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Facing reality about the EU is a core requirement for good management

baldurbjarnason.com

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Re: Facing reality about the EU is a core requirement for good management

#451

Post by [deleted] »

Lutger wrote: post #359
llm_trw wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think there needs to be a word like "Paris syndrome" for when Americans meet actual Europeans and find out their politics. I've not met anyone who doesn't work in Brussels who thinks the EU isn't a dysfunctional pile of shit. The most spirited defense I've heard of it is "Well at least it keeps the Germans from invading again.". > The EU, it's better than genocide, by a bit - probably. -- Enthusiastic EU supporter,…

I feel the complete opposite. I think the EU is the most efficient and enlightened bureaucracy there is, and it is going to save our ass, and maybe the ass of the rest of the world too. I have more trust in the EU techno-bureaucrats than in the government of my own country. The more EU the better as far as I am concerned. The EU is awesome.

[deleted]

Re: Facing reality about the EU is a core requirement for good management

#452

Post by kbolino »

silverquiet wrote: post #443
kbolino wrote: post #441

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"You suffer because of your politics" is laundering a political statement under the guise of health. And yes, I do think mockery has become de rigeur in American politics, both left and right.

If people are indeed suffering because of their politics, is there any way to ease their suffering without making a political statement of some kind?

I think viewing things that way is akin to thinking wet streets cause rain. It is placing (often very selectively) an undue amount of agency upon a voter, whose effect on the political system at scale is essentially nil.

Re: Facing reality about the EU is a core requirement for good management

#453

Post by capr »

Beretta_Vexee wrote: post #341
ttoinou wrote: post #330

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The EU made us all poorer, it hasn't lifted many out of poverty

Go and explain that to a Romanian or a Latvian. Not so long ago, their citizens were prepared to give up everything to leave these countries. That is no longer the case. You're deluding yourself.

As a Romanian, I find this comment funny. To think that Romania improved because of the EU, not because we got rid of communism in 1989 followed by a period of wild west capitalism years before even entering EU. Most EU money in here are wasted on corruption with infrastructure projects.

Re: Facing reality about the EU is a core requirement for good management

#454

Post by seydor »

seszett wrote: post #439
seydor wrote: post #428

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Given how the Brussels controls trade with China for all the member-states, the statement is accurate.The same Commission who waves human rights flags will do all kinds of energy deals with saudi& Azerbaijan for example

The European Commission isn't one person either, actually.

I didn't say it is.

Re: Facing reality about the EU is a core requirement for good management

#455

Post by roenxi »

Isinlor wrote: post #354
roenxi wrote: post #51

I quite like the article as far as it goes; but this begs the follow up question - is the strategy working? Because for all their standards and harmonisation, the manufacturing is happening in China and the decisions are being made in North America. This should be an article about how Nokia or equivalent is approaching the US all wrong and not understanding the realities on the ground. I'd put energy in a similar fra…

On the basic premise EU is working wonderfully. It's the longest period in our thousand years history that we Poles have not had to fight Germans. We have lost maybe even 1/3 of population in wars with Sweden, 1/5 of population in war with Germany. Poland didn't exist or 123 years under Russian, Prussian and Austrian occupation. Given that as a baseline, I'm really grateful for the EU.

Maybe I'm about to display my ignorance, but until 1990 wasn't Poland under the USSR's umbrella? And the US was all but occupying Germany until ... it is almost possible to make that claim up to today. There are 50k US troops in Germany and 60k in the German army. That and the Southwestern Europeans being broken like twigs after WWII.

I don't think it is the EU that is keeping the peace; I reakoon it is the Haber process + the US more than anything else. Although if it was it is failing IMO, there is a land war in Europe right now that is at risk of fighting WWIII. And everyone is arming up again because of it.

Re: Facing reality about the EU is a core requirement for good management

#456

Post by 2devnull »

hef19898 wrote: post #350
2devnull wrote: post #263

Earlier quoted context omitted.

China can regulate more effectively than the EU. They have actual concentration camps. Look at Jack Ma. The EU has cookie banners. That’s not regulation, it’s a speed bump. Consider that the US cannot manufacture things because our environmental and labor regulations are so strict as to make it impossible. The idea that America doesn’t have regulations is not accurate. We have regulated the regulation, so it appears…

Are you actually callong for forced labor camps for certain people???

I’m saying the notion that China doesn’t regulate is ridiculous. If it is true that America leads rather than produces, it is precisely because it has embraced regulation to protect workers and groundwater.

Re: Facing reality about the EU is a core requirement for good management

#457

Post by roenxi »

ryandrake wrote: post #420
rkangel wrote: post #409

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Quote from the West Wing: "That is the problem with the American Dream. Makes everyone concerned for the day they're gonna be rich."

I used to trot this URL[1] out a lot, but it's a pretty old survey now. In 2003, 39% of Americans believed that they either were(19%) or one day would be(20%) among the top 1% of earners. 1: https://www.nytimes.com/2003/01/12/opinion/the-triumph-of-ho...

They might not be that wrong Article is paywalled, but I'd expect that a double digit % US citizens are in the top 1% globally. They're pretty wealthy.

1% is like 80 million people. That could translate to around 10% of the US. And the names of those 10% change as people earn more or less through their lives.

Re: Facing reality about the EU is a core requirement for good management

#458

Post by roenxi »

perlgeek wrote: post #414
roenxi wrote: post #51

I quite like the article as far as it goes; but this begs the follow up question - is the strategy working? Because for all their standards and harmonisation, the manufacturing is happening in China and the decisions are being made in North America. This should be an article about how Nokia or equivalent is approaching the US all wrong and not understanding the realities on the ground. I'd put energy in a similar fra…

As someone living in the EU, I'm well aware of the EU's failings, but also of the successes, and I think we don't celebrate them enough. Some things I really like: * I can travel in a wide area with just my ID card (and practically even without it), no visa or passports required * sending packages by mail is really easy and cheap compared to non-EU countries * free mobile data roaming. Not such a big deal for me (but…

I find it ironic that at the time of writing the comment before yours is the one that complains about "simping for big business" (ie, overfocusing on the benifits to the wealthy) and then your comment is mainly lauding the benefits to the people who can afford international travel.

Community discussions are odd beasts.

Re: Facing reality about the EU is a core requirement for good management

#459

Post by extraduder_ire »

ta1243 wrote: post #231
extraduder_ire wrote: post #223

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Malta uses type G plugs also. If you're reasonably familiar with electricity, you can use a europlug with a type G socket even without an adapter. (unless you count a pin/screwdriver to bypass the child gates) In fact, I have both an adapted schuko plug and an unadapted europlug wall wart under my desk right now. I should really get an adapter for the latter one though, so it can be individually fused and make better…

Personally I wouldn't be happy with a high current europlug in a type-g socket, and given that type-g electrical installations assume a fused plug it's probably not a great idea. If you had a fault you could be drawing 25A up a 3A cable without tripping a breaker.

I pretty much only do it with low-power wallwarts, and only on extension cables (fused to 13A or less) since it's easier to bypass gates on those than a wall socket. My main concern is reduced contact area from putting a circular peg in a rectangular hole. Still, I should get and use an adapter since they're cheap even if standard compliance is a bit random.

Re: Facing reality about the EU is a core requirement for good management

#460

Post by weebull »

mjburgess wrote: post #24
dkjaudyeqooe wrote: post #10

What amazes and perplexes me is that Apple thinks it can effectively play politics against the EU and that somehow their customers will back them in the face of the "consequences" Apple applies, which are pretty transparent and really quite amateurish (eg no more web apps for you!). As the article states, the first mistake Apple makes is thinking the EU is somehow like the US, but I can't see how any large proportion…

It does seem they've mistaken the general sentiment towards government regulation in europe, which is typically, "more, better". Since we have so many consumer protections, much of how we end up engaging with the law around business practices is to our benefit . We're always aware we can raise bad business practices with an ombudsman (etc.). So our lived experience of government regulation is, in large part, positive…

> So our lived experience of government regulation is, in large part, positive.

I think I'd nuance it a bit. We see it as necessary. Necessary because otherwise powerful companies take advantage I think most can point to bad places in life for government regulations, but when the opposition is more powerful than most governments you need to fight with the most powerful thing you have.

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