[Lingster]

The United States is not nationalistic at all.  We have a few fringe groups that believe in white, Mexican or black nationalism, but nothing to rival the BNP or NF in Britain, or Le Pen's Front National in France.  The only active nationalist group of any remaining significance in the U.S. is La Raza (NCLR), since the KKK, the Black Panthers and other groups are mostly finished. 

You may be confusing "patriotism" and "nationalism" – nationalism is generally used in an ethnic or cultural context.  As the U.S. is ridiculously multi-ethnic and far from mono-cultural, there's really nothing much to be nationalistic about.  We're very patriotic, though, but that generally reflects our shared political belief system.

Your example of trade disputes suggests that you don't really understand what I'm talking about.  It's much bigger than a mere trade dispute.  Canada spends about 10% of its total GDP on health care.  It also spends about 1% of GDP on military expenditures.  Absent the U.S. to free-ride on, Canada would have to spend (at least) 15% of GDP on health care and 4% on military spending.  That would add 50% to Canada's government spending – $90 billion on top of the current $180 billion budget.  It could bankrupt the country.  Do you comprehend the magnitude of this?

[Lingster]

What makes you think propagating a false conspiracy theory can't be traitorous behavior?

[Lingster]

Well, government-paid old age pensions are a socialist policy, and as near as I can tell those pensions are the largest impending fiscal threat to Greek stability.  They're a problem here in the U.S., as well – there are varying dates at which the U.S. "social security" system is predicted to fail, but it seems likely that things will be getting ugly before 2020.

I'm due to retire in about 30 years, and have been paying into the system for more than 20 years already, but I doubt I'll ever see any pension money from the government.

Europeans often view U.S. politics through the lens of their national politics, and so in European media the Democrats are usually depicted as Social Democrats or Socialists and the Republicans are depicted as Christian Democrats or Nationalists.  That's not a valid framework.  Both parties in the U.S. are far more in the liberal tradition than almost any Continental European party, and nationalism is a very weak thing in the U.S. because American identity is non-ethnic. 

We would use the term "Jeffersonian" to describe the liberal tendency in both parties, but what that basically boils down to is a commitment to ideals articulated in the Scottish Enlightenment on the 18th Century – mostly forgotten in Europe but utterly critical to American politics.  Even the Democratic Party, which definitely tends more toward socialistic policy preferences, has a stronger focus on individual rights than most European "Liberal" parties.

[Lingster]

She's falsely accusing the U.S. government of murdering thousands of U.S. citizens as a justification for war, during the course of the resulting war, and broadcasting those accusations internationally.

That is undermining the legitimacy of the government during wartime, that is giving aid and comfort to the enemy, and that is treason.  If it was up to me she'd be on trial for it. 

[Lingster]

I assure you, I look nothing like my avatar. 😉

(In real life he has a nose and teeth.)

[Lingster]

Dunno, she looks like a real dog to me.

(Heh.)

[Lingster]

And before the Canadians get their Dudley Do-Right jodhpurs in a bunch, here's an article that explains how Canadian health care free rides on the U.S.:
http://www.janegalt.net/archives/001111.html

[Lingster]

Well, here's the thing Yaponvezos, eventually somebody has to pay.  Look at your home country – my understanding is that in the next ten years, Greece's senior pensions program will be obliged to the tune of almost 30% of GDP.  Where is that money supposed to come from?  Do you think the EU is going to pay it for you?

Also, Canada forces U.S. pharmaceutical companies to sell their drugs well below market value, and the only reason that works is because Americans take up the slack.  Without the U.S. to pay the way, Canada's healthcare system wouldn't have any medicine.

So whenever you've got a socialist system in place, it's got to siphon money from someplace to make up for the shortfall.  Canada is parasitic on the U.S., Greece is parasitic on the future.  Even then, Canada is no paradise – the standard of living in Canada is noticeably lower than in the U.S., and Canada has trouble keeping its best and brightest from moving across the border to the U.S., for better opportunities.

A free economy has its drawbacks, obviously, but at least it's fiscally sustainable.

[Lingster]

You realize I locked that thread before I started this one, right?  There's no point burying the Peter David news in a Dan Slott thread.

[Lingster]

It's not about common sense – it's about restraining the wicked.

[Author]

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