American economic dominance

[Moliere]

We are traveling to France in late August. Not our preferred time to go. We are traveling with three other couples (close friends) who asked us to go with them and give them a tour. We warned them that it will be hot, and many of the places we could find that suit 8 people will likely not have AC.

We begged them to go in October, or March next year, but late August is the only time that fits most of their schedules. The trip is my fault—several years ago we were all gathered for a dinner and I joked: "we really should be having this dinner together in cafe in Paris." They became intrigued. It's been in the planning for a couple of years.

We share grandchildren with one of the couples—our son, their daughter. I really hope we don't end up disliking each other by the end of the nine days. But I did insist on staying in a nice hotel with AC for the last couple of nights before flying home.

You’ll likely be fine in late August unless another heat wave comes through. There are tricks to getting by in Paris during the summer. The first is to never rent an apartment near the top floor. Those apartments are cheaper for a reason, because they stay hot. Also, never rent an apartment that has windows that open up onto a busy road. You’ll have to choose between keeping the windows open for cool air or keeping out the noise. Also, be careful when assuming a listing says it has AC as it likely doesn’t have adequate AC. Even in hotels. I once rented an apartment that said it had AC but there was one portable unit for the entire apartment, which had three bedrooms.

My recommendation is to vacation in Normandy, because you’ll very likely never need AC out there…

[tooblue]

European opposition to AC is fascinating to me.

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It is currently 69 f in Glasgow … open a window.

[Jeff Lebowski]

European opposition to AC is fascinating to me.

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[tooblue]

I have a lot of anecdotal evidence that Americans don’t check to see if an Airbnb has ac before booking it. They just assume it has heat and ac.

We are traveling to France in late August. Not our preferred time to go. We are traveling with three other couples (close friends) who asked us to go with them and give them a tour. We warned them that it will be hot, and many of the places we could find that suit 8 people will likely not have AC.

We begged them to go in October, or March next year, but late August is the only time that fits most of their schedules. The trip is my fault—several years ago we were all gathered for a dinner and I joked: "we really should be having this dinner together in cafe in Paris." They became intrigued. It's been in the planning for a couple of years.

We share grandchildren with one of the couples—our son, their daughter. I really hope we don't end up disliking each other by the end of the nine days. But I did insist on staying in a nice hotel with AC for the last couple of nights before flying home.

[tooblue]

Stop arguing with him-he didn't even have true commitment to his convictions. Instead of moving across the pond in with all his Frenchie buddies he tried to please both God and Mammon by moving to some North American hybrid Frenchie commune. He knows that America is infinitely better that is why he won't stray to far away from the good ol' Red, White and Blue!

I don't want to live in France, though if I were as wealthy as all you Americans, maybe I could consider it! I know you get it, but when you don't lock your heart, your heart takes you to an incredibly beautiful part of the world that is a great place to live and raise a family. I get it though:

murica.gif

[Clark Addison]

We always check Airbnbs for A/C. But sometimes we are foiled by eco-terrorists.

[Moliere]

Maybe, but I just did a quick search on AirBNB and it's right there in the filters—you can look for accommodations in Paris with AC:

AirBnB-AC.png

I have a lot of anecdotal evidence that Americans don’t check to see if an Airbnb has ac before booking it. They just assume it has heat and ac.

[tooblue]

100,000 people die in poverty each year in the UK alone.

https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2025/02/17/phsu-f17.html

Again, there are more people in poverty in in the EU (21%) than in the US (11%).

World Socialist Web Site

Those numbers could be accurate, but it doesn't change the fact that the American on X has likely not travelled a lot, or it is more likely he went on the cheap, spending what he could afford on an AirBnB without AC because he is not as wealthy as purported.

[Goatnapper'96]

100,000 people die in poverty each year in the UK alone.

https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2025/02/17/phsu-f17.html

Again, there are more people in poverty in in the EU (21%) than in the US (11%).

Stop arguing with him-he didn't even have true commitment to his convictions. Instead of moving across the pond in with all his Frenchie buddies he tried to please both God and Mammon by moving to some North American hybrid Frenchie commune. He knows that America is infinitely better that is why he won't stray to far away from the good ol' Red, White and Blue!

[Jeff Lebowski]

Objectively speaking, wealth is relative.

New study finds 45,000 deaths annually linked to lack of health coverage

https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2009/09/new-study-finds-45000-deaths-annually-linked-to-lack-of-health-coverage/

Poverty Is Killing Nearly 200,000 Americans a Year

https://www.newsweek.com/poverty-killing-nearly-200000-americans-year-1806002

100,000 people die in poverty each year in the UK alone.

https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2025/02/17/phsu-f17.html

Again, there are more people in poverty in in the EU (21%) than in the US (11%).

[tooblue]

I don't know about that guy's situation, so I'm not speaking for him.

That said, it wouldn't surprise me if the average American booking an AirBnB in France wouldn't even consider that it wouldn't have air conditioning since it is so commonplace here. It may not be a question of being able to afford a hotel room with A/C and more not even realizing that there wouldn't be A/C in the selected lodging.

Maybe, but I just did a quick search on AirBNB and it's right there in the filters—you can look for accommodations in Paris with AC:

AirBnB-AC.png

[tooblue]

Americans are wealthier than citizens in most other countries. That is an objective fact.

BTW, the earlier number was way too low. There are 175k heat-related deaths each year in Europe. The number for America is about 2k per year. This of course, happens in spite of Europe being at a higher latitude.

https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/08/1152766

Objectively speaking, wealth is relative.

New study finds 45,000 deaths annually linked to lack of health coverage

https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2009/09/new-study-finds-45000-deaths-annually-linked-to-lack-of-health-coverage/

Poverty Is Killing Nearly 200,000 Americans a Year

https://www.newsweek.com/poverty-killing-nearly-200000-americans-year-1806002

[Jeff Lebowski]

We don't have AC in most elementary and high schools here, because cool weather persist for 9 months out of the year (this year while everyone is baking in extreme heat, we are having an unseasonably cool and wet summer due to the jet stream).

The point of this thread is American GDP supposedly supports the idea that Americans are wealthier than other citizens in other countries. Then there are links posted from an American complaining on X about the lack of AC in his AirBnB in France, while stating: "have empathy for your French friend [who is supposedly] surprisingly poor." He then prattles on with an anecdote about leaving a light on.

The French keep lights off and don't turn on the lights until they have to, not because they are poor, but because they are French—that's what the French do. Ideologically, they don't believe in AC (that's likely gonna change quickly). But if an American wants AC in their hotel etc., they can certainly can get it by paying for it with their supposed American GDP backed wealth ... unless of course, Americans aren't as wealthy as purported.

Americans are wealthier than citizens in most other countries. That is an objective fact.

BTW, the earlier number was way too low. There are 175k heat-related deaths each year in Europe. The number for America is about 2k per year. This of course, happens in spite of Europe being at a higher latitude.

https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/08/1152766

[Pelado]

We don't have AC in most elementary and high schools here, because cool weather persist for 9 months out of the year (this year while everyone is baking in extreme heat, we are having an unseasonably cool and wet summer due to the jet stream).

The point of this thread is American GDP supposedly supports the idea that Americans are wealthier than other citizens in other countries. Then there are links posted from an American complaining on X about the lack of AC in his AirBnB in France, while stating: "have empathy for your French friend [who is supposedly] surprisingly poor." He then prattles on with an anecdote about leaving a light on.

The French keep lights off and don't turn on the lights until they have to, not because they are poor, but because they are French—that's what the French do. Ideologically, they don't believe in AC (that's likely gonna change quickly). But if an American wants AC in their hotel etc., they can certainly can get it by paying for it with their supposed American GDP backed wealth ... unless of course, Americans aren't as wealthy as purported.

I don't know about that guy's situation, so I'm not speaking for him.

That said, it wouldn't surprise me if the average American booking an AirBnB in France wouldn't even consider that it wouldn't have air conditioning since it is so commonplace here. It may not be a question of being able to afford a hotel room with A/C and more not even realizing that there wouldn't be A/C in the selected lodging.

[tooblue]

Yeah, that's not the point. I love to travel to Paris. It is a wonderful city. I always travel in the spring or fall when the weather is nice.

We are talking about homes, schools, hospitals, etc. And we are talking about Europe in general.

We don't have AC in most elementary and high schools here, because cool weather persist for 9 months out of the year (this year while everyone is baking in extreme heat, we are having an unseasonably cool and wet summer due to the jet stream).

The point of this thread is American GDP supposedly supports the idea that Americans are wealthier than other citizens in other countries. Then there are links posted from an American complaining on X about the lack of AC in his AirBnB in France, while stating: "have empathy for your French friend [who is supposedly] surprisingly poor." He then prattles on with an anecdote about leaving a light on.

The French keep lights off and don't turn on the lights until they have to, not because they are poor, but because they are French—that's what the French do. Ideologically, they don't believe in AC (that's likely gonna change quickly). But if an American wants AC in their hotel etc., they can certainly can get it by paying for it with their supposed American GDP backed wealth ... unless of course, Americans aren't as wealthy as purported.