Hello all Americans, Swiss, South Koreans and most Europeans who believe in global capitalism and its beneficial effect on society. You that believe in free competition and that the technology created by technology giants and large international corporations will save us from environmental collapse, the melting of the earth’s white crown of frozen water, pandemics, and the hospital crises in many countries.
Certainly, capitalist competition and the money system have created jobs and made it possible to develop inventions that have been very useful to humanity, such as medicines, good communication options, telephony, mobile networks and the internet. Yes, not least monumental buildings that seem impressive in their ostentatious splendor.
Switzerland is a beautiful country.
That we all know for sure! And Switzerland has many tourists every year, not least mountaineers. Just look at the photos. But the country has other attractions as well, besides very nice citizens. It’s a tax paradise for the rich, from all over the world, so the poor very rich people can evade contributing with their tax money in their native country.
There is always a national state behind the success of private innovation.
So if you look more closely at free competition and the free global monetary market, only a small part of our modern world would have been developed, if state institutions and tax-based funding had not stood behind the basic research that has made the internet, PC technology, tablets, touch -screens, modern cell-phone innovations.
All this government-funded basic research has been handed over for free to the private telecom and pharmaceutical giants by ordinary relatively low-paid taxpayers in the US and the other countries I’ve mentioned. These have then built on this costly preparatory work, and then raised billions, without giving anything back to the state. This is part of the true financial face of capitalism.
If business goes well for the giants, the ownership interests and shareholders hoard huge sums for themselves and care little about the state. Money goes to tax heavens and acrobatic tax planning through various forms of holding companies, on Cayman Island, Bermuda, City of London, Jersey, etc. In this way it is almost impossible to know who actually owns the company and where the money goes.
The enormously lucrative Salmon Industry in Norway.
In Norway, this is a major problem in the very lucrative salmon industry. The money goes out of the country and does not contribute to the community through its own taxes. If business goes bad and the banks and financial institutions fail because they have operated irresponsibly in the market, but themselves secured large dividends before imminent bankruptcy is reported, the state is suddenly extremely important to save the company’s jobs and the bank customers’ savings.
We also have private kindergartens that are allowed to buy land cheaply from the public sector, often many and which are run with public funds, tax money and parental payments. The owners have made a fortune and transfer the money to tax havens, or sell expensively abroad, what they once bought and pretended was supposed to be a help to society. Instead, the community’s values have disappeared abroad.
Stately Hospitals and estates sold out to private estate-barons. Patients losing their psychiatric hospital.
We have private purchasers of hospital and hospital apartments that, for example, our capital Oslo municipality has owned, to rent cheaply to those who work nearby in the big hospitals. After the private sector has taken over, the nurses cannot afford to live there, and they often have to leave the hospital because the journey to work is too long.
This is a greater crime against society than if a young boy sells drugs on the street, steals gold watches or jewelry from a fashion store, or the luxury car of an executive. The difference, however, is that the boy is punished with prison, while he or she who sneaks away billions from the community is allowed to go free, due to loopholes in the law, or good connections to politicians who make laws and regulations.
Why can’t I have my earned money for myself.
What is the problem with someone being so smart that they avoid being punished even though they cause much more damage to society, even though they appear polite, dress elegantly and know exactly what to say and not to say, through their highly paid lawyers. It goes without saying, even for the intelligent who vote for parties on the extreme right:
It creates far too great differences in the world. And such differences between the ordinary man and woman, and the many very rich, creates instability in the society. In the US. we have almost civil warlike conditions and polarization, witch is very bad for both the country’s economy and a sense of community and shared citizenship.
But as a an american friend of mine said, I have worked so hard to achioeve my wealth and sacrified even friendship and time with my children. Why should I pay 37 percent of my millions a year, to pay for welfare, medicines and goods I can buy myself. (Listen up: It’s only that part of his income that exceeds 540.000 dollars that he has to tax 37%. Under 90.000 dollars he pays 10%, then 32%, 35% up to 540.000 that is maximum tax rate) Then I know a family in Alabama where both husband and wife have two or three low-payed jobs to get head above water. Some workers do not have enough income to pay for food or health insurance and can be broke if they also need an operation.
What about the really big consumers, that pullute the environment more than does the half population on earth?
It’s seems very unfair that a tiny percentage of the population consumes the resources of more than half of the world’s population, when environmental crisis is theratening the whole world. In addition, unfortuantely, these very few with their access to media, is creating an idealization of a type of business and lifestyle for the young. This lifestyle is contraproductive of our survival. It destroys the earth, and impoverishes the state in the various countries.
When tax money disappears, this again hits the public health service, which is being privatized in an increasing number of countries. When public health services are drained of funds, private solutions requires expensive health insurance from the patients. But many citizens have no chance of paying such an insurance, and risk going bankrupt due to hospitalization.
If there are any forms of infrastructure or services that should be free in any modern democracy, it is health, care, kindergarten, school, care for the elderly and accessible roads. Therefore, the state and municipalities need your and my tax money to fulfill this promise.
If you disagree with this, I wonder what kind of view you have of man, and what you think is important for every living person. I can say that: at least it’s not a lot of money. You must have enough to live, eat and dress, heat your home, take a holiday, buy presents for your loved ones, be able to pay your bills to live on.
Basic human needs that heal both greed and ruthless captalism:
- The most important thing is to be seen, heard and listened to as the one you are. To be recognized and accepted as a fellow human being regardless of how you look, what you produce, your race, sexual orientation. Yes, the most important thing in your life is to be accepted and recognized unconditionally.
- Next it is of great importance, that you are also appreciated for what you do, for your work, your efforts. But basically the first point has greatest impact on your well being and mental health.
These are the two most important legs of self-esteem to stand on. But if the first thing is not in place, that you are unconditionally loved by your closest caregivers, you will become enormously hungry for recognition, through career, money, power and greed most of all, which unfortunately destroys the environment around you and eventually makes even you very unhappy.
Therefore, a strong state is needed with clear regulations of money and the property market, overconsumption, and lack of respect for the environment.
The responsability of the free Press.
To achieve that, we need an independent press that has not allowed itself to be bought off by money power or rich politicians. This is where capitalism in its current form is so harmful. Because the task of the press is to inform the people of the real problems we are facing today, and which threaten democracy and a fair distribution of the country’s goods. If the press fails in this task, it merely represents a mouthpiece for the powerful and moneyed, conveying entertainment, inconsequential news, mudslinging and celebrity gossip.
