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Hey Happy Texan, I'm full of info.
Oh yeah, I know some people in Europe. They are very unhappy. Since years they've been wearing the same clothes (with patches) because they can't afford new stuff - the taxes take everything away. Some of my friends complained that European slums were no match for those in America. With sad eyes they told me that some of America's slums are larger than European cities.
Because Europeans pay so much in taxes, hardly anyone can afford computers, BMWs, vacations, cell-phones, etc. Such items are very rare. For the over taxed Europeans most can only afford vacations on their balconies or back yards. I think statistics show that only one in every 10,000 European household has a computer.
Of my friends many lament that the Europeans are not bombing civilians somewhere. Almost in tears, one told me he like to see the bombs drop anywhere, "anywhere, just so that we could feel important in the world".
And I have heard that 99,99 % of all Americans are obese.
I believe Visvaldis is a troll or at least I hope so (for his sake).
How much heroin do you shoot a day? Your post is hilarious. You actually think that a country that spends more on entitlements is better off financially? You're a riot. Remember to let me know to never ever ask you for financial advice!
Thank you for your mature response. No I don't "think" that.
I am pointing it out.
It is a verifiable fact. The countries that spend more on entitlements are the ones that are better off financially. That does not -necessarily- mean that they are better off because they spend more on entitlements. But it does mean that the entitlements does not seem to particularly hinder the economy of a country.
The extremely strong correlation between the low entitlement countries and economic trouble, as well as the correlation between high entitlements and economic strength have led some researchers to theories on why that might be so.
Thank you for your mature response. No I don't "think" that.
I am pointing it out.
It is a verifiable fact. The countries that spend more on entitlements are the ones that are better off financially. That does not -necessarily- mean that they are better off because they spend more on entitlements. But it does mean that the entitlements does not seem to particularly hinder the economy of a country.
The extremely strong correlation between the low entitlement countries and economic trouble, as well as the correlation between high entitlements and economic strength have led some researchers to theories on why that might be so.
Haven't read your links, but maybe it is because people who are worried or even scared about their future tend to waste energy and time on those worries and fears and might not be patient enough to do what they feel like doing or even discover what that is in the first place
Some people here are painting an image of Europe as some kind of a Roman Empire minutes before it collapsed... Well, how shall I put this delicately. I have the impression that some people want to make an ideological statement, regardless of the European reality.
Europe is doing reasonabely well given the circomstances, thank you. If you would like to visit the continent, you're more than welcome, but please don't insult us and leave your Levis jeans, dollar bills, used cell phones, Marlboro sigarettes and toilet paper at home. We're perfectly capable of buying those things ourselves. Even Eurocommies need to wipe their ass from time to time.
For those thinking that there's no place for such a "socialist" continent as Europe on the globe, I would suggest a rather simple way of solving the problem: just ask your president to mention "weapons of mass destruction in Europe" from time to time.
After some months, you could invade Europe with a joint army including the new members of a "coalition of the willing" such as Iraq or Afghanistan, as we all know that the people there will shurely support the US, since they are so gratefull for the freedom and democracy America brought. Don't forget to include enough private contractors as it's good for business.
Next step will be the elimination of the European leaders. It's a divine task to bring criminals such as Sarkozy, Merkel, Berlusconi and Rutte to justice. In the meanwhile, special forces can eliminate all socialists. Don't forget Julian Assange, perhaps he's here somewhere! A hint: there are no houses on the countryside in Europe: most people still live in holes in the ground. We call that mini bora bora.
After a few more years, your leaders can begin begging again for troops from other countries to solve the mess they created, but "socialism" will be destroyed and we'll all be free at last!
Are any of you conservative guys familiar with the country of Sweden? If so, you should also know that this country has one of the highest levels of social spending in the world.
But do you know what's so funny? Yesterday they posted a GDP growth of 6.9% (annualized) and the government expects to run a deficit of 0.5% this year and a surplus 2011. The national debt is currently at 35% and decreasing.
This clearly goes to show that "social spending" is not necessarily what's making countries go bankrupt, so would you please do us all a favor and stop being so naive.
Are any of you conservative guys familiar with the country of Sweden? If so, you should also know that this country has one of the highest levels of social spending in the world.
But do you know what's so funny? Yesterday they posted a GDP growth of 6.9% (annualized) and the government expects to run a deficit of 0.5% this year and a surplus 2011. The national debt is currently at 35% and decreasing.
This clearly goes to show that "social spending" is not necessarily what's making countries go bankrupt, so would you please do us all a favor and stop being so naive.
Europeans shouldn't take the opinions of Americans seriously because most know almost nothing about Europe, probably couldn't even find Europe on a world map.
Please, even as a kid in the 80s (when we visited Europe a lot bc of my dad's work and my godparents living there), I could see that living in Europe basically meant living in a crap hole (unless you were rich), being behind in tech (cuz it was too expensive or just unavailable), and spending god-awful amounts of money for basic living necessities. In the next 20+ years, I have been back several times, and nothing has changed.
That's not freedom. It's a sly, insidious oppression that keeps the general public captive and reliant on a giant system of social welfare.
Are any of you conservative guys familiar with the country of Sweden? If so, you should also know that this country has one of the highest levels of social spending in the world.
But do you know what's so funny? Yesterday they posted a GDP growth of 6.9% (annualized) and the government expects to run a deficit of 0.5% this year and a surplus 2011. The national debt is currently at 35% and decreasing.
This clearly goes to show that "social spending" is not necessarily what's making countries go bankrupt, so would you please do us all a favor and stop being so naive.
Naive is thinking that a country with a population of less than 10 million people whose economy is largely based on foreign trade of its own natural resources can be compared to the other countries in question...yeah, if I had just a handful of people and limitless natural resources to plunder (and with the 3rd largest land mass in the EU and tiny, tiny population density, they can do this), I could set up a 'utopia,' too.
And they are very serious about their laws...people want to talk about Europe all the time and only focus on the free sh*t they give out all the time...but they don't want to talk about how much responsibility the government expects the citizens to maintain.
Drug laws? Zero tolerance with widespread drug testing. The police have a legal right to take action against someone they suspect are using drugs (even if the person isn't doing anything wrong).
They can give you a breathalyzer test even if you're not doing anything wrong. Blow over .10, and you lose your license FOREVER. Do you know how hard it is to get a license there? It's not the idiot jamboree we have here.
Wanna become a Swedish citizen? HA!!!! Sweden's Immigration Laws | eHow.com
Good luck getting into the country, especially if you're non-Nordic or you are not related to anyone there.
And have you seen the taxes?
Make your points with real facts and comparisons if you want to be taken seriously.
Make your points with real facts and comparisons if you want to be taken seriously.
Make your points with real facts and comparisons if you want to be taken seriously
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