MIKE INGLES
POSTED BY SEAN LENIHAN
Let’s suppose that you have lots and lots of walnuts. Walnuts have plenty of protein and will satisfy your appetite and keep you alive. Let’s suppose I have grapes, lots and lots of grapes. Grapes are full of vitamin C and can keep me alive. Let’s say some lady comes by and she has lots and lots of apples. Apples have lots of vitamin A, and those Golden Delicious apples can keep her going for years and years.
Now, each of us have a valuable commodity and each can be considered self-sufficient. However, if we decide to share our resources—we have the makings of a Waldorf Salad—a much better (and delicious) use of the commodities and gives each of us a much healthier diet.
That’s the idea behind Socialism.
Just as there are different viewpoints and degrees within Capitalism, with some politicians believing in little or no government intervention into markets and some believing in heavy involvement of government, Socialism also has extremes. Socialism with stringent government controls is called Communism, and Socialism with individual freedoms is called Norway.
Leading the world prosperity index once again, Norway is now joined by Sweden and Finland to garner the trifecta of most prosperous countries. Free healthcare, second highest income per person, 2.6% unemployment, free education…you get the picture. Politically, Norway modeled itself after America; executive, legislative and judicial branches of government, they call themselves a “welfare state” which is code for Socialism or, to be fair, a system of government where the state guarantees the equality of opportunity with an equitable distribution of wealth. They also have cable TV.
You won’t find a hell of a lot of billionaires in Norway or Sweden or Finland. Bill Gates does not have an office there. And, chances are, you won’t find too many homes with elevators for the cars. Somehow, these people have come together and taken the best of what Capitalism and Socialism have to offer, and put them together, to provide prosperity for themselves.
These countries spend about 30% of their GNP (Gross National Product), for my purposes—30% of the wealth created by both business and individuals, for use in public services. America, uses about 22% and Republicans are demanding that this number to go down to around 20%. President Obama, does not have a figure in mind, or, if he does, he’s too timid to say what that number is.
Oh yea, Norway and Sweden and Finland have not declared war on anyone for quite a while. That helps too. Although, there have been some nasty fights at ‘football’ games.
If you doubt my analysis, think about this: America is supposed to be the great “melting pot” a place where everyone aspires to live. How many Norwegians have you ran into lately?
Probably not many.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mike Ingles is a freelance writer living in Ohio. He has a degree in American Literature from Franklin University, Columbus, Ohio. —> duckrun2@aol.com
© 2003 Mike Ingles
