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Lets not forget that many of these countries have had more pro-worker legislation in place for 50 years or hell even 100 years. Its absolutely laughable when people say America can't afford it in 2016 or because there are too many poor minorities in America! Minorities in America are richer than these countries 50 years ago and 100 years ago! When it can be done 50 or 100 years ago in countries like Australia, Switzerland, Germany etc etc it sure as hell can be done in America in 2016! And the fact of the matter is; if we look at what the American people believe, there is overwhelming support for this!
This is the gap between public opinion and public policy. That gap is packed full of donor class big money. Even with massive corporate propaganda, if we look at opinion polls, Americans are still to a very large extent social democrats and not really much different than Europeans. It is no coincidence that FDR is the most popular president in America in the last 100 years! Now that was a real social democrat fighting for workers!
What "large employers" don't provide paid vacation time? Other than maybe hotel and fast food chains for the lowest-paid positions? And restaurants?
Last edited by Ruth4Truth; 07-23-2016 at 12:45 PM..
One of the great things about Europe is that nobody leaves school without some kind of marketable skill, so they can earn a living wage that can help themselves and the tax base. Too many people go through the school system in America only to work at a low paying job like Walmart, and having to collect government assistance.
you are wrong there , going to university is such a rite of passage in europe , many students end up studying completely useless humanity degrees and end up working in mc donalds as a result , nothing wrong with working in mc donalds but why waste time going to college for three years to do so
Fact of the matter is, whether you believe Europe is lily white or whether you believe Europe will soon be Islamic (please make up your mind!), the people actually fight for worker's rights and benefit from it, unlike what we see in America where huge numbers of people vote for puppets who laugh in their face as soon as the cameras are off and they are ready to reward their donors. Research shows that the opinion of the big majority of the American population has ZERO effect on public policy. At the top of the income scale; the big money donor class, we basically see that they set public policy. Thats a laughable definition of democracy.
what most diferenciates americans from europeans is poor americans are always ready to take one in the gut so the 1% dont have to , takes some level of conditioning to make poor people stand ready to defend the wealthy elite but thats what any vote for the republican party does
Wealthy Europeans were never preoccupied with the well being of society beyond how it helped them and their families.
You are confusing Europe with the third world countries. Or Russia for this matter.
Wealthy Western Europeans were smarter than that. They figured that if they take care of the more needy part of population in a reasonable manner, then the lives and prosperity of THEIR families won't be under threat as well. It's the Russians, who seem to never learn their lesson. (Americans are walking not too far behind in this respect.)
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Why do you think they hide and have hidden so much money in places like -- Switzerland?
Are you telling me it's only Europeans that keep their money in Swiss banks? You'd be surprised to learn that quite a few Americans do that, and so do people from other countries. Swiss banks are international endeavor, since they assure safety and anonymity for their customers. They don't yield big interests though from what I remember, but that seems not to be an issue for those who prefer German reliability, safety and anonymity instead. That is not to say that no money going to Swiss banks are ill-gotten, but as I've said - Swiss banks are not strictly "European endeavor."
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Nobody wants money voted out their pockets.
It all depends what services do you get in return, and what you deem "valuable."
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Do you send extra tax money in order help your government make ends meet? I don't.
Not in the US, not with its culture of corporate welfare - I can tell you that much.
The point being is that wealthy Europeans hide their money too. They're not too happy about paying massive tax bills so that others can take six week vacations and have loads of time off. The idea that they are happy with their tax situation is laughable. The complaints from them are many.
you are wrong there , going to university is such a rite of passage in europe , many students end up studying completely useless humanity degrees and end up working in mc donalds as a result , nothing wrong with working in mc donalds but why waste time going to college for three years to do so
Going to university is not a rite of passage in countries that siphon low achievers off to vocational training. Going to university isn't something that can be taken for granted.
As Stan4 put it in Germany by 5-6th grade you are assessed to either go on a vocatinal track and be a mechanic / plumber etc or go on educational track for college which is heavily subsidized and paid. It is difficult to switch from vocational to University track and should you try it the costs will have to be borne by you. So not many people try it.
In USA you wil not be able to implement such a system. Hence school and college graduates with no marketable skill.
No, the US wouldn't be able to implement such system, because the whole PC house of cards would have started falling apart as the direct result of it. Such system of education is brutally honest - it's not about regurgitating simplistic material ad nauseum, and *developing the critical thinking skills* to no end. German system of education implies that you are either already born with those *critical thinking skills* or you are not. So it honestly screens your potential, no matter what your circumstances are, and prepares you for your future, taking these potentials in consideration.
Modern American society won't be able to accept such realistic approach for a number of reasons, but because of that it ends up with quite a few youngsters from lower-income families with no marketable skills, scrapping the bottom of the barrel, and ending up in homeless shelters, when they have no particular interest working in those glorious "fast-food places." But hey, on another hand American system of education assures the ample supply of this low-pay unskilled labor, that corporations can make a buck on. That's what the game is all about, and then some more.
The point being is that wealthy Europeans hide their money too. They're not too happy about paying massive tax bills so that others can take six week vacations and have loads of time off. The idea that they are happy with their tax situation is laughable. The complaints from them are many.
No, I don't believe they are happy about their situation. But luckily, the last word, the ultimate decision in these matters are not up to them. See, Europe has a long tradition of giving birth to scholars, thinkers, philosophers, and big and strong "middle class" overall. So it's the public that have the last word on these matters in Europe, not "big money" as it is in the US.
So basically Europe is governed by other forces than money, and that's what the US would love to see destroyed and finished off after all.
No, I don't believe they are happy about their situation. But luckily, the last word, the ultimate decision in these matters are not up to them. See, Europe has a long tradition of giving birth to scholars, thinkers, philosophers, and big and strong "middle class" overall. So it's the public that have the last word on these matters in Europe, not "big money" as it is in the US.
So basically Europe is governed by other forces than money, and that's what the US would love to see destroyed and finished off.
What right does the public have to fruit of another man's labor and innovation? How easy it must be to vote money and property away from other people so that you can have days off. Sadly, Americans have learned this wretched practice too.
Please spare me on the other fantasy stuff. The American middle class is equally as strong or stronger than any European middle class, the US produces great scholars, thinkers, philosophers, artists and innovators. People send their children from all over the world to get educated in American universities, including from Europe. The stuff you're spouting is a completely false narrative.
The point being is that wealthy Europeans hide their money too. They're not too happy about paying massive tax bills so that others can take six week vacations and have loads of time off. The idea that they are happy with their tax situation is laughable. The complaints from them are many.
No one in Europe pays massive tax bills so that "others can take six week vacations". How is that supposed to work anyway? It's a benefit that employers offer and it is obviously calculated into the main package when employing somebody. Vacation time is not paid for through taxes. Oh and the wealthy Europeans, at least those who work and don't live off of an inheritance, also get those vacation days.
Wealthy people do pay more taxes, but that happens in most countries of the world and is not exclusive to Europe. Most people also get something in return for paying taxes at some point in their life, be it schooling, infrastructure, health insurance....
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