4 ms·

Your idea of Scandinavian democratic socialism seems to be rather misguided. You probably haven't lived here? - Top marginal tax rates are not that different -

Your idea of Scandinavian democratic socialism seems to be rather misguided. You probably haven't lived here? - Top marginal tax rates are not that different -- the difference is more in that the higher tax rates kick in earlier in Scandinavia, which is necessary because average earnings are lower. In the U.S., the high earners pay a larger proportion of tax revenue than Scandinavia. US: the top 2.7 % pays 51.6 % of federal income tax [0] while in Finland, the top 3 % pays 22.4 % of income tax revenue [1] - Wage floors: Scandinavian countries don't have a legal minimum wage at all [2]. The minimum compensation for each job is negotiated in collective bargaining per sector, and several U.S. states already have higher and more broadly enforced minimum wages than what these per-sector agreements are in Scandinavian countries. - Corporate profits to labor's pocket: compensation per employee as percentage of GDP at factor cost per person employed is not substantially different in the U.S. from northern EU. [3] Yes, it's somewhat falling because of technological development and increased regulation and taxation everywhere. Overall, the difference in fact is that in many areas, the Scandinavian countries have less socialism, more market economy - more open competition and less protectionism. It seems that you think the Scandinavian success is socialism, when in fact it is neoliberalism. [4] [0] http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/04/13/high-income-americans-pay-most-income-taxes-but-enough-to-be-fair/ http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/04/13/high-income-... [1] http://www.stat.fi/tup/suoluk/suoluk_tulot.html http://www.stat.fi/tup/suoluk/suoluk_tulot.html [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_minimum_wages_by_country https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_minimum_wages_by_count... [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wage_share#/media/File:AdjustedWageShareUSAFRGJapan.PNG https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wage_share#/media/File:Adjuste... [4] http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1629940 http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1629940

toomuchtodo 10y ago
I'm targeting the same outcome by pulling different levers.
- thaumasiotes 10y ago
  What is that outcome, and in what sense is it "Scandinavian democratic socialism"?
  - toomuchtodo 10y ago
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nordic_model#Aspects https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nordic_model#Aspects
    - ptaipale 10y ago
      Again, have you actually understood how we here in Nordic countries have arrived in this model? Your approach looks like a cargo cult to me: it lacks understanding of the basic mechanisms, and instead focuses on some external insignia and symbols.
      - toomuchtodo 10y ago
        Yes, I've studied the economic principals underlying Nordic socioeconomic success. Again, I believe other methods will need to be undertaken to achieve the same outcome, due to the drastic cultural and economic differences between Nordic countries and the United States. That's not cargo culting. That's adapting to your circumstances.

toomuchtodo 10y ago

I'm targeting the same outcome by pulling different levers.

thaumasiotes 10y ago
What is that outcome, and in what sense is it "Scandinavian democratic socialism"?
- toomuchtodo 10y ago
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nordic_model#Aspects https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nordic_model#Aspects
  - ptaipale 10y ago
    Again, have you actually understood how we here in Nordic countries have arrived in this model? Your approach looks like a cargo cult to me: it lacks understanding of the basic mechanisms, and instead focuses on some external insignia and symbols.
    - toomuchtodo 10y ago
      Yes, I've studied the economic principals underlying Nordic socioeconomic success. Again, I believe other methods will need to be undertaken to achieve the same outcome, due to the drastic cultural and economic differences between Nordic countries and the United States. That's not cargo culting. That's adapting to your circumstances.