The "welfare state"?

Originally posted by gcle2003   Originally posted by Kevin I'm currently reading a book called the United States of Europe and a considerable part of it is devoted to the European ideals of a wlfare state compared to the United States or anywhere else   It's more a question of the European and anywhere else ideals of a welfare state, as against the United States alone.   From a historical point of view it always puzzles me that the US was so quick to establish free public schools (even even free public libraries) but resisted other welfare services. I mean, I know where the arguments against public health systems are coming from now, but why didn't the US start adopting welfare services in the first place?

I'm currently reading a book called the United States of Europe and a considerable part of it is devoted to the European ideals of a welfare state compared to the United States or anywhere else and the author of the book argues about how the idea of a welfare state is viewed as something to be proud of in many european nations and something worth sacrificing for,While here in the US it is viewed in a negative light as something socialist and as something that discourages people from finding jobs and putting effort into things.

Edited by Kevin - 15-Jul-2007 at 01:13