Would a German or other European please explain to America how you intend to pay for your entitlements for the next 30 or so years?

Also, we keep hearing how great European social programs are. But why is Italy, with all its history and assets, and after decades of aid from the rest of Europe, still so poor? It seems to us that the German or Norwegian lesson only works for part of Europe, not for all of it.

It's not that Americans are unwilling to learn from Europe, its just that most of what we hear either a) ducks these questions or b) would never work in American culture.

For example, voters in America simply wouldn't stand for being taxed as much as Europe, and would remove from office any politician who tried.

Our last Norwegian-American presidential candidate, Walter Mondale, campaigning in 1984 against Reagan, famously said "Mr. Reagan will raise taxes, and so will I. He won't tell you. I just did." It cost him the election.

Reagan did go on to raise some taxes by a tiny amount; his successor, Bush Sr., attempted to raise them further and it cost Bush Sr. his re-election.

We in the US have a mafia problem too. Not as bad as Italy, but still. My point is simply that you have to compare like with like. If you want to compare US and Europe, you have to compare ALL of the US with ALL of Europe. For a few more years I can see excluding central Europe from the comparison, under the theory that they are still in transition from the Iron Curtain and haven't yet achieved normality. But with Italy I can see no such basis for making an exception. And long term unemployment and other social pathologies in regions like Sicily are an utter disgrace. Even in our inner cities we have nothing like that. If the European social model works, why is it only working in some places and not others?

Also I can't help noticing that it wasn't social welfare that ended the conflict in Northern Ireland, and helped Spain progress in a way that Italy has not. It was prosperity, especially low taxes, and also politics. Granted, Spain and Ireland are feeling more pain than Germany or Norway right now...but that pain will end in a couple of years when prosperity returns. Whereas, the pain caused by failure of the social model in Italy will still be there.

I don't mean to pick on Italy, I am trying to point out that I think the rest of Europe has let Italy down. But, the answer isn't more spending in Italy, that has been tried every year and hasn't resulted in the kind of changes that are needed.

"As far as I know these social problems mainly arise due to the failed integration of gypsies into the italian society."

Hmm...any other Europeans care to comment on this? It is certainly a...how to put this...parsimonious theory.

Sicilian = Gypsy??? Most Sicilian-Americans would shudder at the thought. Has something changed since they left?

Besides, aren't we supposed to say Romany now?