| mrstickball said: Louie - Try such a social system in a country with 4 times the population, and a much different socio-economic makeup. It works in your country because you have a much different makeup than America. The reason we argue the social market economy in America is because every phase that we've initiated (retirement, education) has failed abysmally. Our schools are worse than yours, and our pensions (I assume) do not earn near the interest yours do. I fail to see how adding other social programs is going to change their success rate in America. You have very little immigration and your racial composition has Germans at a majority rate of 91.5%, with a decent bit of the 'other' consisting of immigrants from other highly developed nations (France, UK, Greece). America has twice the immigration rate per capita, and a much larger skewing from poor countries. So our problems are different. I'm glad it works in your country. But given the American track record, I think we're in a different position and makeup that demands more private based solutions than government solutions. |
Of course the US is in a way more difficult situation, I don't want to argue that. Sorry if my comment sounded like that, that wasn't my intention. I was rather pointing it out to some people who argued health care is not a right. The US was found on the believe that every human being has certain rights ("Life, liberty and the pursuit of hapiness" is what I'm talking about of course) which I highly respect you for. What I wanted to point out was that denying health as a right and treating it like a privilegue is like saying you only deserve those rights under certain conditions, like being able to earn enough money to pay for your health care. Isn't health a necessary condition for your personal pursuit of hapiness?
In my mind it's the governments responsibility to provide equal chances for everyone, which includes health care, etc. I know I'm arguing from a european view but I think one should at least try to achieve those goals. I know you're in a way more difficult situation, though. Sorry if I was being a know-it-all.
I agree with you that adding other social programs is not going to help you in the end. I was also quite confused by some of Obama's plans actually.
Just one thing: Who told you germany had very little immigration? 
The 91% you listed include immigrants with german citizenship. The number of immigrants currently living in germany is 15.1 million people. That number doesn't include the quasi-immigration of 16 million east germans back in 1990 (you have to count that numbers as east germany was pretty much destroyed by communism and the economy in east germany collapsed after the reunification). It's nothing US-like but I would hardly call that very little immigration (and on a side-note I'm quite happy about our high immigration rate. It really adds to your nation's culture. Germany wouldn't feel like "my home" without the turkish influence on our society for example)
