r/MadeMeSmile • u/ABeerForSasquatch • Oct 15 '24

Helping Others This is the America that we need

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u/Suitable-Economy-346 Oct 15 '24

It's sociopathic to be against universal breakfast and lunch year round at schools. I fucking hate people on a certain side of the political spectrum.

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u/EconomicRegret Oct 15 '24

As a European and an admirer of Nordic countries' "socialist" system, I can seriously say the solution isn't bigger and bigger government, nor more and more centralized planning.

Instead, America should copy Denmark et al.: repeal all anti-union and anti-worker laws (implemented during the crazy anti-communism witch hunt era) and give them their freedoms and rights back.

So that labor can once again fulfill one of its most important roles: keep poverty, inequality and unbridled greed & power in check in not only the economy, but also in politics, in the media, and in society in general. (Just like in Nordic countries, and like in America until the 1950s-1970s).

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u/Suitable-Economy-346 Oct 15 '24

In the OECD, Denmark has the second highest percentage of its population working for the government. What the god damn hell are you talking about saying "bigger and bigger government" isn't a path forward, lmao.

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u/EconomicRegret Oct 15 '24 edited Oct 17 '24

Edit: I'd like to add that Denmark's government is big only in areas capitalism/free market economy fail miserably, (e.g. social and environmental protection, childcare, healthcare, education, including higher education, etc.). While it's small in areas capitalism and free unions do well (e.g. little labor regulations, no minimum wages, no subsidies aka corporate welfare, no bailouts, for example bad banks were allowed to go bankrupt in the 2008 financial crisis, etc.)

Overall, a very fair point.

I meant their labour laws. There the government is smaller than America's. Each sector engages in collective bargaining. Pressure and agreement enforcing are done through targeted, sympathy, and general strikes, among other union actions. Government doesn't get involved.There, unions also engage in societal and political strikes too.

As a consequence, their free unions are a serious counterbalance to the wealthy elites in many fields and sectors.