Heard an interview with a french citizen on the radio news this am.  The guy listed things he was concerned about with the new president, socialism being one of them.  Believe it or not, the guy supported Hollande in the election.  I don't know much about Sarkozy other than the salacious stuff, but he must have been widely disliked.  These are the type elections where radicals root their way in - when the in party or candidate is so generally disliked that it doesn't seem to matter how bad the other candidate is.  That happened here in '08 as well and we will be paying for it for decades.

Koobs wrote: Sailor:  How many failures of socialism does it take ?  If you know of one successful
socialist economy, reveal it.  Sweden, maybe-don't know?  Socialism  always requires a police -state because to enfore  re-distribution, you have to confiscate the "excessive wealth" accumulated by some. The successful tend to flee before it does the taking.    There is no incentive to work or labor in a  truly socialist economy. Everybody is on the dole, so to speak..  Germany, has not failed. It seems to be the exemplar of success in Europe, France will collapse like an old  accordion within six months. Book it.

In lieu of neg rep, why not present a substantive argument to rebut the statement?

sailordeac wrote: The German insistence on austerity is failing. Sarkozy's defeat just confirms it. A number of European governments have levels of debt that they will not be able to grow out of, especially with one size fits all austerity measures strangling their economies. Hollande is an indication of the failure of current constricted fiscal policy, which can't/wont work in a number of European countries.

89DeaconMike wrote:

sailordeac wrote: The German insistence on austerity is failing. Sarkozy's defeat just confirms it. A number of European governments have levels of debt that they will not be able to grow out of, especially with one size fits all austerity measures strangling their economies. Hollande is an indication of the failure of current constricted fiscal policy, which can't/wont work in a number of European countries.

 I just really don't understand how when you look at Europe and its coming collapse and then look at the US and how we are happily and willingly going down the same path that they chose. You are in a deep hole and it is getting deeper each day. You have a plan to get out and the tool you choose is a shovel. I'm going to get out of this hole by digging it deeper and deeper and deeper.  I have a home loan and a car payment and a second car payment and thousands of dollars in credit card debt. I can't pay these back. So guess what I am going to do? I am going to buy two more houses and two more cars. I am going to apply for 10 more credit cards and max these out on things I can't pay for. Now I guess I'll get a pay day loan to help get me through this month. Maybe I can borrow some more money from that Native American girl on TV to pay some back at 80% interest. I mean I really want all of this stuff and me and my family have to have it. And besides, I am sure everything will turn out ok. It always has. I'm sure I can save some money sometime. I am sure I will come into some money sometime 10,20,30 years down the road. It will all be fine. Quit worrying. THIS JUST CRAZY! People have to be able to see this is going to be a disaster some where down the road.