misterjupiter wrote:
skafather84 wrote:
misterjupiter wrote:
Quote:
Actually the NAZI social safety net was a very effective method of control by the state over its citizens.
It was a regime based on fear and terror. These social-safety institution during the "Drittes Reich" were meant to "bribe" the public to close their eyes and to make sure, that the people are willing to follow the regime. Just like the arena games during the Roman empire "bread and circuses". They also served as a means for controlling the citizens. A lot of the things are just plain propaganda. The nazis did no good at all. So there actually was no "social safety net" at all.
Kinda like the cheap oil serves as a means to control people here?]
I don't think it's about control in this case. I think US citizens aren't willing to pay as much as Germans for gas. Our high gas prize is a result of a lot of different environmental taxes.
Germany has a very high population density (593 people/sq mi) in comparison to the US (87.4 people/sq mi). We need to travel less miles a day (to work or school), so we need less gasoline. Then there is our very extensive public transportation system. We rely less on personal transportation than you. Almost everyone in Germany can reach the nearest bus - or train station in no more than 15 min by foot, or faster in most cases. Check out for yourself on wikipedia if you like.
Because of the general awareness for environmental issues and the lesser dependency on personal transport we're willing to pay more.
That's very true but I get the impression that it's not all charity.
And, yet again, our decentralization hurts us in the end.
_________________
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07 Feb 2011, 11:49 am
