Sunday, September 23, 2012

What People Really Want


It is audacious of me to suggest that I know what people across this country, and around the world, really want.  If I was to say that they want to be happy I don’t think that would be a stretch.  I am pretty sure that if you ask them “do you want to be unhappy?” they would definitely disagree with you.  So have a big cup of coffee and read on.

       What would it take to make you happy?  Here’s what I am guessing would make the 99% happy, enough money to make their world go around without stress.  Most people want to earn a living and they would like that living to stretch enough to provide them with the necessities of life with a little left over in the bank account for a rainy day.  Sure we all dream of winning the 6/49 lottery and allow our imaginations to run rampant when we contemplate a few million dollars however realistically if we could always be in the black, we’d be happy.  We would like to enjoy one vacation a year that would not have to be paid by credit card.  In this 21st century it should not be unreasonable to have a country’s complete population able to have this expectation.

       You are probably at this point gasping in shock that I would be so bold as to make this statement.  I am here to inform you that in the Scandinavian countries this is what happens.  Yes, I am sure you have heard of their high taxes (50%) but have you heard of their high minimum wage?  The negotiated minimum wage is $20 per hour and at that rate would be taxed at 40% which would mean that take home pay would be $12 per hour or $1,820 per month (based on a 35 hour work week).  I’ve attached links below so that you do not have to trust my facts.  The rest of Scandinavia is similar in structure and expectations.

       Why are my thoughts running on this topic today?  I am listening to the debates here in Canada as well as the electioneering that is happening in the USA where the economy and taxes are always at the top of the agenda.  This is what I see and why I have no interest in hearing about deficits.  I see corporations big and small outsourcing their work to third world countries in order for these companies to have a wider margin to issue dividends to shareholders.  I am a shareholder myself but I would prefer to see a sound economy within my own country and take less or no dividend because I have the common sense to realize that a sound economy in my own country is better for everyone.  It is in Canada’s (and by Canada I mean the 99%) best interest to have the 99% gainfully employed which will generate a spending economy.  In order to have the 99% gainfully employed you have to have the jobs within the country.  This would mean we would have shoe factories and our shoes would cost more than $9.99 because the shoe factory workers would be earning at least $20 per hour.  However if the economy has the strength of 99% of the population working at rates like this then we can afford to pay $89 for our shoes.  For one thing, the shoes would feet the Canadian feet rather than be made to fit a tiny Chinese foot!

       I’m not an economics expert but I can certainly add numbers and read enough material on Scandinavia (and yes I do have the advantage of dipping into my relatives’ knowledge) to know that what I propose is feasible, it works elsewhere in the world, and what on earth are we doing when we keep doing the same old thing? 

       If you keep doing what you have always done you are going to continue to get what you’ve always got.

       Think about this next time you go out and vote.  Whose got your back?  Forget about corporations, forget about deficits, forget about everything but THE PEOPLE.

Articles to look at:

Minimum wage by country


The best minimum wages in Europe


Taxes in Denmark


Cost of living in Denmark


 

 

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