Economists, plz help.. If we had universal healthcare and post-

[GreenPartyVoter]

secondary public education, what would the effect be on our econ?

My wondering for this is, maybe, had we not had students loans on our backs (and still do) we might have been able to buy a house. Would the economy change much if more people could be homeowners?

[Vincardog]

1. The RepubliCANTS do not want you to own a home.

A renting worker is easier to move to the next low wage location.

[rman]

2. It would be good for "our" economy, not so good for their economy;

they wouldn't be able to get as filthy rich as they are now.

[GreenPartyVoter]

3. So when ** brings up the new "Ownersup Society" is universal

healthcare and education a valid answer? "Yes, Mr. **, and here's how we'll do it!"?

[rman]

4. I don't think Bush wants answers from us,

but i'd say collective ownership/control/funding of things that affect the common good, collective bearing of 'universal risks' (getting ill, getting hit by a car..), etc, is the alternative to winner-takes-all private ownership of everything.

[Dawgs]

5. There would be more decent paying jobs.

There are many people out there working only for the healthcare benefits.

For instance, say one of the spouses works for themselves out of a home office but doesn't have access to healthcare. They have enough money that only one of them needs to work but they still need the health benefits. What happens in many cases is that one needs to work just for the benefits.

My wife works in HR and knows of at least three employees that are doing this very thing.

It may not be much, but those jobs could be filled by people that really need them.

[TreasonousBastard]

6. It's not just home ownership...

which puts a much larger loan on your back, anyway.

It's your entire life, and how hard you have to work. And how much harder you have to work to keep what little you got.

Theory is just theory until someone can denonstrate something, which no one really has so far. But, Sweden credits much of its success on its complete social welfare system. When people aren't terrified of losing their homes, healthcare, and everything else, they will work harder and happier at their jobs. While spending less time at them. Cradle to grave, knowing you and your kids will alwys have a warm home, food, and healthcare, you just don't have to worry about that sort of thing and can concentrate on the important stuff.

It costs a lot of money, and taxes, but that didn't stop the guy who owns IKEA from becoming the richest person in the world.

Somehow, a country covered in ice with a population about that of New Jersey and that never bothered to get into a war came up with Saab, Volvo, Electrolux, and a whole bunch of other household names. Times are getting tough now, but when Japan and the US and a few others take aim at your business, it's not all your fault you stumble.