1. European and American governmental standards are well known for their differences. Generally, America is considered to have far more "right-wing" politics when compared to Europe. What that means in this context is that America generally has a smaller welfare state than most European countries and that we take a more "law-and-order" approach to issues of public morality. The main issue I will focus on is how "big" the state is in both approaches, America's being small and Europe's being big. Frankly, Steves's comparison sets up a somewhat disappointing theme for the rest of the book: his ever-insistence on shoving complex political issues into easy-to-understand dichotomies. Obviously, this habit isn't absolute, but it rears its ugly head in many of the book's chapters.
That being said, it's not like there aren't some general differences between the two continents. Many European states have much more extensive taxes and government services than many American states. For example, Switzerland has high taxes with high pensions, childcare services, unemployment subsidies, subsidized housing, subsidized college, and so on (page 55). One looking at these services compared to what America offers may feel let down by what we have. After all, these government services have had many good effects, and the people often feel all the better for it. At least, that's how Steves presents things, and I'm not exactly in a place to argue against his findings. However, the debate between big and small government is not just one of pragmatism and finding the best way to secure a good that both sides agree on. It concerns the basic theoretical principles that underlie any state. Should the government be so big that it dominates the well-being of many? Does such a state undermine subsidiarity? Honestly, I'm skeptical of the morality of the large Euro-style welfare democracy, and in Europe, I see the signs of much moral decay, but I'm very unsure on the exact size that the state should take. So, I give my trust to a more American system but warily; I need to learn much more about political philosophy to really decide.
3.
Rick Steves in his book comments on the different attitudes that Europeans generally have towards morality when compared with Americans. The two main issues he focuses on are public morality, which is how the law is in relation to immoral acts, and sexuality. European countries tend to have a hands-off approach to "legislating morality" on matters like sexuality or drugs when compared to America (page 82). Many European countries allow these immoral acts whereas American states tend to legislate against them, directly or indirectly. As a side note, I think the idea of the state and law being somehow "morally neutral" is utter tosh. Any law only exists insofar as to achieve some kind of good. Additionally, many states in Europe seem to operate under the idea that rights somehow extend to evil acts, an idea which I find extremely dubious. But, to return to the topic, Europe also takes a far more cavalier stance on sexuality than America. Nudity is not so looked down upon than in America; contraceptives are given out freely at some tourist centers; and people generally seem to take a casual view towards sex (pages 90 & 91). Almost none of this would fly in America, and we should keep it that way.
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