It’s because it’s not just cited as a contributing factor driving an outcome like this but as the primary factor, as if things like policy and law and taxes* play no part in creating success. I’ve seen the same thing trotted out about the famous Finnish education system: nothing to do with spending on public education and smart and thoughtful application of those taxpayer funds, nosirree; it’s that it’s a more racially and ethnically homogenous society.
I’m sure that makes you feel very good inside to say, but I don’t think the average Japanese would think they’re being eaten from the inside, or gives it a second thought. To them, their racial superiority is simply a fact of nature. It’s worked for them for many hundreds of years. How can you fight racism if you don’t understand it at all?
Clearly that’s not the case or all the other low diversity states and countries would be just as successful. Shit’s complicated for sure. But diverse, successful socialism is quite hard to come by it seems.
Who, me? I think I understand it pretty well, thanks all the same. And no, talking about it doesn’t make me feel better. And no, I’m not interested in hearing how racism works well for Japanese people, nope, thanks all the same.
If it means denying the state any credit for anything good, count on a Libertarian to simplify it. Even if that means deliberately stepping out of the way into a big racist turd, as happened here.
I don’t deny that ethnic and racial national homogeneity makes it easier, but that’s because we have few examples of diverse, successful socialism in its relatively short history. One of the few that comes close is Canada, a highly diverse immigrant nation which successfully maintains a lot of Scandinavian-style social-democratic programmes. That the programmes are watered-down versions of what you see in Northern Europe is less about a lack of homogeneity and more about proximity to U.S. political culture (amongst other things).
And I’m tired of people telling me that it’s just going to work. I never mentioned more austerity or trickle down…I think the current GOP method is bullshit, so don’t start making assumptions. People like to cherry pick and point out how well it works in places where you have a stronger/larger group of well to do or high income people than you do people who need help. When you are already starting ahead of the curve it’s not hard to take a little and spread it around to make everyone’s life better. But that isn’t going to work everywhere for everyone, it simply can’t, that the economic reality of it. I’m not saying we don’t need to tax the upper income populous more, but when that upper income in a tiny percent of the population that only goes so far.
Except that’s simply your insistence, back up your bullshit or admit you’re operating on nothing but opinion. You quite literally have no other choice.
Corollary: Feel free to find ONE instance of “austerity” working. Thing is, you won’t be able to.
I doubt if that statement is controversial here. But there isn’t much consensus about WHY. The fact than an “elite” minority try to have all of the wealth and influence in nearly every culture might just have something to do with it.
The Big Con is that entrenched economic interests deliberately exacerbate conflicts about race and religion which they themselves find irrelevant, because it destroys solidarity and takes the heat off of them. White nationalists suppose that they are egalitarian because they are defending against special-interests/minorities when those people are in the same boat, when they are really being manipulated into enabling plutocracy, theocracy, and feudalism.
Socialism appears to fail because most places are locked down by rich people who sabotage it. Both directly and by using mass media to get others to act against their own (and their community’s) best interests.
Nah… can’t be. Must be something inherent to human nature… it can’t possibly be from choices people make, cause then we would have to DO something about it! /s
Who said that’s the only thing that accounts for Minnesota’s economic success? Who said there’s nothing more to turning around the toxic effects of Republican shenanigans than taxing the rich?
Minnesota is not as homogenious as it once was. As Keith Ellison would tell you, the reason we have do not have a Republican holding a statewide office in Minnesota is because of the turnout in his congressional district. High turnout in diverse Minneapolis overcomes the most white voters of outstate Minnesota (where Republicans win state legistature seats).