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2581 [lbo-talk] European Welfare State -- rank: 1000

On Sep 20, 2010, at 7:44 PM, Joseph Catron wrote: > You're making two distinct points that don't really go together. In the > United States, at least, anti-Muslim sentiment seems to be the strongest in > regions without any significant Muslim presence. That tends to be true of immigrants in the U.S. Anti-immigrant sentiment is strongest in places with the fewest. DOug

Document Size:	4903
Author:	Doug Henwood
Date:	Mon Sep 20 17:26:27 PDT 2010

2582 [lbo-talk] European Welfare State -- rank: 1000

On Sep 20, 2010, at 5:01 PM, SA wrote: > Liberals in the US - and I'm thinking especially about American Prospect types like Tom Geohagan - do idealize Europe. But the problem isn't that they depict it as being much better off than the US; it is much better off, and in almost every way. The problem is that they show Europe without the politics. These strong unions, big welfare states, and (relatively) civilized political discourse "somehow" just got there in some mysterious way. Doe ...

Document Size:	5051
Author:	Doug Henwood
Date:	Mon Sep 20 14:29:45 PDT 2010

2583 [lbo-talk] European Welfare State -- rank: 1000

On Sep 20, 2010, at 4:17 PM, Angelus Novus wrote: > No, I have no problem conceding that the U.S. is a neo-liberal shithole. I just have a problem with U.S. leftists who think Europe is a paradise, as opposed to a slightly more livable neo-liberal shithole. Thank you. That's all I was asking for. Doug

Document Size:	4808
Author:	Doug Henwood
Date:	Mon Sep 20 13:26:09 PDT 2010

2584 [lbo-talk] European Welfare State -- rank: 1000

On Sep 20, 2010, at 4:10 PM, Angelus Novus wrote: > low domestic wages Ok, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics <http://www.bls.gov/fls/#compensation> has hourly compensation in German manufacturing at 103% of U.S. levels in 2000 and 149% in 2008 (expressed in US dollars). Certainly the currency has a lot to do with this, and, yes, a lid has been kept on German wages despite strong productivity gains, but "low" German wages are not. Doug

Document Size:	5013
Author:	Doug Henwood
Date:	Mon Sep 20 13:25:27 PDT 2010

2585 [lbo-talk] Social Spending -- rank: 1000

On Sep 20, 2010, at 3:52 PM, Angelus Novus wrote: > See, the point was, when child-bearing subsidizes to rich housewives are subsumed under the statistical category of "social spending" in Germany, these questions about which country spends more on "social spending" are deceptive. Is it specifically targeted towards "rich" women, or is it universal? Is it a flat payment, or some sort of tax credit? Doug

Document Size:	4888
Author:	Doug Henwood
Date:	Mon Sep 20 13:04:43 PDT 2010

2586 [lbo-talk] European Welfare State -- rank: 1000

On Sep 20, 2010, at 3:43 PM, Bhaskar Sunkara wrote: > Funny thing is that his basic point-- that the German "model" has been > undermined and will continue to be undermined (and was flawed > and inadequate even at its peak) is something I don't think many would > disagree with. Add to that the fact that people who study these things classify the German welfare state as different from the Scandinavian one. The German w.s. is more family- and employer-dependent, in contrast w ...

Document Size:	5102
Author:	Doug Henwood
Date:	Mon Sep 20 12:51:31 PDT 2010

2587 [lbo-talk] European Welfare State -- rank: 1000

The anti-German wrote: > Sorry, but I agree with Jim Heartfield on American culture. And the daily newspaper Junge Welt, very communist and anti-imperialist, hardly can be accused of pro-Americanism, said very astutely with regard to American literature: "Germany does not have any Thomas Pynchons or Don DeLillos. At best, we have a few Nick Hornbys." We do have some very good art, I won't deny that. But, going back a bit, Grass and Boll are pretty good. We've got excellent food and ...

Document Size:	5294
Author:	Doug Henwood
Date:	Mon Sep 20 12:45:18 PDT 2010

2588 [lbo-talk] European Welfare State -- rank: 1000

On Sep 20, 2010, at 2:06 PM, Eric Beck wrote: > On Mon, Sep 20, 2010 at 12:04 PM, Doug Henwood <dhenwood at panix.com> wrote: >> but it would be nice for a moment of you contemplated what life in the USA is like. > > This is very strange requirement, one you make of AN every time this > comes up. Why does he need to contemplate life in the US when the > discussion is about Germany? I wouldn't if he didn't hammer away constantly about how American leftists just don't ge ...

Document Size:	5209
Author:	Doug Henwood
Date:	Mon Sep 20 11:36:45 PDT 2010

2589 [lbo-talk] European Welfare State -- rank: 1000

On Sep 20, 2010, at 12:55 PM, Angelus Novus wrote: > So don't worry, dear Europhile liberals, if its any consolation, you can continue to comfort yourself that it's not "as bad" over here, and you can continue to push the bar downward so that even the worst attacks on the welfare state over here appear "moderate" by comparison. Chill, man. No one here wants to see your welfare state cut - the opposite, in fact. You keep railing about how we just don't get how bad things ar ...

Document Size:	5099
Author:	Doug Henwood
Date:	Mon Sep 20 10:04:33 PDT 2010

2590 [lbo-talk] Real Wage Development in Germany, 1995-2004 -- rank: 1000

On Sep 20, 2010, at 12:18 PM, Angelus Novus wrote: > Hurray for Social Democratic Paradise Germany! > > http://polpix.sueddeutsche.com/polopoly_fs/1.824966.1274120302!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/860x860/image.jpg In what universe are U.S. real wages up 20% over a decade? Since this interval, 1995-2004, includes the only period in the last 35+ years in which we saw sustained real wage growth, the actual figure for real hourly earnings is +8%. Real hourly earnings are still 7% below ...

Document Size:	5387
Author:	Doug Henwood
Date:	Mon Sep 20 10:00:18 PDT 2010

2591 [lbo-talk] European Welfare State -- rank: 1000

On Sep 20, 2010, at 12:17 PM, Angelus Novus wrote: > Doug Henwood wrote: > >> And it'd be nice if he showed some understanding of why Americans might >> find Europe, or a fantasy of Europe, appealing > > What is this even supposed to suggest? I should continue to deny social reality so that pollyannas like Dennis Redmond can continue to nurture comforting illusions? Uh, no. It's meant to suggest that a poverty rate less than half ours and a considerably flatter income di ...

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Author:	Doug Henwood
Date:	Mon Sep 20 09:53:05 PDT 2010

2592 [lbo-talk] recession has been over for more than a year! -- rank: 1000

From: Jean Roth <jroth at nber.org> Date: September 20, 2010 10:36:28 AM EDT To: cycles at nber.org Subject: NBER's Business Cycle Dating Committee Announces June 2009 Trough Date Dear Business Cycle Announcement Subscriber, The NBER's Business Cycle Dating Committee announced on September 20 that the U.S. economy reached a trough in June 2009, making the 18-month recession that began in December 2007 the longest in the post-war period. Further details are provided in the committee's anno ...

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Author:	Doug Henwood
Date:	Mon Sep 20 09:38:58 PDT 2010

2593 [lbo-talk] Evaluating the Obama administration (Was: Warren is in...) -- rank: 1000

On Sep 20, 2010, at 10:11 AM, Marv Gandall wrote: > But the discussion has been about whether medicare for all is within the "realm of possibility" under the existing system. Well it's a lot more likely than my being able to walk on water, for sure. But for it to happen, the labor movement would have to get behind it in a major way (among several other things). If SEIU showed anything like the support for single-payer that it routinely shows for campaigning for Democrats - as I reca ...

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Author:	Doug Henwood
Date:	Mon Sep 20 09:17:02 PDT 2010

2594 [lbo-talk] Buffett partner: billions for bankers, bupkes for the unemployed -- rank: 1000

<http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-09-20/berkshire-s-munger-says-cash-strapped-should-suck-it-in-not-get-bailout.html> Munger Says `Thank God' U.S. Opted for Bailouts Over Handouts By Andrew Frye - Sep 20, 2010 12:00 AM ET Email Share Print Charles Munger, the billionaire vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., defended the U.S. financial-company rescues of 2008 and told students that people in economic distress should suck it in and cope. You should thank God for bank bailouts, Munge ...

Document Size:	6555
Author:	Doug Henwood
Date:	Mon Sep 20 06:31:37 PDT 2010

2595 [lbo-talk] Swedish far-right wins first seats in parliament -- rank: 1000

On Sep 20, 2010, at 8:30 AM, Wojtek S wrote: > If this happened in the left-leaning Sweden, just imagine what > will happen in the right-leaning US. Don't we already have people like that in Congress? Doug

Document Size:	4974
Author:	Doug Henwood
Date:	Mon Sep 20 06:24:40 PDT 2010