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I would go even further and say that the US is the only Western democracy that has abandoned some of the most important social-democratic principles. E.g. it's
by Pyramus 5y ago
I would go even further and say that the US is the only Western democracy that has abandoned some of the most important social-democratic principles. E.g. it's the only Western democracy with no universal healthcare, an industrial prison complex, weak labour rights etc.
- lmm 5y agoThat's not true; the UK has gradually weakened healthcare (introducing prescription charges, privatising eyecare and dental), significantly weakened labour rights (legalising arbitrary firing in the first two years), and I think privatised part of the prison system as well. No doubt those from other countries will have their own stories.
- cameronh90 5y agoThe UK has privately managed prisons, which is quite a lot different to privately owned prisons in terms of incentives. I think it's a bad idea too, but I don't think it's quite the same as the prison industrial complex in the US.
- tgv 5y agoIMO, there have been two waves of social-democratically inspired politics: at the end of the 19th century, and after WW2. Once some complacency was reached, the policies were slowly being undone. While West and North Europe have done so slower than the USA, there's been an undeniable tendency towards free market policies, favoring companies and capital and eroding worker's rights. The voters seem to agree: parties left of center have been in steady decline over the last decades. This is not purely driven by individual wealth, of course. Issues such as immigration and (more recently) climate change also play a role.
- RhysU 5y agoCan one flip this and say that America is the only nation that might still have some classical liberal principles left? Quite the list of positive rights that the rest of the West has come up with.