America has become too European

[Skybird]

Strange for some of you. A - by conservatives - claimed "lefty" magazine" giving a European's advise on why America better should not follow Europe's ways? :DL See yourself:

http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,druck-715339,00.html

[Snestorm]

Nothing is 100% in agreement with everybody, but overall it's a well thought out article.
Makes sense.

I wouldn't mind the OLD american system taking up residense in Europe.
(Socialism has never been my cup of tea.)

[The Third Man]

Most Americans don't need a German to tell them how to be American. It is a feirce love of the indivilual above all which makes us different and better..

For many it comes intrinsically. For those it doesn't we have the one term wonder....Barack Obama, and his leftist congress.

[Ducimus]

Interesting and well written read.

edit:
IMO the two biggest problems we have is.

a.) Decline and erosion of the middle class for various reasons.

b.) Decline of a good working ethic, a increase in a sense of entitlement, and instant gratification via credit cards and what not.


On a side note, we had this interesting conversation at work the other day. From an article read, apparently most people want office jobs. But experienced tradesman actually make more money because they are in high demand and there are so few of them nowadays . (Experienced wielders for example). What is sad, is that once these guys leave the working force, the experience they had, DIES.

My Dads work is a great example. They are slowly shutting the place down. With it goes Knowledgable craftsman (machinists to be exact). With more and more industrial jobs, trade jobs, etc being lost, so goes the knowledge. Years (decades even) of trade experience... GONE. Gone because it is not being passed down to new generations. IMO We are indeed on a downward spiral.

[STEED]

So you guys have dumped "French fry's" for "chips." :DL

[Rockstar]

... On a side note, we had this interesting conversation at work the other day. From an article read, apparently most people want office jobs. But experienced tradesman actually make more money because they are in high demand and there are so few of them nowadays . (Experienced wielders for example). What is sad, is that once these guys leave the working force, the experience they had, DIES.

My Dads work is a great example. They are slowly shutting the place down. With it goes Knowledgable craftsman (machinists to be exact). With more and more industrial jobs, trade jobs, etc being lost, so goes the knowledge. Years (decades even) of trade experience... GONE. Gone because it is not being passed down to new generations. IMO We are indeed on a downward spiral.

Tradesman such as the ones you speak of are a thing of the past. All but a dream of how things used to be I reckon, sad but true. One geek punching numbers into a computer and a machine to do the work is all it takes now.