Germany - Poverty - Underclass

[Skybird]

TteFAboB,

I know what you mean, but neither do I see the US model as being superior or less conflicting (you have the same problems of vast ammounts of the population being poor although working terribly long per week, you just deal with the consequences of this in a different way than european nations do, you leave assisting them to a non-obligatory, voluntary action of the individual, and if there is nobody willing, then that is the poor man's bad luck, while european nations tend to make it a collective obligation not to leave those that are too weak behind, we do not believe in the principle of leaving it to voluntary engagement alone), nor am I so easily willing to sacrifice the existence of millions of people and families and even doom their children - because that would happen if you change it heave-ho. It also is no remedy to the future, becasue the even lower wage levels in the Eastern and Asian countries so far are posing a challenge neither europe nor the US have found an answer to that is different from protectionism and locking national markets, also with regard to third world countries. Also, there are incredibly powerful plutocratic elites in place today - I say that liberal trade on the grounds of fair and equal chances for all is an illusion today (not even to mention that for historical reasons nations and people do not have the same starting conditions). just look at our economical relations and conditions with nations in africa and middle and South America.

america taditonally is capitalistic. But it also uses to ignore the enormous social shadowside it has given birth to within it's own borders.

and next people complain why there are slums and ghettos, street crime and youth gangs, violance and jungle laws.

If you think all this are totally different things and themes, you better think twice. most things in this world are connected to most other things.