fredag 19. august 2011

Money is like joy; the more we share, the more it will be

I read an interesting article today. About a medicine that scientists have high hopes for in the fight against AIDS, but it will probably never be tested and produced.
Because this is in the U.S.A ...
There is no major pharmaceutical companies that can patent it and make money, so it will probably not be on the market.
Of course, we must protect and preserve a system that has proven so useful to obtain huge revenues to some people. Clearly that is much more important than getting drugs to those who truly need it most.
It is something as basic as the American dream ...
Just as it is much more important to ensure potential earnings and power to insurance companies, than to have the best possible health care to all citizens. Free access to health care and education, and all the obvious public goods, for all ... it is obviously scary communism that must be combated with all means!
In a true capitalist society, noone should believe that they have value only because they are human. To feel that you have rights just because you were born, it is reserved for wealthy heirs in the upper social strata.
Sometimes I have found that conservative Americans are quite agitated when they discover that the standard of living in socialist Norway is higher than in the U.S.A, and the population generally more satisfied. I got many more or less fanciful explanations for this. But what if we see some logic in it:
Firstly, if no one feels that they are outside, or that they basically are losers, they will all contribute and do their best. Simply because they have real opportunities to succeed, they have something that can be lost and must be protected ... and most importantly: We all have the feeling of safety, like someone watching our back, which means that we can dare to go.
Second, if all has improved economic capacity, all demand more goods and services. Which in turn will cause all to get more ...
In the classic example that Smith supporters in the social economy theories like to offer, a man in a rich country can choose to buy shoes from an expensive producer in the neighborhood, or from a cheap one in another country. Although the shoemaker in the poor country does not earn more, some economists claim that this is the best for the entire world economy ...
Possible, but if the rich buyer had paid a decent price, so the shoemaker would have money left over to buy other goods, and thus the economy in his country had been stimulated.
It is therefore logical that our inherent attitude of sharing realy gives better economic growth.
A few centuries ago, the most prosperous farmers around here decided they would collect money and buy wood from the king, or the state, so that those who did not own anything could gain access to timber, grazing land and other resources. We have also always had an attitude that the owner of the outlying areas have to let others use it, to the greatest extent possible.
The current law on this is from 1957, but the oldest is from around 1260 The basic idea has always been that those who own land have a duty to administer, and also a right to commercial operations in relation to certain resources. But all citizens have equal right to use the site without obstacles. This is a public right, it's pretty special for Scandinavia!
We have always had people like litterature figure Marthe Svennerud, who faced with 7 orphants found it impossible to choose witch one to adopt. her dialect words: ittno knussel! means no pettiness. It is a good exprecion for Norwegians.
Okay, so there are many who say that the rich landowners and farmers here acted much in their own interest. They would do whatever they could to avoid that some ended up on poor care, because it meant they had to take care of them.
Yes, maybe it's true. I truly believe that it is in the best interest of the rich, to try to share the most equitable, and ensure that everyone has what they need to survive. And to be happy with his life.
Generosity and warm heart, togehternes and solidarity, it actually creates more economic growth and more benefits for all. And so it creates a much nicer and safer communities ...
We feel that we have enough crime here in Norway, I do not think we are able to imagine how it is in a society like the U.S.A, where there are so many double figures for all sorts of crimes.
But do not have private companies that operate prisons, and who has a financial interest in having as many prisoners as possible...
All are equally valuable, equally worthy, so let's stick together and help each other!

2 kommentarer:

  1. My parents spanked my brother and I. It wasn't often, but when thy truly couldn't get through to us, it was their last resort.

    What's interesting is how successful this method of discipline was against my brother vs. against me. For him, it worked. If he got spanked, he never did that thing again. For me, it didn't work at all. Mom said I would just be indignant - like "how dare you spank me?". And then the fight would become about the spanking and not about whatever it was I had done.

    I love this story because I feel so strongly that all society is like that. People respond to different motivating factors. For some, only positive reinforcement will motivate them. For others, negative consequences work better. I think the goal for society is to figure out how to balance them.

    In the US today, it's WAY out of balance. My small act to bring balance at least to my life was giving up TV. I got sick of the celebrity worship and how money was flashed around as the only important thing in life.

    SvarSlett
  2. Thanks for your coment, Amy.
    I think your action, to drop TV, is very good. I agree with you so much, but I am afraid I am not strong enough to do that. I also let the kids that visit, watch TV. If I say no, it will be a big issue, and maybe I will make it into something to important. I wish that I was better at finding other things to do together with them instead.

    It reminded me of a big family celebration I was at lately, it was some forigners there. They talked about how the kids (it is realy a lot of them in my faliy right now), how they were all so wel-behaved. This woman said she had tried all kinds of punishment for her kids, and still she always had to watch them, and they did bad things as soon as she turned her back. Wel, I don`t believe in regarding the kids like the dogs at all. I think that negative will be met with negative, and the best is to challenge them and inspire them from a very early age, to feel empaty and understanding of others feelings and needs. Talk with them, maybe let them take care for animals, make a big thing out of planning and making gifts and cards for others. That kind of things.

    With my own kids, I never wanted to dicipline tham or make them obedient. I wanted to make them strong persons who take the right decisions and never let anyone else tell them what to do.

    SvarSlett