American Reacts Is Life Better in the USA or Europe? (An Honest Review) 

it used to be land of the free, though that has been right before europeans re-re-founded america.

We work too much in Europe, but yes.

​@@cegesh1459Not I!

Most countries in Europe have a 40 weekly hours work by law, in America there isn't such a thing, the employer decides if your week is 50 or even 60 hours. You get very little sick days, while in europe most countries have unlimited sick days. In America you basically don't have paid vacation days, in Europe most countries have 22 days or more. Tell me again who works more?@@cegesh1459

Guess that's the reason why not even 1% of the US population owns nearly 50% of the entire wealth of it. The american dream has long since been bought and what's left are numb barcodes increasingly brainwashed to increase that privelleged wealth of the very very few. And they seem to be happy with it to a degree, a normal way of living ( read: counting days, serfs till they drop), oblivious they're merely 5% of the world population and there's an entire planet outside. Spoonfed from birth into this "usa-only-country-in-the-universe-with-god-on-our-side-and-the-one-and-only-morality" psychosis. Truth is, the US is, in many ways, a third world country with worship, megalomania and overlord tendencies that are trailer trash mentality ( to say the least) for billions.

Yes, been elsewhere. Still prefer my own country.

@@williambranch4283 Are you American?

@@101steel4 Legally speaking, but my soul is English.

That's why i watch a lot of american reaction videos! It's brilliant when they get really defensive over something that seems to us like it's not really something they should be defending.

@@williambranch4283 So your body is American and your soul is English? So you're fat and kinda daft? (I'm just kidding, you can make fun of me now, I'm Swedish but my soul is Swedish also and so are my toes).

I would think of homeless person

Sad life.

Where I work, you are not allowed to have lunch at your desk.

Same in Japan, but they have another reason for that - friend likes to work when it's quiet and nobody is in the office and he got a leading person in a branch of his company in Japan. He worked and waited for his workers to leave, that he can have his peace and quiet he likes, but no matter how long he stayed they never left. Until one day when he left after the normal work hours, but left his phone in the office and returned about 10min later to the office and it was empty. In Japan employees stay as long as the boss stays even it is until 10pm when work is finished at 4pm. Now he he leaves his office at the normal time when they should quit, takes a short walk around the block and returns 20 minutes later to be able to work in the quiet environment he likes. And there are some other things you have to do in Japans work world like go to drink with the boss or business partners. "Nommunication", a compound of "Nomu" (drinking) and "Communication". After work, bosses and employees often "nommunicate" for a few hours in the karaoke bar. The more alcohol is consumed, the looser the boundaries in the corporate hierarchy become. Just as Roman soldiers were allowed to make fun of the victorious consul with mocking songs in the alcoholic frenzy of triumph, Japanese "salarymen" are allowed to mock the boss for his lack of singing talent. In this case, too, however, the breach of norms is only a fleeting free pass in the strictly regulated life of the subordinate. One word too many could severely damage a career. Abstinence can be just as damaging. Those who don't drink with the boss have little chance of moving up in the hierarchy. Same with business transactions. The outcome of a multi-million dollar transaction can depend on the seating arrangement at the table as well as the order of toasts.

I lived with someone from the US. In the beginning he did everything his employer told him to do. He was scared to take time of or call in sick because he was afraid he would lose his job. I had to school him. Explain that in the Netherlands you can take a day of with a 3 days notice. That you can call in sick and stay home until you are better. That you can go home when you feel sick That it is mandatory to take your 4 weeks of vacation and not like in the US that you have vacation days but that does not mean you get them. That you get payed for overwork and that you can refuse to stay after your work ours. Etc.

@@SweDaneDragonNowhere at my customers sites you are allowed to have lunch at your desk.

Yep, 2.5 hours of telling everyone how phenomenal he is.

I'd hope that 'guy' is in the minority but I once sat through an evening where an American began virtually every sentence with "Well, back in the States we ......."

But sometimes you just wann be an ass. Right. Me too. Feels good. It’s wrong, but feels so good!

Only Americans do that and it drives me nuts. Its as if they think everyone should know where their hometown is. I just had this issue arise on a facebook page the other day where people were posting photos of their local scenery and saying where they took the photo (city/town and country). One woman gave a town name and then the abbreviation CT. Someone asked is it Cape Town, South Africa? Someone else suggested Canterbury UK? Catania, Italy? Cape Tribulation, Australia? I mean, I think we all knew that CT was a place in the US because only Americans do this - mention their city and/or state abbreviation and just expect everyone to know that its in the US - we were just being smart arses. But I don't get it. Ask 50 people from all over the world where they're from and most people will tell you what country they're from. Americans will tell you what city (and sometimes state) they're from and that's it. Bizarre.

@@chriskelly9476 It's so weird to me because if I go to another province in my own country (the Netherlands) and mention where I live most people won't know it despite it being a tiny country lmao.

I'm Swiss and really no clue where "Pendleton" is - but if someone would answer to me with this + having an American accent it's clear what's going on. Must be the US. That's why she was fully oblivious, nobody gonna tell her - great you did it haha

Why is it wrong, to call out ignorance and arrogance?

for america, that's dressing up :'D

It's also different between men and women. Women tend to dress more and take more care of their appearance than men. But pyjama, no.

You gerelizid too much. I'm from Slovenia and I have French friends. I don't think they are like you described them.

Supermarket not grocery store!

Americans all dress the same way, men especially. It doesn’t matter if they’re 12 or 50, if they’re on holiday or shopping. Shorts, t-shirt or hoodie, preferably with college they went to on or sports team, 70% wear a baseball cap inside and outside. Ugly cheap sunglasses and definitely sport shoes probably Nike. They also wear this to go out, I mean to friends, to a party or to the movies and even to restaurants, they would just put on some generic pants, rest stays in many cases. A polo like he wears is considered dressed up.

In fact, there are plenty of parts of American culture that remain a little "obscure" for us Europeans.

I will see your gangsta rap and fast food and raise you Cajun seafood boils, Mark Twain, Saroyan, and Gottschalk.

​@@olivierpuyou3621I'd love to share some of the obscure stuff with you. Not to compete but man is there some cool stuff going on.

​@@olivierpuyou3621precisely....like....corn dogs, WTF!.... pancakes, maple syrup & bacon (for breakfast, served together....touching!), pop tarts....their ridiculous vehicle's....pizza is classed as a vegetable on their schools curriculum, another WTF!....& lastly, their oversized, sports branded clothing. Where's the class?!?!

@@unclejoeoakland thanks.....but no thanks.

But they think its good.

@@stephenlee5929 that's another reason why I chose Europe,the yanks are dumb as shit 😉

What "health care" unless you are rich enough to pay exorbitant charges for private medicine, you have NO health care. Americans think their country is great, to those of us in Europe it is a third world country. The laws on working, ill health, etc etc are draconian. No proper paid leave, no pay for being sick, and they have to literally work their socks off to keep their jobs! No proper distinction betweek "work" and personal life.

​@@stephenlee5929yeah, that is delusional thinking..😂

not to be forgotten atrocities for oil industry

A priori he lives in France, but it seemed obvious to me.

they are much more similar than you think. as far as the main things addressed in the video are concerned, they are practically the same. health, transport, education, labor rights and more. Northern Europe are more efficient in many things but the ideal is the same. we are culturally different, as was expressed in the video, with strengths and weaknesses for all European peoples.

I live in Sweden and I have travelled a lot around Europe. There are big differences between the countries in Europe. Both labour and health and other things like architecture, cars, clothes and so on. It's so "American" to say I have been to Europe, because that means nothing to me.

​@@jonssonjI am dutch and I also travelled quite a bit, i agree with you its like saying Ive been to Asia but not specifying wich country. The more south you go (in Europe the less hasty people become if that makes sense.

@@gerriekipkerrie6736 Exactly, it's like saying I have been on top of a mountain top, but not specifying which one. It's a big difference between mount everest and our biggest mountain in Sweden which are kind of small in comparison, :)

You'd think that was taking it too far until you read the stats about the most common cause of death for kids in the US being gun violence. The most common cause... Guns... And so how does the US react to that news? Apart form some states making it EASIER to procure and carry firearms without any licence... no action was taken... In short, the response was "we need more guns in our society".... The tree of guns has to be watered by the blood of innocent children. - An American motto

Americans do not care about what’s going on with the rest of the world unless it has to do with superficial entertainment. Anything deeper than that, Americans get bored. That’s why American media doesn’t cover much overseas news. We’re a culture that feeds off sensationalism and shallow entertainment

My parents were skiing in the US in 2002 when the Winter Olympics were taking place in Salt Lake City. My dad especially was appalled that the news coverage they saw of various events only focused on the achievements of American competitors, and didn’t even announce who had won the gold, silver or bronze medals if they weren’t American. It explains a lot about their insularity.

​@@sarabazlinton9820Spot on! I've experienced that too when I was in the states.

That was on the national news quite a bit. You were either watching the local news or your story is made up.

Personally I couldn't go out without being showered, combed or having a stain on my pants or a crease on my shirt. Maybe a little manic?

You can always pick out the Americans in the UK. Lurid T shirts, inappropriate shorts and trainers, and for the men the ubiquitous baseball cap ! Add the always loud voices and you have it ....

Imo it's more of respect for going out and people you are around, not really thinking about what other people think. I don't get it why would I go out in some sweatpants in which I spend whole day and some smelly t-shirt, where I grew up its almost unacceptable.

Yes it's samhain Celtic, pagan it's to celebrate harvest festival and was created centuries and centuries ago , we use to celebrate it in schools but I don't think they do so much anymore, and they dressed up to ward off sprit's and Gouls, that's where the dressing up part comes in . I think the Irish and us English are trying to bring it back in it's original form .And we use to make lantins out of turnips.

Don't expect that average American can diagest this obvious fact!

Exactly as the "cowboy culture" and outfit, they think it's the epítome of American identity. Well... Sorry but that's part of their Spanish heritage. They can spit in it and hide and lie about it, but facts are facts.

Just the same as Easter, Christs death and resurrection, Christmas etc. They are all pagan festivals incorporated into the church.

But they made it their own thing. Just like Christmas is basically a mix of pagan German traditions and the Santa Coca Cola made up. But they have their own traditions around it... And it turned into what most non-Christians associate with the holiday, through their media.

The self centred news and little awareness of anything outside the country is something that Russia and China get criticised a lot for. It makes a propaganda machine, whether state controlled or otherwise. The parallels between the USA and those two countries are really quite fascinating to me as a European. Now recently extended to Canada's new news laws too.

What a great point.

Half the job of learning another language ( I believe it also to be the more difficult half ) is hearing what a native speaker is actually saying - they seemingly speaking so rapidly and us foreigners not hearing where one word ends and another begins, thus becoming confused. Ask your Spanish friends to speak to you in Spanish only and tell them that you`d be willing to speak to them in English only. In such a way you may both learn how to hear.

Just drive to the countryside outside Barcelona and the tourist areas and you have to communicate in spanish.

I lived in Hong Kong and learnt when i was being insulted. I would hear Yingman which means English (its a insult). I am not English so i would say Mow Yingman SUGERMAN (scottish). But being caled White Goast huge insult. I loved HK but being hit or even spat at was normal, but its very safe. We used to joke the taxies should have Yellow, White and black so you would know if they would pick you up with a white circle, there would be very few black circles, my black frends would have a hard time. It was better than China many worked 3 weeks in China and a week in HK to relax. HK was wonderful.

I can appreciate this frustration, whenever I travel I try to utilise my language skills to the best of my abilities but get instantly replied to in English 😩 When recently in Crete I found it interesting to hear French, Germans, Italians and polish people all using English to communicate with the locals.

Yeah this question was dumb as on this specific subject I’d hope even Americans realize the answer is Europe here.

@@melkor3496 Not sure, if you are rich, USA looks to have some advantages. I prefer Europe but I don't think its that clear cut.

@@stephenlee5929 For average citizens and I’m generalizing Europe here but a average citizen more than likely will have a higher quality of life in Europe than the US.

​@stephenlee5929 what a scummy way to look at things.

​@@stephenlee5929Very superficial though, I'd choose rich Europe anyday.

I would always prefer to live in Europe, but the US is simply better in career advancement, more diversity on a small scale, higher salaries, better natural conservation, most new technology/businesses start there, high mobility in work/education

Mass shootings.

@@galaxspace1 nonsense

@@galaxspace1It’s better if you have a good job in industries like tech due to sheer income potential, but the average person would usually fare better in the EU.

@@ac1455 exactly. A very small percentage.

They forget where they come from, which is a huge mistake .... Americans didn't magically appear.

Well maybe you should stop laughing, because the majprity of Americans do not claim Halloween as our culture. Halloween is just a holiday that is celebrated by some. Also we are very much aware of the origins of this paegan ritual you claim.

​@@Sir_Alex "americans didn't magically appeared" 😂😂😂 ... Good one ... The americans vanished when irish people, french , brits , poles, Italians came

The Celts lived all over Europe - west and east. In Slavonic countries we also had/ have a sort of halloween having its roots in Celtic culture. Slavonic people celebrated and payed respect to their ancestors as well as tried to keep evil spirits away from their homes. After the introduction of Christianity the pagan celebration was incorporated into the calendar of church holidays on 1st November.

Yeah we know it's irish/Celtic pagan. It was brought here by irish/Celtics ppl that immigrated to America and the holiday evolved over time. You do realize white Americans are european descendants?

It's more like "mind your own business" and Karen

FUCK England for dragging Scotland into Brexit. I used to spend a lot of time in Scotland before that. My wife, the mother of my children was from Kilmarnock. She died a long time ago but me and our kids still went to visit her parents several times a year.

It's Harvest Festival in England. A tenth of produce was taken to the church as a tithe for the poor and the clergy. Songs of thanks for the blessing of a harvest. It's still a thing in churches ,but not to the same extent of being a tithe, like in the early church . Now it's donate a bit of food for the poor. The churches are decorated with wheat, hops, flowers

Thanksgiving doesn't belong to anyone. Most of our traditions came from and evolved from European ones bc guess what? White Americans descend from europeans. Some europeans don't seem to understand that were not indigenous to this land.

I agree with you. But in the same way people all around the Western world say: I've been to Africa or "Have you been in Africa", admit you did it too? 😉

@@annikaerf i only did 1 far trip and that was to NY city. I always say 'I went to NY', not 'I went to the US'. I also say 'I went to Rome' and not that I went to Italy. Maybe it's just me :)

👏🇩🇰👌

Let's be real here. People all over the world don't pay much attention to what's going on outside of their home country. And as far as preconceived notions about other places, well this comment section is full of preconceived notions about the u.s.

True, But Austria is the best. We can even proof it. Of course you would only understand if you are an Austrian. Oh well. Nobody is perfect. Please call me Nobody.

My cousin lives there. If someone mentions that they would like to go to Europe, he asks them which country. He usually gets the same vacant look 😂

@@101steel4 But Europeans who want to visit or move to USA, rarely know which state they want to go to. OK for the most part the language is the same across USA but the level of difference across it is similar to Europe. Its about the same size.

@@101steel4 Oh me I know where I would like to live if I were to live one day in the USA. I also know where I wouldn't want to live.

@@stephenlee5929 Although I've never visited the U.S I beg to differ. I do realise the U.S. is a federation of states which in some ways slightly differ from each other, but the language and other important factors are the same. I am pretty sure Europeans are quite aware of which states in USA they want to visit; it's usually New York, Florida and California I'd say. However, "road trips" are also common.

@@Vinterfrid Hawaii ???

French love it when you respect them (who doesn't) even if you don't mean it ;-)

@@williambranch4283 Any people in the world like to be respected. Look at me I hate the English but I respect them. Partly because I am well brought up and received a good education.

Germany as well. I'm far better treated in France when I speak French and in Germany when I speak German. Here in Sweden most people just don't care but if you TRY, we do appreciate it.

@@williambranch4283 Yeah... I mean, who respects the French? (I'm joking, nothing wrong with the French except maybe their idea of hygiene and arrogance).

@@michaelmay5453 Umlauts of the world, unite!

you can say that about any cultural practice. Nothing is truly original, even in Europe. Half the stuff done in Europe has pagan, roman, ancient greek, etc origins. You think Swiss Chocolate is original? Chocolate literally was invented in south america.

Yeah most of them from England as well as our language, Halloween as its known now is Celtic Irish.

@@knucklehoagies most of the places/ cultures you mentioned are European 🤣

@@101steel4 "European" is not an identity stupid. It's a continent. That wasn't my point. Each country borrowed something from somewhere else. Also, chocolate didnt come from europe. Learn to read.

​@@101steel4all of them actually, except chocolate

A nice post. I agree with you, there are far fewer people smoking in the UK than I can remember seeing only a few years ago. Europe has a far better work/leisure ratio than the US. To be schooled into the mind-set that you are born simply to work to earn money to buy more than you really need. To take on extra jobs to pay for the stuff etc etc etc and to be threatened with dismissal if you don't conform. Americans are slaves of aggressive capitalism.

Totally! Aside from working a 36hr week, if I need to pop out for a medical appointment or something I let my manager know a day or 2 in advance, and far from admonishment he says 'no problem thanks for informing me', completely different mindset in the UK

its not really pressure its more of you dont want to be a fucking looser wich lets be honest is a mindset that everyone should have xD

Bless! Somehow I doubt anyone's just itching to force you onto a US bound flight, so no problems, eh?

Visiting the US isnt that bad, it can be a very beautiful country and in most parts you have fairly nice people. but it defiently has some big issues in lots of areas

That's taking it way too far. It kind of depends on your status though. If you're a white European who has enough money to live well in Europe you'll probably feel right at home in the US as well as long as you don't get sick or injured. The US isn't on my "never visit again" list but Russia absolutely is. I've been there a multitude of times for work since the early 90's and it's never changed. Everyone is out to scam you or steal from you (literally everyone you'll ever meet, it's like the nation is completely devoid of honest people) and everyone treats you like sub human for not being Russian. The nationalism of that nation is even worse than in the US. That said, I wouldn't want to live in the US.

This isvwhat gets me, i would love to see many areas in America, but i'm thinking rural areas so less people, then that would work.@@norbertrottenari4516

Colin Garner- here's some of what you're missing. - you could see the big powwows in Oklahoma- open to all, only the american Indians participate, its a genuine expression of old ways in modern times. Especially if a soldier or marine comes home to dance in his dress uniform. -Go to Eunice or Baton Rouge or Shreveport and see the Cajun customs at Mardi Gras. Forget New Orleans. While you're there, get some real Cajun food. It is amazing. - go to Squirrel Hill and Washington Heights in Pittsburgh. I think it is the oldest Jewish enclave in the US and almost all the signs are in hebrew or Latino. Hell, the Jewish precious gem merchants still hold open air markets in Pittsburgh to negotiate their merchandise. -Williamsburg New York. A totally different Jewish enclave- these would be ashkenazim, lubavicher orthodox as opposed to the sepphardim of Pittsburgh. Try the borsch! - Alaska has a scattered few villages of Russian Old Believers, a breakaway movement of the Orthodox church which had more success in Siberia than Europe- many fled to Alaska. -go to see all the music in Chicago and Nashville for the native idioms, of jazz and blues and country. -visit Amish country, well spread out over the eastern US, the peace churches which fled the wars of Europe. Not just the Amish but the Mennonites and others. - visit the painted desert in arizona and New Mexico. - visit the Pacific northwest and learn about the secret society of the Hamasta.

When you compare the USA with Europe, you generally mean the EEC plus England. politically many laws are shared together, there is a democratically elected parliament, taxes are paid. it is certainly different than in the states precisely because of the cultural differences between nations, in social terms the ideas are the same.

@@marcoamelio4299 England? You mean the UK, right? Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland DO exist. What about Norway, Switzerland and Iceland? I thought that was Europe too and they see themselves as 100% Europeans.

@@strikedn I apologize, of course I meant u.k. in Italy there is often a bad habit of calling yourself England, obviously wrongly.

​​@@strikednobviously also Switzerland, Norway and Iceland, even if the comparison with the USA in general refers to the one now belonging to the euro area.

Don't worry, You have some very funny words for us Czechs too :D

We have the word "slob" in English. A person of low personal standards, lazy and without the gumption to be clean and neat in their habits and presentation. Unkempt, untidy, slothful and unhygienic. The sort who is unshaven, uncombed and with food stains on their clothes . Unpleasant, disrespectful and to be avoided by decent moral people. Their language and vocabulary with also be shameful if they were not themselves amoral and conscienceless. Slobs. Yobs are violent slobs.

Because people in the past fought for it. Not easy when you are totally individualistic.

Let's say that life can be just as good in the USA as in Europe, but only if you have a lot of money.

Pfffff it's a very hard language to learn. He was undoubtedly right.

@cleverclogs2244 oh alright Miss Know It All. I think most people would understand what I meant. 😂😂

@@Mag75684 Ms Know-It-All, actually.

@cleverclogs2244 I must be psychic as I knew you'd do that. Sorry Ms 😞. PS check out the original post 👍

@@Mag75684 I'd better delete my original post, then! 👍

to be fair, most Europeans speak English !

​@@marycarver1542They will speak English to tourist, but the majority still speak their own language among themselves...

in Italy you do 10 km and people talk differently

they are much more similar than you think. as far as the main things addressed in the video are concerned, they are practically the same. health, transport, education, labor rights and more. Northern Europe are more efficient in many things but the ideal is the same. we are culturally different, as was expressed in the video, with strengths and weaknesses for all European peoples.

And you forgot in this count the 110,000 km2 of overseas France.

@@olivierpuyou3621 I'm from the Netherlands and there is one place in the world where we border France... Sint Maarten/Saint Martin.

Thinking about it right now, it might have to do with a form of education, because you do see people wearing sport clothes on a daily basis, but they tend to be part of a different ethnico-social group.