This makes me sick
Posted by Lance on 03 Jun 2007 at 9:09 pm | Tagged as: Around the Web
From Pajamas we learn another reason why Europe is “not” more progressive than the US, and I wish people would stop arguing as if it is.
3 Responses to “This makes me sick”
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I’ve always loved the ways one of my professors described the EU: “It’s far less liberal than it pretends to be, and far more conservative than it will ever admit.”
That seemed to sum it up perfectly. From immigration to abortion, they are actually far more “conservative” (in the current, and quite unfortunate, bifurcation of political philosophies in America) than we are.
Exactly. I am always amazed at how many people take seriously the sneers about civil rights from Europeans for example. Tut tutting about our repressive government under the Bush regime. This from countries that allow surveillance and police power that even Alberto Gonzales would blanche at arrogating to he and his dear leader. Who has a bigger problem with openly xenophobic political parties, we or they?
Many seem to think that wanting generous welfare states implies forward thinking views on other subjects, or even compassion for others. My own experience is that Europeans want them because they want the benefits, it shows no correlation with altruism, kindness, compassion, open mindedness, racial or cultural empathy, belief in civil liberties or any other (assumed for the sake of discussion) virtues.
Anyway, I love Europe, but we and they seem to be a bit daft in how we look at each other and ourselves.
It’s enough to make you sick, innit?