WAPO SOPHISTICATION - CONSERVATIVES TOO STUPID TO KNOW THAT EUROPE IS DOING REALLY SUPER

Oh grow up:

5 Myths About Sick Old Europe... Not so long ago, American pundits and economic analysts were snidely touting U.S. economic superiority to the "sick old man" of Europe. What a difference a few months can make... But what about Europe? You may be surprised to learn how our estranged transatlantic partner has been faring during these roller-coaster times - and how successfully it has been knocking down the Europessimist myths about it... Beware of stereotypes based on ideological assumptions. As Europe's economy has surged, it has maintained fairness and equality. Unlike in the United States, with its rampant inequality and lack of universal access to affordable health care and higher education, Europeans have harnessed their economic engine to create wealth that is broadly distributed.

Super. Except that the US could do a lot more about those inequalities if they put a little less blood and treasure into European defense. It's really easy to harness your economic engine when you don't have to have a military because the US is treaty-bound to come to your defense in case of an attack.

Even if that wasn't true, this would still be a text-book example of what we teach our undergrads to call a "straw argument" and what we prefer to call "breathtaking, probably intentional obtuseness." The conservative critique of the European welfare state is only partly - and not mainly - based on its economic consequences. Even if they were economically sustainable, cradle-to-grave, make-more-on-unemployment-than-you-do-working welfare policies would still be a bad idea. They estrange different segments of society from each other, hinder public mingling and assimilation, and foster a seething culture of entitlement. This is a more pointed critique of Europe's socioeconomic policies than any economic concerns.

The WaPo published an article purporting to debunk conservative criticisms of the European welfare state without mentioning either immigration or demographics. Sophistication.

[Cross-posted to Mere Rhetoric]