why europeans just dont get america (someone in europe gets it)

london spectator | today | Mark Steyn

[gcruse]

  I used to live under one, and trust me on that,
with money you could live even better then
you live in US.

I never lived under communism, but had friends
who did.  The thing that surprised me was that
so many refugees, in this case from Hungary, went
back there to live.  They were just too stressed out
at the thought of losing a job, of having to make
their own way in society (this was Canada) that
they would rather give up their freedom and live
a greatly diminshed life than face the responsibilites
of liberty.  Sad.

[Tribune7]

The only obstacle to this is; US politicians don't want to look into a future.  Long ago, Marshall understood it well what was happening.

After WWII, we basically governed large parts of Europe, which made things fairly simple for Marshall.  We don't now, and we shouldn't.

I would love to see Europeans demand their leaders to make them more like the U.S. I don't know that there is much we can do to bring about this type of outcry, however.

Truthfully, we U.S. conservatives have enough problems here. There are a lot of Americans -- think Clinton, Gore, etc. -- who want to make us more like Europeans.

[SauronOfMordor]

The thing that surprised me was that so many refugees, in this case from Hungary, went back there to live.

Eastern Europe is changing. Today I was talking with a lady who came over from Romania. She and her American husband went back for a visit. There's stuff on store shelves now. And you can legally buy a full-auto AK-47 in a store for $150. Now, what was that about "...than face the responsibilites of liberty"?

[VegasAce]

Europeans are best at making really bad decisions. Fifty years ago the continent was devastated by National-Socialism. So what did they do? They rejected nationalism and they embraced socialism. Nationalism in its highest form is patriotism, which used to be considered a virtue. Today in Europe, it earns you the label "right-wing extremist" or "fascist." But the "boot stamping on a human face forever" is considered main stream. When have you ever seen the appelation "left-wing extremist" applied in Europe? They don't have any official "fascist" parties, but there is no shortage of communist parties. They are hopeless sheep who refuse to recognize an all-out demographic assault even as it runs right over them. Even the most feeble patriotic instincts have been bred out of them, and thus we will probably live long enough to witness their extinction; political-social Darwinism marches on.

[Tribune7]

I surely don't. I love US! But you have to be careful of which Europeans are you talking about. Those who lived under communism, like myself in Eastern Germany, we have different view about US then those who lived in Western Europe. Believe it or not, the difference between Middle/Eastern Europe is as long as a highway from NYC to San Francisco.

I believe you. What would suggest we could do to increase freedom in Europe? Seriously.

[gcruse]

The events I described took place in the seventies. They couldn't handle capitalism and willingly went back to live under comumunism. They didn't have enough money to live well in Hungary for long. It was sad.

[gcruse]

That's cool. But the people I know went back to a communist Hungary.