For decades, the American left has expressed admiration for the European welfare state-claiming that high tax rates and generous, cradle-to-grave benefit programs helped create more “just” and “harmonious” societies than the free-market orientation of the United States.

How, then, do these big government advocates explain the current economic and social breakdown in socialist-leaning Europe? Terrible riots in Britain, Greece and France, along with potential financial collapse in Italy, Ireland, Portugal and Spain, show that even the most lavish entitlements can’t buy prosperity or peaceful streets.

As Europe tries to balance its books, the lavish spending of the recent past makes it harder-not easier-for millions of beneficiaries to adjust to the new realities. Dependence on the government doesn’t foster gratitude or initiative; it only leads to resentment, rage and a sense of helplessness.