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Who: Kimball Corson. Text and Photos not disclaimed or that are obviously not mine are copyright (c) Kimball Corson 2004-2016
Port: Lake Pleasant, AZ
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What Is So Bad About Some Socialism??

05 November 2012 | Pago Pago, American Samoa
Kimball Corson
What Is So Bad About Some Socialism??

To hear Republicans, other conservatives, and particularly libertarians tell it, the only thing worse than Socialism is Communism. Of course none of them understand either, nor do they recognize that our brand of capitalism is broken and not working.

The countries that are doing the best and are the most prosperous in this world are those which use capitalism on the front end for production, have high marginal income tax rates on the rich and use Socialism on the back side for much income redistribution in the form of national heath care, subsidized higher education, public transportation and infrastructure and some social services for the disadvantaged. They are doing much better than we are.

According to a new study update, the USA is now no longer ranked in the world's top ten most prosperous countries, where the 2012 ranking index, as before, analyzed 142 countries in eight categories: economy, education, entrepreneurship & opportunity, governance, health, personal freedom, safety & security and social capital [The Legatum Institute's annual survey]. We came in at 12th, a sorry performance to be sure for the richest nation in the world.

The top ten most prosperous countries are the following, with a + sign behind those that follow the capitalistic/Socialistic prescription I describe:

1) Norway +
2) Denmark +
3) Sweden +
4) Australia
5) New Zealand
6) Canada +
7) Finland +
8) The Netherlands +
9) Switzerland +, and
10) Ireland

Ireland, Australia and New Zealand could all be added but with a weaker plus sign.

And this ranking is notwithstanding the economic and social troubles in Europe and the on the continent which we don't have as such, at least yet.

Several things are noteworthy about the approach here. First it is not ideological. It includes deficit spending and supply side tax policy. Second, it is proactive. We tend to be reactive or worse, not reactive at all. Our output gap is almost $10 billion a day and nothing is being done about it. Third, political parties, in a coalition, are working together. Our simple two party system doesn't. We need proportional voting, but are constitutionally blocked. Our's is a stalemate system.

Those opposing the approach suggested here and exemplified by these countries are the ideologues among us, dogmatically against Socialism of any kind. Their's is a knee jerk reaction. They don't get it. They don't understand. Hayek, Ayn Rand, the garbage out of the Koch brothers think tanks and the like dominate their thinking to the point where they don't thoughtfully consider much or -- as this study indicates -- much look around at other countries either. They think they know best. Capitalism and wholly free markets uber alles.

They hold us back. They press us down into the rut we are in. They don't understand economics. They block progress and they sink our world standing. We are becoming the nation that couldn't shoot straight.
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Vessel Name: Altaira
Vessel Make/Model: A Fair Weather Mariner 39 is a fast (PHRF 132), heavily ballasted (43%), high-aspect (6:1), stiff, comfortable, offshore performance cruiser by Bob Perry that goes to wind well (30 deg w/ good headway) and is also good up and down the Beaufort scale.
Hailing Port: Lake Pleasant, AZ
Crew: Kimball Corson. Text and Photos not disclaimed or that are obviously not mine are copyright (c) Kimball Corson 2004-2016
About:
Kimball Corson: I am a 75 year old solo sailor, by choice. However, I did take on a personable, but high maintenance female kitten, now a full grown cat, named KiKiPoo when she is sweet, or KatKatPo after she has just killed something like a bird or bat. [...]
Extra:
Although I was a lawyer and practiced law with good success for thirty years, creating significant new law, I never really believed in the law, the politics of law or in the over reaching self-interest of most lawyers I met. Too much exposure to Nietzsche and other good and seriously thoughtful [...]
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Profile

Who: Kimball Corson. Text and Photos not disclaimed or that are obviously not mine are copyright (c) Kimball Corson 2004-2016
Port: Lake Pleasant, AZ