TOPIC:

Welfare states don't work and lead to misery. Immense misery. Sounds nice I know - but it simply ends in tears. You can't just take other peoples money off them and give it to someone else. You just replace the Capitalist living in Jutland Parade with government officials when you do this. All animals are created equal but some are more equal than others.

Of course this new government state has to look good outwardly - so the politicians in charge of it have to be seen in the finest garments and best cars and of course they must eat the best food and sleep in the best beds. They have after all got to do important thinking.

When the farmers can't be bothered getting up at 5am anymore (because they only get paid the same as everyone else - except high ranking government officials) they can be given a stern warning to increase production. If that production doesn't increase - their 100 year family farm will be taken over by the state. Same with the factories. Managers will be replaced by loyal members of the party. Loyal but not managers.

When entrepreneurial drive dies and innovation along with it - well the state can then just buy new technology off capitalist states who still have thriving technologies.

Most on here are old enough to know better. Stop trying to sound cool and hip to your 20 something kids or grand kids who are complaing they can't get a job after their gender studies degree and are in tears that they have to pay their student loan off (how unfair).

Its a slippery slope and you should all know better.

I agree with you in part -- always back self interest at least you know its trying; in other words, Socialists need the productivity of capitalism, so as to have enough money to reform the system's worse aspects -- ie the welfare state

It's about getting a balance, the Westmister system of government which we inherited has evolved and served us well, better than most countries systems. It rewards the entrepreneurial spirit and those who take chances and work hard to create wealth and jobs but also has the necessary social welfare safety nets for those who need assistance, plus a health care system that covers everyone and has seen us deal with CV19 better than just about anyone. Not quite a social democracy, but the best of a both that and the capitalist system.

The USA has the worst of most things, it ignores the poor, be they healthy sick or disabled due to a discriminatory health system and a social class system that's built purely on how much money you have, the rich do very nicely but the poor are disaffected, angry and frustrated. When you have that divide, social disruption and violence is inevitable, not that i agree with the rampant looting and violence, but thats what happens when you treat certain racial and socioeconomic groups the way the US government and it's instruments (police) have been doing for generations. You reap what you sow.

A friend of my daughter's was in the US when Covid kicked off. She wasn't feeling well so attended a clinic to get tested but as she wasn't displaying all the symptoms was told to go home as they were saving tests. She received no treatment but they hit her with a bill for $14k!!!

14 Thousand Dollars?? Come on. $140 maybe.

That's what I was told.

DD wrote:

Bazza wrote: I didn't know the democrats were paying off porn stars to stay quiet?

pffft, trivial compared with trying to set up a President to purger himself and the others they have set up. Hillary and Obama's dirty hands are all over it.

Executive Order. Done!

www.msn.com/en-au/news/world/trump-signs...14K68D?ocid=msedgntp

No President has ever been impeached, and the only reason Trump wasn't was because the GoP controlled the Senate. He was found to have a case to answer for obstruction of justice. Trump will be wanting to hang on as long as he can to avoid prosecution once out office.

And I for one don't consider paying hush money as a trivial matter.

Nixon only avoided it due to to his resignation and the agreement that if he went Ford would grant him a pardon on prosecution which is how it was done, - rotten to the core. And they weren't Democrats.

BC wrote: A friend of my daughter's was in the US when Covid kicked off. She wasn't feeling well so attended a clinic to get tested but as she wasn't displaying all the symptoms was told to go home as they were saving tests. She received no treatment but they hit her with a bill for $14k!!!

Sounds about right.

They have the highest paid doctors in the OECD by a long way yet the worst KPIs and Health Outcomes in the OECD, among them the lowest life expaectancy. Thats what happens when you let capitalism run a health system.

The average German Doctor gets paid half what the average US doctor is paid. I'd rather be sick in Germany.

Senior Seagull wrote: It's about getting a balance, the Westmister system of government which we inherited has evolved and served us well, better than most countries systems. It rewards the entrepreneurial spirit and those who take chances and work hard to create wealth and jobs but also has the necessary social welfare safety nets for those who need assistance, plus a health care system that covers everyone and has seen us deal with CV19 better than just about anyone. Not quite a social democracy, but the best of a both that and the capitalist system.

The USA has the worst of most things, it ignores the poor, be they healthy sick or disabled due to a discriminatory health system and a social class system that's built purely on how much money you have, the rich do very nicely but the poor are disaffected, angry and frustrated. When you have that divide, social disruption and violence is inevitable, not that i agree with the rampant looting and violence, but thats what happens when you treat certain racial and socioeconomic groups the way the US government and it's instruments (police) have been doing for generations. You reap what you sow.

Pretty much spot on mate.

Its about a moderate state and a balance, as for the welfare state never working , that's simply not true, the nations with the strongest welfare systems are among st the happiest and most successful, Norway, Denmark, that doesn't mean no body works or pays their way, everyone benefits from a strong education and health system, but its about the social contract , everyone needs to buy in and contribute, so I homogeneous societies do far better with this sort structure then mixed ones.

ArkRoyal wrote: a mixed economy with a welfare state
the Dutch introduced slavery into America

The dutch brought them but it was English that bought them at Jamestown to be used as slaves which had been stolen from a Portuguese slave ship from Angola by dutch pirates.