>> These figures do not reflect the great disparity of wealth in the U.
>> S. South, so, while almost all Europeans enjoy a comfortable normal
>> middle class life, a large and growing majority of Southerners live in
>> economic uncertainty and fear. Â These numbers do not even come close
>> to exposing the disparity of misery between the Europe and the U. S.
>> South.
>
>> With less disparity of wealth almost all Europeans have a fairly good
>> education while the U. S. South is saddled with creationists, bigots
>> and other really ignorant folk.
>
>> With less disparity of wealth Europe has much less violent crime and a
>> much higher quality of life.
>
>> The Dutch with the highest taxes of all are the tallest people of any
>> western country.
>
>> Bret Cahill
>
>>> Since Slushfundicans from the American south so often like to proclaim
>>> themselves "conservatives" and, as such, so often like to disparage
>>> the "Euro-Socialist" economies of Western Europe, I thought the
>>> following might provide an interesting basis for discussion:
>
>>> Below are the per-capita GDP figures for a selection of Western
>>> European countries as well as for a selection of Southern U.S. States.
>
>>> Per-capita GDP for selected Western European Countries and U.S. States
>>> Luxemburg: �$80,800
>>> Norway: �$55,600
>>> Virginia: �$41,702
>>> Switzerland: �$39,800
>>> Netherlands: �$38,600
>>> Texas: �$36,920
>>> Sweden: �$36,900
>>> North Carolina: �$36,489
>>> Georgia: �$35,362
>>> U.K.: �$35,300
>>> Germany: �$34,400
>>> Tennessee: �$34,321
>>> France: �$33,800
>>> Florida: � �$33,718
>>> Louisiana: �$32,923
>>> Italy: �$31,000
>>> Kentucky: �$29,842
>>> Alabama: �$29,697
>>> South Carolina: �$29,642
>>> Arkansas: �$27,875
>>> West Virginia: �$24,748
>>> Mississippi: �$24,062
>
>
>
>>> In fairness, while the Euro-national stat's were 2007 figures, the
>>> U.S. state figures were 2006 (the most recent available). �Based on
>>> the year to year trend, the average increase per year would lift the
>>> State figures by around $700.
>
>>> While this is not intended to suggest Europe is doing the best it
>>> could economically, it is very telling as to just how full of it the
>>> Slushfundicans are.
>
>>> Don't hold your breath for seeing these stat's displayed on Fox News.- Hide quoted text -
> "60 Minutes" had a nice segment tonight on Denmark, which is the
> happiest of all the very happy Scandinavian countries. Â Danes have a
> 37-hour work week, free education all the way through college
> (including paid 6-month paternity leave flaunted by one young college
> student), 6 weeks vacation, fully paid medical care, very little
> wealth extremes (virtually no poverty), and much more. Â There's a 50%%
> income tax that's readily accepted as the price for a beautiful system
> that works so well for everyone!-
The real advantage of Europe is you don't have any jezoids saying "two
hearts beating" or gun nuts shooting up universities or rightards
saying "cut 'n gut Saddam," or people so fat they need an SUV to haul
their ass around.
That's what DeTocqueville meant when he said the real advantages of
liberty only come when freedom is already old.
Bret Cahill
