Comments on: Food fight between Europe and USA http://www.whydontyou.org.uk/blog/2007/11/22/food-fight-between-europe-and-usa/ Challenging the Zeitgeist Fri, 21 Nov 2008 20:13:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: EnoNomi http://www.whydontyou.org.uk/blog/2007/11/22/food-fight-between-europe-and-usa/#comment-9085 EnoNomi Fri, 23 Nov 2007 18:54:46 +0000 http://www.whydontyou.org.uk/blog/2007/11/22/food-fight-between-europe-and-usa/#comment-9085 Americans are very self-centered (I say this as an American.) Our news reinforces the view that we're the only thing in the world that matters. Most Americans don't travel, most Americans don't even have a passport. "Green" is trendy, but only if it's also convenient. If your city doesn't provide you with recycling bins, for your individual doorstep, than it goes in the trash. And the food, oh don't get me started. I'm married to a Belgian, so I get two weeks a year of real food with real service at real restaurants. Phoenix, AZ has some decent food, but compared to what I experience in Belgium, it's mostly just overpriced and without the service. Americans are very self-centered (I say this as an American.) Our news reinforces the view that we’re the only thing in the world that matters. Most Americans don’t travel, most Americans don’t even have a passport. “Green” is trendy, but only if it’s also convenient. If your city doesn’t provide you with recycling bins, for your individual doorstep, than it goes in the trash. And the food, oh don’t get me started. I’m married to a Belgian, so I get two weeks a year of real food with real service at real restaurants. Phoenix, AZ has some decent food, but compared to what I experience in Belgium, it’s mostly just overpriced and without the service.

]]> By: Mana http://www.whydontyou.org.uk/blog/2007/11/22/food-fight-between-europe-and-usa/#comment-9084 Mana Fri, 23 Nov 2007 16:04:52 +0000 http://www.whydontyou.org.uk/blog/2007/11/22/food-fight-between-europe-and-usa/#comment-9084 "Well, really, Exterminator, everyone in the UK, (nah in Europe, well, in the rest of the world really) is constantly jealous of America." Me and mine are jealous of Europe. Food in the US is too sweet, people's smiles too white and Dubya... keeps us dumb and entertained. The only thing I'm not jealous of is that 20EU I had to pay to gift my dad a DVD (1 for the price of 4???). In all honesty Americans are in denial. This year we got hit with a wave of mortgage defaults that brought down the lending economy as we know it, and another wave is about to hit in 3 to 6 months. Everyone you ask says, "it can't get any worse, things will pick up." Will, is a vague concept. Sure they'll pick up, but in the meanwhile, cut back on those expenses, downsize the car, take public transportation, stop buying those $4 starbucks cups of coffee every day. I said this at work the other day and encountered the typical American post 9/11 reaction--but if we stop spending won't that destroy the economy? In tough economic times a reallocation of resources is necessary and doesn't necessarily mean the assets were pulled out of the economy. Just because you put that $4 in a savings account instead of buying that cup'o joe is not the same as keeping the dollars under your mattress. It's a balancing act... sigh... “Well, really, Exterminator, everyone in the UK, (nah in Europe, well, in the rest of the world really) is constantly jealous of America.”

Me and mine are jealous of Europe. Food in the US is too sweet, people’s smiles too white and Dubya… keeps us dumb and entertained. The only thing I’m not jealous of is that 20EU I had to pay to gift my dad a DVD (1 for the price of 4???).

In all honesty Americans are in denial. This year we got hit with a wave of mortgage defaults that brought down the lending economy as we know it, and another wave is about to hit in 3 to 6 months. Everyone you ask says, “it can’t get any worse, things will pick up.” Will, is a vague concept. Sure they’ll pick up, but in the meanwhile, cut back on those expenses, downsize the car, take public transportation, stop buying those $4 starbucks cups of coffee every day. I said this at work the other day and encountered the typical American post 9/11 reaction–but if we stop spending won’t that destroy the economy? In tough economic times a reallocation of resources is necessary and doesn’t necessarily mean the assets were pulled out of the economy. Just because you put that $4 in a savings account instead of buying that cup’o joe is not the same as keeping the dollars under your mattress. It’s a balancing act… sigh…

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