Iceland has pulled off a virtual miracle in its recovery from the economic crises, and they were the worst hit, having deregulated banks in 2001, setting up the conditions for the fall. They saw what ailed their system, punished those responsible and enacted real change. And guess what? It's working.
"Socialism doesn't work and is evil," cry American conservatives. I don't think the Scandinavian people would agree. Scandinavia could teach the world a lot about quite a few things, if anyone ever paid them attention. The media sure doesn't. The corporation who exert editorial control over commercial media want us to believe that all of Europe is collapsing and there's only one way to fix it - austerity and more of the same financial actions that got us into this. During the panic, Scandinavia has trucked along very well thank you. Despite having an expensive welfare system and some of the highest wages in the world, they are not only competing successfully, they have resisted the crises far better than the rest of the world. Maybe because they not only look after their economy, they look after the people that make that economy.
The third example I have chosen is Bolivia, though not as a broad example like the first two. Bolivia has taken control of a silver mining operation run by Canadians. I have heard some very bad things about how Canadian mining companies exploit and displace the local population and damage the environment. At a time when we can easily dig tunnels miles long, they strip mine everything because its cheaper. I applaud any nation that takes control of its resources away from corporations, especially foreign ones. It's the only way to grow out of being a colony of larger powers, whether they be other countries or transnational corporations. I wish my country would have the balls to nationalize its mining and oil, process it here where we can control the methods and standards, and then sell them as a value-added products, the profits going into the national coffers and enabling the lowering and even elimination of taxes. Being self-sufficient would also be nice. This makes a bit more sense than letting foreigners rape our environment to take the raw materials and then sell them back to us as finished products for higher prices. It might even lead to some kind of sustainable level of economic growth, as well as decent jobs and living standards.Wouldn't that be nice? Not for the corporations, of course, but certainly for the rest of us.
Of course, quick profit is the real motive of so-called "resource development" and the financial market, so the powers that be fight and suppress knowledge of these things as much as possible. Bush only watched Fox News. Harper doesn't want to hear science or news that disagrees with his neoliberal economics and neoconservative politics. He, and the rest of his ilk in control these days, really don't want us hearing such things.
We might learn that there is another way, a better way, than the tripe they're trying to force down our throats.
Yes, little Stevie, there really is an alternative - to you and endless economic bubbles and crashes.
It's called reason.
Scandinavia's response
Iceland's response to the crises
Bolivia nationalizes
"Socialism doesn't work and is evil," cry American conservatives. I don't think the Scandinavian people would agree. Scandinavia could teach the world a lot about quite a few things, if anyone ever paid them attention. The media sure doesn't. The corporation who exert editorial control over commercial media want us to believe that all of Europe is collapsing and there's only one way to fix it - austerity and more of the same financial actions that got us into this. During the panic, Scandinavia has trucked along very well thank you. Despite having an expensive welfare system and some of the highest wages in the world, they are not only competing successfully, they have resisted the crises far better than the rest of the world. Maybe because they not only look after their economy, they look after the people that make that economy.
The third example I have chosen is Bolivia, though not as a broad example like the first two. Bolivia has taken control of a silver mining operation run by Canadians. I have heard some very bad things about how Canadian mining companies exploit and displace the local population and damage the environment. At a time when we can easily dig tunnels miles long, they strip mine everything because its cheaper. I applaud any nation that takes control of its resources away from corporations, especially foreign ones. It's the only way to grow out of being a colony of larger powers, whether they be other countries or transnational corporations. I wish my country would have the balls to nationalize its mining and oil, process it here where we can control the methods and standards, and then sell them as a value-added products, the profits going into the national coffers and enabling the lowering and even elimination of taxes. Being self-sufficient would also be nice. This makes a bit more sense than letting foreigners rape our environment to take the raw materials and then sell them back to us as finished products for higher prices. It might even lead to some kind of sustainable level of economic growth, as well as decent jobs and living standards.Wouldn't that be nice? Not for the corporations, of course, but certainly for the rest of us.
Of course, quick profit is the real motive of so-called "resource development" and the financial market, so the powers that be fight and suppress knowledge of these things as much as possible. Bush only watched Fox News. Harper doesn't want to hear science or news that disagrees with his neoliberal economics and neoconservative politics. He, and the rest of his ilk in control these days, really don't want us hearing such things.
We might learn that there is another way, a better way, than the tripe they're trying to force down our throats.
Yes, little Stevie, there really is an alternative - to you and endless economic bubbles and crashes.
It's called reason.
Scandinavia's response
Iceland's response to the crises
Bolivia nationalizes
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