Many thanks to The Rake and Eric Dregni for the informative essay on the alternative social policies offered by the Motherland. Although Minnesota was settled largely by Scandinavians steeped in the principles of Social Democracy, recent political shifts in both our state and our country reflect a narrow-minded philosophy based on the credo “It’s my money, mine! Mine! Mine!” Too often we forget that a healthy civil society benefits all its members, that supporting young families and children helps ensure that they contribute positively to the world in which they grow, that our governments exist to provide for all citizens rather than to transfer wealth to the privileged. There is no such thing as a “tax cut,” only tax shifts. We can transfer the responsibility for generating revenue from the rich to the poor, from the national government to states and cities, from “now” to “later.” The long-term effect, however, encompasses the destruction of social safety nets that effect us all.
Craig Barton Upright
Saint Paul
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