a weak regulatory situation that had been put in place due to lobbying of countries like France, Germany and the UK (back when it was still a member).

    The push for a pro-consumer single market is most welcome were it happens, shame that it mainly doesn’t happen in domains were there are dominant companies based in the EU.

    The EU looks good in comparison with the US in large extent due to the latter’s disgraceful political and hence regulatory environment, but we’re nowhere near the point of deserving a pat on the back.

  • @[email protected]English
    5•2 years ago

    There does seem to be a lot to love… As an American I certainly envy your business hours and vacation policies.

    • @[email protected]English
      1•2 years ago

      Business hours as in rural California where restaurants close at 7 pm? But you are right, vacation is pretty great here…

  • @[email protected]English
    3•2 years ago

    I wonder what it’s like to be European and having your dick so far down your own throat

    Wish I was that flexible

  • @[email protected]English
    29•2 years ago

    Europa is the best. Many countries, languages and cultures and you can live, work and travel where you want. Also, the EU is doing good things for its citizens.

  • @[email protected]English
    17•2 years ago

    Let’s see how long we can laugh about America before everything is privatised to fuck because “iT wOrKs So WeLl In AmErIcA.”

    • @[email protected]English
      10•2 years ago

      Remember that the people who sell you that had to sell it to us too. They sold it over a long period but by bit, tax cut by tax cut. All in the name of small businesses and jobs. And eventually our food and drug administration couldn’t keep us safe and our infrastructure was crumbling and America didn’t work so well. Cutting costs in maintenance and investment in the future are free money until the bill comes due.

      And if we can’t convince you, look at the UK, our sibling in stupidity

  • @[email protected]English
    57•2 years ago

    As an Americam, I approve of this satire!

    Wait a minute.

    It… it is satire, right?

    As an American, I am also now confused.

    What if… what if this isn’t satire and someone REALLY thinks that being European is better than being American? No… surely it can’t be!

    America is the greatest!

    …RIGHT?!

    Hello?..

    (O_O)