[extropy-chat] Europe vs America (was Depressing thought....)

[randy]

On Sun, 9 Nov 2003 18:03:44 -0600, you wrote

>The corporate form per se is no more or less problematic than any other means of holding and using property and contract rights.  The problem arises when state power is fused with the form through corporatist government policies.  Blaiming "corporations" is like blaming any other interest group that bids for and buys government favor, be they "farmers," "unions" or other organized groups that manage to garner preferential treatment from the state.  Corporations are RELATVELY weak in the EU (compared to the US), but these other organized interest groups have done just as much harm by co-opting state power for their special interests in the EU -- viz. France and their endless strikes and labor-driven politics, 

But how do you define "harm"?  The strikes in Europe are simply the
expression of solidarity of the people and have resulted in the
superior living conditions of the French (and other NW European
countries), as compared to the Americans:

The average American works 25% more hours than the average French.

And the average French does not have to ever worry about getting
cancer and not being able to pay for treatment--medical care is
provided by the state without charge in  France. 

Likewise, they do not have to worry about saving up for their child's
education -- it is provided without charge by the state.

Plus, if the job comes to an end, there is long term unemployment.

The French obtained this superior lifestyle through strikes and other
tactics. So where is the "harm"? Or did you mean "benefit"?  :-)

>or the agricultural protectionism in the EU that is one of the main factors derailing free trade in the >world.  The evil doesn't lie in the legal form per se, but in the sell-out of state power.

American govt sells out 10 times worse than any of the NW Euro
countries. The European citizenry would (and have) shut down their
countries if they think they have been sold out.





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The United States of America: If you like low wages, you'll love long hours!