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What happens when you compare two US cities. New Orleans versus San Francisco for instance. Or California vs. Arkansas.
If your government is the ultimate pro-business kick ass government or conservative ideal, you can't just quickly change the demographics and social conditions on the ground. Comparing US to "evil socialist" countries is about as valid.
Yet you have to scratch your head, when you look at the top companies list.
US has 132 fortune 500 companies, next closest China with 73. France?
Apple, Google, Intel, AMD, Cisco. ..
We are doing something right. . .
France? 32
You are aware that the United States has almost 5x as many people as France, right? You are aware that population obviously plays a role in the number of Fortune 500 companies in a country, right?
I'm not saying we aren't "doing something right" -- we certainly are. We're a regulated market economy. And so is France. But we're not 4.5 times better at business than they are, we're 4.5 times... bigger.
You are aware that the United States has almost 5x as many people as France, right? You are aware that population obviously plays a role in the number of Fortune 500 companies in a country, right?
Sweden, Norway, Germany, France, Denmark, Austria, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, all the BRICs, South Korea, arguably Japan...
How many do you need?
And most of thee nations listed above scaled back their top income tax brackets in the 1980s -- Great Britain under Thatcher being the most prominent example
Germany's on the decline? Canada's on the decline?
Yes, both Germany and Canada's recent economic health have resulted from what would be Republican policies. Canada exploits natural resources and has been lowering corporate taxes for years and the German economy had anemic growth until they went through spending cuts in the early and mid 2000's.
I didn't read through 13 pages, have we found a conservative utopia yet? Cause if we have, then I want to know where a Libertarian utopia is? That one should be even harder to answer.
I know the idea of "exceptionalism" gets some people upset, but it's relevant to this discussion and here is how. The United States is the only country founded on the basis of individual liberty and limited government, thus there will not be many examples of smaller government "utopias." The point is that when you seek to become more like other countries, you lose that. The question is where is the line?
Yes, both Germany and Canada's recent economic health have resulted from what would be Republican policies. Canada exploits natural resources and has been lowering corporate taxes for years and the German economy had anemic growth until they went through spending cuts in the early and mid 2000's.
Canada's economic health is due to them not having the banking crisis that the rest of the world went through? How did they avoid it? By having even stricter regulations on banking than we passed, which Conservatives were entirely against.
Germany's economic health is due to strong unions that make sure the middle class shares in corporate profits, and a safety net structured to share the burden of keeping employees employed during a recession. Their cuts in the 2000s have nothing to do w/ their economic growth in 2008.
Compare that the rest of Europe who underwent austerity (the Conservative solution) and had anemic growth, if not a double-dip recession.
Here's why Germany's successful (income distribution by quintiles):
Canada's economic health is due to them not having the banking crisis that the rest of the world went through? How did they avoid it? By having even stricter regulations on banking than we passed, which Conservatives were entirely against.
Germany's economic health is due to strong unions that make sure the middle class shares in corporate profits, and a safety net structured to share the burden of keeping employees employed during a recession. Their cuts in the 2000s have nothing to do w/ their economic growth in 2008.
Compare that the rest of Europe who underwent austerity (the Conservative solution) and had anemic growth, if not a double-dip recession.
Here's why Germany's successful (income distribution by quintiles):
Conservatives don't care about reality. They can't or won't moderate their views to deal with a changing world.
They really do think the same things work every time in all situations.
The thinking is simplistic and faith based. It's pathetic, you can't have a debate. It would like debating a believer(I do believe) about the existence of GOD. No matter the facts the believer knows that GOD exists, while that type of mentality is fine for a person's personal faith, but not when dealing with the economy or society and public policy.
But conservatives take that same belief basis and apply it to everything. It is amazing.
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