On Thu, 2 Sep 2004 21:03:14 +0200, "Emmanuel Gustin"
wrote:

"Jarg" wrote in message
.com...

Per capita GDP numbers show pretty clearly how "efficient" the socialist
economies of the world are! For example:

United States $35991.96 per person
Belgium $29127.94 per person

Waving around your Bulging Wallets as proof of success
is of course an American Tradition, but GDP per capita is hardly
the one and only indicator worth mentioning. In quality-of-life
rankings, Belgium is usually classified above the USA, although
not by much. Longer life expectancy, lower infant mortality,
better education, etc.


You should be aware that GDP is Gross Domestic Product. It's a measure
of productivity, not a more ephemeral "quality of life". (So much for
"better education" heh?)

Having lived in Europe for eight years, I will agree that there are
many European countries which have a great quality of life. They also
usually have a very high per-capita tax burden, a high level of
government subsidy of non-production and increasingly seem to be
following the American trend toward over-simplification of complex
issues while simultaneously displaying an apathy toward taking any
risks in their own defense.

Maybe you don't live longer, it only seems longer?


Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
"When Thunder Rolled"
"Phantom Flights, Bangkok Nights"
Both from Smithsonian Books
***www.thunderchief.org