In SvD, Henrik Dalgard raises important points about how a culture of adaptation and lowered requirements in teaching affect students and pupils. But it is crucial to place the problem in a larger context. The deteriorating results in school and students' reduced ability to write and analyze is not an isolated phenomenon. They are consequences of…
Category: Finance
Social Democracy's challenge
In Movement, Johan Sjölander raises an important and pressing criticism of the Social Democrats. Sjölander puts his finger on a painful truth – that the party has long been accused of drifting to the right. Now the party has actually drifted far too far to the right. But Sjölander's criticism is too mild. The reality is that the Social Democrats, together with their allies…
Nobel Prize on Power and Progress
An ideology in power that favors workers must guide technological development. It determines whether we get a fairer world. Technological progress has not always meant better working conditions or higher wages for everyone. We need to develop innovations that help workers become better at their tasks, not just replace them with automation. Then the technology would…
The worst consequences of neoliberalism - from economic to social disaster
The consequences of neoliberalism are profound and devastating. From greedflation and right-wing extremism to the risk of global war and climate catastrophe, this ideology undermines society's stability, health and future. Economic inequality and reduced democratic rights threaten future social cohesion and global peace. Greedflation after 2020 Companies raise prices well above their cost increases to maximize profits. This phenomenon,…
Lack of routines causes system errors
Dan Davies' ideas from the book The Unaccountability Machine see the whole of neoliberalism as a complex system with built-in errors. Jan Wiklund believes on the blog Gemensam in the article "All failures are due to bad routines" 2024/09/18 that crises and failures are not due to individual scapegoats but to a system error that is integrated into the structure of neoliberalism. Sure can…
Cut the tax for low and middle income earners by half
Sweden's tax system actually has a very regressive tax system, especially compared to other countries in Europe. A regressive system puts a greater tax burden on those with lower incomes. But does it really have to be that way? High monthly basic deductions In countries like France, where a friend lives, you have a basic tax deduction of 1.300 euros a month, which corresponds to…
Social benefits and mental illness
Reduced social benefits coincide with more mental illness Why do we feel so bad when we are doing so well? The social contribution has fallen behind in value since 1985. Economic decisions have had a profound impact on both social and psychological problems in society. In 1985, according to Bergmark, Å., "The dynamics of social contribution receipt - duration and exits from...
Private property a social construct
Property and the Origin of Wealth At the outset, it is important to understand that property, as we know it today, has not always existed. In early human history, land, resources and property were common assets, without fixed boundaries or personal ownership. The concept of private property has developed over time and is not a given; it is rather a social…
Increased mortality in 2024
Increased mortality in Sweden 2024: Effects of austerity measures and lack of environmental policy Intro Deaths in Sweden have increased significantly in 2024, even exceeding the levels from 2020 during the pandemic. The austerity policy in healthcare and a deficient environmental policy are pointed out as contributing causes. **Main text:** In 2024, mortality in Sweden has risen significantly, even though the pandemic is now…
Piketty, Capital and the Ideology of Inequality
Thomas Piketty's "Capital in the Twenty-First Century" Summary of contents: Thomas Piketty's book "Capital in the Twenty-First Century" examines economic inequality throughout history and up to the present day. Piketty uses extensive historical data to analyze wealth distribution and income inequality, focusing on how capital and labor income have developed over time. Main thesis: Piketty argues that the world…