[quincunx]

What is preposterous about it?

You mean why I felt it was preposterous? Well allow me to demonstrate my naivety...

I would have expected 50% to be "socialist Europe" type spending, and indeed, a bit of googling reveals France is at about 60% of GDP right now, Germany at about 50%, Netherlands at 47%... That 60% of all income is determined by the policies and decision making of politicians, apparatchiks and bureaucrats is, I find, shockingly close to a planned economy.

So why preposterous? Because the US, on so many fronts, positions itself in contrast to Europe - free market ideology, small government rhetoric, fiscally conservative. Anyway, obviously, I was wrong.

[pjc50]

It's pensions. On both sides of the Atlantic. https://www.usgovernmentspending.com/pensions_spending

The difference in military spending (which might otherwise be a likely suspect) is more like 3.5%ish (US) to 1-2%ish (Europe)

[temp8964]

“ the US, on so many fronts, positions itself in contrast to Europe - free market ideology, small government rhetoric, fiscally conservative.”

No. Not the whole US. This idea is not in majority. Some people do think so, but they don’t get to control the whole country.