A very good reply, Dave.

When I had established myself good&well in the US, I started noticing how in the Anglo world the perspectives on Europe were quite different from the perspectives in Europe about Europe itself. I had entered a twilight zone. The truth as I had known it was no longer presented as the truth.

The first thing I noticed was how the German economy was never mentioned in a positive light, but every little thing not going well was highlighted to the largest extent possible. This was based on news paper articles, etc. Coming from a neighboring country to Germany, I knew their economy well enough to notice that I was reading one-sided articles. I was used to reading two-sided articles about Germany (and about the US, also two-sided). Clearly, there was a benefit for American financial outlets to not tell the full story (namely: attract foreign investments here, and don’t encourage domestic investments to diversify toward foreign investments).

I started reading the Economist here because I am an economist at heart (I studied economics back home). After a year or so, I couldn’t take it anymore. It was so full of geopolitical perspectives, I could almost point to the people invested in the companies and nations of the good stories and who were not vested in the bad stories. The Economist is the offspring of a think-tank father with a group-think mother.

I worked in finance, not as a big shot (far from), short-lived, and I learned a thing or two. There is a lot of propaganda going on in the world of finance. Propaganda is not distorting the truth by lying, but by withholding some of the truthful information and twisting the overall perspectives based solely on the remaining truthful information. Yes, you know what I am going to say: red and blue are presented, but there is no yellow in the story. Exactly.

I cannot compare the world of finance in US and Europe because I didn’t work in finance in Europe and was therefore not ‘on the inside’. But I can tell you that in the world of finance here there is a lot of myopia, staring at one’s own interest and not at the client’s interest. Not sure if the 2008 crisis changed any of that — I had moved on by then.

I see that same stance, too, with public transportation here, where the organization’s needs can take precedent over the passengers’ needs when push comes to shove. It’s strangely backwards because it turns passengers off. Private company’s needs, too, are in general placed before the customers’ needs. The bigger the company, the bigger their myopia it seems.

I don’t know if you can receive DW, the German BBC/CNN (all in English). It takes a while to get used to the presentation (it can turn you off because the [two-colored] BBC and CNN versions are easier, more custom-fit to the North-American taste). I can recommend appointing two days a week to watch their half an hour news. After a while, you may notice you feel more informed about the world (not just Europe, but Africa, North and South America, and Asia as well).

I still pick up the Economist every now and then. The quality of their information is pretty good. But their self-interest perspectives do turn me off after a while. Please, do me a favor, and make sure you read other economy articles from foreign publishers (their articles can often be found either translated in English or you can use Google to help you translate). It is amazing how the Economist is truly not global while presenting themselves as global. Fascinating.

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I must repeat myself, Dave, to suggest you go live in a European nation for a year (not: UK). Especially you. In the Scandinavian countries, Holland, Belgium and Germany, you can get away with English well. You have created a new option for government and there may be folks interested in your perspectives and ideas. But you will also learn something that cannot be learned when living in the same cocoon. You must get out of this winner-take-all thinking that is larger and more internalized than you probably consider. You will forever thank me (and probably move back after a year; it is very crowded in Europe).

On a personal note: Had circumstances not pushed me, I would have never left in my thirties because that is a bit old to change cultures; twenties and younger is much better. But I liberated myself from some parts of my old jacket and I got some new parts here. I know more than what folks know here and there — unless they also traveled to both places. I’d love to have that conversation with you again after you had your experience.

All the best, Dave. And thank you for your communications and for your personal traits — you have very good qualities; I think the Canadian in you is what makes the difference.