heh...I don't consider "getting money for free for being poor" and "joining the army" to be two sides of the same coin. One is a social service (army) while the other is a social problem. Now, if all the people on the dole had to do government sponsored work (build dams, build bridges, clean up neighborhoods, cut weeds) then I would consider them in a similar light.

btw, did some research. This is from the CIA world factbook.

Belgium:
Population
10,379,067 (July 2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$350.3 billion (2005 est.)
per capita: $31,100

Japan:
Population
127,463,611 (July 2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$4.664 trillion (2005 est.)
per capita: $31,600

South Korea:
Population:
48,846,823 (July 2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$801.2 billion (2005 est.)
per capita: $22,600

US:
Population:
298,444,215 (July 2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$12.49 trillion (2005 est.)
per capita: $41,600

EU:
Population:
456,953,258 (July 2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$13.31 trillion (2005 est.)
per capita: $28,100

That's about the same as what it said in the Wikipedia link I gave, isn't it?

And well, social security or social problem, they both cost money. I would reckon that it costs even more to give a soldier a decent training (not to forget the wage) and/or equipement than just a welfare fee.

But if you're talking long term unemployment, sure. That IS a problem. In the end the social system with unemployment fees is designed with the idea that people who (for one reason or another) lose their job can look for a new one without falling into a financial black hole in the meantime. I think unemployment fees are about 60% of the wage at your previous job here, with a lower and upper limit obviously. (ie if you made 5415645646€ a month before you're not gonna get 60% of that but the upper limit fee)

So the people who don't want to work are the problem, not the system. And for the record, I don't get any social security money yet. I love off savings and odd jobs and parents' help for now. If I should be unemployed for another few months I'll get the (minimum) unemployment fee. But let's hope it doesn't come that far.

The US case will continue to be no problem until it's no longer the biggest / most important economy in the world. When they finally fail to be that, their crash will be all the worse. Unfortunately for the US (and therefore Europe), China is well on the way to become both the biggest and more important economy in the world.

Lol when that happens, im sure the US will just bomb China into oblivion

Heh, they can't even beat a few million Iraqis into submission and the Chinese military is developing fast.

bah, it's not the Iraqis that are the problem...it's the Iranians and Syrians. We also haven't used the final solution yet.

You sound like grima wormtongue.

hehehe...I'm more handsome than that, but sure. Grima doesn't get killed does he? Just chased away? To Mexico?

in the movie he gets shot by Legolas and falls off the top of Orthanc. So far I'm not sure what happens to him in the book...certainly not what happened in the movie, though.

Is Mordor Mexico?