America, There Is a Better Way: It’s Called Germany

AlterNet / By Jeremy Gantz

America, There Is a Better Way: It’s Called Germany
What anemic America can learn from Europe’s export-happy engine and largest social democracy.

July 23, 2010 |


Nearly two years after the financial crisis brought the U.S. economy to its knees, more than 20 million Americans are either unemployed or underemployed and Congress can barely extend jobless benefits. Republicans propose the same old nostrums--tax cuts--while President Barack Obama burnishes his deficit hawk credentials. Nearly everyone in power appears content to return to the status quo, circa 2007, with a few tweaks in place.

Even worse, alternatives to U.S.-style capitalism -- and its attendant inequality, poverty and instability -- are harder than ever to glimpse, as the sovereign debt crisis across the Atlantic distracts U.S media and politicians, once again, from the impressive achievements of European social democracies. That's a shame, because if we can't imagine a better world, our political and economic status quo appears inevitable and uncontestable, much to the benefit of those in power.

Thankfully, we have Thomas Geoghegan's new book Were You Born on the Wrong Continent?: How the European Model Can Help You Get a Life (The New Press, 2010) to remind us that things like tax cuts for the wealthy, a healthcare system controlled by corporations and privatized retirement schemes are not inevitable.

The book's central mission--to detail a more humane form of capitalism -- couldn't be more relevant to overworked Americans quietly thinking to themselves, there has to be a better way. Indeed, there is: Contrary to apocalyptic U.S. news articles, European-style social democracy is not about to go extinct. Dig a little deeper and you'll discover that Europe is not an undifferentiated mass of debt, socialist profligacy and unemployment.

Germany's unemployment rate is 7.5 percent, below the U.S. rate. In fact, during most of the last decade, Germany was either the world's top exporter or tied for the top spot with China. Yes, a nation of 82 million people outcompeted the United States (307 million) while paying in full for the perks of social democracy. Or, as Geoghegan likes to say, Germans are beating Americans "with one hand tied behind their backs." ..............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.alternet.org/vision/147560/america%2C_there_is_a_better_way%3A_it%E2%80%99s_called_germany/

She had a suspicious blood clot in her leg. Called for an appointment at the Frankfurt Krankhaus (Hospital). They saw her exactly at the time promised. Full examination, ultrasound, blood tests, prescriptions. Three hours and only $600 (because they weren't German citizens).

Beat that (save for paying).

Give a lot of credit to their right-wingers. They quit participating in the public forum of ideas by shooting themselves in the head in 1945. If only ours would...

:scared:

nt

The grass on the bottom is dying because there is no money to buy fertilizer and the homeowner is off in Afghanistan and can't take care of it.

:thumbsup:

democracies that seriously wish to improve their nations. They have seen the once great American dream turn to dust in many ways. It's wonderful for the haves, but not so great for the have-nots.
The US has been so in thrall to corporate capitalism that we have practically moved from democracy to feudalism. Having experienced feudalism firsthand and having fought long and hard to achieve democracy and social justice - a fight that is still continuing, Europe has also learned from some of our worst mistakes.
No, everything is not perfect there and yes, there are currently financial problems that will likely modify at least parts of the European dream. It is also true that, ironically, it was US money and assistance that helped a WWII-devastated Europe to get where it is today. But there seems to be a greater acknowledgement that taxes are what governments use to make life better for all citizens rather than simply the wealthy few, that behaviors such as hate speech should be called what they are and punished, not enabled, and, most of all, that diplomacy, tact and cultural understanding, on the whole, work better to advance a nation's best interests than propping up RW dictators or "shock and awe" invasions based on lies and the economic interests of a privileged few.
They learned the last very expensive lesson from their own failed empires. We should have been paying attention.

After WWII we created some of the practices that have contributed to Germany's success. If only we could somehow institute some of those practices here.

Who's going to take all our nazis?

Even they would admit that.:eyes:

at least according to the article.

Neither had much to do with denazification.

Thanks in part to Reagan and his Voodoo style of economics creating disparaging unequal wealth distribution, rise in corporate corruption and welfare, endless war conflicts, and the destruction of the middle class. Such Voodoo economics only benefit the very rich which constitute a majority of the Right wing politicians and their followers and is the only reason why they continue to spout such nonsense. Of course such ideology has been an FAILURE OF EPIC PROPORTIONS. The Right Wing has never been for the people. To them it has always been Socialism for the few Rich and Privileged and Capitalism for the rest and it is this that is slowly destroying America to the point of becoming a Third World Nation.

Germany does not pay its fair share
of costs related to international security
...........................

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