Comment by sva_
2 hours ago
In Germany we even import people by the millions to keep rents high, among other things, and more than half of them get their housing paid for by taxpayers money.
2 hours ago
In Germany we even import people by the millions to keep rents high, among other things, and more than half of them get their housing paid for by taxpayers money.
About half of social housing in London is headed by people born outside of the country. Social housing is quite rare in the UK now after 1980s mass privatization started. It is provided at a steep rental discount and if you qualify for it you can keep it for life. Or purchase it at a steep discount.
Quite bizarre, but difficult to talk about, because it plays in to the wrong side of ongoing culture wars for some people.
https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/fact-check-foreign-born-p...
Same in Austria and other old wealthy EU countries that have since economically stagnated or even declined.
All that seems to matters today, is that the GDP number keeps going up at any and all cost, regardless of long term externalities and second order effect to society. Kina like Saturn devouring his children.
Like sure, now you need to wait 4 months to see a public healthcare specialist compared to only 2 weeks 8 years ago, but the GDP number is higher now than back then, so obviously we must be better off today than in the past, right? RIGHT?!
That's why EU politicians are rushing to implement free speech crackdowns, invasive privacy laws using dictatorial techniques, like last week's Chat Control 1.0. They know they're on borrowed time before the majority of the population wises up and turns against them for the effects of the unpopular policies they pushed that lead to their decline in quality of life and purchasing power.
If GDP rises the country is not economically stagnating though.
If people are practically poorer and less well off than before, does it matter to them that the country is on paper NOT economically stagnating?
Shoving a graph in their face with a made up number won't change their economic situation.