[Fascinating article (posted here in full). The author sneers at Finns'
"groupthink" but completely misses the virulently malignant type of
conformity that lurks behind Americans' vaunted individualism. (I suppose
such blinkered vision is a prerequisite for Robert Kaiser's position as
associate editor of the Washington Post.) Even with that bias, though, the
compelling rationality and decency of the Finnish model shines through
here.]
In Finland's Footsteps:
If We're So Rich and Smart, Why Aren't We More Like Them?
By Robert G. Kaiser
Sunday, August 7, 2005
The article doesn't mention one of the crown jewels of the Finnish welfare
state, namely the assisted living facilities that are unparalleled in the
industrialized world. Last Wednesday I went up to visit my mom in the
geriatrics ward of the local hospital and was pleased to see that she had
mastered the Dell laptop that I bought her last month. She had practically
turned the room into something resembling a dormitory room and had adjusted
to life there, despite the fact that 3 room-mates have died since she has
been there. She would be an ideal candidate for assisted living but we
couldn't afford to put her in one. The other problem is that the closest
facility is far from her town, which would isolate her from the friends who
visit her daily.
Fortunately, she is well cared for there. But there's got to be a better
way of providing for old folks who can't take care of themselves. If
Finland, with its meager economy, can, so can the USA. That of course is
dependent on sweeping social and economic change.
