Quote:
Originally Posted by rubecube
The two biggest reasons they're different from us are:
1. They don't have a toxic drug supply problem to the same extent that we do.
2. Most of the "model" Western European countries tend to believe in strong social programs, safety nets, evidence-informed policies, and a more collectivist approach to social and economic issues. We still have a sizable population that is hyper-individualist and believes in austerity politics, trickle-down economics, and pulling yourself up by your bootstraps.
On the downside, those countries are way more xenophobic than we are, so it's not all great.
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The major advantage Portugal has is it's a small mostly homogeneous semi rural population, the people tend to have a sense of stability and place within their society, it makes a huge difference to outcomes