IF, liberals are so BAD for the USA, why are countries that have a majority of them moving economically ahead?

Question

Why is canada and europe where it's mostly majority liberal gaining so much ground on the USA economically, socially, and technically? Of the industialized countries, the usa is the farthest behind in cell phone use and infrastructure, we are falling behind everyday in adoption of Broad band internet, and we one of only 3 nations out of 127 industrialized countries that do NOT have universal medical coverage. Don't you think it's time to wake up from the NEOCON slumber we have been in for the past 30 years and start trying to catch up?

Answer 1

You are going to get a lot of hate mail for this one. I would say your right in just the issue of health care alone. The CEO of G.M has said that $1500 of every new car that they sell is going to cover the health care of their employees and retiree's this adds a tax per say to us, but also makes it harder to compete on the world market with company's that have U.H.C. I would assume this could be applied to other industry's as well. Company's move off shore, to escape this expense so that they can be more competitive. This means American jobs lost and a step back. Why conservative can not see this is beyond me. They do not want to pay the taxes to allow U.H.C. to happen when effect they are already. Maybe it is time to dispel the misinformation that has been released by the Insurance co. and the American Medical Association, and combat it with facts.

Answer 2

Not quite comrade. How are internet and cell phone usage indicators of a strong economy? All the countries you talk about have unemployment rates in the double digits, 36 hour workweeks, and gdp's that have fallen behind the U.S. for the last 60 years. Socialized medicine is a joke, with half of Canada crossing the border to get medical attention here, and people having to wait 6 months for chemotherapy or other lifesaving treatments, since the backlog is so long. Why not go to the doctor everytime you sneeze? The government is paying for it. Prescription drugs are much cheaper, but only because the industry is subsidized by the government with....guess what? Tax dollars! You're idea of a socialist utopia is asinine, wake the f*ck up and quit kissing Europes a*s. Its cliche'd to say, but if those countries are so amazing, why the f*ck are you still here bothering me with your marxist rhetoric. Pack it up, and move to greener pastures.

Answer 3

I think you are make some very sweeping and general assumptions. I'm not sure Canada and Europe are "gaining so much ground on the USA economically, socially and technically." We have a lower unemployment rate, our GDP and stock market are up, we have a relatively high mean income.

By the way, I was in Sweden during their last election cycle and the liberals got trounced because the people were sick of them.

I was not aware that cell phone use, cell phone infrastructure and adoption of broadband were the benchmarks of development. Most standard of living assessments use things like the number of refrigerators per 1000 people.

Universal health coverage is a highly debatable issue. My wife and I were in Canada this summer. She was ill and had to go to the emergency room; we were told it would take about 14 hours. While we were waiting, a lady told us that her uncle went blind from cataracts because he was on a waiting list of over two years for surgery. In Canada, operating rooms can only be used on Monday mornings for ocular issues.

My brother and his wife were living in England. When it was time to have her baby, she came here because they had experienced first-hand the quality of health care there.

There are plenty of things about America I am thrilled with and there are things I'm not so happy with either. I lived in several European countries and there are pros and cons. America is a different from Austria as Spain is from Germany and so on.

Personally, I don't guage my success or failure based on my peers or so-called reference group. It's kind of, shall I say, co-dependent. I think it's a mistake to guage or national identity and well-being on other countries, too. Each nation has a different history, a different culture and different issues.

Answer 4

I don't think liberals or conservatives are inherently "BAD" for the U.S. The balance of the two - maybe not smoothly or efficiently - is what works. Your question relies upon spurious misinformation. Cell phone and broadband infrastructure does not alone constitute a solid economy.

I have lived in the UK and Belgium. So, I have first-hand understanding of the pros AND cons of socialist/pseudo capitalist economies. Yes, there is a certain level of minimum safety net and security for citizens. But it comes at a very steep price. In Belgium, the income tax rate hovered around 50%. Then, there's the value added tax on goods at 21%, and other taxes on everything from TV usage to car radios! The level of bureaucracy in Europe would confound most Americans. This is typical of much of Europe. Europe has far higher unemployment rates (double digits in many regions). Their equivalent to social security and welfare is so overburdened in much of Europe that they are facing a financial crisis when baby boomers retire. So, tell me again - the majority are moving ahead?!?!?

Despite what you may think about socialized medicine, it is not a panacea. In the UK, there were long waiting period for the most basic of treatments and depending upon where you lived, you may not have some services available at all (called "post code lottery"). I knew someone who waited 3 months to start chemotherapy. I don't know about you - but if I am diagnosed with cancer, I'd want to start treatment immediately. All we'd be doing is shifting the money paid to insurance companies in premiums to the government in taxes and obtain a less efficient system for the bargain.

BTW, I loved living in Europe - and there are some areas where they are ahead of the U.S. But in general, where they are most "ahead" has nothing to do with the economy: it has to do with the lifestyle, sense of community, culture, etc.

Answer 5

Like which ones? You haven't mentioned any other country but Canada. There are many countries in Europe. Where are the links to prove your point?

I've heard many emails from Canadians who are warning the US against adopting universal health care because doctors in Canada are fleeing to the US to make a living and pay off their hundreds of thousands of school loans. They have to drive two hours to the clinics and wait another 4 to be seen.

I have friends in Mexico, which has universal health care, who wouldn't go near a clinic. Not only do they have to wait for hours to be seen, but the doctor tends to be either new and in need of experience or a doctor who is so bad, he can't make it on the outside. If these people think universal health care is a bad idea, and they have it, why should we adopt it?

Answer 6

What are you talking about Americas is ahead of the curve. The world would fall apart without the United States Economic and Social Influence. Ask a real question.

Answer 7

if those countries are such utopias, why are most of their citizens rapidly emigrating as fast as their legs can carry them? (not canada, but any other country you want to name.) Venezuela is rapidly becoming another Cuba- soon there'll be boats of people arriving from there. i just read an article written there at telegraph.co.UK. very interesting. the number of requests for Visas to USA or England has doubled. guess they don't hate us as much as chavez says.

it's either that, or the problems the local populations are having with some of their Muslims who haven't integrated into the populace and are causing trouble.

now, try to prove me wrong.

Answer 8

actually they are not moving economically ahead- our ecoinomy influences the worlds economy- thus when we do better the world feels the effects, you need to see how large our gross domestic product is compared to theirs. ours is alot higher. a whole lot, and when our when our when an economy of 100 grows by 10% is it not greater than an economy of 15 which grows by 15%. learn youe econmics.

Answer 9

USA is an exception where a vast majorityof the political parties are dissapointing. One president pimps in the whitehouse- the other jokes about WMD. People are confused. Who is better the man who gets his ***** up, or the war president?

Answer 10

ya look at France that place is falling apart