The one single aspect of European welfare states that has to be kept in mind is that it is inherently dependent on exploitation of a set of worker-consumers... that do not have welfare state protections, namely, the American worker-consumer. This exploitation happens in the form of an export surplus in Europe's favor which, in effect, provides the crucial financing that keeps the welfare state solvent.

Should Americans institute a welfare state tomorrow, and raise taxes to a necessary rate to support that kind of state, the European welfare states would not be able to support themselves economically. For the purchasing power of the American consumer - which exists only because the American worker-consumer gets taxed so little compared to the European worker - is what maintains the European welfare state.

Thus the European welfare state is inherently exploitative. However, this reality is always soft-pedaled, and Europeans constantly try to use ruses to portray the welfare state as benign. Witness all the peace-initiatives, and all the advocacy for foreign aid (when dropping welfare-state tariffs are much more effective in helping the developing world). And, of course, the use of the best weapon of all: America-bashing.

Yet it is the greed and stingyness of the welfare state that is more exploitative in the world. America redistributes wealth on a massive scale (hundreds of millions of Chinese have been lifted out of poverty, thanks to the American worker-consumer). The European welfare state economy, on the other hand, consumes most all of its surplus wealth on its own people.

The truth is hard to bear, for welfare-statists. That is why thinking along these lines tends to be actively suppressed in Europe