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Politics : Sharks in the Septic Tank -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: thames_sider who wrote (8253)	3/13/2001 1:09:31 PM
From: Neocon	Respond to of 82486

I agree that it is overblown to call Western Europe socialist, and that there is a distinction to be drawn between the welfare state and socialism, with "social democracy" the somewhat malleable concept connecting the two. On the other hand, there has been a fair degree of paternalism and nationalism on the Right, which is why Tory "wets" fought Thatcherism, so the welfare state is not exclusively a Leftist construct. I mention relative suffering mainly regarding the need for reconstruction. There were other countries that were not in the main path of destruction too, of course. I am sorry if the term "suffering" were too misleading. As for the United States, well, I mention our relative burden sharing (the Occupations, the Marshall Plan, the backbone of NATO, and the like) to note that had we less responsibility as a super power, we might very well have increased our social welfare burden without much raising taxes or otherwise interfering with the "golden goose". You are correct, it is impossible, without more study, to factor in the services rendered for the high tax burden, and thus get a closer sense of material well- being, so I will not venture to try. I do think, though,that the PPP problem is not caused by taxation, but by restrictive practices acting against consumer welfare, such as protectionist barriers. To take an experience in Europe: in Paris, for example, one is hard pressed to find a "hypermart", what Americans would call a supermarket. They are in the suburbs, but the city restricts them in order to favor vendors at traditional food shops, like patisseries and boulangeries. While it contributes to the mystique of Paris, it makes food much more expensive.