As an American, growing up I used to think so highly of Europe and their better socialist policies (I even wanted to move there), but honestly their spinelessness when dealing with dictatorships has really disillusioned me. Say what you will about the US military-industrial complex, or even how capricious our current aid situation is with Ukraine, but even when our international policy is clearly wrong or misguided, I do think we move forward with real conviction unlike Europe…
The EU has neoliberalism written into its constitution. It’s not socialist, at most a few member nations have some social democracy. Though even that has been shrinking and replaced by privitization and austerity.
Forgive my previous imprecise language, but isn’t this merely a matter of semantics? I was under the impression that the major countries in Europe are socialist (or if you prefer, social democracies, hence what I meant but European “socialism”), and they drive policy in the EU. But as the top comment said, they have agency to do things on their own behalfs.
All the EU member states are capitalists, no exception. Socialism is an entirely different economic system. The major countries are actually the more conservative, France and Germany. The most social democratic (which is still capitalism) are the Scandinavian countries, though their welfare systems are a shell of what they were 30 years ago.
Hence my apology for the imprecise language. I meant what you said by social democracy, not a social economic system. Anyways, if we’re being pedants, there are no true socialists or capitalists in today’s markets. They’re all mixed-market economies.
When I say socialist (and what is more accurately social democracy), I first think of healthcare, then I think of transit, then of education, and then of utilities. These are things that the US certainly could do better.
It’s more important to move forward with conviction, even if the direction is clearly wrong? Well, that’s why living in the US would be my worst nightmare. Is this funny mindest widespread?
Also as an American: that’s not a thing to brag about. Sticking to your guns when it becomes evident that your strategy is not going to work is called “sunk cost fallacy”. It’s not good.
I think the reason is important. If you stick to something because you think it is the right thing to do, that is conviction. If you stick to something because you think you must continue as you have already invested effort into, that is sunk cost. The point that I’m trying to make, that perhaps I have not worded well, is that you must act with conviction, because if you do not do what you think is right, you either not do anything, or do what you think is wrong. Sure, you may be wrong at the time, and you should be open to reflection, and not be prey to sunk cost.
But coming up with convenient excuses to avoid doing what you think is inconvenient but right is not how leaders behave.
And in this context (if that is what you mean), it is definitely not evident that supporting Ukraine is a strategy that won’t work.
100% agree on the Ukraine front. Apologies - I’ve just been infuriated by the complete morass of congressional politics lately and it’s driving me to distraction at times
Just an excuse for the EU member state leaders who could send help individually by country and are failing to do so.
As an American, growing up I used to think so highly of Europe and their better socialist policies (I even wanted to move there), but honestly their spinelessness when dealing with dictatorships has really disillusioned me. Say what you will about the US military-industrial complex, or even how capricious our current aid situation is with Ukraine, but even when our international policy is clearly wrong or misguided, I do think we move forward with real conviction unlike Europe…
The EU has neoliberalism written into its constitution. It’s not socialist, at most a few member nations have some social democracy. Though even that has been shrinking and replaced by privitization and austerity.
Forgive my previous imprecise language, but isn’t this merely a matter of semantics? I was under the impression that the major countries in Europe are socialist (or if you prefer, social democracies, hence what I meant but European “socialism”), and they drive policy in the EU. But as the top comment said, they have agency to do things on their own behalfs.
All the EU member states are capitalists, no exception. Socialism is an entirely different economic system. The major countries are actually the more conservative, France and Germany. The most social democratic (which is still capitalism) are the Scandinavian countries, though their welfare systems are a shell of what they were 30 years ago.
Hence my apology for the imprecise language. I meant what you said by social democracy, not a social economic system. Anyways, if we’re being pedants, there are no true socialists or capitalists in today’s markets. They’re all mixed-market economies.
When I say socialist (and what is more accurately social democracy), I first think of healthcare, then I think of transit, then of education, and then of utilities. These are things that the US certainly could do better.
It’s more important to move forward with conviction, even if the direction is clearly wrong? Well, that’s why living in the US would be my worst nightmare. Is this funny mindest widespread?
If you move without conviction, then does it matter if you are right or wrong? You will never learn from your mistakes.
Also as an American: that’s not a thing to brag about. Sticking to your guns when it becomes evident that your strategy is not going to work is called “sunk cost fallacy”. It’s not good.
I think the reason is important. If you stick to something because you think it is the right thing to do, that is conviction. If you stick to something because you think you must continue as you have already invested effort into, that is sunk cost. The point that I’m trying to make, that perhaps I have not worded well, is that you must act with conviction, because if you do not do what you think is right, you either not do anything, or do what you think is wrong. Sure, you may be wrong at the time, and you should be open to reflection, and not be prey to sunk cost.
But coming up with convenient excuses to avoid doing what you think is inconvenient but right is not how leaders behave.
And in this context (if that is what you mean), it is definitely not evident that supporting Ukraine is a strategy that won’t work.
100% agree on the Ukraine front. Apologies - I’ve just been infuriated by the complete morass of congressional politics lately and it’s driving me to distraction at times