We are faced with a daunting task, but it’s important to realize that it’s already been done in, not one, but several countries. The Nordic countries (Norway, Sweden, Finland, Danemark) not only provide their citizens with retirement, but also health care, inexpensive, high-quality child care, family leave, education, and upward mobility. Nonethless, they are capitalist and somehow manage to remain competitive economically. All of them are in the top 12, world-wide, ranked above countries like Taiwan, Canada, Belgium, Austria, France, Australia, S. Korea, Israel, and China. They excel in gender equality.
What about our “oligarchy” problem, where the 1% get what they want, regardless of what the other 99% want? It turns out that the Nordics didn’t just painlessly evolve into enlightenment. They had to overcome their own entrenched oligarchies. They did it as we will probably have to do, with massive, nationwide strikes and by taking to the streets in non-violent protest.
This is not too good to be true. Whet your appetite and get inspired. Read Viking Economics, by George Lakey and the Nordic Theory of Everything, by Anu Partanan.
