Honestly, I couldn't give a shit about Denmark and what they do. I have my own problems right here. But I do understand this story was for topical purposes.
How so? Honestly, you should give a shit. I'm a Dane, and I'm extremely happy about our welfare system. I've graduated from college with a master's degree in economics and endured four months of unemployment without accumulating any substantial debt. I have a great job now, and I happily pay my taxes. Life is good, and there's little to worry about. I'm sure that a lot of Americans or Mexicans would love to live in a society without food stamps and hunger. Anyways, this article is complete BS. Denmark is not "re-thinking" the welfare state. We're modernizing it. People react to economic incentives, and the current (well, previous) system provided counter productive incentives. This government and the previous one has for the last 10+ years been working on cutting the unnecessary fat wherever it may be and improving the competetievness of the industry. We do have a problem with the population getting older, and that will put a dent in our economy. However, this is only temporary due to natural causes. The Danish welfare model is pretty safe, and I'm fairly confident that it'll once again prove effective. Our biggest problem is complacency, and there aren't a lot of people dealing with that. I'm hoping that'll change soon, or it might just be too late.
theres the bloody problem! drinking everyday is a friggen luxury(and silly). if your retirement funds dont alow it then you didnt work hard enough or manage your money enough to drink everyday
Come off it. To a generation of people who were promised that the state would look after them, they should be able to have an enjoyable and high quality of life until they die at mine and your expense. This is what they were promsied and that is what we should do. Most of them could not earn enough super to retire on beucase it was introduced so late in their working lives, yet another goal post change by our government! That being said they should be the last generation to receive it or a full version and not a scaled back to offset people with higher ammounts of super. We are not talking about 'dole bludgers' or someone who has not contributed to society, the majority have worked for most of their lives. To quote a a pensioner reply to the artical: "A beer at "Coles" Pubs is over $5.00. As a pensioner I only go now once a week and only for two beers, that is all I can afford. But I don't want to become a total hermit, that is why I spend on that luxury." My Grandfathers generation used to do this aswell, go down to the pub after work every day have a few and yarn with their friends, mostly they don't drink like the younger generations do, it is a social interaction more than going out to get legless. It seems sadly that most people asume that the elder generations were lazy, not the fact that super is only a relitivly new thing, the generations that will (hopefully) get the benifit from it have not even reached retirement age.
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/da.html Not sure i would be too happy about some of these numbers. Seem to be heading in the wrong direction. OC
Well...like many, Demark has the aging population problem to contend with. There is no easy solution for demographics is there? As for the welfare ...that's what a modern state is meant to do...support the (truly) needy and weak.
Did they not realise that politicians lie? I guess when the lies suit them they choose to believe them and then whinge that they don't get what they were promised. Welcome to the real world. And how is it OK for a group of people (politicians) to make promises on behalf of another group of people (younger people) who then have to pay the bill for the promises that were made initially by the politicians so that they could get into and stay in power and get their fat paychecks, perks, etc..?
I don't think they did. Back then the it was vastly easier to conceal information, can you remember what it was like before the internet and the quick searching abilities of google and the other search engines?
For a handful there is a life of riley in Denmark..I know of three people. Like the article, a woman with kids and another, a drunk with a mortgage. Both are getting handsome handouts without much poking with a stick from the authorities. The third is a fake back injury, All three have been on the sick for approaching on 20 years..
