• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

Finland's basic income trial boosts happiness but not employment

zimmer

Educating the Ignorant
Banned
DP Veteran
Joined
Dec 19, 2008
Messages
24,380
Reaction score
7,805
Location
Worldwide
Gender
Undisclosed
Political Leaning
Conservative
From Reuters:

The two-year trial, which ended a month ago, saw 2,000 Finns, chosen randomly from among the unemployed, become the first Europeans to be paid a regular monthly income by the state that was not reduced if they found work.


Finland -- the world's happiest country last year, according to the United Nations -- is exploring alternatives to its social security model.


The trial was being watched closely by other governments who see a basic income as a way of encouraging the unemployed to take up often low-paid or temporary work without fear of losing their benefits. That could help reduce dependence on the state and cut welfare costs, especially as greater automation sees humans replaced in the workforce.


Finland's minister of health and social affairs Pirkko Mattila said the impact on employment of the monthly pay cheque of 560 euros ($635) "seems to have been minor...

Finland's basic income trial boosts happiness but not ...

I had to laugh at the second paragraph... if you know Finns. I do, I’ve lived there after my parents emigrated so many years ago. I love the country, and its people... but the happiest? ROTFLOL... tells you how ****ed yo those types of “polls” are.

The happiest Finns I know are those in the US.

Paragraph 2 reminds me of a joke told to me by a Norwegian while doing some consulting work in the south of that country about 15-years ago. It’s part of my joke arsenal...

A Finn and Norwegian are in a cabin during a long winter’s evening drinking vodka...

Mr. Norge pours a couple shots, they slam the glasses on the table and suck back the poison.

A couple minutes pass...

Same procedure follows...

A couple more minutes pass... same procedure...

This goes on a third, forth, fifth, seventh, ninth, fifteenth time...

After pouring the 16th shot, the Norwegian honors his drinking partner with a “Kippis” (Cheers in Finnish)...

... the Finn looks at his drinking partner in a more than irritated manner and asks him...

... are we here for drinking, or are we here for talking???

If you know Finns, they’re often not the most talkative. When my Norwegian buddy told that joke... I howled... and then promptly told it to my family... who howled.

As for their experiment... chalk it up to another of a long line of socialist failures. This was only 2000 people... over time, like welfare itself, this would become an abomination, and awful for society.
 
Last edited:
As for their experiment... chalk it up to another of a long line of socialist failures.

Oh I know, I know.

The USA currently ranks 31st in science and math education according to PISA. So many socialist failures ahead of them.

The USA currently ranks 17th in freedom according to the conservative Cato Institute. So many of those socialist failures have more freedom than Americans.

Most "more socialist" countries have better healthcare outcomes and a fraction of the cost compared to the USA. They also have tend to have less violence, less hatred, less racism, etc. etc.

So if those socialist countries are failures, the USA can only be described as a "****hole."
 
Oh I know, I know.

The USA currently ranks 31st in science and math education according to PISA. So many socialist failures ahead of them.

The USA currently ranks 17th in freedom according to the conservative Cato Institute. So many of those socialist failures have more freedom than Americans.

Most "more socialist" countries have better healthcare outcomes and a fraction of the cost compared to the USA. They also have tend to have less violence, less hatred, less racism, etc. etc.

So if those socialist countries are failures, the USA can only be described as a "****hole."

ROTFLOL... from somebody who likely hasn’t made it out of their county.

That’s why masses of those folks would move to the US in a heartbeat.
 
Oh I know, I know.

The USA currently ranks 31st in science and math education according to PISA. So many socialist failures ahead of them.

The USA currently ranks 17th in freedom according to the conservative Cato Institute. So many of those socialist failures have more freedom than Americans.

Most "more socialist" countries have better healthcare outcomes and a fraction of the cost compared to the USA. They also have tend to have less violence, less hatred, less racism, etc. etc.

So if those socialist countries are failures, the USA can only be described as a "****hole."

And who runs the education system?
 
From Reuters:



I had to laugh at the second paragraph... if you know Finns. I do, I’ve lived there after my parents emigrated so many years ago. I love the country, and its people... but the happiest? ROTFLOL... tells you how ****ed yo those types of “polls” are.

The happiest Finns I know are those in the US.

Paragraph 2 reminds me of a joke told to me by a Norwegian while doing some consulting work in the south of that country about 15-years ago. It’s part of my joke arsenal...

A Finn and Norwegian are in a cabin during a long winter’s evening drinking vodka...

Mr. Norge pours a couple shots, they slam the glasses on the table and suck back the poison.

A couple minutes pass...

Same procedure follows...

A couple more minutes pass... same procedure...

This goes on a third, forth, fifth, seventh, ninth, fifteenth time...

After pouring the 16th shot, the Norwegian honors his drinking partner with a “Kippis” (Cheers in Finnish)...

... the Finn looks at his drinking partner in a more than irritated manner and asks him...

... are we here for drinking, or are we here for talking???

If you know Finns, they’re often not the most talkative. When my Norwegian buddy told that joke... I howled... and then promptly told it to my family... who howled.

As for their experiment... chalk it up to another of a long line of socialist failures. This was only 2000 people... over time, like welfare itself, this would become an abomination, and awful for society.

Some people don't like to be in perpetual states of anger and snickering. Some actually prefer to be optimistic, change policies for the better, and bask in happiness. Finland is such a people.
 
Oh I know, I know.

The USA currently ranks 31st in science and math education according to PISA. So many socialist failures ahead of them.

The USA currently ranks 17th in freedom according to the conservative Cato Institute. So many of those socialist failures have more freedom than Americans.

Most "more socialist" countries have better healthcare outcomes and a fraction of the cost compared to the USA. They also have tend to have less violence, less hatred, less racism, etc. etc.

So if those socialist countries are failures, the USA can only be described as a "****hole."
Yea, but all that education and well being overcomes ignorance, low intellect and conservatism and for some people if they do not have those they have nothing.
 
ROTFLOL... from somebody who likely hasn’t made it out of their county.

Dang dude, just because you've never been out of the USA, doesn't mean everyone else shares your fear of the unknown. I love Canada, but I also love traveling, and do it as often as possible.

That’s why masses of those folks would move to the US in a heartbeat.

"Masses"? Literally nobody I know would move to the USA, they don't want to live with all the racism and hatred, let alone send their kids to your terrible schools and deal with your horrible healthcare system. You have to be pretty stupid to choose to live in that kind of place, but yeah, there are people like that around. Trump loves them, but then he's a blatant racist too, and generally racism correlates well with lack of education, ie the people Trump loves.

Donald Trump declares 'I love the poorly educated'


I live in what is considered one of the most livable cities in the world, why would I want to give that up and live in the USA?
 
Last edited:
Dang dude, just because you've never been out of the USA, doesn't mean everyone else shares your fear of the unknown. I love Canada, but I also love traveling, and do it as often as possible.

I’ve lived half my life outside the US. It’s one reason I hate to see it destroyed by idiotic socialist schemes.

My parents are emigrants... Finns... who made their way across the Atlantic from Europe.

I’m multi-lingual.

And spent many years in Canada, as well as Germany, Finland, Sweden, Germany... have lived in Poland, Romania, worked in Czech, know Austria well and most of Europe.


"Masses"? Literally nobody I know would move to the USA, their lifestyles would drop far too much. I live in what is considered one of the most livable cities in the world, why would anyone I want to give that up and live in the USA?
Well... Socialists tend to lie. Given the opportunity, masses would, though they wouldn’t likely tell someone hostile to the US... like you.

Really... why would they?

Me... I love the country, espouse this Love unabashedly, and therefore am likely to hear their dreams of living in the US.

PS> Texting you from the beautiful foothills of the Alps.

PSPS> Have you been outside your county?
 
Last edited:
Some people don't like to be in perpetual states of anger and snickering. Some actually prefer to be optimistic, change policies for the better, and bask in happiness. Finland is such a people.

Have you lived in Finland?

I have.

I was raised by Finns too.

Though I know Finland well, I know Sweden better than 99.99% of Swedes.

PS. Freeloading has never made society better. Even Bill Clinton learned and admitted this, and tried to take credit for the welfare reforms that improved the lives of Americans.
 
Last edited:
All this talk of Finland reminds me of another joke... about the talkative Finns...

A journalist was in Lapland, out on a lake on a summer’s morning at 02:00 (it’s light out btw) with one of the natives having some beer and vodka...

The journalist after a few drinks gets down to business, and says to the Lapp... hey, you know... the summer days are long. Like, we’re here at 02:00 on the lakeshore drinking and it’s light out... what does the typical Lapp do on these long summer days?

The Lapp, in no hurry to waste words... ponders, and after a minute, takes a swig of his beer and says... drinking.......... fishing....... and ****ing.

The journalist chuckles... yet not another syllable comes from between the lips of the Lapp.

A period of long silence ensues.

The journalist tries another tack, and says...

...you know the winters are loooong, dark and cold. What do you Lapp folks do during these times.

Tha Lapp, again in no hurry... ponders a while, and then replies... no fishing!
 
Last edited:
Oh I know, I know.

The USA currently ranks 31st in science and math education according to PISA. So many socialist failures ahead of them.

The USA currently ranks 17th in freedom according to the conservative Cato Institute. So many of those socialist failures have more freedom than Americans.

Most "more socialist" countries have better healthcare outcomes and a fraction of the cost compared to the USA. They also have tend to have less violence, less hatred, less racism, etc. etc.

So if those socialist countries are failures, the USA can only be described as a "****hole."

QUICK! Move there before all the slots are taken.
 
QUICK! Move there before all the slots are taken.

ROTFLOL...

They wouldn’t let him in. No joke. They don’t let just any yahoo in the country.

That reminds of yet another Finnish joke... which is politically insensitive, incorrect, and all that... told to me by a Finnish industrialist.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top Bottom