Americans More Generous Than Welfare-State Europeans

[Locutus]

via sda

New facts released about personal charity challenge the long standing canard that Leftist/Socialist policies breed nicer, kinder people. Data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), further compiled by Cato scholar Dan Mitchell, reveal some interesting revelations about voluntary social spending:

1. 10.2% of GDP - Americans
2. 6.0% of GDP - Dutch
3. 5.3% of GDP - British
4. 5.1% of GDP - Canadians
5. 2.8% of GDP - French
6. 2.0% of GDP - Germans

Related: This is no surprise to Dennis Prager, who has been arguing the same for years.


Americans More Generous With Their Money Than Nanny-State Europeans - Investors.com

 

[Sal]

They have to be more charitable they have more needy people.

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

via sda

New facts released about personal charity challenge the long standing canard that Leftist/Socialist policies breed nicer, kinder people. Data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), further compiled by Cato scholar Dan Mitchell, reveal some interesting revelations about voluntary social spending:

1. 10.2% of GDP - Americans
2. 6.0% of GDP - Dutch
3. 5.3% of GDP - British
4. 5.1% of GDP - Canadians
5. 2.8% of GDP - French
6. 2.0% of GDP - Germans

Related: This is no surprise to Dennis Prager, who has been arguing the same for years.


Americans More Generous With Their Money Than Nanny-State Europeans - Investors.com

This is terrible.

 

[EagleSmack]

This is terrible.

Some will think so.

 

[Kreskin]

According to the same source, American growth is firming up under Obama. Under the right leadership it's no wonder they can be so charitable.

OECD sees diverging trend for developed, emerging economies - The Economic Times

 

[jariax]

via sda

New facts released about personal charity challenge the long standing canard that Leftist/Socialist policies breed nicer, kinder people. Data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), further compiled by Cato scholar Dan Mitchell, reveal some interesting revelations about voluntary social spending:

1. 10.2% of GDP - Americans
2. 6.0% of GDP - Dutch
3. 5.3% of GDP - British
4. 5.1% of GDP - Canadians
5. 2.8% of GDP - French
6. 2.0% of GDP - Germans

Related: This is no surprise to Dennis Prager, who has been arguing the same for years.


Americans More Generous With Their Money Than Nanny-State Europeans - Investors.com

America has a different model. The government gives a very small percentage of GDP to charity, preferring instead to let it's citizens choose where the money goes. Sweden represents the opposite. Their government gives a much larger percentage to international charities. On the down-side Swedes are taxed very high, so there is much less left for charitable donations.

Furthermore, America does a particularly poor job of looking after its most vulnerable, resulting in huge disparity between rich and poor, and thus creating an obvious need for the wealthy to voluntarily transfer wealth to the less fortunate. Sweden has less need for such, as their citizens are all well taken care of - including free health care and education.

Most of the charitable donations are simply America plugging its own holes, but there are exceptions, such as Bill Gates, who is arguably the most generous man in the history of the planet.

America is also unique in that it is one of the only affluent countries with a large percentage of religious. The religious donate (and volunteer) far more than the non-religious.

 

[EagleSmack]

Furthermore, America does a particularly poor job of looking after its most vulnerable, resulting in huge disparity between rich and poor, and thus creating an obvious need for the wealthy to voluntarily transfer wealth to the less fortunate. Sweden has less need for such, as their citizens are all well taken care of - including free health care and education.

.

Good post except this part. Our poor have all the amenities provided for them for free or subsidized. Food, money, housing, phones, internet, clothing, sometimes cars with insurance paid for. And they have had free health care for many years. In Massachusetts our Welfare Cards (EBT cards) have been used in places such as Hawaii, Las Vegas, Orlando, so we taxpayers are even subsidizing their vacations.

But no... they probably won't have a vacation home. But they will live a middle class lifestyle all paid for by the taxpayer.

 

[mentalfloss]

Today's important lesson:

It's okay if more people are suffering in your country, as long as you are a charitable person.


God Bless America.




AND **** THOSE NANNY-STATE *** ****ERS

 

[EagleSmack]

Today's important lesson:

It's okay if more people are suffering in your country, as long as you are a charitable person.


God Bless America.

Oh the horror... I don't have a vacation home in the Hamptons like the other guy.

 

[petros]

The death of the empire was inevitable. Sad to watch unfold but still inevitable.

 

[Zipperfish]

The Fraser Institute did a similar study years ago with a similar conclusion. I agree with jarjax; it's acultural difference. In Canada we expect the gummint to take care of us. Not so in the US.

Worth keeping in mind also that "charity" doesn't mean housing the homeless and feeding the hungry. It can also mean funding your favorite political think tank. The Cato Institute, for example, is probably a charity. I know the Fraser Institute, here in Canada, is a charity, even though they would probably find it economically efficient to feed the homeless to the hungry.

 

[petros]

Buying a beer at the Legion is "giving to charity" since all profits go back into the organization.

 

[Sal]

they also write off more with their income tax than we can. They run animal rescues all through the States and cross the dogs up into Canada via car trains. We Canadians meet them at the border and the rescue journey continues into foster care.They can write off their mileage and gas...we have to suck it up as good will given.

That would count as giving to charities south of the border but it wouldn't count in Canada...so good will and being charitable is relative.

Stats can say anything you want them to....been there done that and it is amazing what a little creativity can produce.

 

[WLDB]

They have to be more charitable they have more needy people.

In Europe they likely have less need for charities because of their social programs as well.

 

[Sal]

In Europe they likely have less need for charities because of their social programs as well.

exactly right!

 

[EagleSmack]

In Europe they likely have less need for charities because of their social programs as well.

I would wonder how their programs stack up against ours. I am guessing ours our better. And believe me, it's not something I am bragging about. You can be a perfectly capable person and live a free middle class life here... complete with an X-Box account and flat screen TV.

 

[Zipperfish]

I would wonder how their programs stack up against ours. I am guessing ours our better. And believe me, it's not something I am bragging about. You can be a perfectly capable person and live a free middle class life here... complete with an X-Box account and flat screen TV.

F*ckin-A! Where do you live?

 

[damngrumpy]

I don't think the poor in America suffer from a lack of necessities I think the
problem is more fundamental than that. The opportunities to education is
more of a problem than the access to actual jobs. The education is not a
uniform condition. Inner city schools and other areas do not have the same
opportunities and even where they do the quality of teachers is not always
there.
It is like the Doctor shortages in the north in Canada. These are more social
conditions a State lives with. Americans are not by nature a cheap bunch of
bastar*s at all. Look around the world and you will see that whenever there
is a disaster.
The thing I like about American aid they use American product to support the
jobs of people at home. We access materials closer to where the disaster is
and yes it saves shipping but does nothing to help Canadians jobs, you know
the Canadians who made donation.
Everyone wants to be critical of America and sometimes criticism is due but
not where it comes to helping people in trouble at home and abroad.
The reason Europe is not as generous is that the poorest of the poor are already
given what they need and their access to education and the trades is better
people recover faster.

 

[Sal]

I don't think the poor in America suffer from a lack of necessities I think the
problem is more fundamental than that. The opportunities to education is
more of a problem than the access to actual jobs. The education is not a
uniform condition. Inner city schools and other areas do not have the same
opportunities and even where they do the quality of teachers is not always
there.

spare yourself, people do not want to acknowledge nor do they understand this aspect of the human condition...you will get called racist or leftard or stupid or all of the above...not that it would bother you but, just saying...I gave up that discussion some time ago...it's a closed door

 

[EagleSmack]

F*ckin-A! Where do you live?

Massachusetts! Come on down. Just get here and apply and you're in!