Lessons from the North
You gotta check out this piece from the European e-zine “Cafe Babel” about the Nordic welfare states in a segment titled, “Lessons from the North” - Be sure to read Johnny Munkhammar’s piece where he explains that the “Scandinavian model is not all it’s cracked up to be.”
Economic stagnation, an ageing population and neo-liberalism are threatening welfare states across Europe. Would the adoption of a Scandinavian“style system cure all our ills, or is it a model itself in need of treatment?
No model is perfect but the US style economy system currently is not the solution. It is more and more like robber baron era hell for common people. The housing bubble has at least until now hidden the real structural problems of USA, especially the indebtness. Things were not always that bad.
Basically during the whole 20th century the only place in the world with reasonable market economy system was the USA. Almost half of the world population were behind the Iron Curtain, NOT directly competing with democratic market economies. Britain, Germany, France and other western nations separately were not big enough to compete with US or they had better things to do like killing each other. Other developing nations were still too poor.
Today it is very much even playing field but many Americans still seem to think that everybody else is just waiting to see Statue of Liberty and move to America. Just like Brits after WII, still hanging to their dear Empire dreams but not yet hit by hard economic realities. For example, during 1950’s the British Navy Fleet was actually bigger than the US Navy, if I remember correctly.
The other main advantage of US was this ability to try and try again even if your business failed but the new bankruptcy laws will be like shooting one’s self in the foot. Americans allowed also themselves to fail unlike especially Europeans that looked business failure as something sinister until recently (”you hide the money, didn’t you?!”)
We don’t still have adequate personal banktrupcy laws in Finland but fortunately, one doesn’t need to start your business with private bank loans anymore like in the 50-80’s.
Comment by tim73 — Wed, Jul 27th, 2005 @ 8:55 pm
http://www.theyesmen.org/
Comment by Anonymous — Thu, Jul 28th, 2005 @ 8:47 am
Finnish Stakes version :
http://www.vnk.fi/tiedostot/pdf/fi/94054.pdf
Comment by Krasnapolski — Thu, Jul 28th, 2005 @ 10:12 am
Actually, I don’t really take very seriously political causation in history: our structures are cultural and not easily exportable, at least in their entirety. This said, the Nordic countries (alongside Canada) undoubtedly are the best Western region to live in: the most unpolluted, quite socially liberal, having a functioning balance between economic freedom and economic security, guaranteeing certain very elementary rights such as access to high quality healtcare and educational systems thus guaranteeing a higher social mobility than for example in the US. This is not becaus a conscious political decisions but just the way our societies have developed. The trends now are negative and who knows how the local economy will affect us, but at least our foundations are the soundest in the Western world and may hopefully weather the storms ahead.
Comment by mjr — Thu, Jul 28th, 2005 @ 12:32 pm
Global not local economy…
Comment by mjr — Thu, Jul 28th, 2005 @ 12:33 pm
It is more and more like robber baron era hell for common people.
Umm, right. (eye roll). I love it when Europeans tell us how we’re living.
Comment by Irene Adler — Fri, Jul 29th, 2005 @ 5:17 pm
Americans of course never, ever, tell Europeans how they (ie the Europeans) are living.
Comment by Erik — Fri, Jul 29th, 2005 @ 9:32 pm
Americans of course never, ever, tell Europeans how they (ie the Europeans) are living.
It’s been my humble experience that the tendancy is much more over-represented on the European side. Europeans seem to have a deep-seated nuerotic need to believe that most Americans are living in “hell.”
I have seen newly come Europeans stare at the endless rows of houses with three-car garages in my neighborhood like Third Worlders seeing a flush toilet for the first time. They have been told so often that it couldn’t possibly be so, that we all live in trailer parks and work three McJobs per day just to survive, by their leftist-controlled media and intelligentsia, that they can scarcely believe their own eyes.
This need to feel that we are all living in terrible deprivation is really very sad.
Comment by Irene Adler — Sat, Jul 30th, 2005 @ 12:36 am
“the Nordic countries (alongside Canada) undoubtedly are the best Western region to live in”
Undoubtedly? Undoubtedly? What an arrogant statement to make. Or then you are the guy with all the answers.
Comment by Jukka — Sat, Jul 30th, 2005 @ 12:49 am
“I have seen newly come Europeans stare at the endless rows of houses with three-car garages in my neighborhood like Third Worlders seeing a flush toilet for the first time.”
You seem to be typical Republican hear-no-evil, see-no-evil polyanna cheerleader.
“The U.S. is number one when it comes to the percentage of the population that claims to ???have no spare cash,?? according to a new ACNielsen survey of consumers in 38 markets. More than one-quarter (28%) of U.S. respondents said once they have covered their essential living expenses they have no money left over”
http://us.acnielsen.com/news/20050613.shtml
Even Brazil and Chile wins the good old US of A. How sad is that.
Comment by tim73 — Sat, Jul 30th, 2005 @ 2:11 am
Undoubtedly? Undoubtedly? What an arrogant statement to make. Or then you are the guy with all the answers.
Just add Luxembourg and San Diego to that list and I’m sure Jukka would be fine with it then.
Comment by Phil — Sat, Jul 30th, 2005 @ 1:02 pm
Americans of course never, ever, tell Europeans how they (ie the Europeans) are living.
Heh, I don’t think too many Americans even know how Europeans live in the first place. And I don’t think Europeans know either, too often they just believe the biases that’s printed in their local newspapers about the U.S.
Comment by Phil — Sat, Jul 30th, 2005 @ 1:05 pm
???The U.S. is number one when it comes to the percentage of the population that claims to ???have no spare cash,?? according to a new ACNielsen survey of consumers in 38 markets. More than one-quarter (28%) of U.S. respondents said once they have covered their essential living expenses they have no money left over??Â
Heh, that’s how I feel after living in Finland for almost three years. That seems to be the biggest complaint from foreigners is that their paycheck is gone by the end of the month.
But about the U.S. - Americans spend like crazy, Finns are much more frugal with their money. So I’m sure there’s some Americans in that survey that make 50K/year and don’t have money at the end of the month cause they live in a fancy neighborhood, drive a fancy car, eat out almost every day, have a big screen TV etc…
Comment by Phil — Sat, Jul 30th, 2005 @ 1:07 pm
Well, Irene, it’s humble experience against humble experience then. My experience is that many Americans “know” the darndest things about Europe. And, yes, I used to live over there and I have seen the three-car garages, the super-duper flushing toilets, and also the trailer-park-three-McJobs-per-day people living in terrible deprivation.
Comment by Erik — Sat, Jul 30th, 2005 @ 1:29 pm
That seems to be the biggest complaint from foreigners is that their paycheck is gone by the end of the month.
Well, Nokia is notorious for it’s low wages.
Comment by Erik — Sat, Jul 30th, 2005 @ 1:31 pm
Phil: “So I???m sure there???s some Americans in that survey that make 50K/year and don???t have money at the end of the month cause they live in a fancy neighborhood, drive a fancy car, eat out almost every day, have a big screen TV”
Read again: “essential living expenses”.
“Once you have covered your essential living expenses, which of the following statements best describes how you normally spend your spare cash?
May 2005
Pay off debts, credit cards, loans 37%
I have no spare cash 28%
Savings 23%
Home improvements, decorating 21%
Out of home entertainment 21%”
Comment by tim73 — Sat, Jul 30th, 2005 @ 3:31 pm
One persons “essential living expenses” are different from anothers. That big house with the two SUVs parked in the garage are “essential” for many.
Comment by Phil — Sat, Jul 30th, 2005 @ 4:27 pm
Irene Adler:
“It???s been my humble experience that the tendancy is much more over-represented on the European side. Europeans seem to have a deep-seated nuerotic need to believe that most Americans are living in ???hell.??”
What do you base your claim on?
“I have seen newly come Europeans stare at the endless rows of houses with three-car garages in my neighborhood like Third Worlders seeing a flush toilet for the first time.”
Three-car garages? Who would be idiotic enough to waste space on THREE-CAR GARAGES? An american, sure! But Europeans. The “newly come Europeans” were from where? Albania?
Comment by Thomas — Sun, Jul 31st, 2005 @ 2:41 pm
“Just add Luxembourg and San Diego to that list and I???m sure Jukka would be fine with it then. ”
Phil, there you go presuming again. It’s a nasty habit, you shouldn’t so much of it. It’s bound to get you in trouble.
San Diego? Never been there so wouldn’t know.
Luxembourg? I’ve only lived here for less then 4 months. It’d be presumptious of me to make such a broad statement based on my lack of knowledge in this country. I’ll leave the mistaken presumptions to you, it’s your speciality
Comment by Jukka — Sun, Jul 31st, 2005 @ 5:37 pm
Actually Phil, we won’t be living in SD until next month, and I’ve never been, but so far we are enjoying Northern California a lot. I’ll let you know how it works out, seeing as you’re so interested though.
Comment by Eeva — Sun, Jul 31st, 2005 @ 6:54 pm
Jukka - did you notice the
after my sentence? That usually means I’m just joking around. 
Comment by Phil — Sun, Jul 31st, 2005 @ 7:03 pm
Eeva - Everyone says San Diego is heaven. The weather is supposedly perfect! I wouldn’t know though, I haven’t been.
Comment by Phil — Sun, Jul 31st, 2005 @ 7:04 pm
Phil thanks for clarifying. Trust me buddy, you most definately don’t need to add smileys to your comments to make them funny.
Comment by Jukka — Sun, Jul 31st, 2005 @ 7:56 pm
“Sweden had the second highest growth rate in the world from 1890 to 1950, but since the tax rate rose from 20 % in 1950 to 50 % in 1980 we have fallen behind.”
But the overall progress in Finland has been incredible from 50’s to 2000, so it must be that growth sucks and welfare state rules.
Comment by Eino-Kalevi — Tue, Aug 2nd, 2005 @ 8:26 pm
Good stuff. I’m really excited about this blog. Really great. Looking forward to more.
Comment by Home loan — Thu, Sep 7th, 2006 @ 12:03 am
Good theme, well, that’s acccurate in my opinion. Thanks. Susie
Comment by Pantie thong — Mon, Nov 27th, 2006 @ 2:56 pm