Scandinavia - working socialist economies?

[Cyrus]

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I did not imply that everyone in Eruope is in agreement.

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So why do you use terms like "the people of europe" if not to downplay the dissenters?

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Because the majority of people think that way. I assumed that people here are above a certain level of intelligence and, thus, can understand that when someone says "Americans like burgers", one means "most" or "a significant number of", etc. I could be wrong.

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Obviously, a lot of people support these policies. That doesn't make them legitimate (it doesn't necessarily make them illegitimate, either). Theft doesn't magically become legitimate when your gang grows past some critical size.

[/ QUOTE ] Well, it may surprise you to know that when (for example) theft becomes institutionalised, it is legitimate, in both senses of the word. As a matter of fact, when such choices are made voluntariyl by a group of people, large (society) or small, who are you to say otherwise?

Ah yes, this is where we enter the realm of "absolute morals", a realm where democracy and the will of the individual might not rule! (It's a realm, after all...)