# Are there any areas in which the USA is politically left of Western Europe? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 27, 2015, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-areas-in-which-the-usa-is-politically-left-of-western-europe/713780 "2015-02-27T17:31:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreasyJack)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2015, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-areas-in-which-the-usa-is-politically-left-of-western-europe/713780/41 "2015-03-01T00:13:02Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > I don’t recognize any of what you speak in terms of environmental policy, which perhaps goes to show the danger of talking about Europe as if it’s one country. For example, the UK introduced the Clean Air Act in 1956. Well, the example I’m most familiar with is vehicle emissions standards which were extremely loose in most of Western Europe before the 2000’s. That’s what enabled Europe’s love affair with the diesel, but even gas-powered vehicles could be sold without meaningful pollution controls (catalytic converters, etc) until the EU-harmonized rules started being implemented in the 90’s. From what I’ve heard anecdotally from some European colleagues, the situation with industrial pollution controls pre-EU regulations generally wasn’t much better, but I suppose I could have gotten the wrong impression there. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2015, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-areas-in-which-the-usa-is-politically-left-of-western-europe/713780/42 "2015-03-01T00:28:58Z")
> [@GreasyJack](#): > > Well, the example I’m most familiar with is vehicle emissions standards which were extremely loose in most of Western Europe before the 2000’s. That’s what enabled Europe’s love affair with the diesel, but even gas-powered vehicles could be sold without meaningful pollution controls (catalytic converters, etc) until the EU-harmonized rules started being implemented in the 90’s. From what I’ve heard anecdotally from some European colleagues, the situation with industrial pollution controls pre-EU regulations generally wasn’t much better, but I suppose I could have gotten the wrong impression there. in recent years the EU regulations have moved to address CO2 output, while over here the EPA and CARB have long been mostly concerned with trace pollutants like NOx and particulates. Diesels are better at CO2 output but miserably filthy spewing NOx and particulates without expensive exhaust aftertreatment. We’ve got a handle on it for now via SCR and particulate filters, but they’re expensive and new enough where the jury’s still out on longevity. They _do_ work, though. I’ve spent plenty of time driving F-250s and -350s with the 6.7 liter Powerstroke diesel, and the exhaust literally smells of _nothing_. ---
**Author:** ![russian\_heel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f05b48/32.png) [@russian\_heel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/russian_heel)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-areas-in-which-the-usa-is-politically-left-of-western-europe/713780/43 "2015-03-02T07:09:21Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > I think it was a couple of days ago that Feynoord fans threw an inflated banana on the field, and then there are the lovely antics of Chelsea fans in Paris. Based on what Im reading in the news, the rate of anti-Semitism in many parts of Europe is off the charts compared to the United States. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-areas-in-which-the-usa-is-politically-left-of-western-europe/713780/44 "2015-03-02T09:17:46Z")
> [@glee](#): > > As the Joker and the Thief said, Europe isn’t a monolithic bloc. (Not all countries share the Euro currency for example.) > > So to give an example from here in the UK, one of our political parties stands for: > > - **strict gun control** (no guns for home defence; beat police not armed etc.) > - **gay marriage** > - the **National Health Service** (taxpayers pay for universal health care) > - **no Capital Punishment** > - \*\*not teaching Creationism \*\*in schools > - \*\*Coalition Government \*_with another party_ > > and they are our **right-wing** party - the Conservatives! > > - currently in Coalition with the Liberal Democrats. FWIW, most of the Tory backbenchers voted against homosexual marriage when it was brought up for a vote. It seems probable most American liberal bastions such as the urban cores of San Francisco, or Boston as well as areas such as Vermont are quite to the left of the West European average considering the popularity of nativist/populistic parties in much of Europe at the present time. EDIT: With regards to the issues: -America is about average overall on gay marriage-France, UK, and Spain have legalized it among others but Germany, Italy, Ireland, and so forth have yet to do so. -Vastly more enlightened laws on abortion in many European countries, with clearly defined cut-off points as well as sensible requirements beforehand such as mandatory counselling in Germany -Birthright citizenship -Far less anti-Semitic sentiment/violence, same with Muslims despite Tea Partiers-for instance hijabs in public schools are not controversial in the United States -Some European countries such as Britain and Germany didn’t have a minimum wage until fairly recently ---
**Author:** ![Grim\_Render](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a87d85/32.png) [@Grim\_Render](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grim_Render)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-areas-in-which-the-usa-is-politically-left-of-western-europe/713780/45 "2015-03-02T10:32:59Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > -Some European countries such as Britain and Germany didn’t have a minimum wage until fairly recently Many European countries, such as in Scandinavia, don’t have one now. Powerful unions. ---
**Author:** ![SecretaryofEvil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@SecretaryofEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SecretaryofEvil)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-areas-in-which-the-usa-is-politically-left-of-western-europe/713780/46 "2015-03-02T13:13:22Z")
While certain factions within America are rabidly anti-immigration, current American immigration policy is pretty far to to left compared to some Western European countries, such as Italy. This is excluding immigration from one EU country to another. ---
**Author:** ![hellasketchy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f17d59/32.png) [@hellasketchy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hellasketchy)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-areas-in-which-the-usa-is-politically-left-of-western-europe/713780/47 "2015-03-03T16:56:29Z")
- cannabis legalization - gestational surrogacy (Europeans come to California for this) - same-sex adoption - unrestricted free speech (no laws against denying the Holocaust or making anti-Semitic statements in public like Galliano) - bankruptcy - easier and greater access to consumer credit - fewer restrictions on opening hours, Sunday retail, and sales discounts - drivers license much easier to obtain source: American living in Europe [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-areas-in-which-the-usa-is-politically-left-of-western-europe/713780.md?page=2)