In an opinion piece talking about the Finnish experience with social democracy, Kaiser points out some truths and lessons to learn from them. Finland has created a dynamic society that values the community and has succeeded at enriching it. The Finnish excel at having a much better educated and inquisitive culture than the U.S. according to the stats Kaiser quotes. He points out that education and health care and caring for people are top priorities in Finland. And he points out the acceptance of this social contract that keeps everybody out of poverty at the expense of limiting the ability of the wealthy to opt out of the social contract. I want to thank him for this part of his reportage.
Unfortunately, Kaiser holds back from the real reasons for the difference between the US and Finnish society and instead makes an some odd assertion. Kaiser points out that Finland "is ethnically and religiously homogeneous," as part of his explanation for the differences between US and Finland. Canada which has some of the same attributes as Finland regarding the protection of the society, valuing education and the right to health care has a very heterogeneous population. A better explanation is that Finland (like Canada) made some important decisions a few decades ago that helped establish a successful social democracy and the benefits are now clear to the participants. Those decisions may have been made by a receptive audience back then, but the population size or religion or skin color or ethnic background was likely not a factor. I will not set out to prove this, but I think that Kaiser also should not have asserted the opposite without thinking more deeply on it.
I believe that Kaiser may have held back from some other reasons for fear of appearing to be insulting ("For a patriotic American like me"). But sometimes it is best to be straightforward and risk retaliation. The chance to improve is often based on seeing the truth, no matter how uncomfortable it may be. Today there was a piece on NPR's Weekend Edition about Tennesseans and health care that laid out the fear and despair of citizens unable to keep the health care that keeps them alive. Listening to them hold back their tears was wrenching and tore at my soul. In Finland or Canada they would know that all of us would do what we could as a society to keep them from dying prematurely. Kaiser should go to Tennessee and learn from them what lies they were told about Clinton's plan to create freedom from such privation. Please don't look in their faces and tell them if only we were all the same religion or ethnic background they might not be facing death now (it isn't true). Tell them instead that we will work together for a better society and point out the lies the powerful tell to protect profits.