I wouldn't call it a broken system at all. While I continually try to get people to understand that you should follow the local customs where you are visiting that doesn't mean that one culture's methods are broken or another are correct, that would be like saying driving on the right side or the left side of the road is correct or incorrect. I would be interested in any of the written things you are referring to that show America's tipping culture is a broken facet of our economy. Total cost of for instance a meal is the calculation of all charges, which could be cupertino in italy, VAT in France, sales tax in Costa Rica, tip in America, cost of food etc. If it adds up to for instance $100.00, then the total cost of the meal is $100. If I go to Fiji and get the meal for a total cost of $90 or go to Australia and get the meal for $120, that doesn't make Australia's 'system' broken. That would be like saying the system in Europe is broken because of the VAT on the bill. Different things go into the process depending on where you are at, it's the local economic system, which isn't broken or not broken.
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