European Socialism

[pathtofreedom]

The main reason why European socialism works in Europe is because the government's of Europe intervene for pragmatic reasons or to accomplish a goal like providing services. In America things are done for their own sake. For example people will often say "tax the rich" I always think why? People really don't want to tax the rich to provide some government service or pay down deficits but rather for the simple sake of taxing the rich. People will say we need more regulations and the response what exactly justifies regulation. Like taxation regulation is a goal unto itself without realizing we have too many regulations. Essentially in America government is a goal unto itself not a means of achieving a goal. Europe is not necessarily completely socialist either in many cases there is a more business friendly environment both Switzerland and Sweden have less regulations than we do. Many government owned enterprise operate similar to private ones such as telecoms and railroads and many such industries have been privatized or liberalized. Even if European socialism is better than American Corporatism both are inferior to a true free market system.

[DamianTV]

Socialism is the Great Lie that everyone can live at the expense of everyone else while no one actually contributes to the system.

[revned]

Socialism is the Great Lie that everyone can live at the expense of everyone else while no one actually contributes to the system.

In other words, people vote for a living. Or at least the smarter(only in the sense that they slightly succeed in a system full of failure), more selfish people do at the expense of those who plan to legitimately work for a living.

But I totally agree with the OP about how here in the US people want to tax, and enforce other pointless laws purely out of spite. There is no reason to tax, AT ALL, in a nation that prints THE currency that is used as the reserve currency for the rest of the world. With that logic, every single person could not work and the Fed could just print up enough money for us all to sit on our lazy asses. That would be too obvious though.

Doesn't even matter what system of rule we live under when we have a fraudulent monetary policy. It completely nullifies any genuinity in government.

[compromise]

In some ways, Sweden is more regulated than the US, particularly with regards to the organized labor influence. Switzerland is definitely more economically free than the US though. Other countries, like France (IEF #62), Greece (IEF #117) and Italy (IEF #83), are not so fortunate. I'd much rather be in the corporatist US than over there.

[2young2vote]

European socialism doesn't work. Many of those countries that are praised for their socialist systems actually have more debt per-capita than the united states. Here is the wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_external_debt

You can organize it in a way to show debt per capita. You will see that most of the countries where each citizen owes more then the United States are actually European socialist countries. Does a system "work" when it is a net drain on the people's resources?

[Barrex]

This is my "specialty" or "inside knowledge" lol. Unlike USA, Europe got many nations that are too different to be ruled from one power center and that ensures some vanguard to complete socialist takeover "tyranny style". Dont get me wrong there is socialism here too but it is different from state to state. In some states government is so weak and ___(need a word for when they cant hide any secrets) that it is not capable to go on socialist path...

[gwax23]

In some ways, Sweden is more regulated than the US, particularly with regards to the organized labor influence. Switzerland is definitely more economically free than the US though. Other countries, like France (IEF #62), Greece (IEF #117) and Italy (IEF #83), are not so fortunate. I'd much rather be in the corporatist US than over there.

Yea Sweeden doesnt have a minimum wage and its educational system is a voucher based one. Now while they have large welfare services its private sector is a lot less regulated and taxed then ours. In the 90's they went through a period of huge reform.

[whippoorwill]

LOL I just watched this today>>>>>>>Sweden Sucks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53SknyIp4bk&feature=em-comment_reply_received&lc=TVXwKWpAUsOYtNZyH0zHPRFFdg3pnuETTkld79mPyuQ&lch=email_reply

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53SknyIp4bk&feature=em-comment_reply_received&lc=TVXwKWpAUsOYtNZyH0zHPRFFdg3pnuETTkld79mPyuQ&lch=email_reply

[pathtofreedom]

European socialism doesn't work. Many of those countries that are praised for their socialist systems actually have more debt per-capita than the united states. Here is the wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_external_debt

You can organize it in a way to show debt per capita. You will see that most of the countries where each citizen owes more then the United States are actually European socialist countries. Does a system "work" when it is a net drain on the people's resources?

Sweden has lass debt for GDP than the US.

[whippoorwill]

Sweden has lass debt for GDP than the US.

Untill the government runs out of oil, yes. They, the governemnt workers and politicians, are stealing resorces that don't belong to them to pay the bribes handed out in their Socialist State.

[Danan]

European socialism doesn't work. Many of those countries that are praised for their socialist systems actually have more debt per-capita than the united states. Here is the wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_external_debt

You can organize it in a way to show debt per capita. You will see that most of the countries where each citizen owes more then the United States are actually European socialist countries. Does a system "work" when it is a net drain on the people's resources?

That's just external debt.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_public_debt

[2young2vote]

That's just external debt.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_public_debt

yes...

[Carson]

My Mom used to say something like, The thing that makes Communism fail is that if everyone gets an equal share of everything, why work hard.

I think Jamestown almost starved itself under it. They made a remarkable recovery after they divided up the land and the profits of their labor.

Rising fortunes (1610-1624)

Due to the aristocratic backgrounds of many of the new colonists, a historic drought and the communal nature of their work load, progress through the first few years was inconsistent, at best. By 1613, six years after Jamestown's founding, the organizers and shareholders of the Virginia Company were desperate to increase the efficiency and profitability of the struggling colony. Without stockholder consent, Governor Dale assigned 3-acre (12,000 m2) plots to its "ancient planters" and smaller plots to the "settlement's" later arrivals. Measurable economic progress was made, and the settlers began expanding their planting to land belonging to local native tribes. That this turnaround coincided with the end of a drought that had begun the year before the English settlers arrival probably indicates multiple factors were involved besides the colonists' ineptitude.[28]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamestown,_Virginia

[pathtofreedom]

Untill the government runs out of oil, yes. They, the governemnt workers and politicians, are stealing resorces that don't belong to them to pay the bribes handed out in their Socialist State.
We have oil too. So why don't we have similar debt to GDP if there success is really based on oil?