Set a hard test

[erudito]

Referring to this piece on how the EU has more poverty and more inequality than the US, one of my favourite bloggers -- Norman Geras -- has this to say:

Wirtén's point of reference in the article is European perceptions of Europe's difference from America. Another one, as obvious, is the complacency of so many defenders of 'free market'

Comments

[jordan179]

Also, note that it is precisely the most capitalist parts of Europe -- Western Europe exclusive of Iberia -- which are the wealthiest. Eastern Europe, the Balkans, and Iberia all suffer from a long history of Communism (in Eastern Europe) and pre-capitalist absolutism (in Iberia and in parts of Eastern Europe). An indictment of capitalism would be if it were the most anciently capitalist regions -- Britain, the Low Countries, France, Northern Italy, and Germany -- which were the poorest. But they are the richest.