Il est démontré, disait-il, que les choses ne peuvent être autrement; car tout étant fait pour une fin, tout est nécessairement pour la meilleure fin.

Do you really think Europeanness is () preferable to Americanism or even the Chinese model?

yes i do, after visiting extensively in asia and the usa, i believe very firmly in a european vision/version of social democracy, (as occasionally practiced here).

i think america's vision was possibly superior, at least superficially so, during the 60's and 70's, but since the eighties has regressed and devolved almost beyond belief. and now, as warned by many here for years, that chicago school economics has corrupted many here with short term thinking, extortionist capitalism, shorn of any moderation, inhuman.

redstar:

the Americans are just a wealthy banana republic, there's no comparison.

true on some level, but it has been and continues to be the springboard for the globocorporatising investor class that now knows allegiance to no government, beyond those already corrupted.

no model is close to ideal, but europe's headway in alt. energy, environmental prudence and human rights, though still riddles with inconsistency, injustice and downright cruelly, is still preferable to other social models where these flaws are so much warp and woof of the culture it takes fruit sellers setting themselves on fire to make a change.

europe is careening into chaos, with blind psychopaths at the wheel. by the end of the year so many peripheral countries will have snapped, the business-as-usual model will consume itself in a fire of its obvious stupidity, unfortunately many will suicide -or go breivik- before this tragedy is over.

europeans are too well educated in history, modern communications and cheap travel, the growth of english as lingua franca, these are the glues which have created a new generation of europeans who will be very riled if their elders try to force them into a modern equivalent of foot binding.

the chinese model will step into the vacuum if america and europe continue to self-immolate, as their industriousness and ambition continue to wax. i'll bet many more chinese would rather live in euro style democracies than europeans would like to live chinese.

ultimately we can forge a global system that highlights and incorporates the best attributes of all previous systems, but i think that's a century away still, barring unforeseen events, particularly of a climactic nature, which may force some fast forwarding in the energy sector.

The power of knowledge is in mortal combat with the knowledge of power. It really is that simple... That's the Edenic apple we are all munching on.

Europe is not suffering because of banker greed but because of the stupidity of the political elite.

the pols just do the wet work, and are disposable when their appeal to voters has run aground.

the banksters control them, immune from direct contact with the Great Unwashed.

if the bankers were bankers again, instead of candidates for Gamblers' Anonymous, Merkel would be off spanking someone else than the PIIGS.

why do you think german governesses were the rage all over europe?

because they were stricter.

anhedonism poses as moral superiority... if you're not miserable, you're not working hard enough and must suffer censure and reform.

that'll larn ya!

The power of knowledge is in mortal combat with the knowledge of power. It really is that simple... That's the Edenic apple we are all munching on.