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The best and brightest in the US would probably be suicidal welfare candidates in Germany, but enough whining from me for now, as I have been to enough third world countries to know that it can always be worse...

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That seems a little harsh, or sarcasm or I've missed the point. Why would those who would otherwise be the best and brightest in the US be headed for welfare if they were raised in Germany?

I'm exaggerating of course, but dropouts don't tend to do well in Germany. You either fit in or get pushed out. I suppose Zuckerberg and the like would mainly end up as some no name devs in some company, if they were to adapt to the system.

" some no name devs in some company" is not the same as "suicidal welfare candidates". And doing an apprenticeship after you dropped out of university is very usual in germany.

And then there is also former Telekom CEO Obermann who dropped out of University to found his mobile phone business.

Single outliers don't make a trend and it looks like he made his mark in a non german company

Smart middle class nonconformists go somewhere else in Europe, or the world. It's in many ways easier to not fit in as a foreigner, because people are expecting you to be different.

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