Upon retiring from work at age 58 (lucky me) in 2012, I chose to leave the United States in favor of Europe, where I ended up staying in Budapest, Hungary, for six years. I rented a studio apartment near the city center, bought a used bicycle, and enjoyed a modest, inexpensive, yet comfortable lifestyle.
Since my return to the U.S. in 2018, I’ve found there are many things I miss. When I lived in Budapest, there were three different small independent bakeries within a five-minute walk from my apartment. Also in that same radius were a couple of almost literal hole-in-the-wall fruit and vegetable shops offering delicious fresh produce. And although the nearby area held no chain restaurants, it was home to several quite good local eateries.
There were clothing stores selling both new and used goods, as well as shoe stores, all of them small and independent, not necessarily carrying a wide selection, but providing high quality items at surprisingly low prices, and with friendly trustworthy service. Plus, within a five-minute walk was a practically free public transit system than made frequent stops and could take me almost anywhere I wanted to go within the city, safely, reliably, and quickly.
So I wonder, why is it that — at least in my current neighborhood in suburban Virginia — the only options for baked goods or produce or clothing or home furnishings or hardware or almost anything else are chain stores? Well, that, or freaking Amazon. Why are all other choices so limited, so few and so far between? Why does virtually everything depend upon — no, actually *demand* the use of a car to get there?
Most United Statesians, I suspect, have no idea that people in other countries live so differently than the way we do here. We have been sold on the idea, taught from an early age, that ours is the best way, indeed the only sensible way to do things. Anyone suggesting that a less car-centric and hyper-capitalistic culture is not only possible but desirable, that it could be much more pleasant and satisfying, not to mention safer and more friendly to the environment, well, they plainly don’t know what they’re talking about. It makes me sad and angry.
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Bread and Circuses
in reply to Bread and Circuses • • •I hasten to add that Hungary is certainly not a paradise. It was not when I lived there, and is even less so now. The far right-wing is in control politically, and the country is increasingly unwelcome to minorities of any kind. But that reality does not detract from my other points.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-68573444
Hungary's Orban vows surge to right in US and Europe
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Codhisattva
in reply to Bread and Circuses • • •fascistic but the baked goods are worth the trip? As long as you aren’t gay because your kids will get bullied and harassed in school. But it’s only a nice 5 minute walk to the bully-school!
I know you’re making a point about most suburbs and midsized cities. There are many many villages here in USA that the characteristics you like, and lack the fascistic culture (still).
Threadbane
in reply to Codhisattva • • •The small villages around here are ghost towns. Mom's and Pop's grocery stores are all gone with the small hardware stores, lost to the Juggernaut of chain stores. Shoe repair no longer even exists, lost to disposable shoes from China.
I lived in Hilton Village, Va until I was 11, idyllic, now it's just a suburb of Newport News, with a 4 lane through the middle of town. The Village Theater and the Woolworth's dime store are gone along with all the small stores.
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Arena Cops 🇺🇦✌
in reply to Bread and Circuses • • •Today all right-wing threads converge in Putin's Kremlin bunker.
That obviously also includes Hungary's Viktor Orban
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/europe-s-far-right-enjoys-backing-russia-s-putin-n718926
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/mar/01/why-does-putin-have-superfans-among-the-us-right-wing
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/sep/20/far-right-german-politicians-accused-of-pro-putin-propaganda-trip
#StandWithFreedom #FreeRussia #StandWithUkraine #RightWing #ViktorOrban #RussianAssets #KremlinAssets #PutinAssets #Fascism #Nazism
Far-right German politicians accused of pro-Putin ‘propaganda trip’
Kate Connolly (The Guardian)Arena Cops 🇺🇦✌
in reply to Arena Cops 🇺🇦✌ • • •😎 The fact, that President Joe Biden appointed human rights lawyer David Pressman, who's gay as U.S. Ambassador to Hungary in the face of Viktor Orbán's fanatically anti-LGBTQ political gang, can't get enough praise & applause.
A brilliant move & signal on behalf of human rights!💪👉👏👏👏👏👏👏
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/hungary-prime-minister-calls-us-adversary-leaked-documents-rcna79367
#HumanRights #HumanityMatters #LGBTQ #ViktorOrban #PutinsAssets #KremlinAssets #RussianAssets
Hungary's prime minister called U.S. a main adversary, leaked documents say
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Christo
in reply to Arena Cops 🇺🇦✌ • • •Orban is a planetary threat
Jimmy Havok
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Bread and Circuses
in reply to Jimmy Havok • • •Ralf Stubner
in reply to Bread and Circuses • • •@jhavok And it looks like they improved on that: https://social.network.europa.eu/@EU_Commission/112105370452072364
European Commission
2024-03-16 12:30:00
マーティン・ステンツェル。 ケルン在住。
in reply to Bread and Circuses • • •Kitchen Priestess (She/Her)
in reply to Bread and Circuses • • •JonChevreau
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in reply to JonChevreau • • •JonChevreau reshared this.
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Babs E. Blue
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JonChevreau
in reply to MrsMiggins • • •Linda
in reply to MrsMiggins • • •John Robinson
in reply to JonChevreau • • •JonChevreau reshared this.
JonChevreau
in reply to John Robinson • • •Johannes Hentschel
in reply to John Robinson • • •Very arguably
@JonChevreau @breadandcircuses
wrobertson
in reply to Johannes Hentschel • • •I live in Spain, and really like it here (from US), but yeah, very arguably. I'm also curious by what yardstick (meter-stick?) we are going to be measuring "most civilized."
@johnelalamo @JonChevreau @breadandcircuses
Johannes Hentschel
in reply to wrobertson • • •I would be in favor of "most aligned with the Human Rights", that would be quite civilized, what do you think?
@johnelalamo @JonChevreau @breadandcircuses
wrobertson
in reply to Johannes Hentschel • • •@johentsch
A good metric, but again highly debatable. Without taking a stance myself, I would posit the that the treatment of secessionists by the national govt has been very controversial. By the same token, amnesty of the same (for purely political reasons) has been criticized heavily for failing to maintain rule of law.
That's off the top of my head, I'm sure there are other examples. Then again I've limited perspective (only lived in US and DE).
@johnelalamo @JonChevreau @breadandcircuses
wrobertson
in reply to wrobertson • • •But then again, most places you don't have to dig deep to find something just as bad if not worse.
@johnelalamo @JonChevreau @breadandcircuses
Linda
in reply to John Robinson • • •Nazani
in reply to John Robinson • • •Vicente Perez
in reply to John Robinson • • •@johnelalamo @JonChevreau Opposite perspective here, originally from Spain living in the US for decades.
Spain is a very interesting case. In the US they see it as “Mexico lite”, while in the rest of Europe they see it as “Morocco lite”. Once you are there, the truth is that is neither. And lifestyle varies greatly from region to region.
JonChevreau
in reply to Vicente Perez • • •Thomas Lee ✅ :patreon:
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JonChevreau
in reply to Thomas Lee ✅ :patreon: • • •Thomas Lee ✅ :patreon:
in reply to JonChevreau • • •JonChevreau reshared this.
δημοκρατία
in reply to Bread and Circuses • • •https://social.network.europa.eu/@EU_Commission/112105370452072364
European Commission
2024-03-16 12:30:00
Lowtide
in reply to Bread and Circuses • • •Dom Arbuthnott
in reply to Bread and Circuses • • •Bernd Paysan R.I.P Natenom 🕯️
in reply to Bread and Circuses • • •Robber baron capitalism desires building monopolies. Small, self-owned shops without at least paying a license to a franchise are not their thing.
It is usually not allowed to operate a shop in residential areas, you may do your startup in a garage when it doesn't disturb neighbors, but once you have frequent customer visits, it's not allowed. This separation is there to enforce concentration.
Julie Goldberg
in reply to Bread and Circuses • • •Andrew Lake
in reply to Julie Goldberg • • •Raymond Russell
in reply to Julie Goldberg • • •I live in a New Town in the UK (pop 70,000 approx)
It is split into multiple areas. Each area has its own shops and other facilities within walking distance.
There is a Central mall area of the town which can be reached by public transport (bus) in less than 20 minutes from most areas of the town. Those bus services also take you into the nearby city and other large towns in about 40-60 mins depending where you are going.
Bread and Circuses
in reply to Julie Goldberg • • •Pablo Lopez-Jamar
in reply to Bread and Circuses • • •Lola
in reply to Bread and Circuses • • •Bread and Circuses
in reply to Lola • • •@vivienhessel Yes, I know. I remarked on that in a comment immediately following the OP. See -- https://climatejustice.social/@breadandcircuses/112105326460533993
Bread and Circuses
2024-03-16 12:18:49
Johannes Hentschel
in reply to Bread and Circuses • • •Andy
in reply to Bread and Circuses • • •Tito Swineflu
in reply to Bread and Circuses • • •What do you think is different about our regulatory environment that makes it this way?
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Chris Alemany🇺🇦🇨🇦🇪🇸
in reply to Bread and Circuses • • •I think it truly is the fact that the majority of North American (Canada is included here) development and population growth occurred after the industrial revolution, after the advent of vehicles. Cities in other parts of the world were founded by people on foot and by animal. That spatial context not only determined the shape of their central urban landscapes but also the in between places. The millions of tiny villages around the world. The cultural difference in North America when building and creating a city lent itself to vehicles and long distances. That meant the advent of shopping malls, department stores, then big box stores, killing small businesses along the way.
Add in our fascination (egged on by government) with real estate as an investment rather than owning something for generations, and we have never developed the kind of culture the old world did.
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Mark M. Evans
in reply to Chris Alemany🇺🇦🇨🇦🇪🇸 • • •@chris I think this ignores how heavily subsidized car infrastructure was (and is) & how laws were changed that made it harder to own and operate trolly systems profitably. There was active and effective lobbying for car dependency.
This was not the natural consequence of cars existing. It was an intentional shift of infrastructure money toward people that could afford a home, were allowed to get home loans, and could afford a car. Suddenly subsidizing public transit was looked down upon, but subsiding roads was “the American dream.”
Los Angeles had the largest trolley network in the world in the 1920s. The communities that still exist that were built around those lines are insanely popular and expensive because people actually like walkable cities. The reason they are rarely built now is a combination of car dependent zoning & developer greed.
Mike Fraser :Jets: :flag:
in reply to Bread and Circuses • • •This is what happens when regulators fail to do their job breaking up large corporate conglomerates that stifle actual competition.
Stan Wonn 🏳️🌈 🌹
in reply to Bread and Circuses • • •Bread and Circuses reshared this.
Sampath Pāṇini ®
in reply to Bread and Circuses • • •[Video] Sam Panini on LinkedIn: #strongtowns #institutions #firstprinciples
www.linkedin.comNicole Parsons
in reply to Bread and Circuses • • •There are a number of reasons for the decline of small independent companies:
1. The lack of a nationalized health care system means only large companies can afford benefits.
Small companies can't afford the extortion of the medical insurance industry and are starved for qualified labor
2. Regulatory capture
Tax subsidies favor large companies most.
3. High living costs
Enormous rent increases mean commercial leases are out of reach for both small business AND workers
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szakib
in reply to Bread and Circuses • • •Betwixt & Between
in reply to Bread and Circuses • • •Claude Lavoie
in reply to Bread and Circuses • • •Speaking of Budapest : https://social.network.europa.eu/@EU_Commission/112105370452072364
European Commission
2024-03-16 12:30:00
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Jens Elbæk
in reply to Bread and Circuses • • •TobiWanKenobi
in reply to Bread and Circuses • • •I cannot comment on the US in regards to variety of shopping possibilities, nor on Hungary since I've never been to that country in Europe.
But I can feel you in regards what you described of Budapest since my hometown Hamburg isn't all that different.
Over here you also have a lot of smaller shops and although the number of chains has been growing in recent years, a lot of individual, homey flair still prevails in this city with its almost two million inhabitants.
... show moreI've never owned a car in my life (I don't even have a driver's license) and to be honest, it's never been an inconvenience. While Germany is known in the EU for having a public transport with a lot of problems, it's still extensive enough in cities to allow for you to get anywhere with ease.
Moreover, recently there has been a lot of grassroot movement to make cities greener, more bicycle-friendly, and generally more people-friendly. Seeing how governments in all nations struggle to adopt any reasonable policies to protect our biosphere, I believe this approach of activating local communities to force ch
I cannot comment on the US in regards to variety of shopping possibilities, nor on Hungary since I've never been to that country in Europe.
But I can feel you in regards what you described of Budapest since my hometown Hamburg isn't all that different.
Over here you also have a lot of smaller shops and although the number of chains has been growing in recent years, a lot of individual, homey flair still prevails in this city with its almost two million inhabitants.
I've never owned a car in my life (I don't even have a driver's license) and to be honest, it's never been an inconvenience. While Germany is known in the EU for having a public transport with a lot of problems, it's still extensive enough in cities to allow for you to get anywhere with ease.
Moreover, recently there has been a lot of grassroot movement to make cities greener, more bicycle-friendly, and generally more people-friendly. Seeing how governments in all nations struggle to adopt any reasonable policies to protect our biosphere, I believe this approach of activating local communities to force change on the communal level as the best way to get anything changed. It's not a fast method by any means and it's also met with a lot of resistance, but it leads to cities and towns slowly shifting away from being car-centered in the EU, which is a huge plus.
Either way, I believe the difference you describe comes from regulation.
Neoliberal capitalism thrives thanks to the state leaving everything to the private owners, thus allowing them to dominate markets. Capitalism as a system is set to consolidate money (power) into the hands of few, eventually creating a limited number of monopolies. This is what you see in Virginia and what has also been happening over here, albeit much slower.
The rate of consolidation is dictated by the tightness of the regulations. Most EU countries and the EU itself are quite regulative in all areas. Companies have many rules and policies they need to watch when selling things or offering services. This is also the reason why many EU politicians and economists ran their mouths about "liberation of the markets" in the 90s at the height of the capitalist fever dream.
I dare say, the US has gone further down the capitalist rabbit hole, so the regulations over there are much laxer, which in turn makes it easier for rich entities to use their power to gobble up all potential competition.
And no, I don't think that tight regulations to keep capitalism contained can be regarded as feasible solution to fix today's problems. After all, we can nowadays see that all those past regulations have been watered down after years of lobbying and campaigning by the rich caste. So capitalism will need to go either way.
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rhempel
in reply to Bread and Circuses • • •How did the comments become about fascism and not about the pure joy of walking to a nearby bakery and getting bread and pastries for breakfast while your partner slumbers?
I miss living in Denmark sometimes ...
Praetor
in reply to Bread and Circuses • • •Lokjo - EU's Gmaps replacement
in reply to Bread and Circuses • • •Oh hi! Did you say non-corporate and non-chains? Our map is based on that.
When you search for locations, we filter them out.
And if there isn't any in your area, for sure you have a reason to start one!
NoctisEqui 🇺🇦🇵🇸🇪🇹
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Interpipes 💙
in reply to Bread and Circuses • • •on the topic of looking down at car-reduced living, there is some deeply weird obsession for those on the right wing in the uk who want to see 15 minute cities as some sort of conspiracy.
Sadly the cost of rent ensures all of the independent outlets that we do have in London are reassuringly expensive :|
Exiled New Yorker - Connie
in reply to Bread and Circuses • • •We used to have neighborhoods like that in my home town.
The big box stores pretty much ruined that.
I’ve never driven and abhor living where a car is a necessity and public transport won’t be available soon.
huntersjames
in reply to Bread and Circuses • • •Raven Onthill
in reply to Bread and Circuses • • •you don't even have to go to Europe; all you have to do is go to DC or New York City.
"I am large, I contain multitudes."
Patty Kimura
in reply to Bread and Circuses • • •ArchaeoIain
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Bread and Circuses
in reply to ArchaeoIain • • •Dale Hagglund
in reply to Bread and Circuses • • •Bread and Circuses
in reply to Dale Hagglund • • •Virginicus
in reply to Bread and Circuses • • •Masayuki60 🦮🇯🇵 🇺🇦 🐕🇺🇲📷
in reply to Bread and Circuses • • •Subtetra Lectic
in reply to Bread and Circuses • • •that's central europe for you: living by the heart, not by the law. at least in the 2000s. surviving #darkalsocold winters, resisting bureaucracies for the sake of human connection, making sense of broken relationships and anomie. now, not so clear. dismantling socialist hypermodernisation, driving with crossed fingers through gentrification and capitalism, conflicting signals of EU affluence and social control.
why did you go back though?
Bread and Circuses
in reply to Subtetra Lectic • • •Boddy On The Towpath
in reply to Bread and Circuses • • •JamesK
in reply to Bread and Circuses • • •Kee Hinckley
in reply to Bread and Circuses • • •@vaughnsc You’ve just described several of the reasons that I like living in Guanajuato Mexico. And before Americans say that’s inefficient, I can walk to (and buy from) a dulcería (sweet breads and cakes), a bread street vendor, a carnicería (butcher) , a frutería (fruit and vegetables), a farmacia (drugstore), and a tienda (general store) to do all my shopping and be home in less than the time it takes me to drive to the nearest grocery store, park, shop the aisles, and get back.
America destroyed true convenience in the name of profit.
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econads
in reply to Kee Hinckley • • •@nazgul
and be fitter as a result
@breadandcircuses @vaughnsc
So‑Called Vaughn
in reply to econads • • •Kee Hinckley
in reply to So‑Called Vaughn • • •@vaughnsc @econads Absolutely. I’ve been here two months and I’ve already dropped a notch on my belt. Of course, living in a city at 2000 meters where everything involves stairs doesn’t hurt either.
And you didn’t mention the community that these small walkable cities engender. Everyone in our neighborhood says good morning/afternoon/evening. After you’ve done that a few times to the same person, they stop to chat. It’s wonderful.
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malena
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So‑Called Vaughn
in reply to Kee Hinckley • • •https://youtu.be/dlUktUVbwNc
1, rue Sésame (Sesame Street) - The People in Your Neighborhood (Veterinarian, Taxi Driver, French)
YouTubeAlbert Cardona
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Kee Hinckley
in reply to Albert Cardona • • •FiveSeventeen
in reply to Kee Hinckley • • •@nazgul @vaughnsc
Same for me over here. Just do not need a car.
bouriquet
in reply to Kee Hinckley • • •The mom and pop business concept has been strangled.
Tofu Golem
in reply to Bread and Circuses • • •A lot of this is the result of car culture, as you observe.
Most places in America have zoning laws designed to force everyone to buy cars.
Because of this, America no longer has very many mixed-use walkable neighborhoods, which affects our attitudes about a lot of things.
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Lowtide
in reply to Tofu Golem • • •Lowtide
in reply to Tofu Golem • • •Hugh Ferguson
in reply to Bread and Circuses • • •The cost of rent has got so bad that only the big chains now can afford to set up shop. In countries/regions where there is reasonable rent control, you will see small business thrive.
Albert Cardona
in reply to Bread and Circuses • • •Peter Moleman
in reply to Bread and Circuses • • •Bread and Circuses
in reply to Peter Moleman • • •LukefromDC
in reply to Bread and Circuses • • •Personne
in reply to Bread and Circuses • • •https://inv.us.projectsegfau.lt/watch?v=imAGg5Lj8lc
The US Is Ugly. THIS is Why.
Leeja Miller | InvidiousMagpie 🪶
in reply to Bread and Circuses • • •Bread and Circuses
in reply to Magpie 🪶 • • •Magpie 🪶
in reply to Bread and Circuses • • •Many Core Forth Processor
in reply to Bread and Circuses • • •I left the US, and am happily living in Katowice Poland. Great bicycle paths, public transport, bakeries, grocery stores. I trust the medical system. 1/4 the price of the US.
And Poland is not sending bombs to Gaza.
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David O'Brien
in reply to Bread and Circuses • • •I used to live in the Kelvinbridge area of #Glasgow.
Within 5 minutes' walk we had:
• A butcher
• A fishmonger
• A greengrocer
• 2 or 3 Asian or African grocers
• A bakery
• Delicatessen
• A Spanish / Latin American deli
It was great. We never menu planned, just picked up whatever we fancied, and what looked good and fresh on the way home.
@breadandcircuses
David O'Brien
in reply to David O'Brien • • •There were also neighbourhood cafés and restaurants that were good enough that we never had to go any further if we wanted nice things to eat.
Not fancy, or pricey. Just good.
One of them was literally next door to us.
Cities arrange themselves this way naturally. You literally have to prevent them from being like this legislatively if you want it to be otherwise.
@breadandcircuses
bouriquet
in reply to Bread and Circuses • • •Bread and Circuses reshared this.
WallOffTrump
in reply to Bread and Circuses • • •