The poll post didn't come through, reposting.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123629969453946717.html

Obama's plans are going to stagnate the economy from recovering and lower our average standard of living 30% to the level of European countries.  How did America become stupid and manipulatable enough to vote this snake in the grass into office?
Thoughts?  
Do you look forward to a stagnated economy and 30% lower standard of living? 
YesNoI'm an underage nonfactor or am not from the US and am going to whine about derogatory comparisons of America to my country.

Hey at leas the markets closed ~30 above 6600 today.  Thanks for taking money out of the hands of the efficient (capitalistic, competitive markets) and putting it into the inefficient, bloated socialistic democrat-controlled government's paws.  I ******* hate you, Hussein Obama.

"Obama's plans are going to stagnate the economy from recovering and
lower our average standard of living 30% to the level of European
countries."

I won't bite this time, although I'm hungry.

Umm... do you honestly believe that the European standard of living is 30% lower than yours? Are you talking exclusively about PPP? Because that isn't a good indicator of standard of living/quality of life.

http://www.economist.com/markets/rankings/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11116839

but but but but but europeans are LAZY and SOCIALIST how can it be?

I've traveled in Europe.  Aside from historical landmarks and sightseeing, which are very cool especially in places like Italy, the continent is far FAR behind the USA in standard of living.  Europeans don't know because they haven't lived here.  We have it great and we want to keep it that way, not socialize like all of the **** across the Atlantic.

How's that? Maybe you value "standard of living" different than Italians (don't generalize Europe, far too diverse to do so).

Hint: Consumerism/Materialism isn't part of European way of life, atleast not as much as in the US.

1) I've been through France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, part of Austria, England, Ireland and Spain.  That's a pretty good slice of European life and a good sampling to draw a conclusion from.  Standard of living is how nicely you live given an amount of money.  It includes everything and isn't about materialism or consumerism.  It involves infrastructure, average adjusted income, buying power, etc.  It isn't a "happiness index".  In fact it has nothing to do with happiness.  If a government laced the water supply with euphoric medicine a country could be super happy and okay with everything but still have a low standard of living (as an extreme example where everyone is very happy).
2) Hint: consumerism/materialism are terms people without means use to describe others that are better off.  they are a part of life everywhere but in the poorest places on the planet.  the only thing that makes them "not a part of European life" (hint: get over yourself, you aren't enlightened or better, just poorer) is that you DON'T HAVE THE STANDARD OF LIVING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF BUYING POWER on average.
Get stomped, ******.

God, you're awful at this. Touring through a continent doesn't mean you have any idea how life is there.

First time I've been to Spain I thought "No wonder their economy is weaker than ours with having siesta all day". After visiting various areas of Spain over and over again I understood just how different their culture is from ours. Looking at the average "buying power" or at the number of cars in a garage gets you nowhere, you just prove to be full of it.

Consumerism isn't a made up term, it's a fact. People I know had a good time when they were in the US (some stayed for 6 month as an exchange program), and the first thing everyone complained about is how you guys value consumerism. They didn't get there and envied your economy.

Your average income is higher? Might be, I don't know. What I know is that income inequality is much higher in the US.

Want to send your kids to college? Better bring some money. List goes on and on. Again, don't look at numbers.

Get over yourself, standard of living isn't higher in the States, you just have a different way of life. People in Europe aren't born to work their ass off, and don't live to buy a new car every other year, instead we travel much more than Americans. We enjoy 4+ weeks of paid holidays excluding the various national and Christian holidays and still have better education, healthcare and social security. Get stomped Jigglebilly.

I want to live and work in either france or germany.  35 hour work week + 6 weeks paid vacation every year? Yes please.