[Savage Beast]

Capitalism promises universal prosperity and requires freedom. Marxism promises economic destruction and requires totalitarianism. Yet millions of European and American Leftists, including the Democrat Party, insist upon imposing Marxism upon the Western Republics.

The 2004 Bush landslide victory was--among other things--a rejection, by the American people, of the Marxist agenda of the Democrat Party and its spokespersons in the "Mainstream Newsmedia", adacemia, Hollywood, et al., personified by Hanoi John Kerry.

[jrp]

Here’s the not-so-secret recipe for achieving European-style stagnation and decline. First, combine high unemployment and aging populations to ensure that welfare costs far exceed worker contributions. Then, stuff with generous entitlements, massive tax burdens, rigid labor markets, and regulation-mad bureaucracies....

Be patient. We're working on it.

[1Old Pro]

This article should give comfort to anyone who might be afraid of "competition" from the EU countries economies. These are highly inneficient economies and very little threat.

China however will become a greater threat. Germany and France can go scratch, they are insignificant in the world.

[Polybius]

The richest EU country—Ireland—

I did not know that.

How times change.

[Plutarch]

The main question is when do "Swedish Bride" web sites begin to compete with the "Russian Bride" sites?

[JeffersonRepublic.com]

"To be loved, you have to be nice to others EVERYDAY!.
To be hated, you don't have to do squat." Homer Simpson

America rules! Euroweenies suck!

[snowsislander]

The U.S. per capita income is now 55% higher than the EU-15 average, and 50% higher than Japan’s.

These statistics are just about meaningless without context. For instance, Japanese hourly wages in September of 2004 (274,873 yen for an average of 151.2 hours at 102 yen/dollar = $17.82 per hour) were just slightly above those in the U.S. in July of 2004 ($17.75 per hour). Per capita income and PPP rates are indeed somewhat indicative, but fail to take into account many important differences, from cultural to economic.

And income per capita is less useful when understanding wages than just average wages, and neither tells you anything about taxes or the relative cost of living. I think household income is one of the better measures for understanding how people live, particularly when you have good figures for the number of adults and children per household. Savings rates can give you a better idea of either of the disposable income (or at least the frugality) of a nation. Other factors worth looking at are the average retirement age and retirement income.

I remember reading a bit of this study when it first came around, and I wasn't overwhelmed at the time by it. Counting toasters and microwaves, both of which are inexpensive consumer items no matter where you live in the 1st world, takes into no account cultural differences about such items. I think such measures are fairly specious. Likewise, the rate of automobile ownership is going to vary a lot depending on how necessary such is. In the rural U.S., it is more desirable to have more vehicles than it is living in Manhattan. Living in central Tokyo, an automobile is more of a nuisance than an aid.

[Red6]

They're all the same. "We have no poor people in XYZ", "The social conditions are soooo bad in the US", "33 million under poverty line, 35 million uninsured" These are the things you hear. You hear them over and over and over in their state run media.

However, the standard of living in MOST of Europe is noticeably LOWER than MOST of the US. Comparisons are hard to conduct though. What really defines standard of living? Per capita purchasing power after tax? Security provided by the state? Crime? Average life expectancy? What about environment, or even social norms? Individual freedoms? It’s hard to put your finger on it.

It’s arrogant to a European of course if you say the US is good at anything. But the bottom line is that we have to give out green cards by lottery because we have so many more applicants than cards available. You see few Americans emigrating to Europe as a whole. Movement is one way. Per capita incomes are higher but the tax load is significantly lower in the US which makes for the American to have a per capita disposable income WAY higher compared to most Europeans. Personal choice is much greater since people are not forced into a socialized process/system in education, health care, retirement etc.

Having personally seen both systems. Having lived in both places and many years ago working for a short time in Germany under German conditions I personally can not consciously say that I’d prefer their system. You live in a box. A small state owned and controlled box. It’s like Soyent Green or TI1138, only since they have been treated like cattle from childhood and only know this super structured life they don’t feel in a stray jacket living there. In fact many of them can’t understand how the US can succeed as a such decentralized and disorganized ( their perception) nation. They feel insecure in the US because you are responsible for yourself. Something that they are not use to. From birth until death, the state provides in most of Europe.

The danger is that MOST of the people we have coming to America today want the JOBS and the MONEY but still believe in socialism. They don’t like it as much where they’re from but want to make the US more like that place. Makes sense, right? The original immigrants we had were people who wanted less state, less rules. They saw the paradox in BIG state and long term freedom. Today, many Americans do not share the view of the founding fathers and that of the original immigrants to our nation. Culture makes wealth, not wealth culture. I hope the European socialist thought does not rub off on us.

Red6

[Age of Reason]

Wealth should be measured in the economic price of freedom and the price of the best things in life:

Freedom
Manly men
Beautiful, chaste, and submissive Women
An abundance of cheap prime real estate (low population density and a hospitable climate)
Financial Security and Safety
Plenty of healthy and affordable food
Health
A low degree of paperwork.

The rest is worthless.

[napscoordinator]

I think it is very hard to compare Europe with America. Two very different ways of life. First of all, Europeans don't put money ahead of family like we do in America. Europeans would rather spend time with family than work that extra couple dollars for a new car. They make enough money to live. Since they all live in the same house they don't have to worry about high housing costs. They have lunch everyday with the family (usually 3 hours). They also do not have individual debt so they don't have to work extra hours for paying off credit cards and loans. I am not saying which is better or not, but for conservatives on FREEPER to consistently put down Europeans for not having enough money just gets on my nerves. As a conservative, I love the way they treat there families. I think America could learn from them. So they don't have a huge bank account like we do. At the end of the day on their death bed they don't have any regrets with regards to family like many Americans do. However, we do have that huge bank account which all the kids will be fighting over. /sarc.

[wtc911]

If Sweden WERE a state would they use proper grammar?