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From: mike@erix.UUCP (Mike Williams)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: Re: Reagan's re-election
Message-ID: <699@erix.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 3-Dec-84 10:01:11 EST
Article-I.D.: erix.699
Posted: Mon Dec  3 10:01:11 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 6-Dec-84 05:41:06 EST
References: <6166@mcvax.UUCP> <270@spp2.UUCP> <127@talcott.UUCP> <692@erix.UUCP> <146@talcott.UUCP>
Reply-To: mike@erix.UUCP (Mike Williams)
Organization: L M Ericsson, Stockholm, Sweden
Lines: 50
Summary: 

In article <146@talcott.UUCP> gjk@talcott.UUCP (Greg J Kuperberg) writes:
>
>I mean, what would *you* think of an American tourist that goes over to a
>random European country and simply criticises it?  I think that you'd
>have a lot of contempt for the person.

Lots of Americans do just this. I think they have a right to do so and don't 
object at all. Critisism of one's own country by foreigners often brings out
the worst of the nationalistics traits in us all.
>
>Remember, this is an American network that your posting to.  

This is NOT an American network. Most of the sites are in the USA. But there
are plenty elsewhere. This is an international network and that's why it is
important that net.politics should be used to promote international debate.

>I have not seen one positive comment about the U.S. coming from Europe in
>net.politics.
>

OK. I like the USA and enjoy my sporadic visits. I infinitely prefer the USA 
to the eastern block countries. But that doesn't mean that I think that 
everything in the USA is perfect. I'm sure you don't think so either.

>
>Sweden (home of Mike and Steven) is a terrible country.  

Ooops. Steven lives in Holland. I am British (I think that Steven is too)
and live in Sweden.

>I know, I lived
>there.  At first, my family was on welfare.  Since this career was not
>upwardly mobile, my dad got a position at Stockholm University (perhaps it
>was University of Stockholm;  I don't remember [it was long ago]).  The
>Swedish Government apparantly didn't like this;  they put him in a 47% tax
>bracket, so that he made less money working than he did on welfare.  After
>three years, he got discouraged and left.  Too bad.
>
>In any case, despite all their efforts (their efforts being 70% of the
>Swedish GNP), the wealthy are still *very* wealthy in Sweden.  In fact, the
>wealthiest 5% of the population makes more than three times as much as the
>poorest 20%, while the same ratio in the U.S. is less than three.  I guess
>they are just an inferior society.
>
Good. You have dared to critisise Sweden. I'm glad that the network is being
used properly for international exchanges of opinion. Do you wish me to
reply to your criticism or are you just not interested in life outside the
USA?

Mike Williams