I have 500€ in my bank account, 3k debt and 30 years of work left ahead of me and I take a lot of idle time in cafes or trains or the park. I don't see the issue.

The sooner one realizes that working hard isn't the key to life the sooner one realizes you'll have plenty more time. If you get something out of working hard, like joy, sure go ahead. But dont lie to yourself and think that working hard will actually ever pay off.

I do not earn enough to ever afford a house without going into debt for the rest of my life. As long as I can afford a cheap place, one new book a month and a hot shower in the morning I am content with never owning anything. As thats the world all the "hard working" people shoved us into.

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johnnyanmac 3 days ago | parent | next [-]

>I take a lot of idle time in cafes or trains or the park. I don't see the issue.

Well, it sounds like you're not american. You have trains to use and clean parks, for one. That's nice.

>The sooner one realizes that working hard isn't the key to life the sooner one realizes you'll have plenty more time.

We're given decreasingly less choices, sadly. Work hard and cheap or be unable to pay rent and be kicked to the streets. The Social network over here is so broken that many have zero safety net, in terms of both government and community. Let alone a new book and a shower (well, maybe you get a gym subscription. I've heard that as a "life hack" for homeless people).

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zwnow 3 days ago | parent [-]

[flagged]

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johnnyanmac 3 days ago | parent [-]

Fair. But I'll just say that these are issues that have existed for decades. All recent times have done is bring it yo an unignorable fever pitch.

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zwnow 3 days ago | parent [-]

I'll agree on that. Europes facade is crumbling as well but people are too comfortable to do anything about it. Maybe the rough times in the USA actually make people take action.

	▲	stateofinquiry 3 days ago \| parent [-]
		I'm an American living in the EU for the last 1.5 y due to a work assignment. From what I observe here rough times and hard choices are coming for Europe, and probably relatively soon. I am sorry to say it, but I believe (as the saying goes) it is later than you think. As for relying on your democratic process: I hope you are right.

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et-al 3 days ago | parent | prev [-]

You don't see the issue because you're not squeezed yet.

Imagine there are no more cheap places to rent anymore and American work culture invades Europe. Shops are no longer closed on Sunday, you're expected to be on call on weekends, and you have a paltry 14 days of vacation for the year.

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zwnow 3 days ago | parent | next [-]

This would require a lot of changes in basic human rights and legislatures that would never go through within my lifetime so Ill just not think about this. Nuclear war is far more likely to happen during my lifetime.

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esseph 3 days ago | parent [-]

> This would require a lot of changes in basic human rights and legislatures that would never go through within my lifetime

I thought the same thing

- US citizen

	▲	zwnow 3 days ago \| parent \| next [-]
		Compared to the USA my country has actual democratic processes and laws in place to prevent parties from undermining everything.
	▲	nicbou 3 days ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		The US work culture was always insane though

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garretraziel 3 days ago | parent | prev [-]

Wait, I live in central Europe, shops are normally open on Sunday and I do have to be on call on weekends (albeit only once a month). Did I miss the part where we became America?