to think most people would like us to live in a communist country?

[wannaBe]

"landlords shouldn't be allowed to rent for more than x amount of money."

"People shouldn't be allowed to sell their houses for more than a certain amount of money."

"People shouldn't be allowed to earn more than a certain amount of money (I'm talking salary here not benefits)."

This isn't a thread about who is better off and who can afford to do what - that's been done to death elsewhere.

But do people really think we would be in a better place if we didn't live in a free economy and where we were dictated to by the state how much we could and couldn't earn/whether we could or couldn't sell our house etc? really?

No, I don't advocate communism.
But I don't advocate uncontrolled capitalism either.

"I do laugh over the left wing aspects of mumsnet, coupled with the vast amount of threads about independent schools"

Now I may be wrong here jeee, but I suspect that they may not always be the same posters....

Orm- Cuba does soundd OK doesn't it?

We were offered India, a decent enough wage to be able to participate in the benefits of being capitalist but sadly in no way appropriate for autistic kids. Which is a shame. DH would have loved it (chance to work on Bollywood)

Ah, and Sweden is not a socialist country.

jeee MN has a wide variety of opinion People are also unprepared to sacrifice their children's education for the sake of a principle. I'm a socialist in theory, but I'd still send my kids to private school if I could afford it. Public education simply isn't that good in this country and it's normal to want the best for your children.

No, they're not always the same - but I've noticed a number of times that they are.

Jeeeeeeeeeee I am a rabid leftie by MN standards and I can honestly say I in no way use independent school palces. Specialist provision and over-the-road local all the way here!

Would I use a private? Not for the ASD ds's, their provision is the best I could ask for; only took me 6 years to that sorted for them! I migt for otehr two given that the Church school is pretty terrible- ds2 had 13 different etachers last year, we were promised stability this but after having 3 students his teacher has been promoted to Acting Head so could easily top 16, 17 this year! Outside this extreme I don't think I would but as no other catchment school might be tempted (would pull ds2 and HE until comp in Sptember but DH works from home and is against it)

Swden is sort of Socialist though isn't it? A socialist-ish model; people pay more in but get more out for tehir needs, eg chidlcare etc?

Surely if the Swedish model was workable and desirable here we'd have voted for something like it? We don't have government by accident, we have an election every 4 years.

Vote for the party looking to put taxes right up to fund public spending.

Sweden has a right wing government at the moment and they have recently brought in much tougher rules for the long term sick which has led to child poverty.

Stick this up your horn pipe. Norway has the highest living standard in the world because the state owns the oil and gas resources which it puts back into the state to be spent by the state on its people
A certain Mrs. Thatcher sold british gas and oil to oh let me think...oh yes her friends. The rest of them were asset stripping our manufacturing industry and the coal industry. Any chance the people of this country ever had of being able to dictate what happened to them and how is now in the past, we will never have control over anything significant with which to to that

YA probably NBU. A lot of envy around at the moment for anyone who seems to be doing better than the average. Natural to think that if only a few people had less, we'd all have more :) 'Everyone should be equal' they cry, whilst at the same time buying a lottey ticket hoping to win millions......

In a socialist country usually means of production and distribution are owned by the state, which doesn't seem to be the case for Sweden.

MorrisZapp I would happily vote for that party yes.

May well at next election. Am happy to pay a little more tax for better services absolutely.

peachy,
Sweden and denmark are not really any more socialist than the UK. They do pay more tax, but the average perosn gets little back (expect cheaper childcare, and uni. fees). Maternty pay is lower than unemployment benefit, and the average person who looses their job suddenly has to rely on unemployment benefit from a private insurance scheme they have paid into as the state unemployment is rubbish for the average person. And whilst childcare is cheaper they need it for longer as children start school at about six. I know in Denmark if one person in a couple does not have a job they are generally financially better off if they divorce. The health system is no better, same with schools etc. However if a couple are both long term unemployed/have never worked they are much better off than the average.

I don't detect much envy going around.
People don't usually seek a bit more of social justice because they are envious.

you work hard, you aspire to do better and create a good life for yourself

or

you expect the state to mollycoddle you from the cradle to the grave. No incentive to improve or do better because you get handed everything you need regardless of effort.

lola,
Norway has private oil companies. Just as Denmark and Sweden have a huge amount of private companies such as IKEA, Maersk, Novo Nordisk etc

And oil revenues are paid to Britain just as they are in Norway. And the oil industry emplys a lot of people in Britain.

The UK got perilously close to communism by the seventies. State-owned everything, drab clothing, bread shortages, power-cuts, just the one style of telephone ....

No, I don't want communism.
Socialism, yes.

The financial crisis was caused by unregulated capitalism.
Extremes of either are not a good thing.

You forget it is government policy, NOT Market forces, they has created the inequality we face.

"Cuba sounds alright" do you have any understanding of Cuban history? Be careful of what you might wish for. How does no freedom of press or speech sound, or arbitary imprisionment without trial for civil rights activists and an average wage of $20.00 per month. 10% of the population voted with their feet and left for America by any means possible from the start of communism, they still continue to leave.

Admittedly from wiki but... this is how Norways government gets oilmoney The purpose of the petroleum fund is to invest parts of the large surplus generated by the Norwegian petroleum sector, generated mainly from taxes of companies, but also payment for license to explore as well as the State's Direct Financial Interest and dividends from partly state-owned Statoil
It does not even use if for the state budget, but has kept it as an investment fund. the main way oil benefits Norway si that the private comapnies emply a lot of people, and pay tax.

'State-owned everything, drab clothing, bread shortages, power-cuts, just the one style of telephone ....'

fond memories

We still have an old fashioned telephone now because I loved them so much

No! Really, therugratref....?