Go European: Discover European products and services • Hacker News Board

Re: Go European: Discover European products and services

#311

Post by rspoerri » Mon, Mar 10, 2025, 2:55 PM UTC

dumbledoren wrote: post #298

TrackerFF wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The difference between US and Europe: - In Europe, getting funding is literally like pulling teeth. Just to get a measly hundred thousands of € in funding you're expected to provide a comprehensive business plan, financials, etc. that would rival M&A due diligence other places. In Silicon Valley you can get more funding by simply meeting the right angel investor, and providing a good pitch - done deal. - In Europe, t…

> - In Europe, getting funding is literally like pulling teeth. Because Europe was not able to print unlimited Euros to flood its economy with free cash like how the US was able to do it thanks to the reserve currency status of the dollar. But no worries - now that dollar's monopoly is ending, the American investment landscape is also coming down back to Earth. US startups and companies wont be able to burn endless a…

whats "zirp-enabled" free cash?

Re: Go European: Discover European products and services

#312

Post by wolvesechoes » Mon, Mar 10, 2025, 2:59 PM UTC

dumbledoren wrote: post #305

wolvesechoes wrote: post #198

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Only if they return Constantinople.

"Return" to whom. Byzantium was never "European", it was shunned at its time by entire Europe - by both the Catholic Mediterranean parts and the Germanic parts. The Romaioi (as the Byzantines called themselves) turned into Ottoman Rums as the empire was a multi-cultural, multi-national empire united under the banner of Ottoman-ness. The uncle of the fallen emperor, who was next in line for being the Byzantine emperor…

Byzantion started as a greek colony. Greece is a member of the EU.

But easy, it was just one not very sophisticated joke. History is always more nuanced that those who try to use it.

Re: Go European: Discover European products and services

#313

Post by MichaelZuo » Mon, Mar 10, 2025, 3:03 PM UTC

Pet_Ant wrote: post #303

MichaelZuo wrote: post #272

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This seems circular, since there are no credible authorities to decide what is “a fair share” or not, other than the political process in the first place. (And then only in the ideal perfectly spherical cow world where single issue voters don’t exist…)

I think fair can be refined to a middle class lifestyle where after working for 30 years you can have your house paid odd and enjoy the final third of your life in retirement having healthcare coverage the whole time. While nailing down all the particulars can be daunting I think the basic sketch as above is what people mean most of the time pretty uncontroversially.

Did you fully read my comment?

This doesn’t make sense as a response… you can’t gain that kind of credibility just by stating opinions.

And even if millions do so, it’s still just talk, unless consistently reflected at the ballot box.

Re: Go European: Discover European products and services

#314

Post by citrin_ru » Mon, Mar 10, 2025, 3:05 PM UTC

Pet_Ant wrote: post #232

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…

The problem was that the people that benefitted most from free trade never do the work to ensure that a fair share of the profits went to the working class who were now being displaced. If you can no longer get lifelong middleclass job with a high school diploma, but you need a degree, then the degree should be paid for by the state... or you see what you see, a race to the bottom and then a backlash.

Tariffs unlikely would benefit working class either. Benefits likely will be captured mostly by business owners (in protected by tariffs sectors) while everyone will get higher prices (which will hit peoples with low income the most). Manufacturing is more automated nowadays (than it was in the post WW2 era) so it will bring a small number of jobs (copare to the US population) and many of them will require a degree (or certfication).

Re: Go European: Discover European products and services

#315

Post by 9rx » Mon, Mar 10, 2025, 3:19 PM UTC

robertlagrant wrote: post #277

9rx wrote: post #263

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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. It worked until emotions entered the picture. "I don't like making chips. I prefer producing steel. Why do you get to have all the fun?" they've said for decades and with increasing furor. If you could move freely about the world without any restrictions so that those who enjoy steelmaking c…

> "I don't like making chips. I prefer producing steel. Why do you get to have all the fun?" they've said for decades and with increasing furor. Who says this? TSMC?

Those who don't like their jobs. Hence why Trump's "We'll bring back the jobs you like doing" messaging was so appealing to a lot of people, even if a lie.

Re: Go European: Discover European products and services

#316

Post by Havoc » Mon, Mar 10, 2025, 3:23 PM UTC

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…

> It’s genuinely sad to see the world splintering into waves of nationalistic protectionism.

And baffling that the country leading the charge on the splintering is the one with most to gain/lose.

Feels like selfharm on scale of brexit

Re: Go European: Discover European products and services

#317

Post by wyager » Mon, Mar 10, 2025, 3:25 PM UTC

1over137 wrote: post #291

mogall wrote: post #280

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't care. It's a chinese product, i refuse to take anyone who says otherwise seriously. European products are made in europe, not china.

Sure. But what is the reason sites like this are popping up? Which county is threatening to take over Greenland "one way or another"? Not China. Which country has invaded multiple countries over the last decades? Not China. Which is the lesser evil, really?

[flagged]

Re: Go European: Discover European products and services

#318

Post by lentil_soup » Mon, Mar 10, 2025, 3:33 PM UTC

rspoerri wrote: post #309

carlosjobim wrote: post #231

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why don't they compete outside of Switzerland?

They started recently: https://www.galaxus.at/ https://www.galaxus.de/ https://www.galaxus.it/ https://www.galaxus.fr/ Digitec is not available outside Switzerland, as it's the old franchise name which would have been dropped in Switzerland as well, if it wasn't so well known. But Galaxus has all items of Digitec anyway. I can highly recommend it, a very nice interface and I had very good customer support over the la…

wow, didn't know about Galaxus, that's great sorting and sensible filters for things (only looked at dehumidifiers). Will keep it in mind in the future. Amazon is just a big mess of bad UX, impossible to compare things and find what you need

Re: Go European: Discover European products and services

#319

Post by lentil_soup » Mon, Mar 10, 2025, 3:37 PM UTC

zppln wrote: post #84

Yeul wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you walk into a European supermarket, fashion store or MediaMarkt there is very little coming from the US. The giant container ships are coming from the East not the West.

Sure. My microwave from 1988 is about the only thing made in the US in my home (interstingly an Electrolux). However, every purchase I make is with a Visa card. Most services I use are American. And as I'm typing this... anyone know a European alternative to SwiftKey? :P

Electrolux is Swedish though. Or you mean it was actually built in the US but sold by Electrolux?

Re: Go European: Discover European products and services

#320

Post by bigfudge » Mon, Mar 10, 2025, 3:40 PM UTC

t43562 wrote: post #254

bigfudge wrote: post #219

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But we have huge economic dependence which could also be used. We need to wean ourself off the Chinese supply chain. This will take decades, but the lesson here is that it will be used against us in future. Europe is big enough as an internal market to sustain a good quality of life for the majority of the population — even if our 1% are disadvantaged relative to those in US, Russia. We have the capital and resources…

I understand that but what's nagging at me is this: I think civilisation is about building dependence really. Civilisation is organising in larger and larger groups - everyone becoming more dependent on each other and having laws and so on to resolve problems instead of fighting. .....so somehow, for the sake of making Star Trek and all those wonderful science fiction stories possible.....we have to get that dependen…

That sounds great. I'm just not sure it's compatible with current nation states.

As a first step we could perhaps agree that individual people could come and live in Europe and participate in our democracy?

I think physical presence is actually quite a good precondition for participation. At least people physically present have some skin in the game.

With a transition period, I'm not sure I'd have a big problem cutting many other links with non-democratic countries. I agree with your ideals but all evidence is that trading and communication links and other sources of interdependence will be abused. We need to have policies which respond to that.