Do cons and libertarians worry about the lack of examples of successful countries with their policies?

Question

Liberals can always point to the large number of countries that have higher taxes and more government spending than the US, and say "look, these countries get more vacations, work less hours, have universal healthcare (which is more efficient than ours), have better educated students than us (despite having public education), and they have GDP growth rates that are similar to ours."
Canada, Sweden, Germany, France, Norway, Denmark, etc. the list goes on and on. Sure they don't have as many billionaires but they have less extreme poverty too and lower inequality.

What do conservatives and libertarians have as examples?  What do you use?
Certainly there are some developing countries that have grown faster after liberalizing, but they are all much poorer than Western Europe or Canada and are likely to remain so for a very long time. I doubt many conservatives would point to China or India or Indonesia or Chile as their model economy to emulate.

I suppose Hong Kong is a decent candidate, as Milton Friedman and others supported it, but it does have a lot of social welfare spending and while it has no income tax, the government pays for all these social programs by owning all the land in the country and leasing to private users.
The government owning all land doesn't seem like something cons or libertarians would generally support.

So is the booming, prosperous economy (with benefits for all, or most) that you believe would occur with deep cuts in spending and taxes just a utopian ideal?  Or are there some actual examples you would use? [Can you do it without using US history? The biggest expansion of government and of the economy happend at the same time from post WWII to the 1950s-1970s (when the top marginal tax rate was very high), and Clinton who raised taxes oversaw the largest expansion in jobs and the stock market and economic growth since then.]

Bob&#39;s Uncle · Accepted Answer

Well, for one thing, these nations are stricter on immigration, so they certainly don't follow liberal immigration policies. A good deal of these nations don't allow you to have "anchor babies". In other words, being born there doesn't make you a citizen, and make it easier for your parents to stay. Canada allows anchor babies but their parents don't get free stuff like health care, education, etc.
Another thing to mention is these countries are on the verge of becoming bankrupt because of their social spending, and their GDP growth rates are only similar to ours because we're in a recession now. 
Some of these nations (like Denmark) have better educated students because they have school vouchers, which conservatives have pushed for, but liberals have not. Basically, people would have the freedom to choose which schools they went to, and, as a result, schools would have to work hard to make sure they were actually worth going to. If a school is failing, then people could choose another school where their child could get educated better. Compare that to the liberals in America. If your school sucks, you're pretty much stuck, unless you're rich and can private school, or you can home-school your kids. Instead of losing students and money, failing schools get more money in hopes that it will make the school better. So, schools here have no reason to improve.
Funny, the reason the economy expanded in the post World War II era is beause returning GIs and the Baby Boom raised demand for consumer goods, and companies worked to meet that demand. The reason people had money to spend on these goods despite the high taxes is because they had saved up money in war bonds during World War II.
Another interesting thing is that Texas has lower taxes and regulation than other states, and it has also experienced more economic growth.

Anonymous · Answer

Why don't you take a look at Greece and the USSR. How about Cuba Vietnam? These all have socialist Economy's with Dictator governments (aside from greece). How about North Korea some of the other Countries in south America?

How about the fact that the USA spends more per student on education then any other Country in the world. Yet we manage to turn out the worst test scores?

How about you take a look at every industry that has a Union tied to it and the problems they have faced.

USPS Bankrupt.
UAW Bankrupt GM and CHrysler also almost brought down Ford.
MLBPA (Major League Baseball Players Association) All but 2 or 3 major ball clubs face bankruptcy eventually and do not make a dime.
Teachers Unions (according to them under funded schools) but crap education and bankrupt school districts that can't afford to build new schools.

I can keep giving and give you an extremely long list.

How about the fact that as China has moved away from big Government and privatized businesses their Economy has exploded surpassing the USA as an Economic super power?

Really Greece is better off? They just about destroyed the value of the Euro and their neighbors had to bail them out. If it wasn't for that Greece would be heading for some seriously bad times.

Take a look at the US Government as it has expanded the Economy has become increasing volatile and more reliant on debt and credit. When the credit drys up completely the USA is going to be worse off then Russia was after the USSR.

Maxwell · Answer

You can say Sweden, Germany, France, etc. to argue for the left

I can say Greece, USSR, Cuba, North Korea etc. to argue against it.

The bottom line is, there are no real examples of the right's idea of government failing, but there examples of the left's failing.

And Clinton saw a BOOM because he had a Republican congress, and the internet/techboom was occurring.

Chris R:France Beat Mexico After · Answer

There are a great many examples of successful free-market economies.

UK, Japan, South Korea, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, Netherlands, Czech Republic, Finland, Belgium just to name a few.

Jody · Answer

Most would most certainly try to point out early 20th century America.  But that really just shows a lack of knowledge on what a dim time that was for America.  It was more like China currently, sweat shops and all.

Apathy Forever · Answer

Most of those countries are moving away from their socialist ways because they can't sustain it.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124958049241511735.html

http://www.cato-at-liberty.org/french-presidential-candidate-calls-for-25-percent-corporate-tax-rate/

http://www.euronews.net/2008/07/24/france-scraps-35-hour-work-week/

http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2010/July/27/FT-britain-radical-changes-healthcare.aspx

and do I really need to point you toward Greece?

Pfo · Answer

Monaco?  The Bahamas?  Look at the tax havens of the world.  Everyone is rich, taxes don't exist, local government does practically nothing.  How are these not examples of success?

? · Answer

The example of successful country with  conservative/libertarian policies is the one where you were born.

Your children will not be so lucky though.
Because of liberal vermin.

Anonymous · Answer

I've asked for examples before, but they do not seem worried that there are none...

Anonymous · Answer

Good point ... !

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Do cons and libertarians worry about the lack of examples of successful countries with their policies?

10 Answers