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You need to re-check your definition of capitalism, because as I remember, capitalism throughout the 1940s-1960s produced a prosperous middle class and generated small income-gaps between the wealthy, the middle class, and the poor.
And, by the way, many European nations are not socialist. They are a blend of heavy government hands and private ownership.
And you need to recheck your history buddy you are f'ing clueless. Unions were the strongest during that time period and the rich were taxed the most heavily, upwards of 90%. CEO compensation paled in comparison to what it is today. Plus America who was untouched by the war domestically was taking advantage of the havoc other countries endured during that time and there was much rebuilding and economic opportunity for and by American companies throughout the world. It's kind of like Iraq..........we go in bomb the place to hell.........and end up rebuilding it. LMAO! What war economy? The middle class years of the 50s and 60s was short unfortunately and didn't last long. Look at where we are at today.
Capitalism if you want to call it that has been a dismal failure for the USA. Hell we don't even really have capitalism or a free market. And why is it that many of the strongest economies in the world are not capitalistic but more of a mixed economy where strong government oversight and intervention allow capitalism to flourish. It's because most of these countries still have an honest government that hasn't been corrupted by corporate America and the revolving door that is American politics. Country like China being the exception. Germany, Brazil, Canada, Norway, Sweden, Finland, etc. are all doing well or much better than the US. And it has nothing to do with population size or natural resources.
I wish people would stop abusing the word socialist. It refers mainly to the way the economy, specifically companies, are owned and run. And in that respect companies here are not much different from their US counterparts.
One of the differences is that with big crucial companies that the state has shares in (usually companies that started out as fully state-owned companies decades or even a century ago in the first place such as Portugal Telecom or CP, Portugal's Amtrak so to speak), the government has a golden share to prevent those key infrastructure companies from being taken over by private companies in a hostile way, especially from abroad. Some, like the winning center-right party, call it interference on the part of the government, but I fully support such a golden share. Actually, I think any hostile takeovers should be forbidden, regardless of any government shares.
In Germany there is similar interference on the part of the government and I support it. For instance telecom providers have to implement 4G broadband networks in all rural regions before they are allowed to implement them in the far more lucrative cities. That's in order to prevent a digital rift the way it was observed with the introduction of the previous generations of broadband technology.
I guess a few years from now the Portuguese populace will wake up and regret the most recent elections.
And let's wait how long the new government in Portugal will be in power. Today there is a new scandal in the news. The small island of Madeira has found out that there are about 1.5 billion dollars missing That in addition to a smaller hole of 900 million dollars found earlier...
Since 1978 the island has been ruled by a rather right-wing politician, Antonio Jardim, who is associated with the party of Portugal's new PM. I doubt people here will put up with the additional burdens that mess will bring upon them, I have already heard people say the new PM is just as bad as the old one...
The list is getting LONG of the socialist form of government crumbling under it's own weight...taking the socialist/liberal party along with.
The voters it seem have had enough of the nanny state party that created the mess we are now seeing in Europe.....one in which the democrats/liberals/obama want to emulate here.
What we are seeing worldwide, including in the US, is a REJECTION of liberal/socialist policies that create an unsustainable and ruinous burden of massive debt/deficits. This is a long time coming, but the piper is finally here.
Um...Portugal is one of the USA-lite brigade. The UPIGS. Weak social safety net (less than the USA), low banking regulation, low-wage jobs.
You're thinking of places like Germany, Sweden, Austria, Finland, Switzerland, Norway, etc. High-welfare, high-wage, countries.
I've read multiple times on this board that a right-wing politician in Europe is like a moderate Democrat here.
Indeed, by US standards he is not extreme, but by our standards he is like a little Hitler. Just the way he speaks to crowds, horrible, like in those old b/w films showing Hitler speeches
Indeed, by US standards he is not extreme, but by our standards he is like a little Hitler. Just the way he speaks to crowds, horrible, like in those old b/w films showing Hitler speeches
So Hitler like politicians still get elected in Europe?
The list is getting LONG of the socialist form of government crumbling under it's own weight...taking the socialist/liberal party along with.
The voters it seem have had enough of the nanny state party that created the mess we are now seeing in Europe.....one in which the democrats/liberals/obama want to emulate here.
What we are seeing worldwide, including in the US, is a REJECTION of liberal/socialist policies that create an unsustainable and ruinous burden of massive debt/deficits. This is a long time coming, but the piper is finally here.
One election does not repudiate socialist philosophy.
So Hitler like politicians still get elected in Europe?
Obviously, he has been in power since 1978 He is quite regionalist (if there is such a word), often pretending to be in favor of splitting from Portugal. That makes him popular with most islanders. But he never rejects our tax money and other help, knowing his island would be nothing without the mainland...
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That in addition to a smaller hole of 900 million dollars found earlier...
He is quite regionalist (if there is such a word), often pretending to be in favor of splitting from Portugal. That makes him popular with most islanders. But he never rejects our tax money and other help, knowing his island would be nothing without the mainland...
