"Socialism"? -- I call it "Roman Catholic social democracy"

Rebups always screech about supposed crackpot results of "socialism" in Europe (hereinafter referred to by me as "Roman Catholic social democracy" -- having read Tom Geoghegan's latest book "Were You Born On The Wrong Continent?"):

English overwhelming welfare state for perpetual drunks and violent misbehavers while out of work folks are left to sleep in the street (see the book "Our Culture, What's Left Of It") -- nothing to do with us.
French "riots" from the folks who brought you the French Revolution -- their labor market practice is backwards; they strike first, then negotiate! -- nothing to do with us.
Belgian 20% of labor force on permanent disability -- nothing to do with us.
Italian organized assassination of Prime Minister's friend who merely suggested making it easier for employers to fire workers -- remnant of crazed communist history -- nothing to do with us.

German BEST LABOR RELATIONS IN EUROPE -- German most all pervasive Roman Catholic social democracy (originated by West German Catholics, think Adenauer, in the 1950s). Also German best disciplined -- along with Northern Italy and Japan -- production line workers in the world.

Repubs like to cherry pick the idiosyncrasies of each and every economy and package them together as the depredations of "socialism." Germany now says its biggest export to other European nations is (even more pervasive, Roman Catholic) social democracy -- think about it America (if you ever wake up and smell a better life).

http://www.amazon.com/Were-You-Born-Wrong-Continent/dp/159558403X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1288358513&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.com/Our-Culture-Whats-Left-Mandarins/dp/156663721X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1288358342&sr=8-1