Quote:
Joep Schuurkes wrote:
Maarten: I just realized the above may seem to imply that you do not understand American politics. That is not my intention.
Rather, I agree with you that American politics is strange to us Europeans, because it looks a lot like European politics, but in fact it isn't:
- No European country is as powerful as the USA. The EU would qualify, if it weren't that divided.
- In the USA nobody wants to be called a 'socialist'. Most European countries have a 'Socialist Party' and those are not extremist.
- Most (if not all) European countries have embraced the concept of a social welfare state. In the USA they have the American Dream.
- etc.
I just know enough of American politics to know I really don't have a clue.  |
The UK used to have a socialist party known as Labour, after it was branded New Labour it distanced itself from the old idealist positions of the left of its party, embracing the Thatcherite policies of the right established in the eighties. We now have 2/3 main parties fighting over the centre ground, none of them wanting to be seen as left or right in extreme. What we are left with is an incoherent babble about 'my party' being 'better managers' than the others.
I agree Joep, US politics is confusing to us europeans, but our own politics is confusing to us too!
regards,
Mark
p.s I can't imagine anything worse than a cult of personality of say Brown, Sarkozy or Merkel
