We're not in bloody Denmark!
May. 11th, 2016 10:34 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gridloreOK, I'm a proud Democratic Socialist. I support Bernie Sanders, single-payer health care, fully-funded public schools, and higher taxes coupled with drastic cuts to defense spending. I'm a screaming, dyed-in-the-wool, ACLU card-carrying liberal.
But for the love of Halford, will people stop using European nations to support these ideas in the United States? Today I'm seeing a meme touting Denmark as a model for the US going around Facebook.
OK, the entire nation of Denmark has fewer people than New York City. The United States is about 230 times larger than Denmark, with close to 60 times the population. Also, the US is far more diverse in terms of cultures, languages, religions, and political opinions. What works well for a small state like Denmark isn't necessarily going to be easily transferred to the lumbering behemoth that is 'Murica. The same goes for Sweden, Norway, even Germany and France. Each is quite different from each other and the US. Canada? Population of 35 million compared to our 320 million. Makes it much easier to apply a national health service.
We need to keep fighting for the ideas I listed above, but we need to do so with an eye as to how to make them work in this country, not by saying how it works elsewhere.
But for the love of Halford, will people stop using European nations to support these ideas in the United States? Today I'm seeing a meme touting Denmark as a model for the US going around Facebook.
OK, the entire nation of Denmark has fewer people than New York City. The United States is about 230 times larger than Denmark, with close to 60 times the population. Also, the US is far more diverse in terms of cultures, languages, religions, and political opinions. What works well for a small state like Denmark isn't necessarily going to be easily transferred to the lumbering behemoth that is 'Murica. The same goes for Sweden, Norway, even Germany and France. Each is quite different from each other and the US. Canada? Population of 35 million compared to our 320 million. Makes it much easier to apply a national health service.
We need to keep fighting for the ideas I listed above, but we need to do so with an eye as to how to make them work in this country, not by saying how it works elsewhere.
no subject
Date: 15 May 2016 11:58 (UTC)