Living here in Bavaria is puzzling.
The locals all seem to be doing fine.
They enjoy a 34 hour work week.
They enjoy extensive vacations, sick days and holidays.
But one telltale sign is shopping habits - they shop like hungry animals being herded - as if consumer goods of all sorts are in short supply.
I say this as one who lived here for 4 years in the early 90s and returned six months ago.
I am saving this article in case any Euroweenies pull the old shinola about poverty in the USA being so bad.
Let' see how well this has worked for them in 20 years...
How do account for this behavior?
The article is shocking...particularly about the long term. However, life is more than GDP, and cheap and very extensive rail service, excellent quality food (water, bread, cheese, coffee, wine, beer), beautiful climate, (Europeans don't need AC but a few weeks a year) nearly free medical care (and in Germany it is high quality...contra the UK or other countries) makes for a very good lifestyle.
In the broad scope of things though, socialism is pulling Europe slowly downhill, which is quite sad.
Prost to German beer though!!!