Difference between revisions of "Scandinavian Miracle"

From iGeek
Jump to: navigation, search
Line 27: Line 27:
 
"Many view the United States as a free market capitalist state and Nordic countries such as Sweden and Finland as socialist due to their extensive welfare system. Yet, in the United States, most roads, highways, and other transportation infrastructure are publicly owned and operated. Meanwhile, the vast majority of roads in Sweden and Finland are operated by the private sector and maintained by local communities. Examining Sweden and Finland’s public-private road model may give us insight into how private roads can operate in the United States." <ref>Private Roads: https://devoelmoorecenter.com/2018/02/28/why-the-u-s-should-adopt-the-nordic-approach-to-private-roads/</ref>
 
"Many view the United States as a free market capitalist state and Nordic countries such as Sweden and Finland as socialist due to their extensive welfare system. Yet, in the United States, most roads, highways, and other transportation infrastructure are publicly owned and operated. Meanwhile, the vast majority of roads in Sweden and Finland are operated by the private sector and maintained by local communities. Examining Sweden and Finland’s public-private road model may give us insight into how private roads can operate in the United States." <ref>Private Roads: https://devoelmoorecenter.com/2018/02/28/why-the-u-s-should-adopt-the-nordic-approach-to-private-roads/</ref>
  
 
+
In 2001, a Swedish government-commissioned evaluation found PRAs could run their roads at about half the cost as for the national roads -- and that's in a tiny country with almost complete homogeny. In the U.S. the results are likely to be far, far better. So the idea that without the government, who would pay for the roads? The people would, only it would cost a fraction as much, and be better managed.
  
 
----
 
----

Revision as of 13:34, 5 May 2019

There's an idea called the Scandinavian Miracle: that they upped their Social Programs and it had no impacts on their economy or culture. If you believe in Miracles, you're a rube. Everything comes with tradeoffs. Anyone that tells you the grass is greener is a flim-flam artist or rube. It should set of warning bells and make you want to find out what they aren't telling you. And the Northern European countries are no exception.

  1. These countries aren't Socialist at all. They keep chewing out the ignorant American Socialists for calling them socialist. They don't control the means of production: they have low tax/regulation on businesses -- so they're more free-market than we are.
  2. They do have low individual freedom (high personal taxes), and big safety nets. But that comes with other costs. Like an intolerant culture that believes in the Law of Jante. (Individuals are shit, the collective is what matters... so conform or be socially ostracized).
  3. Some might want to live in a country were Ovaltine is outlawed, you can’t homeschool, and the government gives you a list of approved names for your kids, but that won’t fly here.
  4. Their countries is smaller than many of our cities
  5. They have less diversity... they're trying to catch up, and now have more violence (turns out homogeny helps)
  6. Denmark had one of the highest suicide rates in the world, until they put everyone on anti-depressants. (Highest use in the free world). They rank as happy, the truth is they're just drugged up. Put zoloft in our water supply, and we could be as happy as they are, in our mindless stupor.
  7. Visitors think it’s quaint to live without any diversity, and living in 2/3rds the sq ft per person, and so on. But when you have ride your bike and take public transit in the sleet and bitter winter, it turns out that quaintness wears thin.
  8. Even they got sick of it, and have been trending much more conservative, lowering the social benefits, and heading more in our direction
NOTE: I realize that there's lots of debates as to what is Scandinavia. (Finland is out or in, depending on formal or informal). Generally, Denmark and/or Germany are not, but they behave a little like them. So it's sort of sloppy to include Denmark/Germany into those, but culturally they are more similar to them than they are to say, Japan, Argentina, or other places. So for cultural broad brushing, they should be included, with the caveat that all the countries are unique, and they only loosely apply.

Read Harrison Bergeron and the Law of Jante and try to understand how homegenous and intolerant towards individuals the culture had to get, before you could even have such a thing as their Social System get voted in, or work at all. (Also remember scale, their countries are smaller and have less diversity than many of our single metro areas).

Human costs

Erica Komisar psychoanalyst and author of “Being There: Why Prioritizing Motherhood in the First Three Years Matters" wrote a great article on the Human Cost of Sweden’s Welfare State.[1] The gist is think of the impacts:

  • 61.85%+ Tax Burden: and you're only as free as how much of your money you keep control of. So you're 38% freeman / 62% ward of the state (Slave) in Sweden
  • They decide/pressure/cajole parents in turning their kids over to state indoctrination camps from the age of 1 or so, so that they can be fully "educated", parents can't be trusted with the minds of the young
  • Mothers who stay home with kids are stigmatized as regressive and antifeminist. Daycare exists to, “liberate women from their maternal instincts.”
  • This lack of parental involvement, overstimulation has mental health impacts: high suicide rates, 1 in 5 teens are into self-harm
  • While more Women are forced to work, they have lower rates in Management than U.S., Canada, France, Russia or Australia, and their income wage gap is greater than other places.

Roads and Infrastructure

"Many view the United States as a free market capitalist state and Nordic countries such as Sweden and Finland as socialist due to their extensive welfare system. Yet, in the United States, most roads, highways, and other transportation infrastructure are publicly owned and operated. Meanwhile, the vast majority of roads in Sweden and Finland are operated by the private sector and maintained by local communities. Examining Sweden and Finland’s public-private road model may give us insight into how private roads can operate in the United States." [2]

In 2001, a Swedish government-commissioned evaluation found PRAs could run their roads at about half the cost as for the national roads -- and that's in a tiny country with almost complete homogeny. In the U.S. the results are likely to be far, far better. So the idea that without the government, who would pay for the roads? The people would, only it would cost a fraction as much, and be better managed.


GeekPirate.small.png

📚 References

More Links


Written