EU is in a perpetual state of decline and it seems there are no solutions in sight that would change its path in the next decade.<p>Everything seems so stagnant and the costs of living are rising while the salaries do not increase whatsoever.<p>What's worse is that due to its economic decline politicians and leaders try to persuade the populace that a lot of things that we enjoy and contribute to our quality of life are now considered luxury or outright sinful. The same kind of rhetoric that is used to sin tax tobacco, alcohol, gambling is now used on things like:<p>- car ownership
- Air Conditioning
- Travel
- meat and dairy
Southeast Asia is quite nice, especially if you're white.<p>Live near the beach. Lots of people speak English, Dutch, Spanish. Lower cost of living, decent internet speed. Sin tax can't go too high because of freedom of religion. If you can work remote, the conversion rate is really sweet. If not, the pay is not bad by EU standards and some places are willing to match.
I think that us europeans got spoiled too much in the last 20-30 years and are totally disconnected from the harsh reality of life outside our pretty little garden. Nothing satisfies us anymore, and social media plays a big part on making us think that the grass is always greener on the other side, it is not.<p>But if you want some more thrill in your life i suggest picking anywhere from the list of less developed countries by the UN, since they have the biggest potential by definition:
<a href="https://unctad.org/topic/least-developed-countries/list" rel="nofollow">https://unctad.org/topic/least-developed-countries/list</a>
If you have a tech job and can get one in the US at a US company, then here or Canada (US salaries are higher). The caveat is the job market is not good here for tech workers, even though overall unemployment is low.<p>You would need to consider things your EU government likely provides for you via higher taxes that you are mostly on your own with over here. Medical insurance and retirement contributions are two big ones you can get help with while employed but aren't nearly as good as what I've heard from EU nations.<p>Then there is the small stuff which here in the US or EU is good but will vary if you're considering areas in Asia or South America:<p>- Tap water (water from a sink provided by the city) - can you drink it without getting sick?<p>- Electricity - are there daily or weekly interruptions? for how long?<p>- Internet - is internet reliable enough to work remotely for 40-50 hours a week?<p>- Inflation/Economy - are there a lot of "foreigner" fees/taxes you would owe? is the country going thru large inflation swings?
Asia if you can swing it.<p>China used to be a great place if you were in tech. It isn't so great anymore, but there are probably still opportunities. The downside is that the internet sucks (you'll have to experiment alot with VPNs, and working solutions become non-working overnight), and pollution is still high in a lot of places where there are jobs. But the upsides: salaries are reasonable (in tech), sins are extremely abundant and not heavily taxed (well, gambling doesn't really exist). Car ownership is possible if you don't mind a n EV, but taxies and public transit are abundant so you can get by without one. You have affordable tickets to the entirety of Asia, escaping to Southeast Asia during golden weeks is relatively affordable.
Eu is a big place, does nowhere appeal within it?<p>Perhaps lookup a digital nomad website as they list requirements for countries around the world to get visa.
Hey, if you find a country that is not ~in decline, let me know.<p>Also ... where are you getting the "sin tax for travel ownership" rhetoric from? Like, I follow several eu green parties, and anytime one of them starts with something on banning air-trafic, they get shuffles to the fringe.<p>I actually like the EU, and if you have specific gripes, you probably will be able to find a country that is more pareto-optimal than one you currently reside in.<p>If you are after money, USA is still the place to be. Just look at levels.fyi<p>But I think you are looking at it wrong.<p>If you are vaguely depressed about the current situation, running away will not help you.
Figure out what you want to <i>run towards</i>.
Maybe Zuckerberg will let you into his doomsday bunker if you ask nicely. Also, kinda have to ask myself what your mental model of the EU is, if you think it's the same everywhere.
Like others here I don't have a good advice, but what do you mean by making "- car ownership - Air Conditioning - Travel - meat and dairy" sinful?
If you want a place where they pour $1B in a short messages app and $30B in an app to hail a cab, the US is indeed the only place you should call home. Good luck!
Yes, Europe has gone a long distance to make sure to be doomed to misery eventually.<p>Look for countries whith good track of records of entreprenurship, successful non government initiatives etc. i.e. non communist and non totalitarian ones. There are only few of them on this planet.
Nigeria, Colombia, Brazil, Mexico, Thailand and Viernam. The future is theere.<p>Forget the US people ther are only slightly less depressed than the EU