Sunday, January 3, 2010

Socialism, It's All the Rage !

Everyone looks to the 'The Europeans for the latest in [pick a subject]. Right? Well, American marketing firms and kids or idiots who buy into such claptrap anyway.

The Europeans don't have the latest in anything. I lived in England in 1990 for a year, and it was like living in America in 1950, at best. I was on assignment there, and on expenses as a result. We rented a house, had a hell of a time finding one that came furnished. And that was a big problem, because no one rented furniture there at the time.
But they did rent appliances. We rented a state of the art washer and dryer. You were lucky if you could get five shirts in the thing at a time. I kid you not. Al Whore must have had a hand in the design process. Lighting was by way of a wire hanging from the ceiling with a light bulb at the end and you could find all manner of fashionable shades to install above the light bulb so it was obvious this was the norm and not the exception. This house was new 3 years before we rented it and the owner was in the military and deployed. There was a TV tax, and 4 TV stations. Movies were 6 months behind the USA. The bulk of TV shows were copycatted from the USA. Storylines and all. The food is horrid unless you go to a place that has another style of food, like Italian, American, etc. We paid 18 bucks for a medium size Pizza with the exchange rate. Puleeease...

Though England is a beautiful place and the people are the very Best and some of the Brightest. Not to mention everyone there is Expert at driving a car. Seriously, what a pleasure it was to drive there, even if it is on the wrong side.


Anyway, let's take France because it truly is socialized and because liberals think the French are so far ahead of everyone else. Let's break it down.

Cons:

Most French speak at least two languages, Francias and English. They have to. A lot of their day to day living income for individuals comes from tourism. Here is the breakdown of their industry
Note Machinery is listed as their top industry by value of annual output. Anyone know of any French machinery used to any degree in the United States? I don't and I've worked in and been around a lot of manufacturing, and as a consultant and such, in many more industries. I can't imagine the value of that output compares with any country doing significant output, such as Germany, United States, China, and elsewhere. Next on their list is Chemicals and Automobiles. When was the last time you saw anyone driving a Peugeot. I suspect they sell of lot of them locally because the hordes of Muslim gangs living in France trash 100 cars a week by fire. Yep, not just during 'the riots' the state run media told you about, 100 a week, every week, all year long.

Let's get to the meat of it. When was the last time a product like the Ipod, Iphone, or Personal Computer came out of France. Nope... Memory Chips, Keyboards, Mice, Application Software, Gaming Software, or Anything to do with the largest industry in the world starting in the late 90's ?? Nope. How about Business Software ? Nope, SAP is German. How about clothing ? I've never seen French made clothing on the rack at any store I've been to. Maybe some $6,000 "French Original" dresses that they sell to idiots with way too much money on their hands. Let's open it up. How about Anything used by the human race in volume ??? Nope.

How about Aircraft. That's supposedly their 5th largest industry by value of output. Well, they are heavily involved in Airbus. We'll see how that goes. So far, the Airbus that came down in Queens had its tail fall off, and the one that went down in the southern ocean somewhere very likely had its tail fall off. The Concorde was a beautiful aircraft. Across the ocean in 3 hours. Tragic victim to a piece of metal that fell off of a McDonnell Douglass aircraft on to the runway at Charles De Gaulle airport just prior to the Concorde's take off. Very tragic. In fact, it was an American passenger airplane McDonnell Douglas DC-10 (flight of Continental Airlines) lost a titanium part during a takeoff. (excerpted from Wikipedia) . The DC10 was Still freaking killing people.

But One Crash in its history to that point in a totally freak accident and they ban the plane from the sky, after the fuel tanks are modified to be like the Indy500 car tanks that can hit a wall at 240 mph and not break open... Why?
After all, how many DC10's came down because their freakin engines fell off, or the absurd cables that operated the flaps for take off and landing - The most crucial and dangerous portion of a flight! - were breaking like toys. Did they ban the DC10 ? No! There might be some flying today ! One brought down the Concorde!
So, it would seem the Concorde was 'allowed' to be banned because it couldn't make money. Beautiful Aircraft, Incredible Service to Mankind, and Out the Window. Socialism has something to do with events like these.

How about Health Care ? My liberal friends like to remind me that in France, doctors make house calls, and I immediately ask them what a doctor can do on a freakin house call? Certainly not help you with any serious illness, cancer, knee replacement, or anything else that doesn't come out of a little black bag. I suspect the doctors do house calls to hold your hand, sympathize with your pain and give you some more pain pills to get by on until you and your low quality life finally freakin expire.

When you punish innovators by taking the fruits of their labor, Innovation goes the way of the DODO bird. Liberals need to write that on a blackboard 1,000 times, then read what they wrote.

Liberals think you can tax 'the rich' back to the stone age and they will just keep on like nothing happened. Why did most or all of the Beatles become American Citizens? I'll leave that as a riddle to any libs, who through some magical journey, have managed to get this far in the text. They must think anyone who has something had it easier than they did. Well, I was born a poor black child. I got a used transistor radio for Christmas when I was 12. No one ever gave me squat. I worked a hundred different jobs and propelled myself into the business world, working nonstop, like a Polaris missile. And it still isn't easy. Life is a river, if you're not rowing, you are being swept downstream.


Pros:

I guess France is good with Nuclear power. It supplies 90% of their electrical needs. Well, when you get down to it, Nuke plants don't make for a better standard of living, they simply keep the lights on. Not that big a trick in 2009.

Summary:

Socialism Sucks. Equality Sucks. Equality means everyone outside of the government elite and their friends gets to live in the vile stagnant pond of mediocrity, enjoying what the government decides to let them keep of their own labor. While uneducated morons like Nanna Pelosi fly Twice a Freakin Week to San Fan and back in a Boeing 757, deciding how hundreds of millions of them will live. !

Are you so cowardly and dependent that you can go through life like that? That you can accept being the 'subject' of such morons ?!? One can only assume living like that is a step up for a liberal, or more likely that they simply have no idea what's coming, because they live in a freakin fantasy world like the women driving down the freeway at 65 mph, texting on their cell, and the car better well drive itself because this text is Important !!

Maybe if Liberals actually had some "fruits of their own labor", they'd be inspired to question why they should surrender them. As it is, it would seem most liberals either get their money for nothing and their chicks for free, or they don't have anything, and instead of working to get it, they choose to spend twice as much effort stealing it from others.

34 comments :

  1. My holiday house guest from Paris, Henri, is demanding to learn your street address, Kid. He's mumbling something about "toasting your Renault".

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  2. Nickie, haha
    If that's the same Henri I had as a butler in 1993, watch him; he'll steal your wife's underwear.

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  3. Hey Kid - I don't recognise your description of England either now or in the 90s. In fact when we lived in the USA we were amazed at how backwards many things were - no online shopping for groceries, a house heated by hot air and made of wood, only a few free TV channels which were awful (we have around 40 on Freeview), paying for healthcare, the road system was in a dreadful state - potholes everywhere, no salting/gritting of the roads when icy, the neighbours' basements always flooding because the drains couldn't cope, the schools had no basic stationery/equipment - parents provided everything etc etc. Two very funny things - an American visiting me in the UK in the 1980s marvelling at CEEFAX - "Wow, we have nothing like this!" And in the US we were told to get an "outage" kit for the house because "if we get high winds the electricity will cut out". What????????

    Food where we lived in the USA was okay - it was cheaper if you accepted poorer quality but to get the standard of foodstuffs we routinely get in ordinary supermarkets like Sainsbury's and Tesco you had to shop at the more upmarket organic stores which were pricey. It was virtually impossible to source a variety of cheese (it came in yellow and orange), sausages or ham (all very processed, nothing organic). Whenever I asked for anything "free-range" I got confused looks. Restaurant food at chains was okay with great service and inexpensive choices but limited in variety. Every restaurant seemed to serve nothing but steak, shrimp and chicken. Where's the lamb, duck, fresh fish, pork???

    You must come across the pond again soon. It worries me that so many people base their opinion of England on 1970s TV which reinforces stereotypes about bad food/service etc or assume we live in a class obsessed society where some live in stately homes and the rest dwell in unheated hovels. I don't know why you had such a bad experience in rented accommodation. I rented a great deal as a teen/young adult in the 80s and early 90s and always found good, modern houses and flats, furnished or unfurnished. And renting furniture? Just buy second-hand and re-sell when you go home.........

    Can't comment on France - loads of Brits go to live there in their dotage and seem pretty happy.

    Sorry to go on a bit. I love the USA but the one thing that drove me mad when I lived there was how so many people seemed to have so little experience of the UK/Europe (some had never even left the US) yet held very strong opinions about life there. As far as the socialism vs capitalism argument goes .... well I don't detect any real difference between life in the UK and in the part of the US we inhabited ..... so either the UK is NOT socialist or maybe it makes less of a difference than we all assume ;)

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  4. Of course I should add that my experience of one state in a country of fifty very different states does NOT qualify me to pass judgement on the whole nation. These are only my experiences/opinions.

    Equally a handful of Americans' experiences in various parts of the UK at various points in history does not sum up what the UK is like now.

    I have always said that a nation that takes the best of UK/Europe and the best of the USA would be a fabulous place to live .... I suspect you won't agree ;)

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  5. "Why did most or all of the Beatles become American Citizens?"

    Ermmmmm .... Could you supply your sources for this assertion please? I've checked with a friend of mine who is Beatles-mad and he says that Lennon never became a US Citizen - he lived in NY on a Green Card. Paul McCartney apparently lives in East Sussex - that's in England, though he does have a US residence as well. We're not sure about George and Ringo .......

    Obviously people with international careers will have homes all over the world. There are a fair number of Americans living in the UK right now.

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  6. I think it is great for people to have a choice where they want to live. There are plenty of socialist countries. Socialists should probably go to live there.

    America, I hope, will stay capitalist. We help the poor, don't worry. We are already socialist in many ways. But it needs to stop or there will be no incentive for anybody to work.

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  7. OMG, Opus, priceless! Yes, I think that anyone who doesn't like America, the America of our founding fathers and Constitution, is more than free to leave. And stay gone.

    I lived in England, too, Kid, and like you, found it hopelessly backward. Teensy little fridges that meant you couldn't buy in bulk, which was okay because there was nowhere to buy anything in bulk, anyway. It was like watching a Dickens novel spring to life as the town's ladies would drag their strange carts to the market for each day's groceries. No dishwashers! Drafty buildings--homes, pubs, you name it (you'd think in several hundred years they'd manage something with insulation and decent windows, instead, shut all the interior doors and stick stuff in the cracks. Genius.). And the toilets! OMG, those crazy pull chain flushes, didn't you love those? I think that's the same model that was first invented. Gas was hideously expensive, too, truly insanely priced. The food, of course, is disgusting, bland, brown (mostly), and tasteless unless you go for Indian, which I don't--can't stand curries, etc. The roads are insanely narrow, clearly not updated from the days of horses and carriages, indeed many of them actually had ruts still worn in them! Oftentimes, you have to pull off to the side to let someone go by because there is no room for two cars side by side. It was like being in a time warp, as you say. On the bright side, though, it's full of the cutest little buildings. And you could get a decent beer there, unlike in France, another throw back to the middle ages.

    All in all, I'll take my free market capitalism and the many comforts and innovations it affords over stagnation and socialism. I'll be staying in America and welcome anyone who doesn't like it to stay away.

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  8. Hi Cambridge Lady, I value your comments.
    Really? What part of America did you live in because I've never even heard of such conditions. I must say though that I've no problems with houses made of wood, (yours are too unless you live in Spencer Manor which was about 1 mile and a half away from our little rental. We went there one summer day and got a tour. Princess Diana's Mother took us on the tour; cost 50p and was wonderful)
    And No, they didn't have freeview when I was there in 1990. 4 BBC channels. I spent many an afternoon watching either Snooker or the Sheep Dog Trials.

    I think you're putting me on now Lady aren't ya?

    Oh Please, I shopped at Tesco, and they had nothing on any run of the mill supermarket in 99% of America. You weren't living in Newark New Jersey were you? I'd half believe your story in that case.

    Cheese in only yellow and orange ???? Please! Now I Know you're putting me on! Jolly Good Show CL!

    BUT if you're serious...
    Obviously, you were no where near Northampton in 1990. We lived in a new development area called New Duston, just northwest of Northampton and it was exactly as described. In fact, the yard was getting out of control whilst we were there and I went to the local DIY and Bought a weedwhacker. It was the best they had and was a toy by comparison to what was available in the states.

    Finally, I wasn't saying the UK was socialist. It is to some extent. I was making an example of France, which is as socialized/non-communist as you can get that the liberals all roll their eyes and have sugarplum dreams about. France is a filthy hell hole outside of a few tourist traps that they maintain for self preservation purposes.

    I was merely including England as a 'part of Europe' that the libs all like to point to and say, Gee aren't they so Advanced. Ah No. And I didn't spend all my time in Northampton. I spent a good deal of time in London, and am quite familiar with how the average Englander lives. :)

    So, what state were you living in that you had to live like trailer trash, the likes of which I've never even heard about ? Even in Newark !

    Don't forget, I was very complimentary about the spirit and intelligence, not to mention driving talent of the English. I love the English. If it weren't for national health care, and several other detractions to a good standard of living, I'd certainly consider moving there. Especially since the USA is headed for hellhole status Post Haste.

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  9. Cambridge Lady,

    The best of UK/Europe and the best of the USA rolled into One??!?

    Absolutely I agree ! That would be Wonderful.

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  10. Cambridge Lady

    Beatles as Citizens? Ok, I do know that they shielded their income from the 95% tax rate the UK had at the time. That was the point.

    Their song, The Taxman, was no joke.
    Should 5% appear too small, be thankful I don't take it all...

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  11. Opus, yea that's where it's headed right now.

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  12. Fuzzy, Yes, that's my impression of a lot of England.

    On the one hand, everything was so backward, so non-fuinctional from an infrastructure/appliance point of view, yet the folks I worked with were very bright and cutting edge technology wise. It was odd in that respect and kept me on my toes.

    The place was like a fairy tale though. We went to Warwick castle and standing on the ramparts, you could just visualize armies of infantry and horse mounts heading for you across the beautiful boundless green fields.

    I drove past several ponds full of white swan on my way to work at MFI HQ.

    I loved the roundabouts, the architecture, the rolling fields and all the beautiful charming little houses, hundreds of years old. It was like story book forest. The problem was the down-scaling of everything, the horrid gasoline prices, the incredible expensiveness of everything. If I wasn't there on expenses, I wouldn't have stayed more than a few days.

    I did some math while I was there and concluded the average entry level job paid half as much as in the US and everyday items like suits or pizza were twice as expensive. I don't know how the average person got by.

    Anyway, Oddly, the socialists don't want to move to capitalism and a better standard of living, they want to bring the rest of us down into the mediocrity pond instead.

    So that we're ALL subjects of the kingdom. At least the queen has commoners over for tea once in a while. I wouldn't expect the same from nanna pelosi or any of the rest of those buttheads past present or future.

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  13. Fuzzy, Yes, Teensy little fridges. Teensy little everything.

    I had a lawnmower that would have gone great with the Easy Bake Oven by Fischer Price. Electric. After mowing 5% of a 100 square foot yard, it cried Uncle and begged to be put back in the Half Car garage. That's why I went to DIY to buy a weedwhacker. Only it was no better. I finally gave up and let the yard go.
    hahahaha

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  14. I loved Warwick Castle! And you're right, you do get that long historical view (especially from those towers, if you braved the crazy curved stone staircase?). And you're right, things there are crazy expensive, maybe because they don't make much there and have to import it all? (ugh, kind of like us these days, where our crazy government has turned fertile farmland into a desert to protect a stupid smelt fish.)

    That's okay if they don't want to be capitalist, but it's NOT OKAY for them to demand or push or prod or nag or "shame" or cajole us into adopting their self-defeating, self-delusional socialist practices. It's disgusting, and it always gets my back up when they slither around hammering their ineffective and useless worldview like it's supreme. Um, gee, isn't that exactly what they claim to hate about us? Hmmmmmmm. Yet, the leftie loons are ever at it. Does anyone really think that Nobel was anything other than a carrot to try to dictate our foreign policy? BO, of course, is chomping at the bit to leap into the socialist cesspool of mediocrity and want. Oops, not going to happen. Big changes are coming this year. Lots of hope, to go with it. ;)

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  15. Fuzzy, the staircases were cool. And Dark!
    There is no explaining California anymore..

    Hypocrite is every Liberal's middle name...

    I'm optimistic.

    Regards Warwick, I will tell you I don't believe in ghosts. But I wasn't able to stay in the dungeon at Warwick for very long. 5 minutes maybe. After that it was like many voices were telling me that I shouldn't be there, it was their place and I wasn't welcome.
    Very unique feeling I never had before or since.

    The one person who was there that presumably used his fingernails to carve into the stone how he'd been there from (dunno exact) 1546 to 1549 or something. Geez.

    I just googled it and thought I might find a picture of that, but not off the cuff. It looks like they have wax figures of incarcerated victims now down there. Like it needed that. ;-O

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  16. Kid, you seem to have an open mind. Come and visit England again - I think you'll find it is very different from your memories and remarkably similar to the USA. (And the food IS better in the UK IMO - but that's subjective I guess and I know all the states have very different cuisine. I was told California, the SW and New England were very good for food-lovers). I actually lost 20 pounds in weight in the USA - :o) - because basically all I could face eating was fruit and veggies!!)

    Not sure why you've all got such a hang-up about appliances - all sizes of fridge, freezer, TV, dishwasher, etc etc are available in the UK - many of us just CHOOSE more energy-efficient items. I missed my washer-dryer in the US - you needed a mammoth home to accommodate the separate washing and drying machines which looked like something my Mum would have used. And the spin speed was so low you HAD to use a dryer whereas I prefer to air-dry.

    Different strokes .........

    Look I completely agree you all have the right to fight for the America you want and foreigners shouldn't interfere in other nations' lifestyle choices (there's a concept!). But you brought England to the table (and France!) so I will defend her. Americans don't have a monopoly on patriotism!

    I don't write a political blog .... but if I do write a more political post I tend to support my argument with examples of why my ideas are good/right rather than just attacking the opposite view. I want to hear more about why the USA way is the right way not why the European way is so wrong.

    Best wishes, CL :o)

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  17. Hi Kid! This was a great post.
    I think no matter where you live, if liberals, commies, and socialists take it over and ruin it...it's NO GOOD.

    All the bums that hate America and Great Britain and seek to destroy it should move to yemen and hang out with them.

    PS: Thanks for the Birthday wishes and your lovely comments. It worked just fine. Just click on your grey icon head and set up a little profile, then people can go right to your blog. Keep Warm.

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  18. CL, I take issue with the idea that in order to have an open mind, one must throw one's principles, beliefs, and ideology out the window. This is the same thing that is being pressed here by liberals in Congress: unless republicans bow to the liberal will and embrace the government takeover of our healthcare system they "have no solutions" or are "obstructionists." This, in itself, is narrow-minded. Only my viewpoint is viable; therefore, if you do not embrace it, you are wrong, close-minded, or some other negative thing? Ridiculous. And yet another example of the manipulations by the left. Our embracing socialism may be "open-minded" to you, but it would be an abandonment of our history, our culture, our beliefs, and our principles. None of which, I for one, am willing to abandon to appear "open minded" to people I think are among the most close-minded, intolerant people on this earth (well, okay, Islamic extremists may take the top spot there).

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  19. Oh for goodness sake FS, I am not saying that the definition of an open-mind is to throw one's beliefs out of the window - though there is always room for change. (I am not the same person, politically, that I was 20 years ago and doubt I'll think in exactly the same way in 20 years time......)

    I simply felt that The_Kid seemed a little more inclined to believe what I was saying about England, that we are not "hopelessly backward" and we simply live differently to you in some ways, identically in others. If this is socialism what's the big problem here?

    If life in the USA was so much better than in the UK do you not think I still be there now? I'm not saying it was bad either ..... the differences in quality of life were pretty indistinguishable really .... homesickness and preferences in education / healthcare (and maybe food - ha ha) won out for me in the end.

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  20. CL, I'm an avid Anglophile, always have been. I loved living in and visiting England. It really wasn't that easy for me to come up with a (okay, rather long) list of things that struck me as backwards in England, but after reading your comments, I was pretty angry (and of course you keep going, as always, even in this "conciliatory" response to me.). As to Kid, he can speak and think for himself.

    For permanent residence, I prefer my country to any other, and I think that you prefer yours to any other. That's fine, but you won't find me trying to convince people in other countries to hop on the free-market, capitalist bandwagon. If you like your NHS, you're welcome to it; if you want to jump on the global government, global warming/climate change hysteria bandwagon, go for it. I don't want it or any bastardized version of it in my country. That's my right, as it is yours to want it for your own country.

    I think that the political/ideological "change" you refer to is most typically from liberal to conservative, rather than the other way around, and that this usually occurs for people, as Churchill said, when they hit about thirty (or in my case, a bit later than that).

    My problem with you has long been that you bash (albeit subtly) my country and conservative values in a rather insidious, self-satisfied way. As here, you begin by stating, quite rightly, that our countries are somewhat different in many ways, not one being superior to the other, just different, but then you conclude by asking if "life in the USA is so much better . . . ". Undermining, of course, your first point--the one that was intended to show yourself as rational and "open-minded." This isn't just you, it's a tactic that many liberals use; I find it as offensive and insulting as the message.

    And to answer your question, I don't have a problem with the UK. I don't really care how you live or how anyone in Europe lives. If you all want to move further and further left, go for it. But don't try to impose your will on us in America. I do know that we are currently under socialist attack from within, but we're working on that. Hegemony, as you lefties want to impose on the world--one worldview, yours, is not the way to be tolerant and to live in peace. Accepting that we are not Europe and have no desire to be like Europe would go a long way to improving our ability to get along.

    (Sorry, Kid, I don't mean to take over your blog!)

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  21. *SIGHS*

    FS - You really have got me totally wrong. I just get sooooooo frustrated with the UK constantly being labelled "socialist" and "backwards". The crap spewed about the NHS also needs to be challenged.

    I also highly dislike hearing some of the things my countrymen have to say about the USA - "selfish", "crime-ridden", "insular" are some of the milder terms used. I have had many "conversations" with friends and relatives where I have stood up for the USA and its people.

    You might not like it but the UK is probably the USA's closest ally in the world right now. When my fellow countrymen read some of the opinions that some Americans hold about us and our nation then they might be forgiven for not wanting the USA as an ally and looking to Europe or elsewhere.

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  22. I may not like it? What are you talking about? I've blogged about the UK and US relationship repeatedly. I do recognize and appreciate our countries' long relationship as allies. Our president, however, does not. He sees the UK as just another country of no more import than any other nation in the world. Naive? Dangerous? Yep.

    Here's one relevant post: http://fuzislippers.blogspot.com/2009/03/obama-to-great-britain-im-just-not-that.html

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  24. Okay FS - we've both thrown our toys out of the pram and said a few things that might not be in the spirit of UK-USA friendship....

    I shall read your post and check out some of your earlier writing. Equally, although my blog is not predominantly political, do read it. You'll see that I have never written an anti-American post. I am sincere. I just say what I think, feel free to comment on blogs across the political spectrum and I am not aligned to any particular political party or rigid ideology.

    (For the record I used to be very left-wing, headed rightwards, now I'm heading leftwards again!!)

    Let's just agree to disagree?

    *Extends hand of friendship.....*

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  25. CL, thank you, your comment here made me smile. I really liked some of those toys I tossed out of the pram in that fit of pique, too. I'll pop over to your blog now.


    *unclenches fist . . . takes hand in friendship . . . *

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  26. CL - Thank you for your wonderful Bristol Fashion comment. I believe I am open minded. I have to be to learn something new each and every day.

    Southwest is good if you like spicy Mexican food. The flavors are wonderful, but you have to work up to it. California? It's Ok. I haven't eaten much in New England, but my vote for the very bert food anywhere regardless of ethnicity is CHICAGO ! Yea BUNNI !

    Appliances - Well this was our experience. I have no problem with energy efficient. My little lady has her eye on some a set front loading washer and dryers that actually make electricity as they turn, and the most important feature - they will take a king size comforter. Mammoth home ? Gee I don't know. We live in a modest 7 Bdrm with 4 full baths. But the washer and dryer will fit easily in our 5 foot by 8 foot laundry room.

    I say Fair Enough of you defending your country!

    Well, I hope you'll keep reading, and I'll keep a thought for writing about the good things America has potential for. I felt I did this with the partly France, but Mostly Socialism, smackdown. Sometimes you have to point out the pitfalls of certain policies to make a point. Then when people see those things start to happen in their own neighborhood, their neurons may start to vibrate in the direction of Cause and Effect.

    I appreciate your comments and your continued reading. Cheers to you and yours and all the best for 2010, and Beyond.

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  27. Bunni, Thank You. Yes, I fear that some things are only learned through Pain. We'll see.

    As far as Yeman; Yes, I have no appreciation for radicals moving here and telling us how they want us to act. I say, move back to your hellhole. And shut up. And learn how to distribute some product beside oil to keep your culture alive. Not that I want their violent culture to continue to live....I'll try to remember to click on the icon and set myself up. I'm not very computer savvy, I'm a programmer.

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  28. Fuzzy - Mi Casa Su Casa.!

    A couple things to add.

    CL - look at the survivability rates for women with breast cancer, as well as all people with any sort of cancer. The percentages are Exceedingly better in the USA over the UK, France and Canada.
    If someone in Windsor Ontario has a major Heart problem, they send them post haste to Detroit. This is all documented. It's not 'urban legend' like my liberals friends like to belch out.

    How easy is it to get a knee replacement. What is quality of life like in later years. Again, my commie friends like to point out that people go bankrupt from health care in their later years. To which I reply, fine with Gov health care you won't go bankrupt, but you won't get health care either. If they want to go bankrupt keeping their quality of life, it Their Choice. hey, it would be great if everyone got Great Health care. How about if we all drive Jaguar XJR's as well and eat Prime beef.

    There is a reason life offers rewards for people who work tremendously hard to provide products and services to the rest of humanity. So They will Keep Doing It!
    By the same token, there is a reason life sucks for people who don't put in the effort. (Sure, many have larger or smaller handicaps. You know personally, I believe people with larger handicaps tend to achieve more if they have what it takes to live on this rock and make a good life for themselves).

    There are a lot of ratholes to go down here. I'll leave it at that and for the tomorrows.

    Excuse my caps. Couldn't help it.
    Cheers.

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  29. Hi Kid

    Thanks for your reply. I don't want to keep adding to this post but just wanted to answer a couple of points.

    Cancer survival - I wonder if the US stats include, in the denominator, all the people who died prior to being diagnosed (because they couldn't get testing)? I don't think we are comparing like with like. If we were to compare our best 80% of outcomes against your insured population then the story might be different.

    In any case, one thing that has improved dramatically since Labour came in is NHS waiting lists and time to tests/treatment. I have seen this within my own family and friends group. I myself had to see a GP on 15th December and was referred to a specialist on the 29th December - two weeks wait for scans etc (and a good result thank God) - not bad!

    I chatted to an American friend last night - she lived in the UK in 2000/01 and she reckons that the USA had a much better standard of living in the 70s and 80s (I'd reluctantly agree) but in the 90s something changed. Britain boomed. She reckons Brits of all ages and demographics were quicker to take advantage of the Internet etc whereas there's a huge amount of expertise in the States but the widespread take-up of technology was slower. Older Brits also benefitted from massive house price increases and became much much wealthier than previous generations. She also reminded me that while I lived in the USA the dollar was very weak against the pound and so everything seemed incredibly expensive to us in the States.

    It's a fascinating subject and there are no easy conclusions really. We did divert from the original theme of your post - socialism. You have to remember that no-one in the UK believes we live in a socialist state - for good or in regret. Our Labour government is very centrist, very pro the free market/capitalism etc.

    I love your blog and will be sure to visit again :o)

    ReplyDelete
  30. ...... Actually I think that dollar/pound thing is the wrong way round. We were getting nearly two dollars to the pound so things should have seemed cheaper. (But we were being paid in dollars so our income would have appeared less). I've not got my maths-head on yet :S Anyway, got to work, have a nice day :)

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  31. CL. Well, in the US, no one is refused health care. Even non-citizens get care. They walk right into an emergency room.

    So the cancer stats include all persons. And the deficit of survivors is double digits in percentile between the US versus the UK and Canada.

    I'm glad your results were good and your waiting time short. Maybe they're improving your system. Just quickly here is what is happening in Canada. I personally an executive in Canada. He has private insurance, which Canada has allowed lately along with private clinics. They recognize government cannot handle health care. So the summary is this:
    - They took over health care and taxed to pay for it.
    - They mismanaged the program, denied service, had/and still have exceedingly long waiting lists for services
    - They cried Uncle and allowed private industry back into the equation.
    - People are now buying private plans who can afford it.
    - Everyone is still paying the escalated tax rates and VAT taxes and getting 'nothing' for it. That's a fact.

    It's been 20 years since I've seen the system in the UK, though we've had some of your Parliament members on radio here telling us of poor service and long waiting times in interviews. All the best to you in that area. The statistics on the survival rates and such I believe to be solid numbers.

    It won't even go that well in the USA. The politicians who vote for this will be guilty of murder and cruel and unusual punishment against a huge section of our population. I hate them for it and wish them all some time in hell.
    The US government has bankrupted Social Security and Medicare. I believe the only reason they will take over health care is so they can have all that money going to insurers now re-routed through Washington DC. In actuality they are strung out addicts frantically looking for another fix.

    On the subject of expensive, I base it on the following:

    In the USA at the time, one could buy a reasonable suit for $120.00 and entry level office jobs were averaging $36,000 per year.

    I noticed in UK at the time, reasonable suits were going for 120 pounds, but entry level office jobs were only paying 18,000 pounds.
    Therefore, goods cost twice as much when compared to purchasing power of the average citizen.

    I didn't see the exchange rate as affecting that.

    Thank you for you compliment !
    I look forward to your future additions.

    Don't worry about going off track. If it happens much, I'll just create a new post.

    ReplyDelete
  32. I've never left a comment, and rarely I comment on other blogs but I read you everyday, and often more than once a day.

    I support you on this and I'll try to leave few words here and there.
    anti keylogger

    ReplyDelete
  33. I've never left a comment, and rarely I comment on other blogs but I read you everyday, and often more than once a day.

    I support you on this and I'll try to leave few words here and there.
    anti keylogger

    ReplyDelete
  34. That's quite a compliment Rocky. Thank you. I appreciate knowing you are out there.

    ReplyDelete