Business Insider has a valuable article that explains who benefits in nations that provide universal social services (as Bernie Sanders recommends): the middle class. The article appeared originally in The Atlantic.
Anu Partenan, who was born in Finland, describes why these services enjoy broad support:
“When I lived in Finland, as a middle-class citizen I paid income tax at a rate not much higher than what I now pay in New York City. True, Nordic countries have somewhat higher taxes on consumption than America, and overall they collect more tax revenue than the U.S. currently does—partly from the wealthy. But, as an example, here are some of the things I personally got in return for my taxes: nearly a full year of paid parental leave for each child (plus a smaller monthly payment for an additional two years, were I or the father of my child to choose to stay at home with our child longer), affordable high-quality day care for my kids,one of the world’s best public K-12 education systems, free college, free graduate school, nearly free world-class health care delivered through a pretty decent universal network, and a full year of partially paid disability leave.
“As far as I was concerned, it was a great deal. And it was equally beneficial for others. From a Nordic perspective, nothing Bernie Sanders is proposing is the least bit crazy—pretty much all Nordic countries have had policies like these in place for years.
“But wait, most Americans would say: Those policies work well because all Nordics share a sense of kinship and have fond feelings for each other. That might be nice if it were true, but it’s not, as anyone who has followed recent political debates about immigration or economic policy in Nordic countries understands.
“Nordics are not only just as selfish as everyone else on this earth but they can—and do—dislike many of their fellow citizens just as much as people with different political views dislike each other in other countries. As for homogeneity, Sweden already has a bigger share of foreign-born residents than the U.S. The reason Nordics stick with the system is because they can see that on the whole, they come out ahead—not just as a group, but as individuals.”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Nordic nations?
PLEASE!
Canada has had some version of the “Nordic” model for decades; as have France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Austria, Denmark, Portugal, and England. Add Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and even oppressive South Africa.
The United States ruling elite continue to march forth into Brigadoon and wish to settle there.
The “socialist democratic” state is simply a model that sits on a spectrum from the heaviest to the lighter versions.
America used to be more balanced in terms of distribution of wealth and social services; not nearly as much as more thanks to eh democrats and GOP . . . the neo-cons, the conservatives, the neo-lilberals . . . they are all cut form the same calico cloth at this point, at least most of of them.
Under Clinton ore Trump, we will continue to have to fight for fair taxation, using taxation to FORTIFY and UPHOLD the PUBLIC COMMONS, a single payer healthcare system, public education, Social Security, and Medicare . . . . Not to mention drug prices and housing prices, and thwarting privatization of everything we have come to build and accomplish.
Even in a front page NY Times Article, Raul Castor declared to the lascivious Obama:
” . . . . Countries that do not provide universal health care, education and equal pay are in no position to lecture Cuba.”
Nordic, my foot! It’s NOT just Nordic. It’s the norm for any civilized modern democratic country. We in the United States are NOT that.
Raul Castro should have mentioned Guantanamo Bay where inmates languish in jail without being charged or tried. This prison is a black hole that denies due process rights, a shame for a country based on democratic principles. I don’t think we are in any position to be too critical of Cuba.
We seem to think we know it all and are slow to change.
Cx:
(Wrote my comment in such a rush! Sorry!)
” not nearly as much thanks to the Democrats and GOP . . . the neo-cons, the conservatives, the neo-lilberals . . . they are all cut from the same calico cloth at this point, at least most of of them.
Under Clinton or Trump, we will continue to have to fight for fair taxation, using taxation to FORTIFY and UPHOLD the PUBLIC COMMONS, a single payer healthcare system, public education, Social Security, and Medicare . . . . Not to mention drug prices, housing prices, and thwarting privatization of everything we have come to build and accomplish.
Even in a front page NY Times article, Raul Castro declared to the lascivious Obama:
” . . . . Countries that do not provide universal healthcare, education and equal pay are in no position to lecture Cuba.”
Nordic, my foot! It’s NOT just Nordic. It’s the norm for any civilized modern democratic country. We in the United States are NOT that.
We have been brainwashed by the right wing, GOP, libertarian, Ayn Randian propaganda mill: more than 40 years of philosophical sewage funded by the libertarian billionaires who hate, despise and loathe Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, unemployment insurance and any social programs that we still have. The US has been shoved rightward; the GOP has become a crazy libertarian dystopian cult while the Democrats have become mostly corporate shills. Only Sanders stands up to the oligarchs and economic royalists who keep us from having true universal health care and tuition free higher education.
Right on, Joe!!!!!!!
Joe, you hit the nail on its head! TY
Robert said, “America used to be more balanced in terms of distribution of wealth and social services”
When was that and for how long? In 1900, 40% of Americans lived in poverty and about only 7% finished high school with 3% finishing college.
That more balanced distribution of wealth was a burp in American history that pretty much bypassed minorities.
And those Social Services are Social Security, limited unemployment benefits, Medicare for those who are 65 or older, SNAP (food stamps that average less than $200 per month per person for those who qualify and almost half are children that live in poverty, and the elderly that are to old to work) and limited Welfare support that has a termination date today that I think is 5 years total.
The United States is far from becoming a Socialist state, by definition, because that would mean the government owns everything—the land, the houses and apartments we live in, and there would be no private sector because the means of production would be controlled and owned by the government.
“The United States is far from becoming a Socialist state, by definition, because that would mean the government owns everything—the land, the houses and apartments we live in, and there would be no private sector because the means of production would be controlled and owned by the government.”
Lloyd, no socialist organization or academic I am aware of believes this is the proper definition of socialism, or at least that it isn’t highly misleading. Socialists tend to call what you described “state capitalism.”
Socialism is when THE WORKERS own the means of production and distribution.
http://www.slp.org/what_is.htm
http://www.internationalsocialist.org/about/where-we-stand/case-socialism
http://www.dsausa.org/what_is_democratic_socialism
http://www.socialistalternative.org/2012/01/24/answering-common-questions-socialism-faqs/
Lloyd,
We have had shades of socialized this and that, and the “this and that” have been okay with some improvements needed to be made.
But currently, the “this and that” have been greatly eroded and the ruling elite want to eliminate them.
In the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, wealth was far more evenly distributed than it is today. Still the USA then and now can well afford and direly needs to allocate the expenditures of taxes back to the citizenry, which is does not do well or enough of. If it did, we would get far many more quality services for our tax dollars as do European countries. I for one am willing to pay 10% more in taxes if I were guaranteed a universal healthcare system, paid sick leave, paid vacations that are 4 to 5 weeks per year, child care for all, and free public colleges and universities, etc. We get very little for our tax dollar and it’s used to fatten the grotesquely rich. This business of individualism “I earned it so I deserve to keep it” is pure garbage . . . unless you live on your own island and are not connected to people.
And yes, the middle class phenomenon after WW2 was not something so resplendent or obvious to non-white people, I will posit.
But compared to today, the name of game is not ethnicity nearly as much as who gets to hold onto their dollar and accumulate it . . . .
I will take the 70s – with all it horrendous flaws – any time over what we have now in terms of fiscal equity. We were never socialist state, but we were a capitalist culture with a series of socialistic checks and balances, all of which are being destroyed by these A-holes up in D.C. and by the all too passive American people . . . .
But I have realistic faith and optimism . . . .
We have a German company here. They make commercial fasteners – just an ordinary product although apparently a high-quality and necessary product because they seem to be thriving. The original design was actually invented here, in this county. They treat their employees better than any of the US companies who also have various production facilities here on nearly every measure- wages, benefits, training, predictable and reasonable scheduling, all of it. It makes me sad. I don’t know when we became the race to the bottom country in the developed tier of countries as far as the workplace. I don’t know when that became okay and even admired.
They sent employees into my son’s middle school to do a week-long project where they had the kids solve various problems. He asked me about the company and I said “they’re good employers”, which is what I hear from the people who work there, many of whom have children in my son’s school. I wish it was a US company, but I feel like it it were the production people and equipment operators would all be making 10 bucks an hour and the CEO would be making 10 million.
“who benefits in nations that provide universal social services (as Bernie Sanders recommends): the middle class.”
Correction: everyone benefits, EVEN the wealthy, who share a world with all those not-wealthy people. https://www.ted.com/talks/nick_hanauer_beware_fellow_plutocrats_the_pitchforks_are_coming?language=en
Excellent point!
Taxes may be higher in Nordic countries, but at least the citizens see some return on their taxes in the form of benefits that go directly to the people to improve quality of life and access to education. We get to show off a shiny new string of F35s. Built by Lockheed Martin at a cost of $400 billion, the F 35 can’t turn, fight, climb or run. http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2014/07/14/pentagons-big-budget-f-35-fighter-cant-turn-cant-climb-cant-run/
Exellent point! Bigger and better ROI from your taxes, the way it SHOULD be . . .
We should have let the Vikings settle here.
I cross posted the article itself with this comment:
It is not that our middle WORKING CLASS don’t have those things that any democratic SOCIETY needs, services that any ‘social’ human being wants for his people — it is that there is a persuasive selfishness in America, the GROUP THINK that comes from the nature of our media, where “anything goes’ in order to achieve ones ‘dream’ or goal. Our tv invents winners, even if there are losers as collateral damage. To paraphrase Adam Smith, the rich will always want it all for themselves and Nothing for anyone else….or something like that.
Face it, the prevailing culture of our upper class which owns everything, is that we are mere serfs. Since this 1/10th of 1% owns almost everything including our legislators (and are looking forward to owning the Presidency and the Supreme Court) the dream for America is gone… unless we take it back (an elect Bernie).
And after you read the article below… the a look at the last graphic on this wonderful youtube called WEALTH IN AMERICA. I can’t forget it the last graph!!! GO THERE!
A harvard business economist asked more than 5000 Americans how they thought wealth was distributed in the United States. this is the result : INFOGRAPHICS on the distribution of Wealth in America, highlighting both the inequality and the difference between our perception of inequality and the actual numbers. The reality is often not what we think it is.Published on Nov 20, 2012
References:
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2…
http://danariely.com/2010/09/30/wealt…
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2011…
http://money.cnn.com/2012/04/19/news/…
When will people learn, Susan?
Unlike Nordic countries, the United States has firms, to advance access to a political party, that claims it is the party of the people.
Novus website, “Success Stories” tab, for DFER. “Novus assisted DFER in developing an active presence at Democratic Party events to demystify themselves…and build inroads into the party…assisted in developing annual events held at the Roosevelt Award Dinner and Annual State Party Convention to meet Party leaders.”
From the Novus Group , “Who We Are” tab, “We overcome opposition…We help clients get elected and stay elected.”
The photo array of management shows the familiar demographic.
The monumental accomplishment of the Nordic people, was keeping the colonialism of the American oligarchs, at bay, a feat the once, great democracy of America, failed to achieve.