This post sprouted from a discussion with a co-worker about France. He knows I'm a Francophile...love the people and would certainly love to live there. And of course he was surprised when I started waxing poetic about the country.
First, France is not Sandersland and the liberal utopia does not exist. The closest one might be the Netherlands? I don't know. And the points I listed weren't meant to be an authoritative description. They are a random list of things, certainly embellished (e.g. income capped at $50k from minimum wage), of various issues that are important to Liberals that I typed on my phone while waiting for my Ramen noodles. I just typed in the prohibition of internal combustion engines because naturally aspirated European sports cars are going the way of the dinosaurs because of their emissions laws. That's the level of thought I was putting into it, so this wasn't meant to be about specifics.
I told my co-worker, France's system is the system that is meant for them. They wouldn't be France if they were like the U.S. Likewise, the U.S. is too geographically and demographically diverse from any other country out there that pointing to another system as a plug and play solution doesn't work.
So I guess the ultimate question is, regardless of geography/demographics/technology limitations...assuming a pure Liberal Utopia were actually somewhat feasible, is that what you would want to have? With the exception of secular religious stuff it seems (purely my perspective) that liberal policies are primarily designed to achieve outcomes. And not only get outcomes, but get them in the most efficient manner possible. Are outcomes what makes us? I would argue no. Class polarization is a huge issue right now that seems to be dividing the country. Liberal policies like high minimum wage, executive pay disclosures, Hillary's "free" tuition for those who can't afford college (what I'm referred to as socialized education) are all meant to close the wealth gap.
Here's what I was taught. Money and a college degree does not give a man class. I'm not saying this as some kind of old money Yale prick marginalizing les "nouveaux riche." I'm saying this as a guy who's father didn't have any money or a college degree when he arrived here when he was 27 years old. People get wealthy because well paying companies want high character employees. A high character person is someone that seeks education, not because of money, but because they want to learn. And in life, we all know this, 90% of the time at those big and small character defining moments the right choices are the hard inconvenient choices - not the easy quick choices. One of the hardest choices, especially for a man with no money, is realizing wealth is usually built on generational sacrifices and making the hard responsible choices so his son can go to a good school.
Class is a projection of the character building choices a person has made in their life (maybe even the choices their parents have made). What is important to this person? Do they live by what they say is important to them even when it's inconvenient? Obviously, getting people to make the right choices in life all the time is an unrealistic utopia also, but I wouldn't want to live in a world where the real point in life, those character building choices, are diluted.
Last edited: Aug 15, 2015