Why do Americans think that European countries are socialist?
As a person from Finland, which was ranked nr.1 best country to live by Newsweek a while ago, I can say that I'm amused by all these discussions about how socialist the skandinavian countries and the western European countries are. How we are SUFFERING because we're not free anymore, and how the government takes control of everything! Do you people really believe all that? Has conservatives really brainwashed you so well? If we're so soooooooocialist, how come in every list of best countries to live in, we fill the top 10 and US is somewhere around the ranks 11-20? Human development index-list, happiest countries-list, the least corrupted nations. the most free nations, infant mortality rate, crime rates, education(in which Finland seems to be nr.1), literacy rate, health care, etc. If you just dare to do some research, you find that European countries(+Canada and Australia) are dominating all these lists( in crime rates, the countries with lowest numbers obviously have the highest ranks). So basically, you gotta admit that either a)we're not socialist or b) socialism works damn well. Obviously you're not gonna say socialism works, so I guess....we're not socialist. I mean, seriously, the other day there was an article in the news about the common stereotypes/misconceptions about European countries. And the newspaper little bit mocked americans stupidity when it comes to knowledge of Finland, Sweden and Norway. How the americans think we're socialist, and we've lost all of our freedoms. I can say that it's simply not true. For instance, I'm studying in college right now, and the big difference when compared to US, is that here the golleges are free. Taxes are higher, but what you get in exhange, makes it worth it. We pay nothing for education at any level, including medical school or law school. Our medical care, which contributes to an infant mortality rate that is half of USA's and a life expectancy greater than USA's, costs relatively little. (We devote 7 percent of gross domestic product to health care; Americans spend 15 percent.) Finnish senior citizens are well cared for. Unemployment benefits are good and last, in one form or another, indefinitely.
How many countries has socialism "destroyed"?
None. Canada, Western Europe, Australia, NZ, Japan and South Korea among many more all practice some form of socialism called "social democracy" and they have the highest standards of living in the world. Nations that currently call themselves "socialist" like the China and North Korea for example aren't actually true socialist nations at all, but rather are simply totalitarian states. That goes for old nations like the USSR and East Germany among others. Socialism and social democracy doesn't include censorship and keeping citizens behind gun-guarded walls. For anyone who thinks I'm using the "no true Scotsman" fallacy, then keep in mind that totalitarian nations also tend to call themselves "democracies", but it doesn't mean they actually ARE what they call themselves.
Whta kind of government do most countries in western europe have today?
They are all social democracies to varying degrees (a democracy with a strong safety net by social welfare -- not the same as socialism). Most of them are: Parliamentary (except France, Romania, and Finland) Unitary (except Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, and Austria) Western European governments are generally evenly split between republics (where the head of state is appointed or elected) and constitutional monarchies (where the head of state is selected by hereditary descent). In Eastern Europe, all EU members are republics. Republics: Iceland, Ireland, Portugal, France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, San Marino, and Malta. Constitutional monarchies: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Spain, Andorra, Monaco, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.
European countries such as France and Sweden operate under which form of mixed economy?
France and Sweden are both capitalist states. France does offer free health care and other benefits to their citizens but that does not make them socialists. It's a very capitalist and expensive country. The same goes for Sweden and other Scandinavian countries.
Is Europe much more socialist than America?
That Europe is “much more” socialist than the U.S. is true, and yet this is only viewed as a negative circumstance by conservatives in the U.S., who are so obsessed with big government and government spending that they cannot see what insufficient socialism has done to the greater good here. The assumption that individuals in the U.S. have more “freedom” is myth, with freedom being so undefined that it’s meaningless as a comparison. Freedom to fail, to be poor, to suffer inequality of opportunity is far greater in the U.S. than in Europe because socialism in Europe is meant to ensure that education and health care are readily available to all citizens. Self-reliance, so cherished by U.S. conservatives, is insufficient for many in modern societies because it doesn’t account for how unlevel the playing field is. Those who come from upper middle class or higher families have far more resources and opportunities than most of the population, which is not the case in Europe. The economic issues faced by Europe are almost completely the result of having a single currency but not equally unified fiscal accountability across all member nations. Think of Greece as the über example of this. As a whole, the Euro zone is no worse and more often better in terms of quality of life for the average citizen than in the U.S., where the middle class is smaller and poorer than it was four decades ago. Don’t be fooled by all the vitriolic nonsense from U.S. conservatives about socialism. Eclectic Pragmatist — Eclectic Pragmatist
Is Europe socialist?
Most of the EU has adopted a model of “Social Democracy”. They have decided that the essentials of a decent life, must be administered by a government that is responsive to the needs and priorities of their citizens. Those things relatively deemed as luxuries remain in the private domain.So they have excellent public transportation, but you can also buy Mercedes and Lamborghinis if you have the means. Healthcare is available to all, but the wealthy can also get facelifts and tummy tucks. Education is available to all, but of course there are still prestigious options for the well-to-do.Clearly there is no single pure economic model that will be universally beneficial, and acceptable to the majority of citizens. The Europeans, Japanese, Canadians, and others, realized long ago that far better results could be achieved by taking the strong points of both Socialism and Capitalism, and creating a “hybrid” economic model, than the results that would come about by religious adherence to any single economic model.