The monopolies were probably exacerbated, rather than exasperated, though /you/ might have been exasperated.
To exacerbate a thing is to make something that was bad, worse. You will usually exacerbate the _aspect_ that is bad, but you might also exacerbate a whole thing (such as a monopoly or a house fire) if the whole thing is in fact bad.
Whereas to exasperate is to irritate very intensely when action to sooth the irritation is frustrated. So if a young child is screaming and won't stop but you know hitting them is wrong, you may be exasperated.
This is pretty much only true for cable companies. For the most part, we have lots and lots of competition, and things are generally more affordable here than in Europe (and salaries are quite a lot higher as well, even factoring in the social services that Europeans enjoy).
Yep, if you’re sick and poor, Europe is the better bargain for sure. I think it would be good for the US to have a stronger social safety net, but nevertheless, most things are more affordable in the US (my Internet is $60/month for fast speed as I live in one of the regions with ISP competition).
“The bv US”? Europe has shorter hours and more vacation, but after factoring in everything else (healthcare, taxes, etc), my salary would be at least 40% lower in even the wealthiest European countries. And as mentioned elsewhere, the cost of living is higher in Europe. I can’t justify it, which is a shame, because I really like European culture and history and would like to live there for a few years.
Many things are cheaper in Europe, eating out especially (you don’t even have to tip!). It varies of course, the Netherlands, France, and Germany are much cheaper than Denmark and Switzerland. Salaries are lower, true, but prices are fairly competitive to the states.
Eating out is considerably more expensive in Europe, even factoring in the tip. Meal prices might be slightly larger in some states, but you’re reliably getting almost twice the food. Personally I’d rather have European portions with the US price/kilo, but my wife and I usually split a meal anyway so it comes out about the same.
Last time I was in Paris, we ate fairly cheaply at the local kebab places that would have easily been twice as expensive in the states. Heck, they are cheaper than the states even in Lausanne.
Ya, portions are a bit different, but meal prices still come under on average.
I lived in France and travel regularly. Maybe kebab is cheaper (not really a thing in the US like it is in France), but meals on average are slightly more expensive in Europe.
I'm not so sure about the services part. These include healthcare without copay, education for your children (usually university included), and pension. For all citizens, not just the top earners in tech.
Disclaimer: I know this because I tried very hard to justify living in Europe for a few years.
It is true for salaried professionals. Salaries are about 30-40% higher in the states. Taxes (which cover education up to uni), health insurance, and 401K account for roughly 30% of our gross salaries, leaving us with more left over than our European counterparts gross (we also work more hours, but not enough to make up the difference). Of course, if you look at non-professional employees, it’s probably better to be European.
The monopolies were probably exacerbated, rather than exasperated, though /you/ might have been exasperated.
To exacerbate a thing is to make something that was bad, worse. You will usually exacerbate the _aspect_ that is bad, but you might also exacerbate a whole thing (such as a monopoly or a house fire) if the whole thing is in fact bad.
Whereas to exasperate is to irritate very intensely when action to sooth the irritation is frustrated. So if a young child is screaming and won't stop but you know hitting them is wrong, you may be exasperated.