Stress does not lead to creativity, and it never has.

And it is a great deal, and the people who don't want to take that deal are precisely the people who are sitting on all the resources to do it with as their personal assets. And they are wrong, they would be better off too, the rich, without all that stuff but with a lot more security and respect from their newfound peers.

Thank you for posting it.

Sam

our taxes goes to pay for example over a trillion dollars to Lockheed Martin for the F-35 program which has not produced a functional fighter jet to perform as we thought we were going to get years ago. It continues to be funded. Our tax dollars goes to different nations in the form of foreign aid, never to return, and many other sources which chews up the tax dollars.

The number of Americans dying in military action is much less than gun violence.

Obviously something is right here.

In December, the Kaiser Family Foundation polled 1,505 people. Only 1 in 20 knew the right answer: less than 1 percent of the $4 trillion federal budget goes to foreign aid. The average respondent estimated that 26 percent went toward assisting other countries.


http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2015/02/10/383875581/guess-how-much-of-uncle-sams-money-goes-to-foreign-aid-guess-again

What we give in that is a pittance. What we pay for the defense industry is an enormous drain of our taxes, and much of it is probably unnecessary and wasted. We know that billions of dollars just disappeared in Iraq, and there has never been any accountability. The Pentagon has never even been audited! This is where we should be looking to cut waste, fraud and abuse, not to mention weapons systems that we may not need or that don't work as they are supposed to.

This is just one program.

Foreign Aid is often just money that must be spent by that country on military items that we sell them. It isn't milk and water or food--it's just arms dealing with a slick veneer.

Lockheed Martin and other defense programs protect paid taxes in the US.

But as those companies move to produce their products in other countries and opt out of paying taxes here, I think we Americans are rather sick of it.

My children attended three years of Austrian kindergarten and some of their grade school there. It has given them advantages for their entire lives.

We need to stop making excuses for our lousy public services and horrible infrastructure. And if companies want the US to defend their trade routes and commercial advantages, they need to pay taxes that cover the cost of that defense.

Americans are more likely to die from their neighbor's gun than from a terrorist's weapon. We need a defense, but we should not pay to protect the seas and territories of other countries just so our corporations can do business there when those corporations don't pay their taxes here.

More from the article quoted in the OP:

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.

. . . .

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.

. . . .

Nordic countries are well-ranked when it comes to helping facilitate starting a business. At the most basic level, what the Nordic approach does is reduce the risk of starting a company, since basic services such as education and health care are covered for regardless of the fledgling company’s fate. In addition, companies themselves are freed from the burdens of having to offer such services for their employees at the scale American companies do. And if the entrepreneur succeeds, they are rewarded by tax rates on capital gains that are lower than the rate on wages.

. . . .

But the truth is that free-market capitalism and universal social policies go well together—this isn’t about big government, it’s about smart government. I suspect that despite Hillary Clinton’s efforts to distance herself from Sanders, she probably knows this. After all, Clinton is also endorsing policies that sound an awful lot like what the Nordics have done: paid family leave, better public schools, and affordable day care, health care and college for all.

http://www.businessinsider.com/what-americans-dont-understand-about-nordic-countries-2016-3

The article describes a system that I have lived in also.

One of the nicest things in the late 1970s early 1980s was the discussion among Austrians about how they as a nation could compete in the age of "free" markets.

I so respect that country for the clear thinking they did.
They said in essence, "We are a small country. We cannot compete on the same basis as larger countries. We need to focus on developing companes that produce small amounts of items, products that are needed and will sell but that are not needed in great quantities." I'm paraphrasing their deliberation and decision very badly. They chose to specialize in making items that would sell but could better be made by smaller companies. It made so much sense.

I have never seen or heard such a thoughtful process or thinking in the US. I especially have not seen it in the media.

I do not remember having a discussion here about how to compete in the global marketplace. I am unaware that we have a national strategy in that respect.

We just sort of in a disorganized way, willy-nilly produce stuff and hope. No wonder we are not doing well.

Imagine that you set up a shop somewhere in middle America and on one wall you sell post cards and on the other you sell equipment for drilling oil wells. Over there in that corner you have a dentist chair just in case a qualified dentist decides to practice in your store, and all the while someone is giving a concert on a grand piano in another corner. Now all those activities can be present in a healthy economy. No question. But if someone comes in to shop for post cards, they are unlikely to want to buy drilling equipment.

We just have willy nilly industry with no plan or export policy that ordinary Americans are aware of or have any say in.

It breeds the kind of stupidity you have with the Trump crowd. Totally disorganized thought. Function and competing internationally are not even in the conscious minds of Americans.

I feel I am not expressing this well, but . . . .

There is a complete lack of understanding of the process of planning to be a part of the world's "free" market in this country and really very little support for new businesses starting up as far as the government is concerned. I am aware of the programs the government has, the small business bureau, etc. It's all advice but not much beyond small business loans and information. Other countries make sure that even people starting their businesses and not earning a lot get health and dental care and don't owe on student loans. That allows people to start a business without risking their families, their children and their entire future.

We are so backward.

Feel the Bern! It's all about common sense. Bernie is the only candidate who has it in my opinion.

It's a shame no one has ever demanded to know what the hell happens with foreign aid, other than simply buying governments.

Thank You elleng! Completely agreed.

……Michael Moore's new movie, "Where To Invade Next".

It makes this point over and over and ends with Nordic women telling us how they can't understand how little our citizens take care of each other and how harshly indifferent our government is towards our real welfare.

It made me homesick for Nordic countries and I've never even visited them!

So depressing.

The part comparing how we haven't dealt with our racist history compared to Germany's atonement was especially devastating.

Saw the movie twice actually.

It bothered me that the overwhelming majority of people in the theater looked over 50. Very few millennials and I don't understand why.

Never been there, but might go but for my grandkids here.

while our services keep getting cut and the government keeps crying poverty and all we ever see are fat Congressmen and a bloated military. If we ever had gotten real services in this country, the tax whiners would never have had a chance to get that old snake oil salesman Reagan into office.

Cheap labor Republicans and anti Communist scaredy cats have screwed this country in every way possible.

My advice? Skedaddle back to Finland while you still can.

and more.

Well made point about how Bernie's proposals are being presented as Pie in the Sky, when they are in practice in Italy, France, Denmark, etc etc.

I want my taxes to go for a higher quality of life for all of us, not for the Top 1% so I can watch them on Reality TV.

And Michael Moore's movie makes the same point-- these policies are working already. The citizens got to decide they wanted their taxes to cover health care for all and they fought for that and have had coverage for years.

......use against conservatives - whether Republican or Democratic.

universal healthcare, affordable college (US had it until Reagan), family leave, decent childcare, job security, safe food & water, more.

war on civilization.

Civil Rights, Voting Rights, Medicare, Medicaid, all passed in the mid 60's. That's what led to the conservative freak out and takeover in 1980.

Its the only rich country that can't do simple things like provide Healthcare and Education to its citizenry.

Talk about unique!

Much conflict is prevented by the establishment of U.S. military bases across continents to contain ideological conflicts that destabilize internal production and international trades that have been global for 300+ years.

Without much research, I'd bet our economy subsidizes other global industries for other countries' benefits, as well. For Nordics, "the future" stands upon the foundation of wealth produced by U.S. globalism of the past in the areas of textiles, oil, Internet infrastructure and other big sectors.

We usually look as if we do things the hard way, but that's in contrast, right now, to those who stand upon our shoulders.

The 1% could get out of our way now and stop stressing our work population with the food, clothing, shelter austerity profits that have been resolved in Nordic countries with no stress on their workers.

Indeed, Bernie supporters are absolutely not naive about making this government work smarter for our tax dollars. It's Trump supporters who are naive. Trump would never allow such a structural change unless only he got the credit.

Note that I said "WERE" as that is changing.

It isn't that I don't agree with you. I absolutely do. This nation should have a single payer national health care plan that covers all Americans. We should pay our teachers a LOT more. Water, electricity, prisons, these should NEVER be privitized.

Having said all of that, would you share with us what brought you here? Please understand, I am not saying "go back, this is the greatest nation on earth and if you don't like it here, why did you come?" I just would like to hear from you maybe something good about my (our) country from a person who decided to come here.
Thank you

experience

I have inserted quotation marks, for more clarity.

There are lots of good reasons to come here.

Tech companies try to make life as tolerable as possible for their employees. Depending on what you do and where you work and live, big surprise, most companies are not evil. They do the best that they can by their workers.

You have to understand a great many of the media's articles on innumerable subjects as well as online posts are buying into belief systems and framing that are downright wrong, and they attempt to magnify one another in whats known as the echo chamber.

calculated to create certain impressions which are often fake- for example, support for a lot of bad policies (keeping the current dysfunctional health care system, for example) is way blown up out of proportion online when in the real world, almost nobody feels that way.

The real reason they push this horrible health care system on us is hidden, its - get this, trad deals!

any other people generally so selfless and quick to rally round when a neighbour is in trouble, or a new neighbour is moving in or crowdfunding for seriously-ill youngster, than you Americans. Even, for goodness sake, funding politicians ! And we know Bernie is virtually a one-off.

Evidently it is generally, the Haves, who are pathologically selfish. Difficult not to think of the old saw, to the effect that it's easy to see what a low opinion God has of money by those he has 'given' it to in abundance.

where people gather to imagine, brainstorm, debate, design, commune, etc.
for the purpose of creating new models for living. For instance, game designers putting their efforts toward creating alternative worlds and the transformational steps toward a new reality that experiments with alternative governance, organization, markets, sustainable living, etc. Then other groups who would implement some of the most promising ideas within towns or
communities creating functioning models for sustainable living and governance, etc.
I know alternative communities are nothing new (ex. Findhorn). And there are individuals simply going about their daily lives making changes toward this end. But as a country we currently don't have a government, a leader, a community, a culture, that reaches into the future with vision or an intentional statement of purpose. It seems to me we sorely need a vision to unite around.
So rather than designing our lives and using our talents to fit into the existing
reality, I'd love a grassroots movement that focuses exclusively on constructing a new world.
A constructive focus, taking the initiative and producing real results, rather than endless bashing against the same walls.

YES INDEED

...happily pay higher taxes to be able to count on the kinds of compassionate services detailed in the article. Happily. sign me up now.

She can't believe how backwards this country is.

as everything else) is played by the 90% Republican-owned (Corporate) news media. They are
probably the ones who came up with this line of reasoning, and they have been very successful
in having the people fooled, so that corporations can continue to rob the American people blind
with our present system of doing business.

Americans are an isolated people. Our closest neighbors are Mexico and Canada. For most people
both are too far away. I've lived many years in Europe. All one needs is to drive a couple of hours
and one is in a different country, with a different language and some difference in customs. Because
of this constant exposure to foreign influence, one can't help but become more open and accepting
of differences.

It would also be more difficult for people to become brain-washed news-wise, since one can listen
to and watch news from foreign countries just as easily as from one's own. It's not uncommon for
Europeans to speak a second or third language, which is quite uncommon here.

and then the dumbing down of our education 'system.'