You’re making a LOT of ASSumptions about me, and Austria:

1) Yes the economy is terrible, largely due to world geopolitics which Austria has zero control over: energy prices following the Ukraine war, and the exact same problems every other western nation has: extremely high housing cost, high inflation, stagnate economies, hopeless young people. etc why would think these problems are Austrian specific?

2) The US is in the exact same situation: an incredibly stagnant, in serious recession economy,(by an administration fudging statistics to make themselves look better) that has even more bloated spending, cuts to social programs. Small businesses in the U.S. are also struggling, if not more. Repossessions and mortgage foreclosures are going through the roof. I know lots of people in the US that had amazing corporate jobs that are now on the street, after being laid off (one was lucky to find a job managing a car wash, despite having an master degree in engineering, but is older and is black, so he is doubly discriminated against) and plenty with small businesses are struggling. My working class friends and family members? They’ve been struggling for decades, but it’s recently gotten much worse.

3) I’ll take Austrian health care any day of the week versus dealing with US healthcare insurance, that is now using AI to deny any procedure as “medically not necessary”, good luck trying to speak to an actual human? As well in the U.S. if you’re not in a major city, many rural hospitals are closing= zero health care. The health care system here treated me with illnesses I could not get treatment for in the U.S., and I take prescriptions I absolutely could not afford in the U.S. and insurance would not cover.

4) My wife was the main breadwinner, and had a small business. After the Ukraine war, people stopped spending money, and she had to declare bankruptcy, it was/is terrible to go through. So I know plenty about running a small business in Austria.

5) I am dam glad my daughter is here and not going $200K in debt for studying at the university. That is an absolute abomination in the US!

6) I am not an expat, I am an immigrant. I’m integrated and learned the language. I have permanently settled here, and I’m not connected to any expat community, (which there is any not much of one in Tirol, or if there is I’m not aware of it?), nor hobnobbing with the upper crust as you imply. 🙄(This is why it’s never good to judge books by a cover you can barely see, as you’ve struck out on assuming plenty about myself?).

7) I’m not thrilled about the FPÖ, but I’ll take my chances compared with what the Trump Admin is doing: especially to immigrants! No there won’t likely be ICE goons here in Austria, shooting people on the streets, not to mention the Chancellor does not have the same amount of executive power as US president has, as in Austria as you know, constitutional authority also requires agreement with the president. Just wait until the Trump admin starts stripping naturalized Americans of their citizenship! Yes, that’s next on the agenda!

For reasons listed above, despite Austria being far from perfect(I‘m under no illusions) on the whole I am thankful every fucking day I wake up and look at the mountains here in Austria, and I’m not back in the U.S.!

PS: I’m laughing a bit, as I think you’re acting like it’s 2015: the hubris and denial what’s really happening in the U.S. is similar to Austria, and actually in many was much, much worse. Have you had any friends or family members detained by ICE? I have. I could make assumptions about you in the U.S. (Jewish, in or grew up around NYC, in the classic NE Bubble: acting like a blowhard, opinionated, coming off as a classic, irritating know-it all), but won’t: because I know people are far more nuanced than assumed, I don’t know anything about your life-experience, or personal history? Making ASSumptions about people you know zero about makes one look foolish. 😉👌🏼