sam_lowry_ 2 days ago

I think it is deeper than the theory of class struggle.

France rebuilt its educational system under Napoléon to teach science to bright kids from all backgrounds.

Fast-forward 200 years, it degraded into a system that teaches anachronistic humanities to smart and docile kids of upper middle classes.

P.S. For non-French, I am talking about the system of Grandes écoles [1]

[1] https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grande_%C3%A9cole

mcv 2 days ago

Netherland is actually extremely egalitarian. Managers are often just one of the team, you address everybody informally, we're all equals, etc. Except in pay. And especially in larger organizations. Managers and people on track to management are seen as the shit. Programmers are paid fairly well compared to the average job, but even if you're single-handedly pulling an important project, you're never going to make the same as people who push numbers, papers and money.

  • whstl 2 days ago

    Europe is egalitarian in the surface but class-based deep down. Your word is worth as much as your title.

    Of course I can't speak for every country but that's the reality.

    I'm not saying that anywhere else is better, but in other places I worked there was no such illusion.

    • mcv a day ago

      This varies a lot per country. I know Germany is a lot more hierarchical, for example. They care about titles there. Here we don't.

  • lurking_swe a day ago

    > informally, we're all equals, etc. Except in pay.

    arguably the most important part. :) 2nd being team and company culture imo.

  • lifestyleguru 2 days ago

    > you're single-handedly pulling an important project

    Never do it on employment contract in Europe. Even if you really are and then quit your job, from next Monday everything will operate as if you never had worked there.

    > you're never going to make the same as people who push numbers, papers and money.

    That's why the top EU companies are loathed ERP company, perfumes and purses company, and obesity drug for Americans company.

    • mcv a day ago

      > everything will operate as if you never had worked there.

      Well, they wrecked my app after I left. It was blazingly fast, and we has a very fast moving team. Now the team and the app are slow. (I don't even work there yet and I already know why it's slow, and I don't think it will be very hard to fix.)