Perpetual vacation? Wow that would be great that is surely aim of every society. Unfortunately afaik majority people in europe are employed (75.8% of population) and thus have maybe 5 weeks (4 weeks minimum) of vacation. In USA the employment ratio is 59.6% so you could say that there are less people working in USA. But we all know its probably just misleading statistics because every company in US is trying not employ people but have them on some zero hour contract.

This fantasy of people not working just doesn't work. Who do you think stocks your supermarket, delivers your packages, bakes your bread, fixes your car? Are you saying it's bad that these people still manage have some social life and some fun? Should they be closed in their tiny increasingly overpriced flats so they don't polute the streets?

You have to be living in different tier of society but around me everybody taking second/odd jobs because their salaries froze 5 years ago didn't even keep up with inflation. Only people i know that are doing well are over 45 who became landlords by buying flats when it was possible.

> This fantasy of people not working just doesn't work. Who do you think stocks your supermarket, delivers your packages, bakes your bread, fixes your car? Are you saying it's bad that these people still manage have some social life and some fun? Should they be closed in their tiny increasingly overpriced flats so they don't polute the streets?

I'm not saying that at all mate. I'm saying that the people who sweep the streets, stock the supermarkets, sit in the banks etc here have a lot of fun and free days. 34 hour work weeks, many vacation days (bank holidays + free days which you can plan together for large stretches). I was not saying people should not have that ; they should. Not having to work at all is also fine. I was responding to you who said people are not relaxed. I don't see that, but then again, you didn't answer;

> but around me everybody taking second/odd jobs because their salaries froze 5 years ago

Where? And it sure can be that I see other things than you see, it's gonna be different per country and region of the country. I know many people who whine how bad it is (which was part of my start point), but they go on vacation 4-6x / year; then it cannot be that bad right? But I'm not saying you are not seeing something different, I'm saying what I see around me, in, for instance, NL.

I think the main question now still to be determined is how much of the European lifestyle is being subsidized by the US. As the US switches its decision making from long-term hegemonic tactics to short-term transactional tactics we will see just how naked Europe is when the tide recedes. That in my view is the main open question.

What about the other way around? What happens with US economy when europe (and similar allies) stop buying US information technology (they for sure can replace a lot of it) and embrace digital tax?

They are for sure tied to each other but i am not so sure it would be EU loosing that much more in case of a breakup.

The US economy has a degree of energy and raw materials independence that Europe lacks. No amount of replacement IT development will compensate for the weak European position regarding essential low-level feeder inputs to their overall economy.

That is true. I just wanted to point out that the reason US economy is doing ok right now are exports of tech companies. Especially software could be replaced by EU surprisingly easily. It was response to comment saying how subsidized and hopless EU is.

Eastern europe is indeed very different from NL.

> Unfortunately afaik majority people in europe are employed (75.8% of population) and thus have maybe 5 weeks (4 weeks minimum) of vacation.

A very large fraction of those work part time. We can see people work less and less over time, so when they said people work less that is just what the stats says.

https://timeanalyticssoftware.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09...

People fought very hard not to relinquish their power, especially in Europe. Labor action against neoliberalism bordered on armed conflict. Who was relaxed in the 70s and 80s?