A different kind of capitalism

[cali]

MONTEPLIER — Sen. Bernard Sanders has been introducing Denmark’s U.S. Ambassador Peter Teksoe-Jensen around the state for the past few days at a series of town hall meetings designed to provoke a reset in thinking about the words “welfare state.”

Sure, says Sanders, the Danes pay the highest income taxes in the world, but they are also recognized as some of the happiest people on the globe. Sunday the senator and his guest challenged the packed audience at Montpelier High School to think beyond our national boundaries, and examine how one country has achieved the “good life” for the vast majority of its residents.

<snip>

“When I go back to Washington tomorrow, the debate is do we do what the House wants and cut $20 billion in food assistance, or do we do what the Senate wants and cuts $4 billion in assistance,” Sanders said, adding that instead we should be looking for ways to end hunger once and for all.

<snip>

http://www.timesargus.com/article/20130520/NEWS03/705209975

[peacebird]

1. Off to the greatest page you go! We need more discussions like this!!!

[OneGrassRoot]

2. Agreed! K&R! n/t

[fasttense]

3. They hardly touched on the possibility of getting rid of our disastrous capitalist economic system

I had to go to the end of the article to find any discussion about something else besides a capitalist economic system.

"Not surprisingly, the conversation eventually turned to a discussion of whether or not Denmark was a socialist welfare state. Teksoe-Jensen was firm in his assertion that Denmark was a capitalist economy, but with a different set of values. “I am not arguing against capitalism,” he said. “We consider ourselves capitalist, but we’ve added a social dimension to our capitalist system.”"

And yet there is NO discussion about the possibility that we should be using a different kind of economic system, besides capitalism. Why is getting rid of capitalism, putting the workers in charge (not the state like in Russia and China) of the means of production, such a taboo subject? Why does this not even come up? We have such a huge blind spot when it comes to questioning our destructive capitalist system that we don't even think of any other possibilities.

[cali]

4. Actually, we don't know that.

but knowing a Montpelier audience as well as I do- which is very well indeed, I'll bet there was a very wide ranging discussion. The reporting only reflects part of whatever was said at such a meeting

[Laelth]

5. k&r for Bernie Sanders. n/t

-Laelth