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	<title>Comments on: In Love With Easeful Death</title>
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		<title>By: Fritz</title>
		<link>http://www.frontpagemag.com/2013/bruce-bawer/in-love-with-easeful-death/comment-page-1/#comment-4197405</link>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Fritz]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 26 Jan 2013 03:28:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://frontpagemag.com/?p=174119#comment-4197405</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ I&#039;ve experienced this European mindset firsthand when someone from Spain, on an online forum, didn&#039;t like my assessment of what Socialism is for. I said that the object of Socialism is to get and to keep politicians elected and keep themselves in power, by offering free stuff to get votes. He thought that this was a very cynical and incorrect interpretation of what Socialism is about. Really? Well the evidence suggests otherwise. 
 Even though Americans tend to think of France as Socialist, which it is, it&#039;s actually pretty middle of the road compared to some in Europe. In Spain and Portugal they had  health care that was 100% state funded, in France they make people pay up front and then re-reimburse 75% of the cost. In Greece they had a no money down pension plan that allowed people to retire at age 53, in Germany the retirement age is 67 and they have to pay into it. In France and Germany they do actually produce products the rest of the world wants, Greece produces nothing but wine, ouzo, and olive oil, Portugal isn&#039;t much different, Spain is somewhat better but not by much. 
 So basically what you will find in most of Europe is that the so called &quot;Democrat Socialists&quot; are the decedents of the ruling aristocracy from centuries gone by, if not in actual bloodline at least in legacy.  Almost all are from the upper middle class or higher, none are sons of farmers, shop keepers, or coal miners, some like the former Greek Prime Minister are professional politicians from a family of professional politicians. 
 This is a way to quash any upward mobility from society, stay in power, and prevent any upstarts from upsetting the pecking order, but without upward mobility there is no growth and you end up with a downward spiral of decreasing tax revenues, decreasing economic growth, increasing costs, and increasing debt.. As Maggie Thatcher once said the problem with Socialism is that eventually you run out of other people&#039;s money to spend.   
 Greece could have cleaned up the majority of the mess three years ago and been on the path to recovery by now by following the path of New Zealand and many former Communist states. But they have an elite who does not want to give up their position in society being advised by other European &quot;Social Democrats&quot; who have no clue how an economy is supposed to function themselves.  ]]></description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p> I&#039;ve experienced this European mindset firsthand when someone from Spain, on an online forum, didn&#039;t like my assessment of what Socialism is for. I said that the object of Socialism is to get and to keep politicians elected and keep themselves in power, by offering free stuff to get votes. He thought that this was a very cynical and incorrect interpretation of what Socialism is about. Really? Well the evidence suggests otherwise.<br />
 Even though Americans tend to think of France as Socialist, which it is, it&#039;s actually pretty middle of the road compared to some in Europe. In Spain and Portugal they had  health care that was 100% state funded, in France they make people pay up front and then re-reimburse 75% of the cost. In Greece they had a no money down pension plan that allowed people to retire at age 53, in Germany the retirement age is 67 and they have to pay into it. In France and Germany they do actually produce products the rest of the world wants, Greece produces nothing but wine, ouzo, and olive oil, Portugal isn&#039;t much different, Spain is somewhat better but not by much.<br />
 So basically what you will find in most of Europe is that the so called &quot;Democrat Socialists&quot; are the decedents of the ruling aristocracy from centuries gone by, if not in actual bloodline at least in legacy.  Almost all are from the upper middle class or higher, none are sons of farmers, shop keepers, or coal miners, some like the former Greek Prime Minister are professional politicians from a family of professional politicians.<br />
 This is a way to quash any upward mobility from society, stay in power, and prevent any upstarts from upsetting the pecking order, but without upward mobility there is no growth and you end up with a downward spiral of decreasing tax revenues, decreasing economic growth, increasing costs, and increasing debt.. As Maggie Thatcher once said the problem with Socialism is that eventually you run out of other people&#039;s money to spend.<br />
 Greece could have cleaned up the majority of the mess three years ago and been on the path to recovery by now by following the path of New Zealand and many former Communist states. But they have an elite who does not want to give up their position in society being advised by other European &quot;Social Democrats&quot; who have no clue how an economy is supposed to function themselves.  </p>
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		<title>By: xavier823</title>
		<link>http://www.frontpagemag.com/2013/bruce-bawer/in-love-with-easeful-death/comment-page-1/#comment-4197226</link>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[xavier823]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 26 Jan 2013 02:19:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://frontpagemag.com/?p=174119#comment-4197226</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ America started jogging down the road to socialism serfdom back in 1965 with Johnson , a Democrat. Since then both political parties have pushed us along in that  direction. The only thing that might stop U.S. socialism is the ultimate collapse of our economy .   ]]></description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p> America started jogging down the road to socialism serfdom back in 1965 with Johnson , a Democrat. Since then both political parties have pushed us along in that  direction. The only thing that might stop U.S. socialism is the ultimate collapse of our economy .   </p>
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		<title>By: Jozy</title>
		<link>http://www.frontpagemag.com/2013/bruce-bawer/in-love-with-easeful-death/comment-page-1/#comment-4197177</link>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jozy]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 26 Jan 2013 02:02:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://frontpagemag.com/?p=174119#comment-4197177</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Europeans seriously need to get their asses back to work. Where are todays entrepreneurs? Where are the new large prosperous multinationals? There are a handfull (Shell, Philips, ASML, Siemens) but they were all started tens if not hundreds of years ago. 
No, European governments would rather tax the hard working to keep the museums open, the ivory tower universities full of woolly academics, state funded television and the EU/euro, and, last but not least, muslim immigrants on benefits. Income taxes in excess of 50%. It&#039;s disastrous. This can&#039;t last for much longer. ]]></description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Europeans seriously need to get their asses back to work. Where are todays entrepreneurs? Where are the new large prosperous multinationals? There are a handfull (Shell, Philips, ASML, Siemens) but they were all started tens if not hundreds of years ago.<br />
No, European governments would rather tax the hard working to keep the museums open, the ivory tower universities full of woolly academics, state funded television and the EU/euro, and, last but not least, muslim immigrants on benefits. Income taxes in excess of 50%. It&#039;s disastrous. This can&#039;t last for much longer. </p>
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		<title>By: Chezwick</title>
		<link>http://www.frontpagemag.com/2013/bruce-bawer/in-love-with-easeful-death/comment-page-1/#comment-4196457</link>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Chezwick]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 25 Jan 2013 22:17:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://frontpagemag.com/?p=174119#comment-4196457</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I hope I&#039;m wrong too, Ghost. But this is about cold, hard numbers....and the debt trajectory shows no sign of leveling, the government shows no sign of any willingness to reign-in spending, and the electorate shows no sign of exercising its voting prerogatives responsibly. I&#039;m sorry, but I refuse to play the game of false optimism, a game played by my Dad and so many other fellow-conservatives, who are hanging on the prayer that at the 11th hour, all of a sudden, the American people will sober up and elect a responsible government and our culture of spending will be ameliorated overnight.  
 
The voters re-elected the party of debt (Dems)....and even the Republicans refuse to get specific about entitlements (Medicare and Medicaid) that need to be dismantled in order to stave off insolvency. There is absolutely no collective will to make the necessary sacrifices.  ]]></description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I hope I&#039;m wrong too, Ghost. But this is about cold, hard numbers&#8230;.and the debt trajectory shows no sign of leveling, the government shows no sign of any willingness to reign-in spending, and the electorate shows no sign of exercising its voting prerogatives responsibly. I&#039;m sorry, but I refuse to play the game of false optimism, a game played by my Dad and so many other fellow-conservatives, who are hanging on the prayer that at the 11th hour, all of a sudden, the American people will sober up and elect a responsible government and our culture of spending will be ameliorated overnight.  </p>
<p>The voters re-elected the party of debt (Dems)&#8230;.and even the Republicans refuse to get specific about entitlements (Medicare and Medicaid) that need to be dismantled in order to stave off insolvency. There is absolutely no collective will to make the necessary sacrifices.  </p>
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		<title>By: Ghostwriter</title>
		<link>http://www.frontpagemag.com/2013/bruce-bawer/in-love-with-easeful-death/comment-page-1/#comment-4196248</link>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ghostwriter]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 25 Jan 2013 21:08:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://frontpagemag.com/?p=174119#comment-4196248</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I hope you&#039;re wrong,Chezwick. Things could get pretty back if we don&#039;t straighten up soon. 
 ]]></description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I hope you&#039;re wrong,Chezwick. Things could get pretty back if we don&#039;t straighten up soon. </p>
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		<title>By: Chezwick</title>
		<link>http://www.frontpagemag.com/2013/bruce-bawer/in-love-with-easeful-death/comment-page-1/#comment-4194451</link>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Chezwick]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 25 Jan 2013 10:53:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://frontpagemag.com/?p=174119#comment-4194451</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Hate to be the pessimist here, but America&#039;s debt-to-GDP ratio is worse than most European countries....and this last election essentially closed the last window-of-opportunity on our ability to ever rectify our stratospheric debt trajectory. To quote Del Amitri, &quot;kiss this thing good-bye.&quot; ]]></description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Hate to be the pessimist here, but America&#039;s debt-to-GDP ratio is worse than most European countries&#8230;.and this last election essentially closed the last window-of-opportunity on our ability to ever rectify our stratospheric debt trajectory. To quote Del Amitri, &quot;kiss this thing good-bye.&quot; </p>
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		<title>By: Mary Sue</title>
		<link>http://www.frontpagemag.com/2013/bruce-bawer/in-love-with-easeful-death/comment-page-1/#comment-4194010</link>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Mary Sue]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 25 Jan 2013 08:13:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://frontpagemag.com/?p=174119#comment-4194010</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Leftism by nature ends up Nihilistic.  They stop reproducing, they start wanting crap like euthanasia/assisted suicide, and don&#039;t bat an eyelash except in approval of millions of abortions.  It&#039;s a death cult of sorts, really.  So it&#039;s no surprise that heavily Leftist nations are on the decline. ]]></description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Leftism by nature ends up Nihilistic.  They stop reproducing, they start wanting crap like euthanasia/assisted suicide, and don&#039;t bat an eyelash except in approval of millions of abortions.  It&#039;s a death cult of sorts, really.  So it&#039;s no surprise that heavily Leftist nations are on the decline. </p>
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		<title>By: AdinaK</title>
		<link>http://www.frontpagemag.com/2013/bruce-bawer/in-love-with-easeful-death/comment-page-1/#comment-4193943</link>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[AdinaK]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 25 Jan 2013 07:51:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://frontpagemag.com/?p=174119#comment-4193943</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Entitlement means that productivity eventually ceases. This in turn leads to easeful death - the death of western civilization. The radical left, in concert with Islamists, are seeking just that, hence, the red/green alliance - &lt;a href=&quot;http://adinakutnicki.com/2013/01/22/the-moral-decline-of-america-the-part-played-by-progressives-israels-essence-exposed-commentary-by-adina-kutnicki/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://adinakutnicki.com/2013/01/22/the-moral-dec...&lt;/a&gt; 
 
The moral decline of Europe and America are mirror images. What happens to one will happen to the other. Simple as that. 
 
Adina kutnicki, Israel - &lt;a href=&quot;http://adinakutnicki.com/about/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http://adinakutnicki.com/about/&lt;/a&gt; ]]></description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Entitlement means that productivity eventually ceases. This in turn leads to easeful death &#8211; the death of western civilization. The radical left, in concert with Islamists, are seeking just that, hence, the red/green alliance &#8211; <a href="http://adinakutnicki.com/2013/01/22/the-moral-decline-of-america-the-part-played-by-progressives-israels-essence-exposed-commentary-by-adina-kutnicki/" rel="nofollow"></a><a href="http://adinakutnicki.com/2013/01/22/the-moral-dec" rel="nofollow">http://adinakutnicki.com/2013/01/22/the-moral-dec</a>&#8230; </p>
<p>The moral decline of Europe and America are mirror images. What happens to one will happen to the other. Simple as that. </p>
<p>Adina kutnicki, Israel &#8211; <a href="http://adinakutnicki.com/about/" rel="nofollow">http://adinakutnicki.com/about/</a> </p>
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		<title>By: objectivefactsmatter</title>
		<link>http://www.frontpagemag.com/2013/bruce-bawer/in-love-with-easeful-death/comment-page-1/#comment-4193874</link>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[objectivefactsmatter]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 25 Jan 2013 07:28:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://frontpagemag.com/?p=174119#comment-4193874</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ &#8220;and do not understand that their current behavior undermines the very institutions that made their past success possible.&#8221;  
 
It&#039;s so obvious. As someone said recently, as even peasants once understood, or something to that effect. I get the idea that the lazy leftists are waiting around for some other &quot;miracle&quot; like silicon chip-based semi-conductors, or a new &quot;game changer&quot; like the Internet. These all came from the cold war. At best they can hope for &quot;free energy&quot; somehow but then what comes after that? Marx was wrong. We will always need to work. Master plans will always fail because forecasts always fail at least to some extent. 
 
Sick of leftists. ]]></description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p> &ldquo;and do not understand that their current behavior undermines the very institutions that made their past success possible.&rdquo;  </p>
<p>It&#039;s so obvious. As someone said recently, as even peasants once understood, or something to that effect. I get the idea that the lazy leftists are waiting around for some other &quot;miracle&quot; like silicon chip-based semi-conductors, or a new &quot;game changer&quot; like the Internet. These all came from the cold war. At best they can hope for &quot;free energy&quot; somehow but then what comes after that? Marx was wrong. We will always need to work. Master plans will always fail because forecasts always fail at least to some extent. </p>
<p>Sick of leftists. </p>
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