Originally Posted by Wave Skipper

I was talking about its over all geological structure. It is just a part of Asia. Greenland has nothing but rock and ice, but geologically it is a large land mass surrounded by ocean. Back when I was a kid we were taught that Europe was a continent. Even as a kid I'd look at the map and wonder: "Is like Western Russia under water or something?" Europe was the leader in science during the time the science about geography was being developed. OF COURSE Europeans - being tops back then - didn't want to list their landmass as a peninsula. Australia is a real continent - and what does it have? Yes, Australia is one of the finest sceintific proofs that when large asteroids slowly hit earth they always land bad side up. And yes it does not have a huge, huge economy (none of this is any reflection on their people - some of the finest in the world - and I mean that!), but Australia is a continent because its huge and its srrounded by water. South America, North America and Africa are huge and MAINLY surrounded by water. Eruope is not much bigger than India and no one called India a continent. (Greenland is not that large and so no it is not stricly speaking in the same legue.)

SO my point was that European scientists had the bighead back in the 1700s or when ever it was that they made mapes of the world and they made a special exception for themselves - that should today be corrected. Hence my use of the Asian threat. As it is possible in the future (distant future) Asian hordes coming over land would remind Europe that they are part of Asia's land mass.

You don't need your very own continent to be powerful and rich, look at Britain and Japan.

Originally Posted by SUBMAN1

By the way, all your welfare prgrams probably also further drag down your growth rate. Forgot to mention that.

-S

Originally Posted by SUBMAN1

I find that funny. Your idea of an economy doing OK is an economy that is not going backwards, but one with on 1 or 2 percentage point gains. Sad. America adds another Saidi Arabia in economy every month, and what exactly are the Europeans doing? Adding an Ethiopia? We are over double the gains of what Europe has.

Originally Posted by mrbeast

Yep it may well do but then again I'm not bankrupt if I find out I've got cancer, or if i have an accident I can go to any casualty department and not get turned away because the hospital is not listed on my health insurance card.

NHS :cool:

Originally Posted by Kapitan_Phillips

Well Europe has a country called Great Britain.

Originally Posted by mrbeast

Yep it may well do but then again I'm not bankrupt if I find out I've got cancer, or if i have an accident I can go to any casualty department and not get turned away because the hospital is not listed on my health insurance card.

NHS :cool:

Originally Posted by Tchocky

The US economy is certainly growing faster than that of Europe, but that's not the only variable to consider. Income inequality in the US has never been higher, almost twice that of some European countries. That's where welfare state systems can be seen to have an effect.

Originally Posted by SUBMAN1

I find that funny. Your idea of an economy doing OK is an economy that is not going backwards, but one with on 1 or 2 percentage point gains. Sad. America adds another Saidi Arabia in economy every month, and what exactly are the Europeans doing? Adding an Ethiopia? We are over double the gains of what Europe has.

This is what Americans don't want - a pathetic state of growth.

I guess this is another Skybird feel-good thread is all.

-S

Originally Posted by Happy Times

The current economic outlook for both the near-term and long-term future look positive, based on assessments made by The World Economic Forum that has declared Finland to be the most competitive country in the world for three consecutive years (2003–2005) and four times since 2002.

In recent years there has been national focus on innovation and research and development, with special emphasis on information technology. Finland was ranked 3rd most innovative economy in 2006 by the European Innovation Scoreboard (EIS), with scores well above that of the EU25 average and the United States.[3]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Finland

Originally Posted by SUBMAN1

Uhh... Is that how they sell you on your healthcare system over there? Just a little tidbit - they are wrong, or you are wrong, one of the two.

A hospital is not able to turn away an emergency patient, regardless if they don't even have insurance over here. (talk to the illegals, they know this well - they never pay for healthcare either)

There are restrictions on some insurance plans that limit where you can go by how much they will compensate. On a plan like this, instead of coverage at 100% persay, they would only cover 80% if you insisted to go to this specific hospital for a said particular treatment. So, you have a choice - pay through the nose at picking up 20% of the bill, or do what your insurance company asks.

Hopefully this gives you a better idea how things work across the pond.

-S

Originally Posted by SUBMAN1

Do you have any idea why the income inequalities are growing faster over here than Europe? Try illegal aliens. ALl 12+ million of them. That is a true statement if you include them. Remove them from the equation and we probably have equal or lesser rates than Europe.

Originally Posted by Fish

I wonder what your post have to do with our social security and the rest of Skybirds post? :-?

Originally Posted by mrbeast

46 million Americans without health insurance.

60 million British citizens (ie the whole population) with health care.

What happens to Americans who have no health insurance or are under insured?

Answer: they either pay up or they die. But I guess thats what you would call freedom of choice. You could argue that people in Cuba enjoy better health care than those 46 million Americans.

The whole point of the NHS is that people don't 'sell me health care' its dispensed according to my need and not my ability to pay.

Originally Posted by Tchocky

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