Forum Post: Here's a story of two different countries and what happened to them

In Finland, they Decided to Eliminate Homelessness.

That was a prioritized policy decision: it wasn't wild eyed marxism, it was a choice. They're a capitalist society. They're successful. People aren't lazy and haven't been destroyed by intrusive government. They made a conscious choice and it appears to be working for them. Unlike extremist conservatives in this country, who exalt the individual over the greater good, many countries support their populations. They don't call them entitlements--that's an American construct. Finland? They strive mightily to ensure that their people--whoever they are--have shelter. Are they run by marxists denying freedoms? Um, no, they're very economically successful, and people there have the utmost liberty. They also happen to be one of the most educated countries on the planet. (See sources below). According to the European Federation of National Organizations Working with the Homeless:

"Perhaps the most concerted and successful effort to deal with homelessness is in Finland where, after the International Year of Shelter for the Homeless in 1987, the Government devised a multifaceted response to the problem. It included building of social housing, the creation of social welfare and health care services, and setting a target to provide a dwelling of minimum standards for every homeless person. The number of single homeless persons at that time was approximately 18 000. In just 10 years, the number of homeless in Finland was cut in half."

This was a national decision on a) prioritizing need, b) deciding what to do about that need, and c) executing to meet that need. They decided--as a country--to make this a priority. Did it hurt them economically or otherwise impoverish them? No. They're one of the most successful countries on the planet. Are they less happy for it? No. They rank in the top 10 on having the happiest population (unlike the United States). (links: http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB120425355065601997-7Bp8YFw7Yy1n9bdKtVyP7KBAcJA_20080330.html || http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Finland || http://tinyurl.com/2e5coe; http://tinyurl.com/6877g38)

In the United States, they Decided to Bicker and Strut.

Instead of focusing on improving society as a whole, the people, political parties, and mainstream media in the United States focus on non-existent enemies and puerile one-upmanship, all driven by ideological, religious, and cultural "sports-like" agendas. And as a result, we have made some really bad "life choices" over the last 10 years. We decided, for example, to invade a country that didn't attack us--based on lies and insidious fear mongering. It cost the country $3 trillion dollars (50% more than the national debt from WWII to 1980) and tens of thousands of American (and hundreds of thousands of "other" peoples) lives; actions that led to pariah status in much of the world.

What could we have done with that money? Make education and healthcare more affordable? Improve the nation's infrastructure? Create jobs? Provide housing for the homeless? We'll never know, but that's what's known in macroeconomics as "opportunity cost." (link: http://tinyurl.com/2eb4zne).

Instead of regulating the trade of highly risky debt-based securities by Wall Street corporations (that were then bailed out by tax dollars) and banking practices that offered "No money? No Credit? No Problem!" mortgages to people who couldn't afford them, the United States also decided let the free markets run and play and have a good time. And as a result, the United States allowed the 1% to blow up the economy in 2008 and are now in for years and years of economic stagnation.

What's the Moral of this Story?

Countries determine for themselves their priorities, how to allocate their resources, and what constitutes "basic rights." Many in the United States have paid far more attention to the importance of individual benefit over the greater good by praising theory and ideology while ignoring basic facts and simple human decency, and this today defines our core differences. They have also ignored the consequences of a free-for-all marketplace (especially for financial transactions). But there's still time to change our priorities and the allocation of our resources toward the greater good, rather than the aggrandizement of the few. There's still time to rise above the din of cognitively dissonant voices who are against a more equitable system of governance.

Peace

Groobiecat

[www.groobiecat.blogspot.com]

[There is a democratic process at #OWS, and it's described fully here: http://occupywallst.org/forum/come-to-the-nyc-general-assembly-on-10-15-12-to-st/ ]

[ More Info: Read Paul Krugman (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/10/opinion/panic-of-the-plutocrats.html?_r=2&ref=columnists) and watch Robert Reich (http://robertreich.org/post/10157767903) and the PBS Frontline documentary "Inside the Meltdown" (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/meltdown/view/) ]