On Tue, 19 Oct 2004, Collin Brendemuehl wrote: > It takes one thing. Lower taxes. Give people the freedom to grow > themselves and they will. Give them the opportunity to both succeed > and fail and they'll always try harder.
I think you also need an ingrained 'work ethic' which America and Japan share. I also think Western Europeans are slowly moving towards a 'play ethic' where the accumulation of wealth or goods is not the sole raison d'être for living. I may be wrong? > Being under socialism must be depressing. (I've friends from France who > are seeking US citizenship for that very reason -- open opportunity.) Yes, we're all dreadfully depressed over here in Europe??? You do realise that the political spectrum of European politics runs from somewhere to the right of Atilla the Hun to somewhere to the left of Marx? Taxes are all over the place too. Whilst I don't doubt what your French friends are saying to you, I do doubt that is the general attitude of people in France towards the USA :-) And yes, I know the feeling is probably mutual. Honestly I am not going to get into a political argument (I fear the Caveman!) but I think you're being way too generalized about Europe, which is after all a loose collection of formerly warring nation-states. Chris (wondering if Collin is the first man to call Tony Blair a socialist!)
