I have friends in Denmark. We don't see each other as often as we like these days, but we correspond. Denmark is a functional society. Danes accept a personal obligation to support their society and in turn are supported by it. But my Danish friends tell me that could never work over here. We are infused with a view of our nation, and to…
I have friends in Denmark. We don't see each other as often as we like these days, but we correspond. Denmark is a functional society. Danes accept a personal obligation to support their society and in turn are supported by it. But my Danish friends tell me that could never work over here. We are infused with a view of our nation, and to a great extent our society, as a capitalist competition to succeed. And the measure of that success is accumulated wealth. Obligations to society are extra burdens that are more often honored it the breech. In smaller units, like family or church or small towns we do tend to be more social and altruistic.
And then there is this Randian fear that everyone would freeload with their hand out and no one would produce anything. A fear that you rarely see anyone express openly outside of the Anglosphere, especially the USA. And prior to Reagan, even in the USA was not nearly as much.
To say that it would never work here is a bit too defeatist, IMHO. But it would of course be more challenging due to our culture's dominant mindset.
I have friends in Denmark. We don't see each other as often as we like these days, but we correspond. Denmark is a functional society. Danes accept a personal obligation to support their society and in turn are supported by it. But my Danish friends tell me that could never work over here. We are infused with a view of our nation, and to a great extent our society, as a capitalist competition to succeed. And the measure of that success is accumulated wealth. Obligations to society are extra burdens that are more often honored it the breech. In smaller units, like family or church or small towns we do tend to be more social and altruistic.
And then there is this Randian fear that everyone would freeload with their hand out and no one would produce anything. A fear that you rarely see anyone express openly outside of the Anglosphere, especially the USA. And prior to Reagan, even in the USA was not nearly as much.
To say that it would never work here is a bit too defeatist, IMHO. But it would of course be more challenging due to our culture's dominant mindset.