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Sat, 15 Nov 2003 17:13:06 GMT |
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Sat, 15 Nov 2003 17:13:06 GMT |
November 14, 2003
Sweden's welfare state is one of the country's crown jewels. Sure, taxes are high here, but you get a lot in return. When we had our first child, the entire hospital experience was free, including the pre-natal courses. Three years later, when we had our second child, cutbacks meant that we had to pay something, but it was along the lines of 25 dollars or something like that. I paid the same for an operation that kept me in the hospital overnight.
Public transportation is good, and the lack of poverty or ghettos is one reason there is so little crime here. The reason there's a Swedish movie industry is because of the funding from the Swedish Film Institute, writers and artists get grants, Sweden is the world's third biggest importer of rock and pop music because of school music programs,
and so on.....
So it came as quite a surprise November 13 when Prime Minister Göran Persson told parliament social insurance programs covering sick leave, unemployment benefits, and parental leave may have to be altered in the future because they cost too much. He suggests that the programs be funded by payments from individuals and companies, rather than from taxes. Something like the privatization that was introduced into the pension system just in time for the fall in the stock market to deprive everyone of a chunk of their retirement funds.
This came a day after Persson proposed that wealth, gift, and inheritance taxes be cut, a move welcomed by business and Riksbank Governor Lars Heikensten who says such a move would be advantageous for the Swedish krona.
It seems like Persson is belatedly moving towards "New Labour Lite", just as more and more voices in Britain are denouncing Tony Blair. It may be true that the Welfare State is expensive, and there will be problems when the Baby Boomers retire, but all Persson is suggesting is that instead of funding the programs with a progressive income tax, where the rich pay more, everyone would pay the same. This would especially hit lower income groups, single parent families, immigrants, etc.
A few days ago a government minister said that to fix the problems of Stockholm and its surrounding communities (caused by the "Robin Hood Tax" which shifts taxes from Stockholm to rural communities) the government could consider letting Stockholm keep some of the money from the mandatory car tolls that are being imposed on the capital. Only in Sweden.....until that moment I had assumed that any tolls collected by Stockholm would go to Stockholm. The concept that the government could consider anything else was to me inconceivable.
But that just reveals how naive you can be, even after 28 years here. The government also collects a mandatory licence to fund public broadcasting, and then decides what fraction of that money actually goes to public radio and TV (which is why both are now facing huge cutbacks because the government budget includes a surprise reduction in funding).
Considering Sweden has just about the lowest corporate taxes in the OECD, isn't it time business did its share in paying for the Welfare State? They threaten to leave the country if they don't get their way, but as the late economist Sven Grassman pointed out every time export companies worked to devalue the krona, the biggest market of Swedish ompanies is domestic, by far. Call the bluff of the corporations.
Maybe it's also time for the state to take over funding of health care and public transportation from the increasingly bankrupt county councils. The Welfare State may need reforming, but not following the Persson formula of cutting wealth taxes and imposing same-size-fits-all fees for services. Share the wealth fairly!
5:50:46 PM 
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November 14, 2003
Sweden's welfare state is one of the country's crown jewels. Sure, taxes are high here, but you get a lot in return. When we had our first child, the entire hospital experience was free, including the pre-natal courses. Three years later, when we had our second child, cutbacks meant that we had to pay something, but it was along the lines of 25 dollars or something like that. I paid the same for an operation that kept me in the hospital overnight.
Public transportation is good, and the lack of poverty or ghettos is one reason there is so little crime here. The reason there's a Swedish movie industry is because of the funding from the Swedish Film Institute, writers and artists get grants, Sweden is the world's third biggest importer of rock and pop music because of school music programs,
and so on.....
So it came as quite a surprise November 13 when Prime Minister Göran Persson told parliament social insurance programs covering sick leave, unemployment benefits, and parental leave may have to be altered in the future because they cost too much. He suggests that the programs be funded by payments from individuals and companies, rather than from taxes. Something like the privatization that was introduced into the pension system just in time for the fall in the stock market to deprive everyone of a chunk of their retirement funds.
This came a day after Persson proposed that wealth, gift, and inheritance taxes be cut, a move welcomed by business and Riksbank Governor Lars Heikensten who says such a move would be advantageous for the Swedish krona.
It seems like Persson is belatedly moving towards "New Labour Lite", just as more and more voices in Britain are denouncing Tony Blair. It may be true that the Welfare State is expensive, and there will be problems when the Baby Boomers retire, but all Persson is suggesting is that instead of funding the programs with a progressive income tax, where the rich pay more, everyone would pay the same. This would especially hit lower income groups, single parent families, immigrants, etc.
A few days ago a government minister said that to fix the problems of Stockholm and its surrounding communities (caused by the "Robin Hood Tax" which shifts taxes from Stockholm to rural communities) the government could consider letting Stockholm keep some of the money from the mandatory car tolls that are being imposed on the capital. Only in Sweden.....until that moment I had assumed that any tolls collected by Stockholm would go to Stockholm. The concept that the government could consider anything else was to me inconceivable.
But that just reveals how naive you can be, even after 28 years here. The government also collects a mandatory licence to fund public broadcasting, and then decides what fraction of that money actually goes to public radio and TV (which is why both are now facing huge cutbacks because the government budget includes a surprise reduction in funding).
Considering Sweden has just about the lowest corporate taxes in the OECD, isn't it time business did its share in paying for the Welfare State? They threaten to leave the country if they don't get their way, but as the late economist Sven Grassman pointed out every time export companies worked to devalue the krona, the biggest market of Swedish ompanies is domestic, by far. Call the bluff of the corporations.
Maybe it's also time for the state to take over funding of health care and public transportation from the increasingly bankrupt county councils. The Welfare State may need reforming, but not following the Persson formula of cutting wealth taxes and imposing same-size-fits-all fees for services. Share the wealth fairly!
5:50:46 PM
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Sat, 15 Nov 2003 17:13:06 GMT |
November 12, 2003
Just heard on NPR's "Morning Edition": "A new study shows that training ordinary people to use defibrillators can nearly double a heart attack victim's chances of survival. The heart-shocking devices already are standard equipment in many airports, convention centers, and health clubs.
Hear Dr. Vinay Nadcarni, chairman of the American Heart Association committee that conducted the study."
Reuters writes: "Nearly twice as many people survived cardiac arrest in public places where volunteers were trained to use a device to shock the victims' hearts into beating normally again, a study released on Tuesday found.
"The research is the largest study to date on the benefits of putting automatic external defibrillators in places such as shopping malls and office buildings.
"Researchers already knew that emergency personnel such as police officers can use the devices properly in such settings, but they wanted to find out if ordinary people trained to use defibrillators could save lives."
What makes this interesting in the Swedish context is a story in today's "Dagens Medicin" that 650 people here die every year because hospitals don't all have defibrillators! More than half the country's hospitals don't have access to defibrillators within three minutes, the window between heart attack and death.
Every American hospital show has the "paddles" in every OR, and it turns out not only is there research in America on putting the life-saving machines into shopping centers, office buildings, and health clubs, according to the interview on NPR, there's another study underway investigating putting defibrillators into the homes of heart attack victims.
Meanwhile here in Stockholm, the politicians are closing hospitals (so the government can send our taxes to the rural north to build ice skating rinks).
Something is rotten in the Welfare State!
5:37:29 PM
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November 12, 2003
Just heard on NPR's "Morning Edition": "A new study shows that training ordinary people to use defibrillators can nearly double a heart attack victim's chances of survival. The heart-shocking devices already are standard equipment in many airports, convention centers, and health clubs.
Hear Dr. Vinay Nadcarni, chairman of the American Heart Association committee that conducted the study."
Reuters writes: "Nearly twice as many people survived cardiac arrest in public places where volunteers were trained to use a device to shock the victims' hearts into beating normally again, a study released on Tuesday found.
"The research is the largest study to date on the benefits of putting automatic external defibrillators in places such as shopping malls and office buildings.
"Researchers already knew that emergency personnel such as police officers can use the devices properly in such settings, but they wanted to find out if ordinary people trained to use defibrillators could save lives."
What makes this interesting in the Swedish context is a story in today's "Dagens Medicin" that 650 people here die every year because hospitals don't all have defibrillators! More than half the country's hospitals don't have access to defibrillators within three minutes, the window between heart attack and death.
Every American hospital show has the "paddles" in every OR, and it turns out not only is there research in America on putting the life-saving machines into shopping centers, office buildings, and health clubs, according to the interview on NPR, there's another study underway investigating putting defibrillators into the homes of heart attack victims.
Meanwhile here in Stockholm, the politicians are closing hospitals (so the government can send our taxes to the rural north to build ice skating rinks).
Something is rotten in the Welfare State!
5:37:29 PM
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Sat, 15 Nov 2003 17:13:06 GMT |
November 9, 2003
A few years ago Sweden's Social Democrat government said that to deal with increasing urban problems it was introducing a new approach to income taxes. The state tax here is actually quite low, and only fairly high income-earners pay it. Most people just pay the municipal and country income taxes, which together are around 33 percent.
But to deal with the problems facing the cities, the government proposed taking some of the money collected by other local authorities and giving it to the problem areas. It would have made more sense to raise the national income tax and use that money to compensate needy communities, but the government wanted to keep the apparent national income tax low, and pass the tax hike on to local councils.
The only problem is that when this "Robin Hood Tax" was introduced, it wasn't anything like what was sold to the public. Instead, money was taken from the cities, and sent off to depopulated rural regions in the Social Democratic north! Initially the only real complaints came from a number of wealthy communities around Stockholm, where Conservative-led councils wanted to maintain low taxes. The Robin Hood Tax forced them to raises rates, which was very unpopular.
But after several years and an economic downturn, the true effect of the program is taking its toll. More and more non-rural communities have seen their economies hit bottom, with social services, from hospitals to schools and public transportation, all being but back. A government appointed a committee to work out a new alternative. It presented its results a couple of weeks ago. The bottom line: getting rid of the tax for just about every part of the country, except Stockholm and its surrounding area. There the effect would actually increase!
The proposal has been univerally condemned by urban politicians. More than 20 Social Democrat MPs from Stockholm have broken party ranks to say it's a bad idea, as has the Social Democratic Mayor of Stockholm. What the critics have pointed out is that the cost of living in Stockholm is MASSIVELY more than in the rest of Sweden. Everything costs more in the capital, from housing to food. The plan just worked out fails to take that difference into account. The deal with the current economic disaster, the Stockholm county council proposed closing two hospitals and raising the cost of the monthly public transportation card by a whooping 50 percent!
The question many Stockholmers are asking now is: "Why do we have to close hospitals so small towns in the north can build new ice-skating rinks?
4:06:46 PM
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November 9, 2003
A few years ago Sweden's Social Democrat government said that to deal with increasing urban problems it was introducing a new approach to income taxes. The state tax here is actually quite low, and only fairly high income-earners pay it. Most people just pay the municipal and country income taxes, which together are around 33 percent.
But to deal with the problems facing the cities, the government proposed taking some of the money collected by other local authorities and giving it to the problem areas. It would have made more sense to raise the national income tax and use that money to compensate needy communities, but the government wanted to keep the apparent national income tax low, and pass the tax hike on to local councils.
The only problem is that when this "Robin Hood Tax" was introduced, it wasn't anything like what was sold to the public. Instead, money was taken from the cities, and sent off to depopulated rural regions in the Social Democratic north! Initially the only real complaints came from a number of wealthy communities around Stockholm, where Conservative-led councils wanted to maintain low taxes. The Robin Hood Tax forced them to raises rates, which was very unpopular.
But after several years and an economic downturn, the true effect of the program is taking its toll. More and more non-rural communities have seen their economies hit bottom, with social services, from hospitals to schools and public transportation, all being but back. A government appointed a committee to work out a new alternative. It presented its results a couple of weeks ago. The bottom line: getting rid of the tax for just about every part of the country, except Stockholm and its surrounding area. There the effect would actually increase!
The proposal has been univerally condemned by urban politicians. More than 20 Social Democrat MPs from Stockholm have broken party ranks to say it's a bad idea, as has the Social Democratic Mayor of Stockholm. What the critics have pointed out is that the cost of living in Stockholm is MASSIVELY more than in the rest of Sweden. Everything costs more in the capital, from housing to food. The plan just worked out fails to take that difference into account. The deal with the current economic disaster, the Stockholm county council proposed closing two hospitals and raising the cost of the monthly public transportation card by a whooping 50 percent!
The question many Stockholmers are asking now is: "Why do we have to close hospitals so small towns in the north can build new ice-skating rinks?
4:06:46 PM
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Sat, 15 Nov 2003 17:13:07 GMT |
October 13, 2003
The World told Bush, why is this a surprise?
US livid at UN resistance to Iraq resolution (12 Oct 03) [Radio Free USA]
EU approves aid plan for Iraq. World: The EU approved a modest €200m (£141m) of reconstruction aid for Iraq today, but every member state except the UK held back from offering money from their national budgets. [Guardian Unlimited]
Pakistan troops only under UN. Pakistan says it will send troops to Iraq only as part of a broader Muslim force operating under the UN. [BBC News | Middle East | World Edition]
Inside the resistance - Popular anger is forging an alliance between diverse strands of Iraq's guerrilla movement (13 Oct 03) [Radio Free USA]
Plans for rival Iraqi leadership. A radical Iraqi cleric plans to set up an administration to rival the US-appointed Governing Council. [BBC News | Middle East | World Edition]
Shiite Cleric Urges Opposition to U.S. Plans in Iraq [NPR News (Audio)]
Regime change, the prequel: In 1983, the US 'pre-emptively' invaded Grenada. Sound familiar? (11 Oct 03) [Radio Free USA]
6:06:52 PM
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October 13, 2003
The World told Bush, why is this a surprise?
US livid at UN resistance to Iraq resolution (12 Oct 03) [Radio Free USA]
EU approves aid plan for Iraq. World: The EU approved a modest €200m (£141m) of reconstruction aid for Iraq today, but every member state except the UK held back from offering money from their national budgets. [Guardian Unlimited]
Pakistan troops only under UN. Pakistan says it will send troops to Iraq only as part of a broader Muslim force operating under the UN. [BBC News | Middle East | World Edition]
Inside the resistance - Popular anger is forging an alliance between diverse strands of Iraq's guerrilla movement (13 Oct 03) [Radio Free USA]
Plans for rival Iraqi leadership. A radical Iraqi cleric plans to set up an administration to rival the US-appointed Governing Council. [BBC News | Middle East | World Edition]
Shiite Cleric Urges Opposition to U.S. Plans in Iraq [NPR News (Audio)]
Regime change, the prequel: In 1983, the US 'pre-emptively' invaded Grenada. Sound familiar? (11 Oct 03) [Radio Free USA]
6:06:52 PM
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Sat, 15 Nov 2003 17:13:07 GMT |
October 10, 2003
The scandals of the Bush "Administration" continue:
Iraqis protest at US 'terrorism'. About 10,000 people shout anti-US slogans as they mourn the deaths of two guards of a Shia Muslim cleric. [BBC News | World | UK Edition]
America may abandon quest for UN backing (09 Oct 03) [Radio Free USA]
Red Cross blasts Guantanamo. The US detention of al-Qaeda suspects comes under fierce attack from the Red Cross and a group of distinguished Americans. [BBC News | World | UK Edition]
Experts see delay tactic in CIA leak case (10 Oct 03) [Radio Free USA]
A Call For Rove's Resignation. Karl Rove's participation in an 'orchestrated campaign to smear and intimidate truth-telling critics' threatens the honor and integrity of the government. [AlterNet]
With Arnold's complicity:
Arnold's Enron Secret. If Arnold wins, it's hasta la vista baby, to the $9 billion owed to the state of California by Enron and the other electricity barons. [AlterNet]
Arnold, Take a Tip From Bachchan. Like Schwarzenegger, India's superstar Amitabh Bachchan also parlayed his celebrity into an electoral victory -- and Bachchan could give Arnold some serious advice. [AlterNet]
6:31:33 PM
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October 10, 2003
The scandals of the Bush "Administration" continue:
Iraqis protest at US 'terrorism'. About 10,000 people shout anti-US slogans as they mourn the deaths of two guards of a Shia Muslim cleric. [BBC News | World | UK Edition]
America may abandon quest for UN backing (09 Oct 03) [Radio Free USA]
Red Cross blasts Guantanamo. The US detention of al-Qaeda suspects comes under fierce attack from the Red Cross and a group of distinguished Americans. [BBC News | World | UK Edition]
Experts see delay tactic in CIA leak case (10 Oct 03) [Radio Free USA]
A Call For Rove's Resignation. Karl Rove's participation in an 'orchestrated campaign to smear and intimidate truth-telling critics' threatens the honor and integrity of the government. [AlterNet]
With Arnold's complicity:
Arnold's Enron Secret. If Arnold wins, it's hasta la vista baby, to the $9 billion owed to the state of California by Enron and the other electricity barons. [AlterNet]
Arnold, Take a Tip From Bachchan. Like Schwarzenegger, India's superstar Amitabh Bachchan also parlayed his celebrity into an electoral victory -- and Bachchan could give Arnold some serious advice. [AlterNet]
6:31:33 PM
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Sat, 15 Nov 2003 17:13:07 GMT |
October 9, 2003
Here we (us Californians) go again:
No, California Is Not Falling Into the Sea. There's nothing shocking about the result of California's recall election. In fact, Schwarzenegger's victory is the same-old, same-old. [AlterNet]
6:59:50 PM
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October 9, 2003
Here we (us Californians) go again:
No, California Is Not Falling Into the Sea. There's nothing shocking about the result of California's recall election. In fact, Schwarzenegger's victory is the same-old, same-old. [AlterNet]
6:59:50 PM
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© Copyright 2003 GlobalWatch: Notes from the Swedish.
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| AlterNet | | 2:02PM UTC |
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 Call Me a Bush-Hater. Sneering, jeering, bad manners, hideous diplomacy, threats, demands, lies, arrogance, bluster, tax cuts for the rich. And you wonder why we think he's a lousy president?
The Scalping Party. The Tiger Force atrocity in Vietnam was the third major war crimes revelation in the last few years to encounter apathy in the media and indifference from Washington.
A Double Standard for Heroes?. Jessica Lynch and Shoshanna Johnson underwent nearly identical ordeals in Iraq. But only the white soldier's story made the cover of Time magazine.
Indian Americans Enter the Matrix. The Bollywoodization of American popular culture has long been underway. But with the appearance of a South Asian in 'The Matrix Revolutions,' a new era has begun.
An Object Lesson in Investing. Here's what happens to your hard-earned money when it enters the giant money-skimming machine we call the stock market.
The Rev in the Race. Understanding Al Sharpton's standing as a reputed black leader requires an understanding of recent history. Understanding Sharpton the Presidential candidate requires delving a bit further into the past.
Killer Cure. Everyone wants Medicare to cover prescription drugs, right? Not so fast.
The Professor Takes the Gloves Off. New York Times columnist Paul Krugman tells how he found his voice, why Bush makes him miss Nixon, and why he insults Fox News whenever he can.
The Truth About the Green River Killer. Gary Ridgway should have been caught a long time ago. His choice of victims had everything to do with why he wasn't.
Personal Voices: Apology to the American Worker. I actually thought Nike and Adidas and Delta and Sara Lee were American companies run by American employees. I admit, I was confused.
Why Aren't We Winning the Indie Movie Race?. Just a decade ago it felt like the indie movie scene could become a haven for multiculturalism. Now it's just as white as the blandest Hollywood studio. What happened?
What's Health Insurance, Mom?. At 7, my daughter should be fretting over the well being of her favorite stuffed animals -- not the fates of her uninsured parents.
Listening to Veterans. We will soon be welcoming home the first of another generation of emotionally damaged veterans. How can we appropriately honor them without glorifying war?
Freedom and Security. The sacrifice of civil liberties for the appearance of greater security is a mistake that leaves future generations with little hope for freedom.
P. Diddy and Hip Hop's Tattered Garments. Hip-hop fashion kings need to take a hard look at the labor conditions that prevail in the factories where their clothes are made.
Billboard Politics. U.S. government propaganda doesn't convince Iraqis -- so why do Americans fall for it?
The 'Thing' Economy and the 'Care' Economy. A truly moral economy would reconcile our desire to prosper with our deepest moral and spiritual impulses.
Memo To Arnold: Educate, Don't Incarcerate. Unlike Davis, California's governor-elect is no slave to the powerful prison guard union -- so maybe he can afford to do the right thing.
Sarah Jones' American Dream. In her latest piece, the acclaimed playwright takes on the roles of 10 immigrants to weave a story of racism and xenophobia in the era of homeland security.
Shock Troops of the Right Wing. Censoring television movies, overturning court decisions, halting construction projects -- just what will conservatives do next?
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| Greenpeace | | 4:52PM UTC |
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Rainbow Warrior on Toxic Patrol in India. The Greenpeace sailing vessel the Rainbow Warrior is currently anchored off the coast of Alang, India. Alang is the site of the world's largest shipbreaking yard. Greenpeace is planning to conduct "toxic patrols" of ships which are here waiting for scrapping. A team of experts will do a survey and take samples to determine what type of toxic materials are on board before the ships are beached and the actual scrapping starts. Shipbreaking is an enormous danger for people and the environment. Greenpeace is the only organization in the world fighting for the 100,000 people working in this industry and for the environment they live in.
UK's own ghost ship found in India. There's outrage in the UK! The US is sending its "ghost fleet," complete with asbestos and toxic chemicals, for dismantling in England. The UK government has said the ships will have to go back. A British court has put a halt to any dismantling. Permits have been revoked. But meanwhile, in India, guess what Greenpeace's ghost-busting toxic patrol has found?
What would you do to save the tallest trees?. In Tasmania, Australia, they have these trees, that are... tall. OK, a lot of trees are tall, but these are the tallest hardwood trees in the world. We're talking trees taller than a 25-story building and 400 years old. Some people look at trees like this and they just think, "wow". Other people, they look at these trees and they think, "Wow, I could cut that down, chop it up, feed it through a wood chipper, and sell it to these companies in Japan!" And that is just what they are going to do, unless we can stop them.
Click here to find out how.
When scientists and policy makers meet. Before any major international meeting there are advance meetings to lay the groundwork. A lot of the decisions finalised at the main meeting are often made at these meetings - months before the big one.
Today was the start of one of the more important of these meetings, the ninth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice to the Convention on Biological Diversity. That's SBSTTA-9 and the CBD to you insiders, and it will be going on in Montreal all week.
Year one of the Prestige oil spill. The Prestige oil tanker sank on November 13th, 2002. But this Thursday marks not the one year anniversary of an accident, but year one of a decade-long disaster. Despite this, criminally little has been done to prevent the recurrence of a similar catastrophe.
Japanese whaling fleet ready to depart. Greenpeace has learned that five vessels will set forth shortly from Shimonoseki in Japan, perhaps as early as Friday, to hunt whales once again. They continue to do so despite a worldwide moratorium on commercial whaling, under the false pretence that their purpose is "research."
US Toxic 'ghost fleet' not wanted in the UK. Two former US Navy ships are now crossing the Atlantic for scrapping in the UK. Contaminated with toxic waste, the failure of the US to clean them up at home has caused outrage in Europe. But have a closer look at the issue of shipbreaking: putting toxic vessels out of sight and out of mind is the rule rather than the exception -- and the recipients are usually developing countries.
EU waters down chemicals reform. Important new laws in Europe have been announced this week to address the current flawed and inadequate rules governing chemicals harmful to health and the environment. While the new laws represent a step forward, heavy chemical industry lobbying and scare-mongering have significantly weakened the proposal already.
France reclaims toxic ship. After being caught illegally exporting ships containing hazardous waste to Turkey, the French military has seized a former french aircraft carrier they had sold for scrapping. This high seas tale exposes again the underhand tactics and cost cutting of some sections of the shipping industry at the expense of the environment and workers' health.
Hidden hazards revealed in Disney products. Tests by independent scientists have revealed that toxic 'gender bending' chemicals are found in everyday children's products like Disney pyjamas. These chemicals can damage the developing foetus and young children; they should not be found in products you put your kids into every night.
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