Because, generally speaking, Europe has this thing called laws, and the government arguably exists to protect it’s “citizens”.
In the US you have this thing called lobbyists and the government unilaterally exists, only to protect it’s “corporations”
For example, in Europe McDonald’s French fries contain 3 ingredients (potato, salt, oil) and in the US there are around 20 ingredients… The US adds all that extra shit to make the frier oil last longer, to make it easier to clean, etc. and fuck you for being poor if it gives you cancer.
Europe has better frameworks in place to prevent robber barons, this is just as true for the digital age as it was 200 years ago.
No, it has better frameworks to regulate local companies but seems to give a free pass to international conglomerates that come in and avoid tax by off shoring it in other EU states. The EU has allowed the US tech companies in on an uneven playing field and they have obliterated EU tech companies, with Ireland in particular taking the proverbial by enticing them with low taxes to benefit it’s own economy.
This was also perhaps tolerated as it was believed the US and EU were close and Europe benefited in other ways from the open trade with the US. Now it looks very short sighted and foolish. When Europe does try to regulate the big US tech companies, the US - not just Trump - objects and undermines it.
The question here is why weren’t Google and the Mac and eBay all originally invented in Europe. Not why don’t the tech barons of 2026 all live in Europe.
The question is even more pointed because some of the people who invented the above were immigrants from Europe. Why did they have to leave to do their world-changing work?
Google was world-changing before it was the big tech nightmare it is today. So stop hiding behind the glory of GDPR and face the actual question.
For example, in Europe McDonald’s French fries contain 3 ingredients (potato, salt, oil) and in the US there are around 20 ingredients… The US adds all that extra shit to make the frier oil last longer, to make it easier to clean, etc. and fuck you for being poor if it gives you cancer.
That’s actually a very poor example because the US and Europe have very different regulatory frameworks. The US actually requires more details when listing ingredients than Europea does.
There is a bigger picture here. Food in America is using ingredients that is not allowed in the EU because its seen as toxic. That is what the focus should stay on i think.
That’s actually a very poor example because the US and Europe have very different regulatory frameworks. The US actually requires more details when listing ingredients than Europea does.
In the EU you must list all ingredients in your product. Ordered by what it has the most.
And in the US you must list all ingredients and all contents of those ingredients, as well as any and all additives (like extra iron, vitamins and so on, even if those come from “natural” sources). You can’t just say potato, salt, oil, you have to say:
Doesn’t mean you get different shit, just means they scrutinize it a lot more in the US. There are small differences here and there with stuff like food colouring, but you are not getting “just 3 ingredients in the EU and 99 in the US”, that’s just a bullshit grifter line being repeated by people who didn’t bother to actually read.
in the uk, the ingredients list for mcd french fries is literally potatoes, oils (rapeseed, sunflower), dextrose (when needed–i.e. early crops that are low in naturally-occurring sugars). salt added after cooking. source
very much different than what they use in the u.s., which introduces multiple allergens. source
Because, generally speaking, Europe has this thing called laws, and the government arguably exists to protect it’s “citizens”.
In the US you have this thing called lobbyists and the government unilaterally exists, only to protect it’s “corporations”
For example, in Europe McDonald’s French fries contain 3 ingredients (potato, salt, oil) and in the US there are around 20 ingredients… The US adds all that extra shit to make the frier oil last longer, to make it easier to clean, etc. and fuck you for being poor if it gives you cancer.
Europe has better frameworks in place to prevent robber barons, this is just as true for the digital age as it was 200 years ago.
No, it has better frameworks to regulate local companies but seems to give a free pass to international conglomerates that come in and avoid tax by off shoring it in other EU states. The EU has allowed the US tech companies in on an uneven playing field and they have obliterated EU tech companies, with Ireland in particular taking the proverbial by enticing them with low taxes to benefit it’s own economy.
This was also perhaps tolerated as it was believed the US and EU were close and Europe benefited in other ways from the open trade with the US. Now it looks very short sighted and foolish. When Europe does try to regulate the big US tech companies, the US - not just Trump - objects and undermines it.
The question here is why weren’t Google and the Mac and eBay all originally invented in Europe. Not why don’t the tech barons of 2026 all live in Europe.
The question is even more pointed because some of the people who invented the above were immigrants from Europe. Why did they have to leave to do their world-changing work?
Google was world-changing before it was the big tech nightmare it is today. So stop hiding behind the glory of GDPR and face the actual question.
That’s actually a very poor example because the US and Europe have very different regulatory frameworks. The US actually requires more details when listing ingredients than Europea does.
There is a bigger picture here. Food in America is using ingredients that is not allowed in the EU because its seen as toxic. That is what the focus should stay on i think.
In the EU you must list all ingredients in your product. Ordered by what it has the most.
And in the US you must list all ingredients and all contents of those ingredients, as well as any and all additives (like extra iron, vitamins and so on, even if those come from “natural” sources). You can’t just say potato, salt, oil, you have to say:
Doesn’t mean you get different shit, just means they scrutinize it a lot more in the US. There are small differences here and there with stuff like food colouring, but you are not getting “just 3 ingredients in the EU and 99 in the US”, that’s just a bullshit grifter line being repeated by people who didn’t bother to actually read.
in the uk, the ingredients list for mcd french fries is literally potatoes, oils (rapeseed, sunflower), dextrose (when needed–i.e. early crops that are low in naturally-occurring sugars). salt added after cooking. source
very much different than what they use in the u.s., which introduces multiple allergens. source
😂😂