The problem with this article and the basic proposition of “having a side hustle” is that it completely ignores the giant problem behind almost everything said.
Folks from these countries would look at you completely cock-eyed as if you were not quite compes mentis: Germans, Dutch, Norwegians, Swedes, Danes, Belgians, Swiss, Austrians, New Zealanders, and to some extent, Canadians, Brits, French.
Why?
Because they don’t have to do all this crap to aspire to a decent and secure life. Only Americans. And other similar OECD members such as the lesser developed/functional western liberal democracies. And other corruptly run countries.
And why don’t they?
Because they have vastly cleaner and fairer democratic systems almost entirely devoid of money influence. And they have all oriented themselves as societies and through the political/electoral systems to have one objective for everyone: decent lives for ALL their citizens. You know, what the Right in the USA calls “Socialism”.
Spend time understanding what these countries provide for their citizens and compare their per capita economics and what they get for free. Go visit and look around, too. At the end of this, see my quick and regular set of these for Germany.
It’s all just a series of gimmicks being offered to become secure and/or get ahead in the USA. “Side Hustles” and Crypto are the apotheosis of what is offered to "get ahead". Vague and random, untethered variable solutions (with Lotto and Vegas, at least you can rationally assess the bleak odds) marketed to give people hope who don’t have the means to evaluate and manage their own personal interests. Usually because they've already been cheated out of a decent education and a rational empirical understanding of how things work.
So, ignore all this crap being fed you from folks like Denning. Ask for what all these countries take for granted and many of which have federal budget surpluses and all rank higher by virtually every metric of human well-being you can name.
LEARN WHAT PARTY OFFERS WHAT THESE COUNTRIES TAKE FOR GRANTED AND VOTE.
And don’t worry about all the “hustlers” and “marketers” and “influencers” out there who will be out of a job.
READ AND CHANGE------
FUN FACTS COMPARING GERMANY TO USA
BUDGETS
- German Federal Budget 2010-2020: 6 surpluses, 1 breakeven, 1 deficit (2020 because of COVID, subsidizing all salaries at 60%)
- US Federal Budget: Last surpluses under B. Clinton 1998-2001, 2002 Bush takes over and....down it goes
TRADE BALANCES
-German Balance of Trade: Never had a deficit
-US Balance of Trade: Last surplus was 1975
-Germany has a near complete balance of trade with China
IMMIGRATION/DIVERSITY
-W. Germany's absorption of E. Germany was the economic equivalent of the US absorbing Mexico
-Before the absorption of the 1.2mm ME immigrants, in 2014, 1/5 of Germany are immigrants, mostly Turkish, E. European, and S. European
HAPPINESS
-Usually between 2nd and 3rd fewest workweeks in the world: 34.7/year vs. 43 for the US
-6 weeks federally mandated vacation, plus a minimum of 12 public holidays with typically more than that (usually between 2nd and 3rd fewest workweeks in the world: 34.7/year vs. 43 for the US)
-universal means-tested, hybrid public/private HIGHER quality healthcare than US
-fully funded federal retirement
-Education pre-school to graduate/post-graduate degree or professional/practical training and internships FREE and PAID.
-basically, the most unionized country on earth or tied for that honor
INFRASTRUCTURE
-renewable energy federal investment to 2015: $150bb, the equivalent of the US investing $1.9TT, currently invests ~$12b/year
-renewable energy: 51% in 2020, USA: 20%
-comprehensive fast, clean, comfortable, convenient, affordable public transportation
-top quality infrastructure...best roads, bridges, tunnels, etc. in the world by all measures
2020 COMPARATIVE BASE METRICS
German Population: 80.62mm
US Population: 318mm
German Land mass: 137,983 mi² (slightly smaller than Montana)
USA Land mass: 3.797 million mi² (27 times larger than Germany)
German Natural Resources: small amount of coal, tiny amount of oil, otherwise practically none, agricultural "museum"
US Natural Resources: Vast oil, gas, ore and other mining, timber, vast coast line with fisheries, vast agriculture
German GDP: 3.86TT
USA GDP: 21.43TT
German Average Lifespan 80.89 years
USA Average Lifespan 78.54 years
ECONOMY
German net average single worker tax rate: 38.9%
USA net average single worker tax rate: 14.6%
German CEO-to-Worker pay ratio 2020: 136 to 1
USA CEO-to-Worker pay ratio 2020: 265 to 1
German Manufacturing as a percentage of GDP (excluding construction): 19.11%
US Manufacturing as a percentage of GDP including construction): 11.39%
German Manufacturing employment as a percentage of employment: 26.78
US Manufacturing employment as a percentage of employment: 8.5%
German Export Size vs. US: in 2011 and 2013, out-exported the US. Prior to 2009, regularly out-exported the US and China
German Exports 2020: $1.489 trillion
US Exports 2020: $1.665 trillion
German Trade Surplus with China 2020: plus $22.2BB
USA Trade Deficit with China 2020: minus $310BB
USA Total Trade Balance 2020: minus $678.7BB
German Total Trade Balance 2020: plus $261BB
German Top 10 Exports:
Machinery including computers: US$260.7 billion (17.5% of total exports)
Vehicles: $243.7 billion (16.4%)
Electrical machinery, equipment: $158.7 billion (10.7%)
Pharmaceuticals: $90.4 billion (6.1%)
Optical, technical, medical apparatus: $79.3 billion (5.3%)
Plastics, plastic articles: $63.2 billion (4.3%)
Aircraft, spacecraft: $42.3 billion (2.8%)
Mineral fuels including oil: $34.2 billion (2.3%)
Articles of iron or steel: $31.3 billion (2.1%)
Other chemical goods: $26.3 billion (1.8%)
US Top 6 Exports:
Machinery including computers: US$361.6 billion (15% of total imports)
Electrical machinery, equipment: $343.5 billion (14.3%)
Vehicles: $254.4 billion (10.6%)
Pharmaceuticals: $139.5 billion (5.8%)
Mineral fuels including oil: $130.1 billion (5.4%)
Gems, precious metals: $107 billion (4.4%)
Optical, technical, medical apparatus: $90.9 billion (3.8%)
Furniture, bedding, lighting , signs, prefab buildings: $65.5 billion (2.7%)
Plastics, plastic articles: $62.5 billion (2.6%)
Organic chemicals: $55.9 billion (2.3%)
VARIOUS SOURCES
http://www.tradingeconomics.com/germany/government-budgethttps://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/https://data.oecd.org/https://data.worldbank.org/imf.org/en/Datahttp://www.worldstopexports.com/https://www.bioenergyconsult.com/https://tradingeconomics.com/germany/balance-of-tradehttps://www.destatis.de/EN/Home/_node.html
etc.
