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Originally Posted by Manx
This is becoming less and less true on a daily basis. Partially due to the higher average scientific knowledge of Europeans and partially due to the preference for non-science of the administration and its supporters.
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It's becoming less true, but the profit motive will ensure that America always is near the top of innovation. Where else can companies make as much on their developments?
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If the average state of health is lower, America can't have the best medical facilities. It might have the single best hospital in the world, but if that hospital is only available to a handful of people in America, it can't be said that America has the best medical facilities.
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That makes no sense whatsoever. It's like saying you can't make the best cars if everyone can't afford them. People from countries worldwide fly to America to take advantage of the immense benefits of American medical facilities.
Quality of facilities has nothing to do with the state of health of a country. State of health has to do with access to facilities. For those who can afford it, America has the best medical treatment available.
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Most people in America lag behind most people in Europe. Which certainly allows for a small, small group of Americans to have a significantly better life than most Europeans. But that doesn't actually mean anything, now does it? Bill Gates is technically the most successful man on the planet - if he lived in Australia that wouldn't make Australia the most successful country on the planet. The average is the measurement - not the extremely good, but rare. Access is the issue. All Americans do not have access to the excellent and rare aspects of America. Far more Europeans have access to the far more common and not quite as excellent aspects of Europe.
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That's your mesurement. But from a historical perspective, that might not be the best way to measure a country's greatness. Might Europe be a better place to live for average people? Almost undoubtedly.
Europe seems to have tied their fate to the "average" person. They ensure that most people will have some minimum standards, standards that are higher than America's. The tradeoff is that they will have fewer that are at the high end. And less people who are at the high end will seek Europe, because they will be pulled back to the pack. America takes a much more cutthroat approach which allows for higher levels of success.
And another problem with America adopting European standards is the immigrant burden that is faced by America. Europe restricts immigration far more than does America, hence they can offer more to their citizens without risking financial ruin. America's more open door policy (and the illegals that are largely ignored) would even further hurt the economy if they were to implement much of Europe's social programs.