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Comment by throwaway84742 | Hacker News Reader

I doubt there’s “a lot” of European software people who would turn down life changing compensation, tbh. There are some, but probably not a lot. As you mentioned yourself, political situations in western democracies tend to change over time.

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You’re right, I don’t have a big sample size, but most of the Brits and Europeans I speak to in our office and at meet ups are not at all comfortable with the situation in the U.S and want to wait and see what happens. Heck, even the Americans in our office (who moved here long before the election) are like “we’re gonna keep put in London for the time being and go back after the next election”. Some of that also has to do with timeline for Brexit, whatever it turns out to be.

Curious: what are some of the things they see as negatives? Growing stock market? Repatriation of hundreds of billions in corporate profits, so they can be invested here or distributed to shareholders? Lower corporate tax and more favorable business climate that comes with that? I mean, really. My stock portfolio doubled last year. I can retire if I want to, at the ripe old age of 40. I looked into some gigs in London, and at the upper end of things, I’d be paid 1/4th of what I make now, in spite of massively higher cost of living.

A lot of us would love to work in the U.S - but just not until the current political climate changes. There is no doubt that U.S workers are paid much more than those in London or other European cities.

To answer the question, see cageface’s comment.

The real issue with US politics at the moment is the divisive, uber-partisan, and all encompassing nature of how we see each other. We don't look at someone with a different political viewpoint as a fellow American that we disagree with, we see that person as an enemy who poses an existential threat to our way of life. To a hardcore left wing progressive - Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea have got nothing on the alt-right in our own country (and vice versa).

Have you looked at any quality of life surveys recently? There's a reason why no US American city appears in the top 20; ever!

I can't speak for others, but here are a few reasons I would never move to the US for work. Note that I visited the US multiple times (alas in the 90s) so I'm aware that it's a very diverse country with very diverse (and usually incredibly nice) people and it's not the usual anti-US reflexes that would keep me from working there, ever.

Let's begin with the fact that you don't get any vacation by law. Some companies will not even provide you with sick days, which is a completely absurd from a European perspective

Let's continue with the fact that employment laws in most states are extremely pro-business and very much anti employee. Agreements like mandatory arbitration and no right to an impartial judge in case of disputes would be laughed out of any European court. At least it would be laughed out of any court in Switzerland, which has one of the most liberal and lenient employment laws in Europe.

Let's continue with things that would be simply extremely uncomfortable for me. While I'm aware that not every American is armed to the teeth there are enough people packing heat, especially in southern states. With measures on the way to allow a carrier of a concealed gun to carry it throughout any state makes me extremely uncomfortable and I really don't want to live in such a society.

We could continue with cities which are basically designed for cars, not walkable, not pedestrian and bike friendly and with horrendous public transport options. Sure, there are an excpetions (actually I can only think of New York from the cities I know). I don't want to live in a city where I'm either dependent on a car or on the likes of Uber.

You imply that money is the main motivator. It's not to me. As long as I have a satisfying job and make enough money to cover my daily needs (and maybe allows me to order a craft beer instead of the general swill without having to think about it) I'm more than happy. I make enough money to have no debts, being able to afford my travels (to Japan in April for a month) and if I can afford those things that make life a pleasure to live I'm happy enough.

Too each his own, I guess. But I vehemently disagree with your premise that money is the main motivator for going to work.

Best coder I know is fluent, as in he can code the solution as fast as most people can accurately describe the problem. He pretends to be a lot slower than he is however by very carefully managing the client milestones and coasts on 70 thousand UKP, doing roughly half an hour a day of actual work.

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