Comment by elric

4 years ago

For many, Big Government is probably a big part of it here in Belgium. The public sector is so big that many software engineers can spend their entire career as overpaid government contractors.

32 comments

elric

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test0account  4 years ago

56% of GDP in public spending in no rush to become more efficient. In fact, quite the contrary.

Compare this with the cut throat competition in Sillicon Valley or the international arena.

That's how you end up with non existent tech offerings in Europe.

  • photochemsyn  4 years ago

    Military-industrial contracting in the United States seems to suck up a vast amount of developer talent, and that's all public spending. I'm not sure how you're distinguishing developers working in the fields of public health care, public education, public infrastructure etc. from those working under the secrecy umbrella of the military-industrial contracting system in this argument?

  • legulere  4 years ago

    The amount spent does not say anything about efficiency if you don't consider what is provided with that money. Lack of free healthcare and education are some of the biggest complaints about the US after all.

    Europe is also doing pretty well in several fields and you don't explain at all how tech in particular is affected by public spending.

    • jcfrei  4 years ago

      Public spending is not the biggest issue. The problem is that having lots of government employees in cushy jobs starves the labor market of talent. Why take on a risky job at a flimsy startup when you can have a nearly guaranteed income till retirement in a 9-5 job?

      2 replies →

    • test0account  4 years ago

      56% of GDP amounts to around 20k euro per person and year

      Would you rather get the public health and education, or keep the 20k euro and find a solution for yourself?

      I reckon that my health expenditures are 1000 per year, and I am self-taught, so I don't need the government for anything.

      What we need is to make the public services Opt-in/Opt-out, so people who find it competitive like yourself can keep enjoying it.

      25 replies →