Who is this guy?

“bashes free trade”

I bash it too. Can’t wait for a return to store shelves filled with nothing more than Valio jogurtti, Lapin Kulta and wooden sauna ladles—everything our 5M person economy can produce.

Oh, and there’ll be plenty of mobile phones, because we’ll be selling far fewer units abroad. Protectionism works both ways, you know.

my mother left finland permanently partly because of the welfare state mentality. her lesson to us:

it’s hard to be poor in finland, but it’s even harder to be rich.

while that statement is 100% about money, the truth of the situation in finland goes beyond financial opportunity.

When I think of social democratic values, I don’t think about anything that this guy is talking about. I am thinking about the little old ladies in the countryside who tell me that they are getting the shaft and that they have to live such demeaning, poor lives in their elderhood — this is Estonia, the paradise of Milton Friedman-inspired domestic policies.

In the end, even the Uncle Milty-worshipping Reform Party can’t make the old, poor ladies, still wearing clothes they got in the *1970s* under the USSR, disappear. So they agree to cut them a larger pension check. And they cut young mother’s a “mother’s salary’ to support them while they take care of their babies.

That’s because even the most right-wing of parties have accepted that some social democratic ideas — state economic support for the elderly or children — work better than the rightwing utopia where everything works according to the ‘natural economy.’ Maybe some social democratic programs are part of that ‘natural economy’.

Chew on that crunchy, hippie-loving granola bar for awhile!

But Kekkonen left a big impression. “I’m sorry that I have interrupted your work like this,” he said, continuing: “It is people like you, who put their heart to both their work and family, that make Finland what it is.”

The next time you walk into WalMart or McDonald’s, simply tell the minimum wage labor, “It is people like you, who put their heart to both their work and family, that make the United States what it is.” …and all is fine then I guess! LOL!

(…but don’t be alarmed when the McDonald’s cashier replies, “Que?”)

Well giustino, I can only say that recovering from a USSR economy is difficult any way you slice it. But, by my assessment, I would rather be a little old lady in Estonia than in Hungary (a country that currently espouses the complete opposite of Milt Friedman’s paradigm). Or Poland for that matter.

Anyway, I believe firmly that Milton Friedman’s strategies should be implemented from the top downward. Not from the bottom upward. So taking care of little old ladies should indeed be the first priority.

Who is this guy?

A man in desperate need of a clean shave! Ba-dum-ching!!

He is a man that lives in the lap of luxury that is funded by the sales of cellular phones, paper, cruise ships, etc. on the FREE MARKET.

Yes Pekka, I’m sure that Finland’s exclusively white welfare state is exactly what Martin Luther King had in mind when he wrote “I have a dream…”

The words and the meaning behind them is not always tied to the context, and the author doesn’t always understand the full relevance behind his chosen words.
There’s a classic story of Isaac Asimov going incongito to listen literacy professor talking about this work. Afterwards he rose up and said “I’m quite sure I never meant that”, to which the professor answered; “yes, but you are just the writer” (or something to that effect).

“Every human being” means everyone, and does not make a diffence between differences in income or colour of skin.

That to be said, I don’t really see how the text was relevant for economy.

*you are just the writer, what would you know?

This is the guy who along with Manuel Castells wrote about “… the Finnish model … dynamic in technological and economic terms, but combines the information society with the welfare state.” Suggesting something like that is of course a capital crime and Himanen will be stoned to death as soon as the pundits get enough fake beards in order to look like men.

“He treated her as an equal, fulfilling the dream she had always shared: “I dream that my dignity as a human being is recognised.””
– Really? if so, why did he need SERVANTS?

#8- Brilliant Sirkuspelle. That is one thing (actually among many) that always makes me laugh in Finland. Another classic Finnish contradiction whereby everyone is happy to bash globalization, international trade, multinationals, consumerism etc but always jump up to celebrate the Finnish products you mention. Classic Finnish vision and understanding

After what I’ve heard of Kekkonen, I wouldn’t be surprised if the big impression left on grandma by The Pres was Pekka’s mum or dad

Ooops.. Although we know we know it we don’t talk about those things in open Finland. Sorry to anybody offended

#6, Estonian old ladies are better than Hungarian old ladies anyway. I saw two get in a fight in a garden recently. They were arguing over whether or not to throw out old flowers.

Aino: “Pane seda pruugi kasti!”
Salme: “Ei taha panna pruugi kasti!”
Aino: “Noh, kurat, pane seda pruugi kasti!”

And back and forth, seven or eight more times. I think Aino’s husband, perhaps named something smart like Johannes or Voldemar, intervened in the end.

Well, I’m not sure, who pays Pekka’s philosophering at the moment, but he should do some real job for some time, where one has to stand some mulquist boss, steamrolling happily over every piece of creativity in sight. Or get some “research” post in science or engineering, which turns out to be trivial product development for industry with scientific novelty value of a 3rd year university textbook. Then he could come back preaching how dignified and creativity-encouraging it is here.

…And what comes to Kekkonen, Eläkeläiset put it best:

http://www.ainurin.net/history/kekkonen/ukk5.htm

I’m sure that Finland’s exclusively white welfare state is exactly what Martin Luther King had in mind when he wrote “I have a dream…”

And I was thinking he had in mind the exclusively black (and independent) states like Liberia and Sierra Leone, as compared to Mississippi or even Maryland they probably were welfare states…

“…yet I’m unable to find his book online anywhere for free.”

Says it all, I think

Yep, your money is free to give to him, but give his book away? Says it all.

Typical liberal.

winter,

you’re a typical liberal

I think that Himanen means “Free” as “Libre” not like “free beer”

So information and culture should be _libre_ and open. They don’t have to be free (like beer)

Besides, he has to make a living too. Can you support yourself if you work for free? He may dream about this society where information is free but in the end of the day he has to live in this one.

“He may dream about this society where information is free but in the end of the day he has to live in this one.”

Ah, so reality does hit a liberal hard in the idea area.

Another dreamy lefty who is merely book smart and nothing else. I am not impressed by such reality detached academics who think they know how society works just because they have read a bunch of books. The fellow sounds like a socialist who hides his ideology behind a cloud of smart talking.

The fellow even cultivates a beard like Karl Marx. I assume he considers himself a reincarnation, or so. Seems he wants to sell us communism 2.0 and I know it will work as well as the version 1.0.

Half – Where rich is being able to eat and pay rent and see a movie without worry?

And that book, as I recall, was given very tepid reception even in Finland.

46% of all poor households actually own their own homes.

Eighty percent of poor households have air conditioning.

The typical poor American has more living space than the average individual living in Paris, London, Vienna, Athens, and other cities throughout Europe.

three-quarters of poor households own a car, 31% own two or more cars.

97% of poor households have a color television.

So just what am I missing that he wants them to have in this dream?

Antti, if you have to whore, do so via your own company so that you’ll at least get properly compensated.

“Cut the middle man! That’s how I made my money!” -Benny Hill

Ah, I finally got it.

A Hummer in every driveway. Just a little slow today.

#28-Winter, finally you have said something reasonable. Now shut up for a month and don’t spoil it.

Damn, just saw your post #30

A month? Then I can’t tell you how stupid your next move is. Or how you are single handly not helping the world.

“46% of all poor households actually own their own homes…

…The typical poor American has more living space than the average individual living in Paris, London, Vienna, Athens, and other cities throughout Europe.”

I don’t think that a double-wide trailer counts as a home!

“I don’t think that a double-wide trailer counts as a home!” dhen

Who are you, Leona Fucking Helmsly?

I don’t think that a double-wide trailer counts as a home!

Then either should a 30sq/m “loft”.

“I don’t think that a double-wide trailer counts as a home!”

No, in Finland you would cut it in half, turn off the power and plumbing and call it a cottage. Ah, Finnish paradise

“’I don’t think that a double-wide trailer counts as a home!’ dhen

Who are you, Leona Fucking Helmsly?”

No, I’m a realist. Would you enjoy living in a tin box where you have to put tires on the roof to keep it from blowing away?

http://drbukk.com/gmhom/images/tireSolution.jpg

More pictures of these modern architectural marvels can be found here:

http://drbukk.com/gmhom/images/tireSolution.jpg

This was supposed to be the second link:

http://drbukk.com/gmhom/park.html

Thats not fair. Those Double Wides have inside plumbing.

Here in Southern Maryland, we use Port-A-Potties.

My neighbor even has 2 Port-A-Potties, so there is no line.

Well, I guess you just have to move to Mississippi! The new promised land…

Mississippi!

Yuk, we like our porta-potty’s. The one in my driveway was cleaned out last week. you can actually use it now.

Yes, I do have one, as the house is being rebuilt.

“Yes Pekka, I’m sure that Finland’s exclusively white welfare state is exactly what Martin Luther King had in mind when he wrote “I have a dream…”

This is so puerile. I mean, are you *really* incapable of understanding simple metaphors? Please, somebody, *grow up*…

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