I'd always suspected that I WAS born in the wrong country, and this book only confirmed it. I've always preferred the European lifestyle to the US lifestyle, and I'm always happiest when I'm in France, Germany, the Bahamas, England, or pretty much any country other than my native-born land. I learned long ago that I actually prefer living in a studio - the only reason I'm in a one bedroom now is because my husband and I truly can't fit into a studio together (we're both bookworms and need the additional walls offered by a one bedroom to hang our bookcases on). We live in Chicago - we gave the suburbs outside Chicago a try, but didn't like it: too boring, and I especially hated having to drive almost everywhere. So we moved back downtown to the heart of the city, where we can walk or take the El or bus for most things.
I doubt I could endure the US even to this point were I living someplace where public transportation is more restricted or even non-existent. So for now, Chicago is probably the best compromise for living a more Euro type of life: smaller home, public transport, public parks, libraries and cafes and coffeehouses for reading (instead of ALWAYS doing those activities in one's own home).
I knew the Europeans (and all other industrialized countries other than USA and South Africa) had universal medical, but until I read this book, I didn't understand how labor is interwoven into the fabric of German corporations. Now I'm even more jealous of the Europeans than I was before. Having stayed at two jobs just to have medical insurance - even though I hated both of those jobs - I can definitely vouch that the US system of getting health insurance through one's employer DOES stunt one's life and choices, and that almost certainly means that the overall US economy suffers.
The bottom line is, the Euros DO have it better: longer vacation time, more power and more security in their jobs. The US is devolving into a "wage slave" economy. I finally started my own business as my version of a way out, but my husband's career is such that he can't really do the same, and his work hours have gotten longer and longer each year for the past ten years. While he has gotten raises, they have only JUST kept up with the increased work hours....there's definitely no net gain there for him (us).
It's a shame, as I (at age 43) really do remember when things weren't this brutal. I listen to the sound bites of politicians on TV, all proclaiming that the USA is "the best", and all I can say is, NO, the USA is NOT the best, not anymore. It was once, and it CAN be again, but the focus needs to shift from using just one measure - the stock market - and needs to start including metrics like overall quality of life for the general public instead of just the quality of life of the super rich. Sadly, I doubt that it will happen in my lifetime, or, if it does, it'll take at least another 20 years before things start to change for the better for the general public.
I am jealous that I wasn't born on the other side of the Atlantic. I know that things are getting worse over there - the right wing authoritarians are trying to wreak havoc in Europe now, too - but even so, things are still better there, at least for now. I just wish I had known all of this back when I was in my 20's; I would have made more efforts to emigrate and live there. Now, at age 43, I'm not very attractive to the Euro countries as a new member of their society, so probably our only option now is to spend our retirement years there.
If you're still young (20's or early 30's), go learn about Europe (and other countries) and try to find a way to get over there and see it first hand. Then consider strongly doing whatever you can to move there. At this sad point in the US's history, getting out is most likely your best option for having a decent life without having to work 10 (or more) hour days and living in fear of losing your health insurance if you're laid off (or not being able to afford the insane premiums charged by the "health" "insurance" companies here).
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Were You Born on the Wrong Continent?: How the European Model Can Help You Get a Life Kindle Edition
Try to imagine your life in a full-blown European social democracy, especially the German version. Free public goods, a bit of worker control, and whopping trade surpluses? Social democracy doesn't sound too bad. Were You Born on the Wrong Continent? reveals where you might have been happier—or at least had time off to be unhappy properly. It explains why Americans should pay attention to Germany, where ordinary people can work three hundred to four hundred hours a year less than we do and still have one of the most competitive economies in the world.
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherThe New Press
- Publication dateOctober 4, 2011
- File size620 KB
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Labor lawyer and Europhile, Geohegan (Which Side Are You On?) makes a passionate case for the high-tax, regulation-heavy model of life on the Continent. Using Germany as a model, he argues the middle class is the real beneficiary of European social democracy--its members reap free education, free child care, free nursing home care, guaranteed vacation time, and generous unemployment payments--while their white-collar American counterparts struggle to pay for the same. "Europe is set up for the bourgeois," writes Geohegan. "America's a great place to buy kitty litter at Wal-Mart and relatively cheap gas. But it's not set up for me, a professional without a lot of money." While he's quick to acknowledge that critics seize on labor's costs and prominence as a potential path to the collapse of the system, he's convinced of the framework in place. The narrative unspools in a chatty, anecdotal style; it's jumpy, appealingly digressive, and winning, all the more so for being such an unabashed polemic that refuses to be resigned to the rising rate of inequality in the U.S.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Review
“Most diverting… [Geoghegan] has the great virtue of being witty and ironic―and to the point… A necessary primer.”
―Jurek Martin, Financial Times
“Clever and immensely appealing.”
―Katha Pollitt, The Nation
“All dissatisfied Americans, not just progressives, should read the book.”
―Jeremy Gantz, Alternet
“A travelogue, self-discovery prose and business book all at once… written with humor and candor, making for an easy, fun read.”
―Courtney Crowder, Chicago Tribune
―Jurek Martin, Financial Times
“Clever and immensely appealing.”
―Katha Pollitt, The Nation
“All dissatisfied Americans, not just progressives, should read the book.”
―Jeremy Gantz, Alternet
“A travelogue, self-discovery prose and business book all at once… written with humor and candor, making for an easy, fun read.”
―Courtney Crowder, Chicago Tribune
About the Author
Thomas Geoghegan is a practicing attorney and the author of several books, including See You in Court, In America's Court, and the National Book Critics Circle Award finalist Which Side Are You On? (all available from The New Press). He has written for The Nation, the New York Times, and Harper's. He lives in Chicago.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Preface: I'm No “European Socialist”
I had better say: I'm no “European socialist.”
A few months ago the uproar d'jour was: is Barack Obama a socialist? Yes, he was to the extent that, like George Bush, he wanted a bailout of the banks. The cover of the February 16, 2009, Newsweek announced: “WE ARE ALL SOCIALISTS NOW.” The argument is that U.S. government spending is nearly as high as Europe's. A decade ago, the U.S. government was spending 34.3 percent of GDP, compared with 48.2 percent in the “euro-zone,” which is Europe without the UK. Now, while the Continent is at 47 percent, we have gone up to 40.
And, in fact, I think the U.S. will close the gap. But in a sense, the more we spend, the less socialist we become. For whether it is health care or education, we use the private market to pay for the distribution of public goods. In other words, we pay socialist-type taxes so that the private insurance companies, drug companies, and, yes, doctors can profiteer.
That's the crisis of our time: we're paying for European-type socialism, without getting the equivalent payback.
Still, isn't it worth it to keep capitalism?
Yes, of course, but if we took Europe as a guide, we would do a lot better at capitalism. The Germans make money off the same global economy that leaves us in hock. And the longer the hours we work to be competitive, the deeper in debt we seem to go. How is it that they are the ones who aren't in debt when they get six weeks' holiday every year?
I have to say again: I'm no European socialist. But as a patriot I would like to ask: which model, ours or theirs, is more likely to keep us out of the clutches of foreign creditors?
It's bad enough that, with the Wall Street crack-up and the war in Iraq, we are no longer a superpower. What worries me even more is that we have compromised our sovereignty. One day our creditors―China, Saudi Arabia, even Honduras, God help us―could assemble into a creditors' committee that tells us what to do.
What bothers me is that Europe does better than us both at capitalism and socialism. It's unfair that they seem to be beating us at both.
Still, I'm no European socialist. On the other hand, I think back to one of the original arguments against socialism. The case against socialism, Oscar Wilde wrote, is that it takes up too many evenings. We end up going to political meetings instead of going out to dine. But in my own personal life, I have to say the case against our capitalism, our kind and not Europe's, is that it takes up too many evenings, working late at the office, and it takes up weekends, too. What fascinates me about Europe is the possibility of having an interesting job and still leaving the evenings free.
On what continent is it easier to go out and dine?
Still, even if I could start over, I'd hate to make the choice between soaring to the top in a free-fall U.S. or putt-putting in neutral in a cozy little EU democracy. Is it possible to have a world where we get a bit of both?
In most of what follows I will be talking about the Germans. Like all of you, I deeply regret I didn't write about the French. Yet for all the lack of sex appeal, it's still Germany that presents the starkest alternative to the way we live today. It's the only country with a system that, after the collapse of Communism, continued to push for a certain very limited form of worker control.
That's only one reason why I picked the Germans. After all, I'm a union-side labor lawyer. But at the moment I also worry about the future of my country. The Germans seem to have the secret for getting out of debt.
I hope I have cleared up that I'm no European socialist. Now let me explain how I ended up in darkest Germany when I might have had my evenings free in France.
May 2010
I had better say: I'm no “European socialist.”
A few months ago the uproar d'jour was: is Barack Obama a socialist? Yes, he was to the extent that, like George Bush, he wanted a bailout of the banks. The cover of the February 16, 2009, Newsweek announced: “WE ARE ALL SOCIALISTS NOW.” The argument is that U.S. government spending is nearly as high as Europe's. A decade ago, the U.S. government was spending 34.3 percent of GDP, compared with 48.2 percent in the “euro-zone,” which is Europe without the UK. Now, while the Continent is at 47 percent, we have gone up to 40.
And, in fact, I think the U.S. will close the gap. But in a sense, the more we spend, the less socialist we become. For whether it is health care or education, we use the private market to pay for the distribution of public goods. In other words, we pay socialist-type taxes so that the private insurance companies, drug companies, and, yes, doctors can profiteer.
That's the crisis of our time: we're paying for European-type socialism, without getting the equivalent payback.
Still, isn't it worth it to keep capitalism?
Yes, of course, but if we took Europe as a guide, we would do a lot better at capitalism. The Germans make money off the same global economy that leaves us in hock. And the longer the hours we work to be competitive, the deeper in debt we seem to go. How is it that they are the ones who aren't in debt when they get six weeks' holiday every year?
I have to say again: I'm no European socialist. But as a patriot I would like to ask: which model, ours or theirs, is more likely to keep us out of the clutches of foreign creditors?
It's bad enough that, with the Wall Street crack-up and the war in Iraq, we are no longer a superpower. What worries me even more is that we have compromised our sovereignty. One day our creditors―China, Saudi Arabia, even Honduras, God help us―could assemble into a creditors' committee that tells us what to do.
What bothers me is that Europe does better than us both at capitalism and socialism. It's unfair that they seem to be beating us at both.
Still, I'm no European socialist. On the other hand, I think back to one of the original arguments against socialism. The case against socialism, Oscar Wilde wrote, is that it takes up too many evenings. We end up going to political meetings instead of going out to dine. But in my own personal life, I have to say the case against our capitalism, our kind and not Europe's, is that it takes up too many evenings, working late at the office, and it takes up weekends, too. What fascinates me about Europe is the possibility of having an interesting job and still leaving the evenings free.
On what continent is it easier to go out and dine?
Still, even if I could start over, I'd hate to make the choice between soaring to the top in a free-fall U.S. or putt-putting in neutral in a cozy little EU democracy. Is it possible to have a world where we get a bit of both?
In most of what follows I will be talking about the Germans. Like all of you, I deeply regret I didn't write about the French. Yet for all the lack of sex appeal, it's still Germany that presents the starkest alternative to the way we live today. It's the only country with a system that, after the collapse of Communism, continued to push for a certain very limited form of worker control.
That's only one reason why I picked the Germans. After all, I'm a union-side labor lawyer. But at the moment I also worry about the future of my country. The Germans seem to have the secret for getting out of debt.
I hope I have cleared up that I'm no European socialist. Now let me explain how I ended up in darkest Germany when I might have had my evenings free in France.
May 2010
Product details
- ASIN : B005OCJE56
- Publisher : The New Press; Reprint edition (October 4, 2011)
- Publication date : October 4, 2011
- Language : English
- File size : 620 KB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Not Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Sticky notes : On Kindle Scribe
- Print length : 354 pages
- Best Sellers Rank: #2,457,717 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #1,426 in Economic Theory (Kindle Store)
- #1,914 in Communism & Socialism (Kindle Store)
- #2,222 in Economic Policy & Development (Kindle Store)
- Customer Reviews:
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Reviewed in the United States on March 15, 2011
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Reviewed in the United States on September 6, 2010
As a Francophile, I have long been enamoured of the European lifestyle. It always seemed to me that they were just having a more enjoyable journey through life. Whether it be a café scene with people reading, conversing or just observing the world through a deeply-rich espresso, the wonderful hand-writing that I observed in their written work or the delight they took in everyday meals, that was what I longed for. This book helped me see how they achieve that. If the author hadn't seemed to get bogged down in the latter part of the book, I would have rated it 5 stars.
Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2011
Fantastic, eye-opening insight into the "European model" and how it offers what many of us are looking for from our society in the United States. In spite of crisis and uncertainty, Europe is doing amazing things in forging a vibrant post-industrial society for its citizenry. The author doesn't shy away from Europe's problems either, including their fiscal issues and shifts in labor policy. But overall, he leaves Americans (and others whose nations are in the thrall of the insanity of "free-market fundamentalism") a lot to think about. On a long trip a couple years back I noticed many of the same things as this author and left Europe duly impressed. A must-read!
Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2012
I preface my review with the caveat that I am open to the argument that this book purports to make, and that I was hoping that this would be the book that, without bias, tackled the subject of how European societies were different from American societ(ies). No place in this world is perfect, but surely we can get some information on some things that are quantifiably better, some things that are quantifiably worse, and some things that are just different and you might or might not like depending on your personal taste. Unfortunately, I was disappointed to find that this book simultaneously provided little information and also proved itself a chore to read, not the least of which because of the author's own fondness for indulging a somewhat whimsical writing style.
The premise of this book is, on the face of it, to make a certain point or argument. It does contain the occasional table of numbers and draws on various quantifiable pieces of data. However at the end of it all, it is unclear whether the author's aim was to inform or merely to entertain with a cutesy style.
To be direct, the author seems to struggle with the fact that the reader of his book is not able to recall events from the author's own personal life experience. While certain facts are most definitely in the public domain and the reader can be expected to either know, or look up such things, the author often references people he supposedly knows, or conversations he had in discussing social issues, as though the reader were present during the event. It has the feel of your friend turning to you and saying "Hey remember when that happened? Boy, was that a trip, you know what I mean, right?" Except the reader was not there and cannot simply recall what took place and what feelings were evoked in that moment. Another review used the word 'manic' and the characterization is appropriate - perhaps it is the author's attempt at cute and artful writing to name a person, dive right into the details of a conversation where this person exerted some influence or effect on the author's personal life, then leave this subject without explaining why the author was listening to this person's advice, and why he was so compelled by what was said. Was the author compelled because it was his girlfriend asking him to relocate, or it was just some stranger with an opinion, but he was very fond of the geographic destination?
To further explain the 'manic' characterization, the author on occasion uses sweeping, dramatic prose to heighten the emotional tone of certain parts of the book. And while this would be a great opportunity to add emotional significance to whatever argument he is trying to make, instead, there is no argument, or point, other than the retelling of an event in the author's past that he found emotionally inspiring or thought-provoking. The author is certainly entitled to discuss his own experiences, however now I must refer back to my earlier point, that minimal context is provided for as to why such things are emotionally compelling. The author goes to the trouble of saying something was personally significant, but the reader is left to wonder why. The end result is that much of the work seems over-dramatized as though the author would be more comfortable trying his hand at a screenplay or musical.
Much of the book is written as if in attempt to refute an argument, and too often the author proceeds with his counter-argument without spelling out what it is he is refuting. He uses phrases like 'they will say ___'. Who are 'They'? Is he arguing against what he perceives to be common wisdom, or rather a view held by a certain group? It is as though the book is meant to be submitted to a few individuals that the author once held a debate with, and the rest of us are playing catch-up. We missed the first part of the debate, where the other side's arguments were submitted to the author.
People in this book are named, though usually by first initial only, and usually without context as to the significance of the person in the author's life. I could pile on further with this point, but it suffices to say that if the author had a coherent point or argument to make, he largely gets in his own way as a result of his writing style.
It is true that not everyone will find the author's personal touches as obnoxious as I did. However there are better examples of how to make your points clear while still being able to inject your own personal style or whimsy into your prose. I love a smartly written argument demonstrating a good sense of humor but too often I found this book irritating. I can only wonder if during the writing process, anyone took a draft of this book back to the author with comments such as "You're going to have to explain this part some more, the reader is not going to know who you are talking about, and why."
To be fair, there are still some interesting facts in there. The book is not completely without merit.
The premise of this book is, on the face of it, to make a certain point or argument. It does contain the occasional table of numbers and draws on various quantifiable pieces of data. However at the end of it all, it is unclear whether the author's aim was to inform or merely to entertain with a cutesy style.
To be direct, the author seems to struggle with the fact that the reader of his book is not able to recall events from the author's own personal life experience. While certain facts are most definitely in the public domain and the reader can be expected to either know, or look up such things, the author often references people he supposedly knows, or conversations he had in discussing social issues, as though the reader were present during the event. It has the feel of your friend turning to you and saying "Hey remember when that happened? Boy, was that a trip, you know what I mean, right?" Except the reader was not there and cannot simply recall what took place and what feelings were evoked in that moment. Another review used the word 'manic' and the characterization is appropriate - perhaps it is the author's attempt at cute and artful writing to name a person, dive right into the details of a conversation where this person exerted some influence or effect on the author's personal life, then leave this subject without explaining why the author was listening to this person's advice, and why he was so compelled by what was said. Was the author compelled because it was his girlfriend asking him to relocate, or it was just some stranger with an opinion, but he was very fond of the geographic destination?
To further explain the 'manic' characterization, the author on occasion uses sweeping, dramatic prose to heighten the emotional tone of certain parts of the book. And while this would be a great opportunity to add emotional significance to whatever argument he is trying to make, instead, there is no argument, or point, other than the retelling of an event in the author's past that he found emotionally inspiring or thought-provoking. The author is certainly entitled to discuss his own experiences, however now I must refer back to my earlier point, that minimal context is provided for as to why such things are emotionally compelling. The author goes to the trouble of saying something was personally significant, but the reader is left to wonder why. The end result is that much of the work seems over-dramatized as though the author would be more comfortable trying his hand at a screenplay or musical.
Much of the book is written as if in attempt to refute an argument, and too often the author proceeds with his counter-argument without spelling out what it is he is refuting. He uses phrases like 'they will say ___'. Who are 'They'? Is he arguing against what he perceives to be common wisdom, or rather a view held by a certain group? It is as though the book is meant to be submitted to a few individuals that the author once held a debate with, and the rest of us are playing catch-up. We missed the first part of the debate, where the other side's arguments were submitted to the author.
People in this book are named, though usually by first initial only, and usually without context as to the significance of the person in the author's life. I could pile on further with this point, but it suffices to say that if the author had a coherent point or argument to make, he largely gets in his own way as a result of his writing style.
It is true that not everyone will find the author's personal touches as obnoxious as I did. However there are better examples of how to make your points clear while still being able to inject your own personal style or whimsy into your prose. I love a smartly written argument demonstrating a good sense of humor but too often I found this book irritating. I can only wonder if during the writing process, anyone took a draft of this book back to the author with comments such as "You're going to have to explain this part some more, the reader is not going to know who you are talking about, and why."
To be fair, there are still some interesting facts in there. The book is not completely without merit.
Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2013
I originally checked this out from my library but ended up buying it to re-read and to reward Tom Geoghegan for writing a clearly explained book comparing our democracy to a few of Europe's social democracies. The subject is presented in a very level way giving every opportunity to make a case for conservatism or 'socialism' for you to make up your own mind about taxation levels and the effective return achieved on a personal level by society, the cornerstone of a democracy. Glad I found this book, you too won't be disappointed.





