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Originally Posted by Cynthetiq
.... I'm quite selfish when it comes to spending the money that I earn. I'm happy to give it to friends and family as needed with no expectation of reciprocity, but strangers on the other hand, I'm not so fast in giving it out.
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Cynthetiq....the results are in.....and your politics seem to contribute to conditions that benefit the few, to the detriment of the many....Denmark's stats are on the right....and they seem to indicate that....when government defers to free markets to "sort out" the distribution of wealth....wealth simply buys sufficient power and influence to control the government and the "free" market.
The UK, US, and Mexico, end up being much harsher places to live than in Denmark or in France....it doesn't have to be that way....but the wealthiest won't permit the status quo to be any other way....in the case of attempts by government to more equitably distribute health care....or any other "wealth", it is the controlling group who have the money to produce and distribute the "Harry and Louise" ads...... which work to undermine the effort.
https://www.cia.gov/library/publicat.../da.html#Intro
Because of high GDP per capita, welfare benefits, a low Gini index, and political stability, the Danish living standards are among the highest in the world. A major long-term issue will be the sharp decline in the ratio of workers to retirees.
<b>Denmark's stats are on the right</b>
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$37,100 (2006 est.) France =$31,200 (2006 est.) United Kingdom = $31,800 (2006 est.) USA= $43,800 (2006 est.) Mexico= $10,700 (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate:
3.8% (2006 est.) France =8.7% (December 2006 est.) United Kingdom = 2.9% (2006 est.) USA= 4.8% (2006 est.) Mexico= 3.2% plus underemployment of perhaps 25%
Population below poverty line
N/A .......... France = 6.2% (2004) United Kingdom = 17% (2002 est.) USA= 12% (2004 est.) Mexico= 40% (2003 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2% France = 3% United Kingdom = lowest 10%: 2.1% USA= lowest 10%: 1.8% Mexico= lowest 10%: 1.6%
highest 10%: 24% (2000 est.) France =24.8% (2004) United Kingdom = 28.5% (1999) USA= highest 10%: 30.5% (1997) Mexico= highest 10%: 35.6% (2002)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
23.2 (2002) France =26.7 (2002) United Kingdom = 36.8 (1999) USA= 45 (2004) Mexico= 54.6 (2000)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1.8% (2006 est.) France = 1.5% (2006 est.) United Kingdom = 3% (2006 est.) USA= 2.5% (2006 est.) Mexico= 3.4% (2006 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):
22.2% of GDP (2006 est.) France =20% of GDP (2006 est.) United Kingdom = 17.2% of GDP (2006 est.) USA= 16.6% of GDP (2006 est.) Mexico= 20% of GDP (2006 est.)
Public debt:
28.1% of GDP (2006 est.) France =64.7% of GDP (2006 est.) United Kingdom = 42.2% of GDP (2006 est.) USA= 64.7% of GDP (2005 est.) Mexico= 20.7% of GDP (2006 est.)
Current account balance:
+$4.941 billion (2006 est.) France = -$38 billion (2006 est.) United Kingdom = -$57.68 billion (2006 est.) USA= -$862.3 billion (2006 est.) Mexico= -$400.1 million (2006 est.)
Exports:
$93.93 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) France =$490 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) United Kingdom = $468.8 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) USA= $1.024 trillion f.o.b. (2006 est.) Mexico= $248.8 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Imports:
$89.32 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) France =$529.1 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) United Kingdom = $603 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) USA= $1.869 trillion f.o.b. (2006 est.) Mexico= $253.1 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)