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> If there was a causal connection, you'd expect the US to have a much better quality of life than, say, Sweden. I leave it to you to judge that. I don't think

> If there was a causal connection, you'd expect the US to have a much better quality of life than, say, Sweden. I leave it to you to judge that. I don't think you've been to Sweden to make that claim, and perhaps you've been listening to socialist propaganda suggesting that Sweden is socialist. It isn't! Sweden is capitalist, and was in fact, one of the pioneers of free market capitalism. I strongly suggest taking an hour out of your time and watch this documentary for an image of Sweden which is a bit more grounded in reality: http://www.freetochoose.tv/program.php?id=sweden http://www.freetochoose.tv/program.php?id=sweden There are certainly some benefits from living in Sweden, but there are many other benefits from living in the US which you would not have in Sweden. > I'm just not a fan of "let them starve, as long as I got mine" libertarianism, and apparently a lot of people aren't either. I'd wager that most libertarians wouldn't be either You would be correct, libertarians do not hold this view. They hold the view that people are better at spending their own money than the government is, and this includes charitable donations. Government is an inefficient machine of waste, where a big slice of taxpayer money gets pocketed by every individual who has the opportunity. Direct charity from wealthy people is direct, and comes from understanding of the real problems, because it is usually local and focused. What do some bureaucrats in Washington know of the troubles of people on the street of downtown SF? Why would people on downtown SF want to give away more of their liberties to those people

luckylion 8y ago
> I don't think you've been to Sweden to make that claim, and perhaps you've been listening to socialist propaganda suggesting that Sweden is socialist. I have, multiple times actually, and live quite close. They are a high tax, strong central state country with a strong safety net, and more regulations than the US. The same goes for Denmark, btw. You'd expect them dropping far below the US as well with all the ways the government injects itself into the market. Yet, they don't. Granted, they might have fewer TV channels, a lower incarceration and not have a significant part on antidepressants and opiods, so it's open to debate who actually has a higher quality of life ;) > You would be correct, libertarians do not hold this view. I suppose that's similar to half of the feminists saying they are actually egalitarians. Virtually all libertarians I've encountered very much do hold that view. "But we might be charitable". Sure. Might. Everything might happen. > What do some bureaucrats in Washington know of the troubles of people on the street of downtown SF? What do the super rich in SF do when faced with mass homelessness and people living in open slums otherwise seen in the third world? "Look somewhere else" appears to be the answer. Granted, there are probably a few who don't, but by and large, they don't care.

luckylion 8y ago

> I don't think you've been to Sweden to make that claim, and perhaps you've been listening to socialist propaganda suggesting that Sweden is socialist. I have, multiple times actually, and live quite close. They are a high tax, strong central state country with a strong safety net, and more regulations than the US. The same goes for Denmark, btw. You'd expect them dropping far below the US as well with all the ways the government injects itself into the market. Yet, they don't. Granted, they might have fewer TV channels, a lower incarceration and not have a significant part on antidepressants and opiods, so it's open to debate who actually has a higher quality of life ;) > You would be correct, libertarians do not hold this view. I suppose that's similar to half of the feminists saying they are actually egalitarians. Virtually all libertarians I've encountered very much do hold that view. "But we might be charitable". Sure. Might. Everything might happen. > What do some bureaucrats in Washington know of the troubles of people on the street of downtown SF? What do the super rich in SF do when faced with mass homelessness and people living in open slums otherwise seen in the third world? "Look somewhere else" appears to be the answer. Granted, there are probably a few who don't, but by and large, they don't care.