Those socialists have a better standard of living, pay less taxes, get 8 weeks vacation every year from the beginning, have very few troops overseas, lower unemployment, better education system, better infrastructure and roads, more than two political parties, less government corruption, no national deficit, CEOs pay is reasonable, union members/ workers on the board of directors of every public traded company, better health-care that is cheaper and everyone is covered, better worker productivity etc. Yea those damn socialists! Volkswagen pays German autoworkers twice as much as it's US workers and those damn socialists produce twice as many cars per hour worked.

How did mom get into the country if she's a criminal??????????? And devil feel free to move if you like socialism although we're not too far off from it our selves. What I don't get is if she's here and her country wants her back because she commited crimes why are we wasting our tax dollars on a hearing? Obviously she lied to get into this country she is not a citizen her gov. should be able to revoke her passport call the US and arrange pick up.. absolutley rediculous wasting our money on criminals save the deportation hearings for crimes commited here. Just like a Bajan man once told me. " You Americans are so stupid. Do you not understand people use your country for disability benefits."

The average hourly compensation -- wages plus benefits -- of German manufacturing workers is $48, well above the $32 hourly average for their American counterparts.

Alwaysanother: Your are so ignorant it is almost not worth to answer you but as you said: "this is a comment area, not an area to spill lies" so don't do it (I wonder where you got your "facts" from)!

Here are the facts: Minimum tax is 14% (and not 41%) Maximum Tax is 47%,see: (you need to speak German but the numbers are arabic)

Waiting time for medical service (doctors) see (page 15) ^DMSSLAVE&SystemType=2&LogonId=23d71744e29dc73d1daee4bfd7e60bef&DocId=003752082&Page=1:

no waiting time at all:

49% Family Doctor

39% Special Doctor

1 day: 9% family Dr, 4% special

2-3 days: 11% F, 12% S

1 week max: 7% F, 14% S

3 weeks max: 3% F, 13% S

Over 3 Weeks 1% F, 11% S

Going to the doctor with no appointment and get service right away: 14% F, 6% S

All medical services are accepting (have to) all insurances so the patient has a choice,

All insurances are private insurances (no government) and the patient does not have to switch insurance when switching the employer. The employer has to pay 50% of the insurance fee by law (for any insurance). The so called "legal Insurance" GKV is not a Government insurance but a regulated insurance where everybody whith a salary up to a limite has to be insured mandatory and when you easrn above that limit you can (but must not) insure with a so called "private" insurance. When you leave the "legal insurance you cannot go back to it unless you again earn below the limit. It is interesting to note that the vast majority of patients stay in the "legal" system. One reason is that in the legal system family memebers are automatically included wihtout additional fees unless they have a salary as well. In the "private" insurance you've got to insure each member separate.

Unemployment Germany Q3 2011 is 6.5 % ()

You state: Long lines for health care. government lifting 80% of your real income before you get your hands on it. Where did you get that nonesense from?

Average Wages:

The average hourly compensation -- wages plus benefits -- of German manufacturing workers is $48, well above the $32 hourly average for their American counterparts.

You state: if you make $25 an hour, after deductions and paying the 19% sales tax your real disposable income is $6.25 an hour.

No idea where you get that from. Alone your calculation of the 19% "sales" tax is highly questionable. These are Value Added Taxes and not sales taxes as in the US. Companies can deduct the VAT they had paid from their taxes in other words the prices of goods are cheaper. In the US you have real sales taxes which add on all prices depending on how many sellers are in the supply chain.

All in all I think you have not your facts together.

Maybe you should read (even when it is somehow subjective):

To be objective Devils Son comments have to be corrected as well:

In Germany the taxes are higher (see above) but also "fairer", the rich pay more relatively but the government services are a lot betterand completer. The support for unemployed is not time limited and covers 80% of the last three monthly salaries (here in the US it is a joke!). Additional the government helps companies to keep employess in bad times with a so called short labor (Kurzarbeit) provision where the company puts his workers on "short labor" for for eaxmple a year, pays only the actual worked hours and the state pays the difference up to 80% of the salary. By that the worker keeps his job, the government pays less (than unemployment) and the companies get through bad times. You may call this "socialism" in my book it is smart labor policy.

The legal vacations are 5 weeks minimum but most companies grant 6 weeks (and not 8 weeks).

I agree. USA needs to double check people coming into our country. Too many foreigners get visas quite easily, like the ones that flew the airplanes into the Towers. Look at what has happened since that tragic day. It shows how we check foreigners when they are getting the visa, if that lady was already wanted in Germany and we did not pick up on it.