In defence of socialist EuropeFollow

Now, I'm not one for jingoistic nationalism. I'd be perfectly happy if nation-states stopped to exist, and we all became just one big family.

But I'm tired of seeing Europe's good name dragged in the mud for facetious reasons. Also, I'm tired of socialism's good name being dragged in the mud for facetious reasons. There are lots of things to legitimately criticise Europe about: The Eurovision song contest, our Common Agricultural Policy, the fact that Italians wear sunglasses in the underground, the way some Europeans make threads about how great Europe is, our historic role as colonisers, slave-traders, and general mass-murderers, Posh and Becks, these are all legitimate grievances with profoundly disturbing implications for the rest of the world.

However, here are a few facts for our Republican friends to consider:



1) Europe is not "socialist".

2) Every single European country spends less on healthcare, in absolute terms and as a proportion of GDP, than the US does, despite all of them having a "public option".

3) The European rate of infant mortality is lower in most European countries than in the US.

4) The life expectancy is higher in most European countries than it is in the US.

5) Private healthcare is available in every single European country, despite them having a "public option".

That's about it for health.

But, just to pre-empt gbaji's response, here are a couple more just for fun.

6) France and Germany are officialy out of the recession.

7) France has a mandatory 35 hour working week. In addition to 30-35 paid Annual Leave a year. And to 16 weeks of maternity leave paid at 100% of the salary the woman had when she fell pregnant. Should she lose her job, she wuld get 80% of her previous salary for 6 months while looking for a new job.

8) France and the US have the same unemployment rate.

And all this without being socialist, communist, ****, anarchist, terrorist, hippy, anti-white, kenyan, or part of the Black Panthers.

You can now go back to your scheduled absurd-insult-throwing competition, my dear comrades.


Edited, Aug 20th 2009 10:31am by RedPhoenixxx

and bad teeth, apparently...

Not to take anything away from europe but those things are also true for Cuba as well. And they've had sanctions on them from the US for aeons.

That should tell some folk around here all they need to know about the state of Americas health care system.

You know who was European? Hitler.

Days. Without counting bank holidays, which is almost another 10 days.

And yeah, what Joph said.

It's defense not defence, no wonder the Germans rolled over most of you guys.

Edited, Aug 21st 2009 3:10pm by Shaowstrike

Somewhere there are some Canadians feeling marginalized again.

Also, when you are talking about Americans hating on Europe, you are only talking about certain types of people but not usually Northeasterners, Chicagoans, people from urban areas like Miami or Los Angeles or Seattle or disgruntled ideological minorities, like Southern Liberals and Idahoan Multiculturalists (lol, I've met a few). Or bitter non-Mormons from Utah.

We love you France.

Your pal,
Maine

PS. Sorry about the syphilis.

I don't remember anyone saying Britain.




That's funny coming from someone named Nadenu.

Edited, Aug 21st 2009 6:16pm by Shaowstrike

Don't you know, it's your fault you're disabled and can't work for a company that will give you full coverage.

Dirty commie.

There are no letters missing from my name. Numbnut.

A government taking care of its own people = socialism?

No, you're not alone. There's varus.