The New York Times Explains the Perils of the Welfare State
1st June 2010
Rarely does a conservative author have his thesis validated on the front page of the New York Times just as his new book hits the shelves. But that is precisely what happened recently to Arthur Brooks. In The Battle, Arthur eloquently lays out the choice America faces between “the principles of free enterprise” and “European-style statism grounded in expanding bureaucracy, increasing income redistribution, and government-controlled corporations.” Now the Times has given us a window into our future if we do not heed Arthur’s warnings and choose wisely between these two visions.
In a story entitled “Europeans fear crisis threatens liberal benefits,” the Times reports that “Europeans have boasted about their social model, with its generous vacations and early retirements, its national health care systems and extensive welfare benefits, contrasting it with the comparative harshness of American capitalism. … But all over Europe governments with big budgets, falling tax revenues and aging populations are experiencing rising deficits, with more bad news ahead. With low growth, low birthrates and longer life expectancies, Europe can no longer afford its comfortable lifestyle.”
Hooda thunkit.