Like I said, US GDP is overinflated by banks, similar to Luxembourg. Or UK. This part of the GDP is made of Monopoly money. The industry part of US GDP is just barely 20%. Compare that to Germany's 28% The financial "industry" part of the GDP is whopping 9%. Compare that to 5% in Germany. A lot of fake value created by a small amount of people contributes to the appearance of US workers being more productive.
US GDP is overinflated by the huge financial "industry". It is mostly virtual money. So no, not really more productive. Besides, apparently you have not read your statistics yourself (which should be embarassing - I normally like your contributions but this time you have allowed yourself to be blinded by nationalism).
Statistics of all three sources say that Luxembourg, which is another "Western nation" by the way, is 30% more productive than USA. In reality this is not the case, there is not much actually produced by Luxembourg. Its GDP is even more overinflated by the banks. Norway would be a better example to prove you wrong. There is a higher GDP (PPP) per head than USA, and while a lot of it is due to Norway's status as a fossil fuel exporter, USA produces a lot of it nowadays as well. Norway has also got a quite developed industry, for example in shipbuilding.
Personal rights are a very recent invention, most of the time most of the people did not have any. Societies, on the other hand, are much older than even the concept of personal rights.
The modulation which is utterly missing with caliper brakes. Also, because of the bowden pull transmission losses you need to apply more force - with decent hydraulic brakes you can emergency brake with one finger. Thus, on long descents (I sort of live in the mountains) the hands don't get as tired. Well, they also work much better when it is wet outside (and it rains a lot in Germany) and they don't chew on the rim (I can build wheels, but it takes a long time).
Actually, it is 25 km one way. What is your problem anyway? You think that people either think like you or are idiots? That is a lot of self-importance.
I spend 3500-5000 km every year on my commuter bike. I want it to be as comfortable as possible. If it results in a full suspension frame, fancy hydraulic brakes (Brakeforce One in this case) and carbon parts here and there, so be it. I use a good lock, many parts are secured with pinhead skewers and the bike is insured as well.
Oh, by the way, I don't really need pro tips, I build my bikes myself.
And neither is socialism. The kind of closest thing to socialism that actually exists are employee stock ownership plans. Well, actually worker cooperatives are even closer, almost the real deal, but they are few and far inbetween.
Well, I have turned down a few offers with better wage promises because I like what I do now and my current boss has treated me fair all the time. Loyalty does exit.
And also don't breathe. Because dust can be radioactive. Maybe the people aren't as stupid as you think they are. Maybe you are not as clever as you think you are.
I found his books quite boring, even worse than Heinlein's, and I am actually sort of into military fiction (I've got all Battletech novels). Then again, I am not an American.
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You are saying "child hater" like it is a bad thing.
Mediocre lifestyle?
Do you ever read what you write?
I do not doubt your numbers at all. I just say that these numbers don't necessarily mean that there is 100% real value behind them.
Like I said, US GDP is overinflated by banks, similar to Luxembourg. Or UK. This part of the GDP is made of Monopoly money. The industry part of US GDP is just barely 20%. Compare that to Germany's 28% The financial "industry" part of the GDP is whopping 9%. Compare that to 5% in Germany. A lot of fake value created by a small amount of people contributes to the appearance of US workers being more productive.
Unfortunately, it was not too peaceful.
US GDP is overinflated by the huge financial "industry". It is mostly virtual money. So no, not really more productive. Besides, apparently you have not read your statistics yourself (which should be embarassing - I normally like your contributions but this time you have allowed yourself to be blinded by nationalism).
Statistics of all three sources say that Luxembourg, which is another "Western nation" by the way, is 30% more productive than USA. In reality this is not the case, there is not much actually produced by Luxembourg. Its GDP is even more overinflated by the banks. Norway would be a better example to prove you wrong. There is a higher GDP (PPP) per head than USA, and while a lot of it is due to Norway's status as a fossil fuel exporter, USA produces a lot of it nowadays as well. Norway has also got a quite developed industry, for example in shipbuilding.
Well, it is sort of very fitting
"History shows again and again how nature points up the folly of man"
Personal rights are a very recent invention, most of the time most of the people did not have any. Societies, on the other hand, are much older than even the concept of personal rights.
I don't use the bike every day.
The modulation which is utterly missing with caliper brakes. Also, because of the bowden pull transmission losses you need to apply more force - with decent hydraulic brakes you can emergency brake with one finger. Thus, on long descents (I sort of live in the mountains) the hands don't get as tired. Well, they also work much better when it is wet outside (and it rains a lot in Germany) and they don't chew on the rim (I can build wheels, but it takes a long time).
Actually, it is 25 km one way. What is your problem anyway? You think that people either think like you or are idiots? That is a lot of self-importance.
I just say he should put his money where his mouth is, that is all.
I spend 3500-5000 km every year on my commuter bike. I want it to be as comfortable as possible. If it results in a full suspension frame, fancy hydraulic brakes (Brakeforce One in this case) and carbon parts here and there, so be it. I use a good lock, many parts are secured with pinhead skewers and the bike is insured as well.
Oh, by the way, I don't really need pro tips, I build my bikes myself.
Well, Stross is a stauch libertarian, so why doesn't he let the market sort it out instead of whining?
So? Just the brakes on my commuter bicycle (not motorbike) cost about EUR400. It can be worth it just to steal it for parts.
Haha so true
And neither is socialism. The kind of closest thing to socialism that actually exists are employee stock ownership plans. Well, actually worker cooperatives are even closer, almost the real deal, but they are few and far inbetween.
There were many reasons for that, military spending was just a small part of it.
They do.
Josef Bachmann has shot Rudi Dutschke back then in 1968 because he has read stuff about Dutschke in a tabloid newspaper.
There are great many suggestible people out there.
Your post reminds me of a comic strip of Bush and Cheney at Gitmo, with the punchline of "Certified not as bad as an actual Soviet GULAG".
Well, I have turned down a few offers with better wage promises because I like what I do now and my current boss has treated me fair all the time. Loyalty does exit.
And also don't breathe. Because dust can be radioactive.
Maybe the people aren't as stupid as you think they are. Maybe you are not as clever as you think you are.
I found his books quite boring, even worse than Heinlein's, and I am actually sort of into military fiction (I've got all Battletech novels). Then again, I am not an American.
Yup, definitely Dunning-Kruger. And instead of admitting your error you are trying to make excuses about you using some professional jargon.
I don't need to be an expert to tell that you are full of yourself. It is sort of obvious to even a layman.