Yeah, Scandinavia pretty much has it right :) But it's so different in so many ways that I could never see the US making that transition. The latest health care reforms represent around 0.1% of what would be needed.
On 19 August 2010 11:25, Rakesh <[email protected]> wrote: > so which society has it right? I hear good things about Scandinavia or > is that a myth? Or perhaps the Scandinavian model doesn't scale when > you have 50 million+ people.... > > Rakesh > > On Thu, Aug 19, 2010 at 11:06 AM, Kevin Wright <[email protected]> > wrote: > > No argument about the UK there, I've worked out that living in just the > one > > house with my fiance is financially stupid. > > We just pretend to break up, then she moves into a new place, and gets > the > > benefits system to pay her council tax, rent, etc. etc. > > She'd even get cash thrown at her for being a single parent AND disabled > > (she gets no disability benefit when living with me, as it's means-tested > > against my salary) > > and I think even tax credits on top of her disability allowance, because > > being disabled doesn't quite get classified as being jobless > > Even I would be able to pay 25% less council tax, as a single resident. > > Between the two of us, the net benefit would easily be over £1000/month > > It does make me laugh when I hear government ministers rambling on about > how > > they must encourage "family values" > > It's quite simple, start paying people to stay in families, not to break > up > > from them. > > > > On 19 August 2010 10:46, Carl Jokl <[email protected]> wrote: > >> > >> Special Gmail rule? My goodness! It could have been any of us. > >> > >> *runs away screaming* > >> > >> The US does seem to be the land of extremes. I visited Boston and > >> liked it very much but had the impression Boston was one of the > >> extremes and not typical. > >> > >> I see the UK as having the problem that its social welfare system has > >> been totally abused from what it is supposed to do. Lots of things > >> have been done in the name of closing the gap between rich and poor. > >> In the end it seems like those who work hard and educate themselves > >> get nothing (well no help at least, the UK really does nothing to look > >> after its professionals and skilled people). There was a time i.e. > >> industrial revolution where trying to even the wealth was prudent and > >> worked out well. These days it feels like the professionals and those > >> who work hard get taxed to death to pay for the people living on > >> welfare. As a cruel twist of irony sometimes our professionals > >> struggle to keep their heads above water while some individuals who do > >> not go out to work at all can afford satellite TV and some luxuries > >> which some of our struggling professionals cannot afford. The whole > >> system doesn't seem to encourage people to be sensible and > >> responsible. It is all very wrong. > >> > >> In spite of the US having high percentages of people in Jail count > >> yourselves lucky that you can lock your criminals up. The UK prisons > >> are full so people who really should be going to jail are either > >> having sentences too short or punished some other way. > >> > >> "Well you did murder these people and I would like to send you to jail > >> but unfortunately there is no room so we are going to slap you on the > >> wrist and let you go." > >> > >> I suppose it is no surprise that recently it was announced on the news > >> that crime levels in the UK have overtaken those in the US. > >> > >> -- > >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > Groups > >> "The Java Posse" group. > >> To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > >> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > >> [email protected]<javaposse%[email protected]> > . > >> For more options, visit this group at > >> http://groups.google.com/group/javaposse?hl=en. > >> > > > > > > > > -- > > Kevin Wright > > > > mail/google talk: [email protected] > > wave: [email protected] > > skype: kev.lee.wright > > twitter: @thecoda > > > > -- > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > > "The Java Posse" group. > > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > > [email protected]<javaposse%[email protected]> > . > > For more options, visit this group at > > http://groups.google.com/group/javaposse?hl=en. > > > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "The Java Posse" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]<javaposse%[email protected]> > . > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/javaposse?hl=en. > > -- Kevin Wright mail/google talk: [email protected] wave: [email protected] skype: kev.lee.wright twitter: @thecoda -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "The Java Posse" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/javaposse?hl=en.
