I’m not a big fan of international bureaucracies, particularly the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The OECD, funded by American tax dollars, has become infamous for its support of statist pro-Obama policies.
- The OECD has allied itself with the nutjobs from the so-called Occupy movement to push for bigger government and higher taxes.
- The OECD, in an effort to promote redistributionism, has concocted absurdly misleading statistics claiming that there is more poverty in the US than in Greece, Hungary, Portugal, or Turkey.
- The OECD is pushing a “Multilateral Convention” that is designed to become something akin to a World Tax Organization, with the power to persecute nations with free-market tax policy.
- The OECD supports Obama’s class-warfare agenda, publishing documents endorsing “higher marginal tax rates” so that the so-called rich “contribute their fair share.”
But I’m a policy wonk, so I’ll admit that I often utilize certain OECD’s statistics. After all, if numbers from a left-wing organization help to advance the cause of liberty, that makes it harder for opponents to counter our arguments.
With that being said, let’s look at some truly remarkable statistics from the OECD website on comparative living standards in industrialized nations. This chart shows average levels of individual consumption (AIC) for 31 OECD countries. There are several possible measures of prosperity, including per-capita GDP. All are useful, but AIC is thought to best capture the well-being of a people.
As you can see from this chart, the United States ranks far ahead of other nations. The only countries that are even close are Luxembourg, which is a tiny nation that also serves as a tax haven (a very admirable policy, to be sure), and Norway, which is a special case because of oil wealth.
At the risk of making an understatement, this data screams, “THE U.S. SHOULD NOT BECOME MORE LIKE EUROPE.”
For all intents and purposes, Americans are about 40 percent better off than their European counterparts, in part because we have less government and more economic freedom.
Yet Obama, with his plans to exacerbate class-warfare taxation and further expand the burden of government spending, wants America to be more like nations that have lower living standards.
And don’t forget European living standards will presumably fall even further – relative to the U.S. – as the fiscal crisis in nations such as Greece, Spain, and Italy spreads to other welfare states such as France and Belgium
Here’s another chart that looks at the G-7 nations. Once again, the gap between the U.S. and the rest of the world is remarkable.
Maybe, just maybe, the United States should try to copy nations that are doing better, not ones that are doing worse. Hong Kong and Singapore come to mind.
Getting there is simple. Just reduce the size and scope of government.
International Liberty 
[…] is always worth reading to understand the difference between markets and statism. And here’s some good real-world evidence about the benefits of better […]
[…] Singapore, which have relatively low burdens of government, with slow-growth economies such as France and Italy, where politicians ostensibly seek to “help” people with various forms of […]
[…] is always worth reading to understand the difference between markets and statism. And here’s some good real-world evidence about the benefits of better […]
[…] the way, don’t be surprised by the final sentence in that excerpt. Most people have no idea that Americans have far higher […]
[…] significante nas nações nórdicas, resultando em padrões de vida abaixo do nível americano de acordo com dados da OCDE […]
Josep,
You would rather have certain ‘things’ instead of double the income. But other people would feel differently, and prefer to have double the income. People naturally differ on what they value.
How can society best enable diverse individuals to achieve whatever they value? By leaving individuals as free as possible to pursue their own happiness as they see fit. When individuals are allowed to keep as much of their own income as possible, each individual can choose to spend it how he/she wishes. When individuals are allowed to make more decisions for themselves and their families, each individual can better pursue what he/she wants in life.
You might prefer the many services of a large nanny government, but others might not. The only fair thing is to restrict the power of government and leave as much power and resources as reasonably possible in the hands of the individual.
The nominal amount of GDP and individual consumption per capita is only one small factor in the equation; you’ll have to look at other indicators of standard of living: the health of the population, the actual opportunities to improve ones situation through access to education, crime rates, drug use, general standard of housing, mental health, happiness, etc. Basically it comes down to what you value in life. I would rather be healthy and happy than earning double my income.
[…] we should be happy about these numbers. Indeed, I think they help to explain why Americans are much more prosperous than our European friends. And it’s also worth noting that Trump – at best – is being sloppy when he […]
[…] But I’m digressing. I cite Steffens’ infamous quote because I, too, have seen the future. It’s Europe. And it doesn’t work. […]
[…] Bigger government means lower living standards. […]
[…] Bigger government means lower living standards. […]
[…] for those who want comparisons among developed nations, I’ve reviewed evidence from the United States and Europe on many occasions and the results always show that the relatively more market-friendly policies in the United States […]
[…] for those who want comparisons among developed nations, I’ve reviewed evidence from the United States and Europe on many occasions and the results always show that the relatively more market-friendly policies in the United States […]
[…] Perhaps, but there are degrees of prosperity. And a large public sector imposes a non-trivial burden on Nordic nations, resulting in living standards that lag U.S. levels according to OECD data. […]
[…] Perhaps, but there are degrees of prosperity. And a large public sector imposes a non-trivial burden on Nordic nations, resulting in living standards that lag U.S. levels according to OECD data. […]
[…] prosperity. Indeed, it looks like Sweden is a bit higher. That’s certainly not what we see in the international data on living standards. Moreover, Ellenberg may want to apply some nonlinear thinking to the data showing that Swedes in […]
[…] again, the United States is more prosperous than most European nations, though that may be an example of damning with faint […]
[…] also have significantly lower incomes than the United States, with living standards about 30 percent-40 percent below American […]
[…] Kong and Singapore, which have relatively low burdens of government, with slow-growth economies such as France and Italy, where politicians ostensibly seek to “help” people with various forms of […]
Europe and the US follow two different economic and social models. Europe focuses on making everyone equal through goverment funded education, public healthcare and sky high taxes. Class, privelege and background greatly affects what you can achieve.
America goes on the model of everyone working to build their own life and future. Taxes are a lot lower than in europe which puts less pressure on the government to provide for it’s citizens and puts the responsibility on you to look after your own affairs. Americans enjoy higher earnings, better job opportunities, higher quality of life and more prosperity.
Even with free education , government funded healthcare and longer eu mandated vacation and sick pay, what happens after that?
I think the US needs to improve it’s welfare system but taxes will rise and private companies don’t want that because medical companies lose out on business and everyone earns a lot less on the whole. Education is the same, europe has a very slack attitude towards achievement and success unlike the US.
[…] Korea and North Korea and the difference between Chile, Argentina, and Venezuela. Heck, even the data comparing America and Europe show similar […]
[…] y Corea del Norte y de la diferencia entre Chile, Argentina y Venezuela . Heck, incluso los datos que comparan América y Europa muestran resultados […]
[…] Korea and North Korea and the difference between Chile, Argentina, and Venezuela. Heck, even the data comparing America and Europe show similar […]
[…] income levels but where even the poor are rich compared to a vast majority of the world's people. International Data on Living Standards Show that the United States Should Not Become More Like Europ… __________________ Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any […]
[…] you can see from the chart, America has enjoyed a big advantage over Europeans if you look at living standards. And maybe we always will maintain an advantage if they move even farther in the wrong direction at […]
Ki, you just proved to me that retards exist everywhere. Like jesus christ man get your head out your ass. American living standard is roughly the same as Europe, compared to most areas its actually higher but not compared to Luxembourg and its more equal to Norway. The AVERAGE american and above aka the top 70% generally live just as good or better than Europeans. HOWEVER the bottom 30% aka the lower middle class and poor live much worse off than your bottom 30%. Economic inequality in the U.S is probably the second biggest issue facing the country behind debt. Also we have the top universities in the world and are ranked 1st in science as well as tech innovation, our healthcare is equal to that of Europe’s if you can afford it, though once again our bottom 30% has difficulty affording. Honestly though none of this matters, Europe and America are totally fucked economically educationally technologically living standard wise health wise and everything. Our economies are being crushed, Europe as someone earlier said is having a muslim problem, and I say problem not because I dislike Muslims but because it is an actual problem in Europe. The U.S is also having an immigrant problem, which has in fact dropped our living standard education ranking and pretty much every chart people use to debate this stuff, once again its not that I dislike Latin Americans but if you bring in 27 million people that for the most part can only take low paying jobs it obviously has a major affect on the statistics. Even still we are ranked 3rd on the Human development index (Which is probably the best indicator you can get) .01 points behind Australia and Norway is the leader. Both of those countries have very strong and in many cases unfair immigration policies to keep the population the way they want it, which to me is fucked up but hey I’m not a world leader nor am I in charge of a country.
[…] this isn’t a laughing matter. As shown in this remarkable graph on global living standards, Americans enjoy significantly more consumption than their European […]
[…] But as we move closer and closer to European-style economic policy, it should be no surprise that we get anemic European-style economic performance. […]
[…] is always worth reading to understand the difference between markets and statism. And here’s some good real-world evidence about the benefits of better […]
[…] done that myself by comparing the United States with the European Union. Or Chile with Argentina and Venezuela. Or South Korea and North Korea. Or Singapore and Hong Kong […]
[…] is always worth reading to understand the difference between markets and statism. And here’s some good real-world evidence about the benefits of better […]
[…] also have significantly lower incomes than the United States, with living standards about 30 percent-40 percent below American […]
[…] also have significantly lower incomes than the United States, with living standards about 30 percent-40 percent below American […]
[…] also have significantly lower incomes than the United States, with living standards about 30 percent-40 percent below American […]
[…] again, the United States is more prosperous than most European nations, though that may be an example of damning with faint […]
[…] again, the United States is more prosperous than most European nations, though that may be an example of damning with faint […]
[…] Kong and Singapore, which have relatively low burdens of government, with slow-growth economies such as France and Italy, where politicians ostensibly seek to “help” people with various forms of […]
[…] Kong and Singapore, which have relatively low burdens of government, with slow-growth economies such as France and Italy, where politicians ostensibly seek to “help” people with various forms of […]
[…] this isn’t a laughing matter. As shown in this remarkable graph on global living standards, Americans enjoy significantly more consumption than their European […]
[…] whether we’re looking at North Korea vs South Korea, Chile vs. Venezuela, or the U.S. vs. Europe, the world is a laboratory and the evidence gets stronger with each passing year that markets are […]
ki
I will just continue to live on my 100 acre farm where I grow my own food, and have zero debt because obviously I stole it from Europeans.
[…] The United States is in much better shape than most other developed nations, particularly if you look at broad measures of prosperity and living standards. […]
[…] So when I read a column suggesting that the United States should become more like Italy, I thought this must be some sort of practical joke. After all, Italy is teetering on the edge of bankruptcy, kept afloat by bailouts and subsidies. Its economy is in the toilet, with pervasively high unemployment, almost no growth for a decade, and living standards that are only about two-thirds of U.S. levels. […]
[…] week, I shared some numbers from the left-wing OECD which showed that living standards are much higher in the United States than they are in Europe’s welfare states. That is what this fight is all […]
[…] So when I read a column suggesting that the United States should become more like Italy, I thought this must be some sort of practical joke. After all, Italy is teetering on the edge of bankruptcy, kept afloat by bailouts and subsidies. Its economy is in the toilet, with pervasively high unemployment, almost no growth for a decade, and living standards that are only about two-thirds of U.S. levels. […]
[…] nation, simply because we don’t tax as much as Europe. But, given the economic stagnation and lower living standards on the other side of the Atlantic, why would anybody want to mimic those failed welfare […]
So let me get this straight: we stupid, uneducated Americans steal “all the wealth from other countries” and we steal “foreign high-educated people” from the brilliant, wise, and well-educated European countries.
In my study of satire, particularly neo-Classical satire, I learned that good satire always has some sort of give-away, something that makes it clear to the observant reader. Maybe my reading skills are getting rusty, but I didn’t see the give-away because, really, this has to be satire. Right? You’re not really serious, are you?
BTW, which part of Belgium are you from? The Flemish part, that would like to be independent from the rest of the country because they are the producers? Or Wallonia, which is the moocher part of the country?
Every american citizen who buys this, only proves how ignorant he/she really is. I live in Belgium, small country, about 11mil inhabitants and i have to say a few things about this;
one of the reasons americans feel they have a higher (superior) living standard is that there is much more space in the us than in Europe. In terms of size the us is about 3 times larger than europe. The US has about 330 mil inhabitants, in Europe we’ll be going towards nearly 600mil in the next 1 or 2 decade(s) (for sure if Turkey ever manages to join the European Union) (and rest assured, what Islam is doing to Europe, will come to the US afterward). On our “small” continent we have quite some mountains situated in the center of the union. Therefore, civilization/population is much, much more concentrated than in the US.
Another reason is; the rest of the world knows (for a really long time) the US practically steals all the wealth from other countries, and they have several tactics in doing this. The US steals foreign high-educated people because the US does not have ANY education system, so competing is just out of the question (and my dear American fellow-men, this is done BY DESIGN, by your government, the federal reserve and your multinationals. I hope you reckon this and realise this is a very dangerous situation to be in). I swear, the average third-world civilian is more intelligent than the average (civilized and “educated”) American I’m not saying Americans are inferior, coz we’re all equal in my mind, don’t matter where you originated). And it’s a funny thing, coz every single time i talk to American tourists, they always agree when i say it’s far better to live here than in the states. (and i have to say, i don’t love my country, i don’t even like Europe, but the truth is the truth). We have state of the art insurance and healthcare system. If i would get seriously hurt in an accident, i know the state (the system) wil take care of me… If you don’t have any savings in the US and the same thing happens to you there, you know you’re pretty much screwed,…big time. Doctors, in the US give prescriptions coz they earn a percent on it, the more they write, the more they get paid… Here doctors just want to heal and help people. My country is LOADED with drugstores, even in a small town of let’s say 10.000 inhabitants, you can find aloads of them!
Now, our education; i always have to laugh when i watch an American movie… adolescents want to go to yale or harvard or princeton, because those schools offer the best education. Tell you what, you should try university right here in Antwerp… Harvard or Yale students won’t make it here, our schools and education are in many fields TOP of the world (also, Japan has a very high education level).
I could go on for a long time, but i’m getting bored ;p
Bottom line, i believe American should embrace a more humble attitude (never hurts) because the rest of the world, well doesn’t really like (to put it easy) the US. Especially for running the world (or at least the illusion they believe they’re in control) while they can’t even control what’s going on in their very own country… that’s just sad you know.
It’s blatantly obvious where the priorities of the US lies, in military-industrial complex, and that’s even more sad…. You can aslo (partially) measure the living standard of a country or civilization just by their investments in a specific field. And if there is one thing the entire world knows, it is that Americans really, really like to play with guns and love to blow things up. Very civilized,… must be the result of a good education and a sky-high living standard…
I call it a day here, otherwise imma get myself depressed i think.
Take care peepz, x
EU vs. USA…maybe comparable. But time and time again I have to correct people for trying to compare “the well off nations” in Europe to the US. They are not comparable. US has way more issues to deal with than just about every individual country in the EU. Yes places like Luxembourg are “nice”; but how about comparing it to another location with slightly under a million people like San Jose. So much European fetishism here in the US.
[…] The Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development is a prime example. Originally created for benign purposes such as gathering statistics, it now is a bloated bureaucracy pursuing an anti-free market agenda. […]
[…] But as we move closer and closer to European-style economic policy, it should be no surprise that we get anemic European-style economic performance. […]
[…] worth reading to understand the difference between markets and statism. And here’s some good real-world evidence about the benefits of better […]
[…] of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Heck, just take a look at some of the examples in this post and you’ll understand […]
[…] States – which is very much one of the reasons why there’s so much more prosperity, as shown in this chart, in America than on the other side of the […]
14.3% of Swedish residents were born outside Sweden. Add to that all the children of immigrants who grow up in a home with two foreign parents. The 14.3% come from:
Finland (166,723)
Former Yugoslavia (155,166)
Iraq (125,499)
Poland (72,865)
Iran (63,828)
Germany (48,442)
Denmark (44,951)
Turkey (43,909)
Norway (43,058)
Somalia (40,165)
Of course, integrating Finns, Poles and Norwegians is not exactly difficult. Successfully introducing Somalis to the work force is of course a lot harder whereas Iraqis, Iranians and Turks are quite heterogenous in terms of education and means of contribution.
I’m just curious, Christian. Please describe the diversity of Sweden for me, if you would. My image of Sweden is of a fairly homogenous country, and I understand that homogeneity diminishes the problem of the “free rider,” particularly in Germanic cultures.
Christian: I’m sure happy to have this conversation, but I guess we’ll have to agree to disagree. I have dual US/French citizenship, and have spent much of my life in France, so I certainly appreciate the benefits enjoyed under the European model. That said, I choose to live in Seattle, Washington, where I enjoy, as CK, above mentions, “…meaningful time to spend with family, access to nature, a clean environment, and well functioning public transportation, as well as a social system that provides insurance for all who are struck by illness…”
Most of us have happy lives with heat in the winter, food on the table, cell phones, computers and internet access. The poorest of the poor in the US are still better off than the poor in the third world- that’s not to say it can’t get better- it certainly can. We have government and private charitable programs to help those who need (and seek) it, and are willing to put forth minimal effort to clean up, find a job, etc.
Chronic homelessness in the US is more a factor of substance abuse than anything else, and our “individual liberties” preclude the government from forcibly institutionalizing people who aren’t a threat to themselves or others- these are the people we see on the side of the road with cardboard signs, living in encampments under the freeway and occupying Zucotti Park, in New York. 😉
As for health “insurance,” it is illegal to turn anyone away who seeks medical treatment, so the idea that we have hordes of people who are outside the health-care system is false- it is a canard made up by those who would change our current system to the model that exists in much of Europe and the UK as well as Canada. This is one of the reasons why so many people (1 million-plus) risk their lives to steal across the border every year- once they present themselves at the Emergency room door, their medical problems become the hospital’s responsibility. The downside to this, of course, is that Emergency room care is MUCH more expensive than preventative care, and this raises the costs to those of us who ARE insured, which is more than 90 percent of the country. I’m not saying our system is perfect, but it certainly doesn’t leave anyone unprotected.
All that said, California outlawed foie gras this year, and as goes California, so goes the rest of the country, so I’m keeping my French passport current!
Cheers-
Thanks for your reply! I agree we see the world through very different lenses and we also have different opinions to what constitutes standard of living.
For me, vital factors of standard of living are actually the standard of living of others. I prefer to live in a country where rich people subsidise the poor, where there is little child poverty, low infant mortality, where public spaces are pretty and well maintained etc etc.
Another factor of living standard is comfort of mind. Swedes do worry about unemployment and illness but it affects them far less than Americans. A Swede does not worry about ending up on the street (or in some camping or trailer park) or about losing health insurance. Nor does he worry his friends or relatives will.
High government spending also meant I was well off as a child, teenager and student when I did not have any income, High taxes don’t only mean people with income subsidise the unemployed, it also means you can enjoy a good life before you start making money and after you stopped making money. A bit like a loan but without the financial stress of a loan.
All these things are worth far more to me than a high disposable income. Having said that, I think the Swedish state should still cut down on its expenditures and focus on core needs like education, infrastructure and health care.
As for regulated rents, I don’t like them as they encourage overconsumption of housing and make it difficult for people to move. I just mentioned them as an example to how difficult it is to compare apple and pears (or Sweden and UK for that matter).
Christian, to respond to your three points:
1: Infrastructure is better in Sweden, including public transit. Who uses public transit and who pays for it? Are they one and the same? I think not. Therefore, you might find the standard of living higher for USERS of public transport, not necessarily “supporters” who support it through the confiscation of their hard-earned capital by the government.
2: Subsidized Daycare. See point 1.
3: Rents are regulated. Again, cui bono- who benefits? Surely not the property owner, who is told how much profit he is allowed to make.
In every country I’ve ever visited, most of the citizens I’ve encountered have been striving for more: A private vehicle so they can get off the crowded, hot, noisy public transport, a good job that pays well so their partner can stay home and raise the kids and a nice house with a bit of land where they can plant a garden.
I guess the standard of living ideal most of us ascribe to is seen through a capitalist lens. The socialist ideal is apparently much different, and I confess entirely foreign to my way of thinking.
If you measure quality of life by the ability to consume (often through borrowing, btw), then, yes, clearly the United States is the place to live. Conversely, if you measure quality of life by having meaningful time to spend with family, access to nature, a clean environment, and well functioning public transportation, as well as a social system that provides insurance for all who are struck by illness, then a place like Sweden might be the place to live. This is especially true if you enjoy a high income, a robust economy without significant public debt, but don’t need to be the highest spender in the world.
[…] sometimes you have to use blunt comparisons, which is why this data on living standards is powerful evidence that Europe is paying a high price for excessive […]
Anyone familiar with Europe can tell you the list/ranking is completely unreliable. I am a Swedish person living in the UK and I have never heard anyone claim that living standards are higher in the UK than in Sweden.
Just a few examples:
1. Infrastructure is a lot better in Sweden. Rail transport, airports, roads, metro/undergound, buses, they are all of higher standard and better maintained than in the UK.
2. Day care is heavily subsidized in Sweden. The average two children family in the UK spends a fortune on nurseries, which might count as consumption in your stats but it hardly makes UK a better place to live.
3. Rents are regulated and housing more regulated in Sweden. This makes the housing market less flexible than in the UK but it also means Swedes live in far better apartments than the Brits. More space, higher build quality, better design, better insulation. Still the Brits pay more. Again, higher consumption but not higher living standards.
[…] sometimes you have to use blunt comparisons, which is why this data on living standards is powerful evidence that Europe is paying a high price for excessive […]
[…] sometimes you have to use blunt comparisons, which is why this data on living standards is powerful evidence that Europe is paying a high price for excessive […]
[…] sometimes you have to use blunt comparisons, which is why this data on living standards is powerful evidence that Europe is paying a high price for excessive […]
[…] So when I read a column suggesting that the United States should become more like Italy, I thought this must be some sort of practical joke. After all, Italy is teetering on the edge of bankruptcy, kept afloat by bailouts and subsidies. Its economy is in the toilet, with pervasively high unemployment, almost no growth for a decade, and living standards that are only about two-thirds of U.S. levels. […]
[…] So when I read a column suggesting that the United States should become more like Italy, I thought this must be some sort of practical joke. After all, Italy is teetering on the edge of bankruptcy, kept afloat by bailouts and subsidies. It’s economy is in the toilet, with pervasively high unemployment, almost no growth for a decade, and living standards that are only about two-thirds of U.S. levels. […]
[…] week, I shared some numbers from the left-wing OECD which showed that living standards are much higher in the United States than they are in Europe’s welfare states. That is what this fight is all about. Rate this:Share […]
Katherine asked…”Who could have possibly foreseen that?”
um….Adam Smith?
(I know you were being sarcastic)
Excuse me for being mildly skeptical.
It’s not that I want the US to be more like Europe: quite the contrary!
(Except that the US has been more Keynesian than Europe, recently; but let’s leave that aside.)
My first problem is theoretical: putting a premium on consumption is fine, but only if this consumption is sustainable, as opposed to being financed by losers’ mortgages, student loans, or deficit government spending. I have no reason to believe that the US is worse than the EU in this, but it does make the AIC questionable.
My second problem is empirical: in my experience, quality of life is higher in the Netherlands than in the UK, and if the UK has a higher “actual individual consumption”, that suggests to me that this consumption is largely wasted.
(My experience of the US is mostly limited to an Ivy League college town, so it is not comparable.)
I may be a member of a self-selecting group of people, since I voluntarily made the westward emigration journey across the Atlantic, in pursuit of the higher living standards associated with more individual freedom — and thus less collectivism — (boy have I been disappointed in the past few years by the American electorate’s suicidal lemming trajectory towards European convergence!).
Certainly the American standard of living feels a lot higher to me compared to Western Europe, even without any OECD statistics. But I do wonder, ….
Does the OECD metric even count for subjective freedom factors, such as, for example, single family vs. mandated apartment living? In other words, the American liberty to live in the relative abundance and relative building freedom of single family housing, as opposed to Europe where a concerted and institutionalized collective societal effort has managed to confine most families in 900-1500 sqf apartments – who now, having lost all hope of ever being able to afford a single family house are supporting the further stuffing of the population into more and more apartments, largely out of misanthropic envy, wrapped perhaps in a veneer of environmentalism?
P.S. Norway’s per capita income due to its serendipitous geologic oil-wealth endowment, amounts to something like $30,000 per capita per year – on par with Saudi Arabia on a per capita basis – the equivalent per capita oil wealth for the US is less than $1000 per person. In other words, every Norwegian starts out with $30k in his/her pocket every year without even doing anything. That alone should put Norway out of any international comparison statistics. Pointing to Norway’s standard of living and deriving correlations with its politico-economic choices is tantamount to looking at Saudi Arabia and concluding that middle eastern authoritarianism leads to prosperity.
Mr. Mitchell, I haven’t snipped at you in weeks and weeks…I think your sixth word was meant to be “of” and not “on”; so considered that chore done.
I recently spent time reading a history of the modern world which devoted all of ten pages to the American Revolution and twenty-six pages to the notion of African Socialism. The authors were baffled and frustrated that this golden ideal never produced prosperity but rather misery and poverty. They were forced, with the utmost reluctance, to conclude that people work less hard for the collective than they will for their own personal gain.
Who could have possibly foreseen that?
B.O. is Barack Obama.
@Paul Hmmm and what is B.O. ?
Dan, this cannot be accurate data. Europeans are better educated and have a much higher standard of living than people in the U.S. We know this. It’s “settled science.”
Either the numbers are simply wrong or your interpretation is misleading, as one would expect from a person like you who doesn’t care about the poor and disadvantaged, whose only hope in life is to be given everything they need and want by B.O.
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