The social market-economy

According to the esteemed and always right Jeremy Rifkin, the whole social market-economy is on trial. But he regards this is the most important legacy of European Integration.

We ought to consider capitalism and socialism as complementary "visible hands" that continually balance individual self-interest in the market with a collective sense of responsibility for each other's welfare. The social market-economy model practised across the member states of the European Union comes closest to this mechanism.

But this visionary and exciting compromise is at risk.

Unfortunately, the current economic debate in Europe threatens to polarise public opinion - pitting unrestrained market forces against the bureaucratic dictates of a welfare state.

Show me one, just one politician in Europe that believes in unrestrained market forces. You can’t, there isn’t one. Even that great beacon of free market capitalism across the Atlantic is a corrupt hotbed of corporate welfare and state interference in business. It comes with the territory, politicians like to interfere.

We desire to pursue our own self-interests while mindful of our responsibilities to our fellow human beings. A reformed European social economy that allows both aspects of human behaviour to flourish is a model for the rest of the world to follow.

The problem is, Moonbat, that you are asking for a well mixed cocktail of Water and Fire, that can exist in harmony over the long term. You are also asking us to believe that any form of the European social economy has positive lessons that any sentient being would like to follow. In short, as usual, you are living on another planet. The European Social Model is practically and morally bankrupt. As a well known French Politician commented the other day: Its not a model, because no-one wants to copy it, and its not social as it created 10% unemployment.