Challenging the Narrative of European Decline • Hacker News Board

Re: Challenging the Narrative of European Decline

#111

Post by dzhiurgis » Fri, Jun 19, 2026, 6:38 AM UTC

Gud wrote: post #99

dzhiurgis wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Europa has a GDP on par with the USA. Nearly double per capita. That's not "on par", that's miles away. > gas insulated HV switchgear Air is a gas ;) How much if this has to do with most lines in Europe going underground because high housing density? I know for many power outages are unheard of, while for some are normal. People don't realize that in suburbs or exurbs that are popular in US power lines are simply o…

I don’t know the ratio, cables vs overhead lines, but overhead lines are very common in Europe as well. I deliberately didn’t use GDP per capita as it’s a flawed measurement. Have a look at these lists, not many US cities qualify. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_quality_of_life_indices So you can take your GDP per capita, that’s skewed to the rich anyway, and I’ll take my happiness.

> So you can take your GDP per capita, that’s skewed to the rich anyway, and I’ll take my happiness.

Hows those grapes? Are they sour?

Re: Challenging the Narrative of European Decline

#112

Post by andor » Fri, Jun 19, 2026, 9:06 AM UTC

RandomLensman wrote: post #70

applicative wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's the reality: it doesn't get hot in the summer and it doesn't get cold in the winter. The climate is 'maritime' and moderated by the immense influence of the Atlantic/Mediterranean/Baltic. On the east coast of USA you might expect the same, but the wind is from the west and thus to some extent reproduces the savage 'continental' weather of the interior. The main body of Americans live in extremely hostile weather…

Around 40C isn't hot? Around -20C isn't cold, for example?

Europe is not a country or a single place. In central Spain, where 40 ºC is more likely, you'll find more air conditioning than in the UK, where people think that 25 ºC is hot.

Re: Challenging the Narrative of European Decline

#113

Post by nec4b » Fri, Jun 19, 2026, 7:13 PM UTC

jraph wrote: post #108

nec4b wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why would you limit yourself to only those two options? E.g. You could also have a collective system of pension funds where money you pay for your future pension would accumulate (invest) instead of pay as you go system, where the money is immediately spend by the state.

I'm sure there are plenty other options, those are the ones I know exist (there are variants). I'm not sure what benefits your proposal brings. Whenever you have an amount of money you don't spend immediately, you have to worry about inflation and investing (that's also of course true for the second option) And the first option force pensions to be in the country's annual budget. For the better and the worse.

[flagged]

Re: Challenging the Narrative of European Decline

#114

Post by vlian2088 » Thu, Jun 25, 2026, 1:44 PM UTC

piva00 wrote: post #6

pirate787 wrote: post #3

Krugman so badly wants this to be true. But handwaving away massive difference in IT innovation and in practical data like housing size and vastly greater American consumption does not make it true. Just 20% of European homes even have air conditioning. European industrial energy costs are more than 2x the U.S. Don't ignore the data. Europe is behind and falling behind at an ever-faster clip. And the strategic issues…

Air conditioning is not needed in most of Europe, no idea why that would be a measurement of economic advancement. Krugman presented arguments with data, it'd be nice to see your data that counters Krugman's argument, not a whole different set of measurements that you are defining as the basis of comparison. It's just a strawman with makeup.

>Air conditioning is not needed in most of Europe

hello, I came here from one week in the future to laugh at you.

Re: Challenging the Narrative of European Decline

#115

Post by litbear2022 » Fri, Jun 26, 2026, 5:00 AM UTC

piva00 wrote: post #58

vovavili wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Air conditioning is not needed in most of Europe Uhh... https://imgur.com/a/MTTMKDr

So you are saying AC is a need in the Netherlands for the odd week of heatwaves in a year? Installing thousands to millions of AC compressors, piping, having the grid ready for the spike in consumption when all these ACs turn on, etc. is a necessity that needs to happen because The Hague is reaching 30C for 3 days in the next week?

How are you feeling now?