Comments on: The Hong Kong of Scandinavia http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2008/04/30/the-hong-kong-of-scandinavia/ The Sweet Release of Reason Fri, 05 Sep 2008 05:37:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Ranking do Capitalismo http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2008/04/30/the-hong-kong-of-scandinavia/#comment-580107 Ranking do Capitalismo Mon, 12 May 2008 00:51:17 +0000 http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/?p=1437#comment-580107 [...] via Will Wilkinson [...] [...] via Will Wilkinson [...]

]]> By: Dain http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2008/04/30/the-hong-kong-of-scandinavia/#comment-579745 Dain Sun, 04 May 2008 18:19:51 +0000 http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/?p=1437#comment-579745 Earth, Sounds like Mutualism. Indeed it's overlooked by most. Earth,

Sounds like Mutualism. Indeed it’s overlooked by most.

]]> By: Earthceuticals http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2008/04/30/the-hong-kong-of-scandinavia/#comment-579721 Earthceuticals Sun, 04 May 2008 08:08:45 +0000 http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/?p=1437#comment-579721 I have to admit, socialism with a free market economy is a concept I had never thought of before. Maye the democrats in this country could re-invent themselves in this light. I have to admit, socialism with a free market economy is a concept I had never thought of before. Maye the democrats in this country could re-invent themselves in this light.

]]> By: The Art of the Possible » Blog Archive » Link roundup 05/05/08 http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2008/04/30/the-hong-kong-of-scandinavia/#comment-579592 The Art of the Possible » Blog Archive » Link roundup 05/05/08 Fri, 02 May 2008 06:28:38 +0000 http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/?p=1437#comment-579592 [...] environment and responsive labor market. Think “flexicurity”. (HT: Will Wilkinson, who quips “These United States finish just under Sweden. If only we could adopt the Nordic model and [...] [...] environment and responsive labor market. Think “flexicurity”. (HT: Will Wilkinson, who quips “These United States finish just under Sweden. If only we could adopt the Nordic model and [...]

]]> By: Pseudo-Polymath » Blog Archive » Thursday Highlights http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2008/04/30/the-hong-kong-of-scandinavia/#comment-579524 Pseudo-Polymath » Blog Archive » Thursday Highlights Thu, 01 May 2008 12:22:15 +0000 http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/?p=1437#comment-579524 [...] go for that, … if the socialists in America tied their socialism to completely unfettering the market, a [...] [...] go for that, … if the socialists in America tied their socialism to completely unfettering the market, a [...]

]]> By: Stones Cry Out - If they keep silent… » Things Heard: edition 15v4 http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2008/04/30/the-hong-kong-of-scandinavia/#comment-579523 Stones Cry Out - If they keep silent… » Things Heard: edition 15v4 Thu, 01 May 2008 12:21:20 +0000 http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/?p=1437#comment-579523 [...] go for that, … if the socialists in America tied their socialism to completely unfettering the market, a [...] [...] go for that, … if the socialists in America tied their socialism to completely unfettering the market, a [...]

]]> By: KJ http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2008/04/30/the-hong-kong-of-scandinavia/#comment-579480 KJ Wed, 30 Apr 2008 18:05:18 +0000 http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/?p=1437#comment-579480 Agreed. Check out Galbraith in the American Prospect recently: http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=why_populists_need_to_rethink_trade "The Scandinavian countries are egalitarian. They have universal unions, high minimum wages, and a strong welfare state. But they also are highly open. They practice free trade. Business there is free to import, export, and outsource. Business there is free to hire and fire. And yet the Scandinavians enjoy, most of the time, the lowest unemployment rates in Europe. The secret is in the wages. If you are a business in Sweden or Norway, there is one thing you are not free to do. You are not free to cut your wages. You are not free to compete by going after cut-rate workers, either native or immigrant. You are not free to undercut the union rate. Successful businesses must, therefore, find other ways to compete. They do it by keeping productivity high. This means that advanced industries thrive in Scandinavia, while backward ones die out. (And that progressive businessmen prosper, while reactionaries fade away.) As a result, the economies stay competitive. The tax and welfare systems then make sure that everyone has enough to live on." Agreed. Check out Galbraith in the American Prospect recently: http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=why_populists_need_to_rethink_trade

“The Scandinavian countries are egalitarian. They have universal unions, high minimum wages, and a strong welfare state. But they also are highly open. They practice free trade. Business there is free to import, export, and outsource. Business there is free to hire and fire. And yet the Scandinavians enjoy, most of the time, the lowest unemployment rates in Europe.

The secret is in the wages. If you are a business in Sweden or Norway, there is one thing you are not free to do. You are not free to cut your wages. You are not free to compete by going after cut-rate workers, either native or immigrant. You are not free to undercut the union rate. Successful businesses must, therefore, find other ways to compete. They do it by keeping productivity high. This means that advanced industries thrive in Scandinavia, while backward ones die out. (And that progressive businessmen prosper, while reactionaries fade away.) As a result, the economies stay competitive. The tax and welfare systems then make sure that everyone has enough to live on.”

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