re: #184 WindUpBird

I leap to that because that Claire person leaped there first with this loony exaggeration that people in europe live stacked like cordwood.

And see above. “big enough” is a cultural thing. America’s “big enough” is enormous. My big enough is much smaller. I view being able to pay for college as being more important than square footage. I view a great public transportation system and population density and walkable retail as more important than square footage for my stuff. Do I need a bigger TV? A bigger couch> Valuted ceilings? More garages? No. These are luxuries. They’re baubles. They’re not necessary. I view having proper health care as being more important than how big my fridge is.

Eventually, those big single-family houses, they won’t matter because the energy costs to keep those exurbs going will increase to untenable levels. Energy is not getting any cheaper. Exurbs are already starting to become ghettos. Americans are starting to realize that walkable retail, dense neighborhoods are easier to sustain, foster community, cheaper to maintain, use less power, and they just plain kick more ass than having a big house in an exurb.

In many places (i’m trying not to overgeneralize), most of us would pay more for our domiciles. I prefer a greater range of choices in both my housing and healthcare situations. In Europe, you have less choice. Price funnels you to a smaller domicile (in general) and taxes funnel you to a onesizefitsall healthcare situation.

I don’t want to spend as much on my healthcare. I work my ass off to stay in shape so that i don’t have chronic expenses, although some of that is certainly good luck. I respect that your bundle of choices are different. It’s just harder for me to make my choices in some areas of Europe. That’s all.