Social Spending In Germany
Is it something to be proud of, or laughed at for? The answer is the difference between nations -- Germany's politicians have to flaunt, and guarantee its constituency, social services, as there's all the time in the world to vote if you're out of a job. Whereas America:
The fiscal 2005 federal budget delivered by the Bush administration to Congress on February 2 combines a record deficit of $521 billion with record military spending and a virtual freeze on spending to meet domestic social needs.
Tax cuts and military spending. The source is bleeding from its left chest, but numbers don't lie: the reduction of social spending is lamented by the left and welcomed by the right, who often feel we already spend too much to help people that should be helping themselves. I mean, it's 7.7 percent of our national debt -- way too much, obviously!
I don't know if I really want to invite cross-cultural debate on this one: we've both got our problems. Distrust your government to help people and look like an inhuman war-mongerer; trust your government to help people and it could work a little too well.
Comments
But, Christy, isn't it the way of the civilized world to have a social state? (For "civilized world," read: anywhere you've been or wanted to be, except maybe one of P'burgh's poorest neighborhoods.) "Good" governments at once increase social spending and at the same time realize peace and prosperity without setting up opporssive military states.
I say, better that the system "work a little too well," with people alive and fed, than we succumb to "an inhuman warmonger."
All the best countries to live in increased monies alloted for the social good exponentially in the last couple centuries. Even the USA.
The US government isn't quite as good at governing as some of its smaller foreign cousins, but then the US faces different problems -- ahh, and there's a World Cup metaphor in there somewhere.
The writing on the wall: aside from vacations to Everest and Madagascar, anywhere that you want to make a life for yourself is going to have an elaborately developed social state. Plumbing. Community colleges. Religious freedom.
And, tangentially, can't we say that government spending is government spending, whether it's on military expenses or anything else?
Voltron, Defender of the Universe; June 21, 2006 7:38 PM
Well, Vic, America's social service system is obviously larger, with higher budgets and workloads, than Germany's. It's not a binary switch, but you're right: every country needs social services. The Roman empire had them. I guess it's more a matter of intentionality, and our attitude towards them. In Germany, everyone is equal in the social arm, and this idea even extends to social security and medicine. The idea that someone should get preferential treatment because they have more assets is abhorrent.
As for government spending, there's still only a nebulous connection between Iraq and our budget.
The average middle- or working-class American is at least as angry about foreigners and welfare as they are about the war. In both cases, though, they're largely unacquainted with either the beneficiaries or the victims.
Christy; June 21, 2006 9:17 PM