Sorry, but I'm having a hard time sympathising with you rather than the people spending time with their friends and family and enjoying life. Life is not a purgatory unless you believe there is an afterlife, which many people do not. You are free to derive joy from hard work or whatever, but do not think yourself better than those who do not share your priorities.

the point he's probably trying to convey is that lifestyle is subsidized by the rest who aren't and wouldn't be possible otherwise.

> you must suffer away from your family to build great consumer objects, like California taught us.

I assumed it was sarcasm.

Which is countered by the fact he did not subsidize, but moved away, rather than sharing.

I think it's either sarcasm or bullsh#t

I'd rather give up the Californian consumer objects actually.

> People in France care so much more on raising their kids, having good friends, living somewhere fun or interesting, having time away from work

Ironically, working for a North American company in Europe lets me do all this better than if I worked for a local company.

> Life is a purgatory where you must suffer away from your family...

I would amend your statement to "Young life is a purgatory..." Mark Zuckerberg famously said he wouldn't hire anyone over 30. Silicon Valley is built on young people trying to strike it rich, which befits a state that started because of a gold rush. It's also built on companies exploiting young people who want to make it big. The same is true of the film industry in Los Angeles. It's a bargain young people are eager to take. China seems to have become successful by copying everything about Silicon Valley, including IP, but they still have stifling control at the top. Let's hope Democrats in D.C. don't do something similar and kill the goose who laid the golden egg.

I wish this to be sarcasm. Absolutely grade A if it is.

Of course it is. ;-)