Quality ignorance, on display right here!
First of all, all European countries are different. Really, really different. There's no such thing as "European socialism."
I can't speak for other countries, but not a dime of French VAT goes to healthcare or welfare, nor is there any other import tariff that contributes to social security. Furthermore, healthcare isn't free, but it is affordable and of equal (and sometimes better) quality than in the US (I have years of experience with both), with or without private insurance.
Furthermore, many products here are cheaper than in the US, with or without taking into account the abnormally strong Euro and/or weak dollar. Computers happen to not be one of them. This relates to many, many factors, both social and economic, but it's got very little to do with Apple or "evil American products."
And for the record, before anyone tries it: It's a bad move to buy an iMac or a Mini in the US and take to a country with 220-240V power, even if you can smuggle it in. Even the most burly consumer-level converters aren't stable enough in the long term to run a computer on a daily basis, and the cost of a professional one would more than eliminate the savings. It's definitely a good move for laptops and iPods, though, as the Swede mentions above, as the power pack has a converter built in; just load some of your stuff onto it, don't bring the packaging, and there's no way for customs to know. Of course, if you fly to France from the US you are unlikely to ever see a customs agent doing more than playing solitaire, so no worries there.
I'm with you on the bums though: it bugs me that I pay high social security taxes to pay for many who choose not to work. Is it a better solution than chucking them out on the street? Maybe...both systems suck in their own ways, but that's a discussion for another forum.
