[Madjostok]

Yeah, I oversimplified there. I saw that all three parties in Britain are highly protective of the NHS. Thanks for all the answers, guys, this is very interesting!

WRT Obama's health plan: my own objection to it is largely budget-based. I believe we need to rid ourselves of our tendency to spend money we don't have, period. I think it might very well be nice to get healthcare reform; I understand U.S. healthcare is worse than just about any other Western country's despite our spending far more on it. I just think we need to wait until we can pay for it. And it seems the bill itself is a pretty lousy halfway measure due to all the compromises they made to get it through. The objections of others, of course, vary wildly.

Socialism: a somewhat overused and misused word, I know. I suppose I use it in two senses--that some of your governments have nationalized certain industries, and that you have high, leveling income taxes used to support strong social programs. That's my hazy recollection from HS government class. American opinions on the word are still strongly influenced by the long Cold War, which is why the GOP still use it, with varying success, as a word similar in tone to "treason." Plus American culture tends to put a strong emphasis on self-reliance and personal freedom, both of which are supposed to be undermined by a larger state.

Now, about hard nationalism and xenophobia in politics: over here, I think it's fair to say that if our political Right doesn't have a monopoly on it, it at least has a big share of the market. You don't hear too many Democrats agitating about immigrants ruining the American way of life with their wicked fajitas and pinatas. And Islam-bashing, while not as bad as it might be due to our fanatic reverence for the First Amendment, seems more popular among the GOP as well. Is it the same in Europe? I'm thinking of Sarkozy--isn't he part of the Socialist party?--and the headscarf ban supported by talk of "preserving French culture." I know Le Pen is in France's hard right; I don't know about that Geert fellow in the Dutch legislature.