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The Differences Between Germany and the United States

math-www.uni-paderborn.de

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Re: The Differences Between Germany and the United States

#141

Post by geebee »

barrkel wrote: post #140
charonn0 wrote: post #127

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The San Francisco Bay Area? That's where I live. Mono-cultural it is not. Maybe you meant another Bay Area (there are as many of those as there are bays.)

I meant relatively speaking. In London, there are many streets that all could be in different countries, right down to the script used for the shop signs. I never once saw someone in a niqab or a djellaba, for example.

Well, I'm honestly bewildered. Where did you go in San Francisco? You didn't hear Spanish, Mandarin, or Cantonese anywhere? How? I hear these languages and more, constantly, every day.

Re: The Differences Between Germany and the United States

#142

Post by [deleted] »

cutie wrote: post #136
barrkel wrote: post #125

Earlier quoted context omitted.

America's monoculture was actually one of my surprises. I live in London; going to the Bay Area and seeing the monoculture was a bit of a shock. IMO you're far more likely to hear foreign languages (foreign to the country) in Europe than almost anywhere in the US.

SF is a bit white and hipster, like the northern half of the country. Try Los Angeles, there are few gringos here, and fewer all the time.

[deleted]

Re: The Differences Between Germany and the United States

#143

Post by yardie »

yummyfajitas wrote: post #37
yardie wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One thing I observed is that both countries got less different over the years: If you look at the policies regarding the social-net, Europe has tried to become more american ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hartz_concept ) while the US has tried to become more european ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affordable_Health_Care_for_Amer... ). Countries in the EU have a mandate to bring down public debt and the easiest place…

It's ridiculously expensive to treat someone in the ER for an infection rather than them having regular doctor visits. No, it's billed at ridiculously high rates. That's not the same thing. ER docs are not paid that much more than primary care docs. The cost of treating an infection in the ER is 1 hour of a doctor's time + drugs. The cost of a regular doctor visit is also 1 hour of the doctor's time + drugs. The hosp…

When you go into an ER for an infection you know it's going to be expensive so you wait until the infection has advanced pretty far. Now it's far from 1 hour and may require many days of 24 hour monitoring. While the hospital might be expensive what are you paying for? 24 hour availability, rapid response, and knowledgable staff. Something that most GPs don't provide.

Breast exams are actually well known not to be cost effective

Please provide a citation.

The idea that early action is always better is silly.

So dying from easily treatable diseases (when they are caught) is so much better.

Re: The Differences Between Germany and the United States

#144

Post by woodpanel »

yummyfajitas wrote: post #29
woodpanel wrote: post #10

On charity: I see two reasons for these different approaches to charity: first, Americans distrust big organizations and third world governments; they fear that money they donate to global causes will trickle away in bureaucracies somewhere. Second, Germans intuitively don't feel much of a need to help local organizations or schools: "that's the government's job, that's what I pay taxes for." I think the main driver…

The German approach in my opinion does more to alleviate outcast-scale poverty. I'd be curious how this actually plays out in practice. In the US, we have a great document called the American Housing Survey. It breaks down what percentage of poor people (and non-poor people) own various goods - e.g., 75% of poor people own a car, 65% own a washing machine and 45% own their home. http://www.census.gov/prod/2008pubs/h1…

Do you know of a similar German document?

http://dip21.bundestag.de/dip21/btd/16/099/1609915.pdf (German)

It's the best that I know of that is somewhat comparable. In there poverty is defined as proportion to the average income.

Listing what poor people own is propably meant as a measure of quality of life in the US-Census document. I think that is a valid measurement.

The German document measures this quality of life different: It uses social participation as factor.

From Wikipedia (2004):

I. Member of a political party

people underneath poverty-risk-line: 1.9 %

people above poverty-risk-line: 3.8 %

II. Member of union

people underneath poverty-risk-line: 5.3 %

people above poverty-risk-line: 14.2 %

III. Takes part in signature-collections

people underneath poverty-risk-line: 10.7 %

people above poverty-risk-line: 23.4 %

IV. Takes part in demonstrations

people underneath poverty-risk-line: 1.2 %

people above poverty-risk-line: 6.2 %

and in the document

There we might have another difference between our two countries? I think both approaches to measure quality of life are valid. I would go on an say, combined they would provide a much better result.

For instance, goods in Germany are often much more expensive. And in my opinion, this is due to heavier regulations that drive up costs. I already delay purchases of certain goods to my umpcoming US trips, because I know the low prices in the US will knock me out of my socks.

I should've elaborated on what I mean by "outcast-scale poverty" - that you're endangered by your poorness.

Re: The Differences Between Germany and the United States

#145

Post by March_Hare »

barrkel wrote: post #140
charonn0 wrote: post #127

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The San Francisco Bay Area? That's where I live. Mono-cultural it is not. Maybe you meant another Bay Area (there are as many of those as there are bays.)

I meant relatively speaking. In London, there are many streets that all could be in different countries, right down to the script used for the shop signs. I never once saw someone in a niqab or a djellaba, for example.

London is one of the most diverse cities in the world. Relatively speaking, almost every city in the world is less diverse.

Re: The Differences Between Germany and the United States

#146

Post by yummyfajitas »

yardie wrote: post #143
yummyfajitas wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's ridiculously expensive to treat someone in the ER for an infection rather than them having regular doctor visits. No, it's billed at ridiculously high rates. That's not the same thing. ER docs are not paid that much more than primary care docs. The cost of treating an infection in the ER is 1 hour of a doctor's time + drugs. The cost of a regular doctor visit is also 1 hour of the doctor's time + drugs. The hosp…

When you go into an ER for an infection you know it's going to be expensive so you wait until the infection has advanced pretty far. Now it's far from 1 hour and may require many days of 24 hour monitoring. While the hospital might be expensive what are you paying for? 24 hour availability, rapid response, and knowledgable staff. Something that most GPs don't provide. Breast exams are actually well known not to be co…

Please provide a citation.

http://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/uspsbrca...

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-07-31/in-mammogram-debate...

Re: The Differences Between Germany and the United States

#147

Post by yardie »

yummyfajitas wrote: post #146
yardie wrote: post #143

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When you go into an ER for an infection you know it's going to be expensive so you wait until the infection has advanced pretty far. Now it's far from 1 hour and may require many days of 24 hour monitoring. While the hospital might be expensive what are you paying for? 24 hour availability, rapid response, and knowledgable staff. Something that most GPs don't provide. Breast exams are actually well known not to be co…

Please provide a citation. http://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/uspsbrca... http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-07-31/in-mammogram-debate...

Your link doesn't say that the screenings aren't cost-effective. It says that if you are in a certain age group these are the recommended amount you should do Annual screenings were too aggressive, not ineffective.

Re: The Differences Between Germany and the United States

#148

Post by coldarchon »

derleth wrote: post #139
Argorak wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They _could_. But in Germany, those things are reality, which shows that those groups take these matters seriously. My point wasn't that US culture is not diverse, it was that german culture is very diverse _as well_.

Also that Germany didn't exist as a unified country until 1871.

It did. That's why it was the "Secound Reich", followed by the infamous third one ..

Re: The Differences Between Germany and the United States

#149

Post by soperj »

wruce_billis wrote: post #132
soperj wrote: post #130

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The more I think about it, the more out of touch you really seem. The people you label as plenty exotic from NOLA were actually deported from eastern Canada(your "tundra") and St.Petersburg(what they've been calling Leningrad for the last 20 years) is pretty well on the Arctic circle, and yet is not part of your "tundra". (and Yes I realise that St.Petersburg isn't tundra, neither is the vast majority of Russia or Ca…

>The people you label as plenty exotic from NOLA were actually deported from eastern Canada(your "tundra")... Are we talking about New Orleans, Louisiana here?

Ya. The cajuns decendants of the acadians of Eastern Canada(present day Nova Scotia/New Brunswick). Deported by the British/Americans(who were one & the same at the time) to what is now the state of Louisana.

Re: The Differences Between Germany and the United States

#150

Post by charonn0 »

cutie wrote: post #136
barrkel wrote: post #125

Earlier quoted context omitted.

America's monoculture was actually one of my surprises. I live in London; going to the Bay Area and seeing the monoculture was a bit of a shock. IMO you're far more likely to hear foreign languages (foreign to the country) in Europe than almost anywhere in the US.

SF is a bit white and hipster, like the northern half of the country. Try Los Angeles, there are few gringos here, and fewer all the time.

SF is far more Hispanic and East Asian than white. In any case, why so racist?
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