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Go European: Discover European products and services

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Re: Go European: Discover European products and services

#381

Post by kergonath »

wouldbecouldbe wrote: post #380
kergonath wrote: post #362

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are. But the good thing is that all these countries get to sit around a table and talk, when there are such disagreements. And things get (mostly) sorted out in a civilised way.

Not sure if you are been to the EU. There is not table where they talk, they just compromis and ignore along the way and then the commission decides everything behind closed doors, which might be your table

A compromise implies a form of discussion. This post is internally inconsistent.

Re: Go European: Discover European products and services

#382

Post by 9rx »

ty6853 wrote: post #281
9rx wrote: post #271

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Even if you could build as you please, the labour costs still make up the large marjory of the cost of the home. There isn't a whole lot of room for the costs to come down. That is unless you destroy the price of labour... Which undoing the global economy will help with.

When I bought my land the #1 driver of cost was either covenants (basically irreversible burden written by now dead boomers in the 80s who were furious someone would build anything but a mansion next to their mobile home pig farm) or zoning. I knew I needed to build as small as possible to keep prices down, so I had to find a needle in a haystack of someplace without onerous covenants or zoning but with some way to e…

Land is something else entirely, though.

Re: Go European: Discover European products and services

#383

Post by mlrtime »

dr_kretyn wrote: post #306
DaveMcMartin wrote: post #225

It’s genuinely sad to see the world splintering into waves of nationalistic protectionism. Not long ago, we had something promising, a slow but steady crawl toward a united global community. Progress was gradual, sure, but it was real. Countries could specialize and trade freely: I’d buy your chips, you’d buy my steel, and we’d both come out ahead. It worked. Now, though, it’s all about "national sovereignty" and "in…

Maybe. But, isn't the EU a large collection of countries? Meaning that it isn't about updating the free trade of the West; it's about rejecting the US which turned into a not-a-friend seemingly overnight. As a Canadian and a European, I'm going outside my way to not buy from the US. I used to boycott Nestle but if Canadian Superstore has only Nescafe or something from the US, I'm going for Nestle.

Except that friend has been paying to defend off bullies it's entire life with little reciprocity. And when they do, all those friends give them a hard time. The US can't win here, they either meddle too much or "not-a-friend". Meanwhile the US has maxed out it's credit cards and risks paying for it's own bills. Pick one.

Re: Go European: Discover European products and services

#384

Post by mlrtime »

1over137 wrote: post #284
eCa wrote: post #282

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Understood. From my reading of /r/canada I’ve got the impression that you are further along that path. I’ve been quite impressed with the political response to the whole 51st/governor madness as well.

Canada is the canary in the coal mine. Watch it closely if you want to see what's coming for Europe.

Europe is increasing it's defense spending as it should. The whole point here is about countries paying they're fare share for defense. You want to have all the benefits of socialism without defense spending, which is easy when you know someone else will come to bail you out. I'd be pissed as well tbh, but I think it's good the EU controls their own destiny.

Re: Go European: Discover European products and services

#385

Post by mlrtime »

1over137 wrote: post #284
eCa wrote: post #282

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Understood. From my reading of /r/canada I’ve got the impression that you are further along that path. I’ve been quite impressed with the political response to the whole 51st/governor madness as well.

Canada is the canary in the coal mine. Watch it closely if you want to see what's coming for Europe.

Yet none of the Canadians stop using reddit, a US company. Easy to boycott things you don't care about.

Re: Go European: Discover European products and services

#386

Post by mlrtime »

throaway1989 wrote: post #322
rafaelmn wrote: post #131

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thats what every "support local" campaign boils down to - accept suboptimal deals because they are somehow more connected to you. I am glad to sell my services to the US and will buy their services, likewise for EU stuff if it is competitive. Besides this outrage at the US from EU perspective is mind-boggling, for the first time since I can remember US is moving away from imperialist global polices, and Europe is in…

They aren't suboptimal where I am. US products are cheaper, but they are routinely less healthy, more addictive, and poorer quality than the alternatives. Its fine if you can't afford it or don't want to pay the difference, but by and large they are not suboptimal, at all.

Ok, don't buy them? You always had that decision.

Re: Go European: Discover European products and services

#387

Post by mlrtime »

avh02 wrote: post #369
rafaelmn wrote: post #346

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not handwaving anything away, just saying that EU has blame for its weak bargaining power in this issue and that this kind of escalation creates a situation where it is politically acceptable for EU to significantly invest in military. Imagine talking about building up German military 5 years ago and contrast that to a situation where US is talking about removing military bases from there. I do not think Trump is sup…

I agree about the cheap Russian energy, but i disagree that deescalating would get you anywhere with someone like putin on the other side. I'm no politician but it's always been obvious this never stops with him. It's no longer time to roll over (though i think that was a while ago)

> It's no longer time to roll over

That should be the EU's position. I'm sure the citizens of the EU countries would pay more to equip their military with enough resources to do so.

Re: Go European: Discover European products and services

#388

Post by ty6853 »

9rx wrote: post #382
ty6853 wrote: post #281

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When I bought my land the #1 driver of cost was either covenants (basically irreversible burden written by now dead boomers in the 80s who were furious someone would build anything but a mansion next to their mobile home pig farm) or zoning. I knew I needed to build as small as possible to keep prices down, so I had to find a needle in a haystack of someplace without onerous covenants or zoning but with some way to e…

Land is something else entirely, though.

That is an insane assertion, does your house stand on a cloud without plumbing or electricity? Some places require a plan for water and septic on your land before they'll even approve a house.

Re: Go European: Discover European products and services

#389

Post by 9rx »

ty6853 wrote: post #388
9rx wrote: post #382

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Land is something else entirely, though.

That is an insane assertion, does your house stand on a cloud without plumbing or electricity? Some places require a plan for water and septic on your land before they'll even approve a house.

Realistically, I would not have been able to own my car, which is rapidly depreciating to nothing, without my land on which to park it. Are you suggesting that I should start telling people that my car is worth hundreds of thousands of dollars? I'm quite sure I'll get a lot of funny looks, and probably some angered questions from my financial associates, if I heed your advice, even if it is actually true under some sort of accounting methodology.

You are right that in practice a house requires land, but that does not mean that houses and land are the same thing. Especially given the context here about being able to build where you please, which explicitly took land constraints out of the equation.

Re: Go European: Discover European products and services

#390

Post by ty6853 »

9rx wrote: post #389
ty6853 wrote: post #388

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That is an insane assertion, does your house stand on a cloud without plumbing or electricity? Some places require a plan for water and septic on your land before they'll even approve a house.

Realistically, I would not have been able to own my car, which is rapidly depreciating to nothing, without my land on which to park it. Are you suggesting that I should start telling people that my car is worth hundreds of thousands of dollars? I'm quite sure I'll get a lot of funny looks, and probably some angered questions from my financial associates, if I heed your advice, even if it is actually true under some s…

You don't seem to understand how land works in the US. Owning land is more like a license to do certain things in a certain place. Part of that is the license and infrastructure that forms a house. Land is part of the house.

Your argument is totally disingenuous and pedantic, you will be sued for fraud if you sell a house to someone and rip out the septic system and the soil underneath the footing and make this argument. In your car analogy, a house without a deed is like a car without a title, you don't own it in any useful sense.

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