Can we agree on the colloquial: "American"=USAian , "European"=EUian ? (And specify otherwise if otherwise?)
Stop Generalizing About Europe
71–80 of 369 posts
Re: Stop Generalizing About Europe
#72This post feels awfully pedantic. While it may not be clear to non-Americans, when Americans talk about "Europe", they're generally talking about Western Europe, not Eastern, and are excluding the UK too. They almost certainly aren't including Russia. (Just like when Americans talk about Asia, they aren't usually thinking of India.) Of course, that's geographically inaccurate -- but it's what we usually mean. The Eur…
Agree with you, $crazygringo. Most of the time, when people talk about it: Europe = DE, FR, sometimes UK, more rarely IT/CH/AT and scandinavian countries. Asia = "chinese" Asia, which is China and South East Asia. South America = Brazil
Yes, when the author makes a point to mention Russia twice, it's obvious he's being pedantic.
Re: Stop Generalizing About Europe
#73I could make an almost identical argument about the usage of terms like "Americans". The states and even cities themselves are all very different.
> I could make an almost identical argument about the usage of terms like "Americans".
I hear you and partly agree, but the comparison is a stretch.
In USA, how many hours by car do you need to find a local that doesn't speak your language?
The very same ad can easily be broadcast US-wide. Never do that in Europe (not that anyone has ever tried).
Trying to impose a law on all EU countries alone is usually unsuccessful [1]. Cultures are quite different. The feeling of being part of EU is far weaker than that of being part of your European nation. We don't say we are EU citizens. We don't watch the same thing on TV. We don't read the same newspapers. We don't have the same food habits.
My point: European countries are by far further apart than US states, and as a result, generalizations are more likely to fail.
But, sure, you do feel differently about death penalty, gun control, socialism and Mormons from state to state.
[1]: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loVjrNFJAikRe: Stop Generalizing About Europe
#74Earlier quoted context omitted.
> The Europe that Americans refer to does mostly use the > Euro, have better-distributed wealth, plenty of consumers, > and ambivalent feelings toward entrepreneurs in most of > its parts. Well, no it doesn't. Italy and Greece are extremely different to Scandinavia. At least regarding to things like temperament and culture. They are much more like Bulgaria and Turkey, though they may not really be willing to admit th…
> Well, no it doesn't. Italy and Greece are extremely different to Scandinavia. At least regarding to things like temperament and culture. They are much more like Bulgaria and Turkey, though they may not really be willing to admit that. You can't really sell to Italians by operating in Denmark. Really? As I Greek (with Italian acenstry), I really doubt this BS. Italians, for one, do plenty of business with European c…
> Really? As I Greek (with Italian acenstry), I really doubt this BS.
Well, you can doubt it, but it isn't BS, it's the truth.
I've been looking into the kitchen of a large variety of companies in size, product type, turnover and so on. The vast majority of intra-eu trade stays within the countries themselves with only a relatively small portion going to other countries, usually direct neighbours. Big trade partners within the EU are typically pairs dictated by geographic proximity (for instance the Netherlands and Germany, Germany and Poland and so on) or by the possession of some vast natural resource (eg. Germany - Russia in the case of natural gas).
Generalizing doesn't help at all because it will lead you astray every single time. Companies normally do not deal in the aggregate, they make deals one at-a-time which eventually you can aggregate. But on a case-by-case basis if you used that aggregate information as your inputs you'd get just about all of them wrong.
When in Rome...
Re: Stop Generalizing About Europe
#75Created an account just to state this: tech people please don't go into discussing politics / economics. Brits want to exit EU because of wars in the past? This is ridiculous! What about the real reasons: 1. Britain has 70% of its laws created by the EU by burocrats who were never voted into the office and can't be voted out of the office: Barroso (President of the European Commission) and Von Rumpoy (whatever his na…
> Germany has always been goods producer. UK has always been a trading nation
Yeah, why has the UK then stopped trading?
Btw., I live in a German Hansestadt, which for centuries has been trading with all the known world. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanseatic_League
The UK can't trade with the US? Haha, what a joke.
Let's face it: the UK has focused on its financial 'industry' and has sold products of questionable quality.
Re: Stop Generalizing About Europe
#76From the outside, Europe may seem more united than it is. I think that the difference between two randomly selected European states is the same as the difference between a random European state and the US.
Also I disagree, that there is a need for a stronger union. Free trade union yes, but other than that, every state should be sovereign.
Re: Stop Generalizing About Europe
#77Earlier quoted context omitted.
> The Europe that Americans refer to does mostly use the > Euro, have better-distributed wealth, plenty of consumers, > and ambivalent feelings toward entrepreneurs in most of > its parts. Well, no it doesn't. Italy and Greece are extremely different to Scandinavia. At least regarding to things like temperament and culture. They are much more like Bulgaria and Turkey, though they may not really be willing to admit th…
Louisiana is very different to California too, but that doesn't mean you can't refer to America as a general entity. Bulgaria is a beautiful country, I visited it while living in Romania. Of course all the Eastern European countries like Bulgarian, Romania, Slovakia/Czech, Serbia etc are all different, but also very alike.
Well, we are going deep down the rabbit hole now :). Please excuse me if I say lots of stupid things.
How far apart are Louisiana and California? How far apart are Romania and Bulgaria? Yet, the two USA states share the same language (at least on official level), the same currency and the same "american" culture. Neither of these is true for BG and RO. And we are neighbours, mind that. As an added "benefit", we have separate electronic payment providers (+ most of the American ones). We use Visa and PayPal when we need to pay between countries. Until recently we didn't even have a common banking accounts system. Now we have IBAN and it's a lot better. We also don't have a common postal office. If I send a parcel from one neighbouring town of BG, to a town across Danube, it becomes an international delivery, and 5 years ago used to have to pass through the customs office.
As someone else mentioned, it's much better to sell from Romania (and Bulgaria for that matter) directly to the USA, instead of trying to enter the neighbour market.
And now surprise, we are always considered about the same thing by EU officials. We were accepted to the EU together, we must join the Schengen area together, we must adopt the Euro together... It's crazy :).
So, no, if we cave to compare to CA and LA, nope, they are a lot more similar.
Re: Stop Generalizing About Europe
#78I agree with everything said here - maybe apart from the points about demographics. We know Varsavsky was referring to Western Europe. In any case, I don't think it's such a bad thing to ignore differences for a moment and do a bit of generalizing.
We end up making preconceptions and assumptions about what will and won't work in other countries. Cultural and linguistic barriers are almost being used as an excuse. This is a massive mistake we are making in Europe. There are plenty of products and/or ideas which all of Europe has had an appetite for.
Naturally, appetite for ideas/services may exist in one country more than the others. That's where you'll find your early adopters but it's not the bigger picture!
Re: Stop Generalizing About Europe
#79Earlier quoted context omitted.
No, actually, I hadn't; I'm nominally on vacation. What I'm about to say is intellectually sloppy. But Varsavsky's facts are not terribly important. His point about German startups was true at one time, and is no longer true, but his larger point about legal requirements for the workplace being strict in Europe and essentially non-existent in America is true. His contrast of personal liability for entrepreneurs in Eu…
> His contrast of personal liability for entrepreneurs in Europe with the essential absence of any such liability in America is true. In the UK an entrepreneur can set up a LTD company which limits personal liability. The EU has had limited liability for traders since 1989. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limited_liability ) > In 1989, the European Union enacted its Twelfth Council Company Law Directive, requiring th…
Yes - and, very important when we talk about the EU, any EU citizen can set up a UK LTD company, if s/he wants to.
It is true that there still are many differences in legislation between EU countries, but the EU is gradually standardizing laws in many fields.
Re: Stop Generalizing About Europe
#80America is a continent. No matter how much the people from the US call themselves "Americans" You are generalizing when you say "Americans".
Thanks