Memes: Distinguishing
Fact from Fantasy
This came out of a short Facebook discussion about the Danish "edenic" life which many think they know from various memes. My reaction is that
we actually may think we know things based on memes, but the reverse is
sometimes true. This is no news to those who read my posts, which I try to make
fact based, not opinion, and at the same time, when it is my opinion, it’s made
clear.
The subject
here was a set or responses defending Denmark, which needs no defending as far
as I’m concerned. It’s a lovely little nation with beautiful people and a great
culture. The issue becomes my response to the fact that many leap upon the perks
of Danish social practices and ignore the cost of same.
First of all, medical care
has no place in this discussion, simply because, contrary to what many believe,
single payer healthcare is simply superior with regard to cost but requires an
attitude adjustment in the minds of many ignorant Americans. The Danes have “free”
health care, but it isn’t really “free.” Denmark’s “free” health care, provided
to all residents, is funded through taxes. ... Apothecaries (pharmacies) are
privately owned, but doctors’ visits and hospitalization, including tests,
treatment, follow-up care, and some medication, are fully covered. There is no
blank check, however, for prescriptions; Danes pay for them out of pocket, along with
dentistry and physical therapy. The Danish health care system is not cheap (being
paid from the much higher taxes) but compared to the average US cost per capita
it is little more than half the cost. According
to OECD's Health Data, Denmark's health cost per person, paid from the much
higher taxes, public and private, was $3,512. (it’s higher now, he data is from several years ago).
I’m also not being critical of Danish family values, although their
racial issues are significant. I say this having inched my way through a throng
in Copenhagen’s main square several years ago. It was an Islamic festival of
sorts and many “blondes” "observing" seemed less
than enthralled. Since then there are those, (too many) like one older Dane
whose opinion is: “These Muslims want to keep their own culture, but we have
our own rules here and everyone must follow them.” This has led to forcing primary school
children to observe and celebrate Christian holidays against they and their parent’s
wills. Not Socialist Eden.
What
follows is my response to a post critical of my original which was a meme
critical of some things Danish with the caveat that there were, indeed, serious
inaccuracies which was why memes such as that and others should be taken critically.
(my original point!)
“As I said and thought I had posted, but
it didn’t show: I was making the point that memes should be taken with a grain
of salt, since they are meant to shape opinions vice convey facts.
It is true that the suicide rate in Denmark is much lower
than the meme states, down a lot over the last ten years, at which time it was
relatively high. Also, the US suicide rate is higher than the meme implies. As
I said considering memes as factual is a slippery slope.
Now for some real data
without emotional interpretation:
Home ownership is lower in Denmark than in the US. Many homes
are passed by inheritance, since single family real estate prices tend to be
about 3 times that in the US for equivalent square footage!
Car ownership is about half on a per capita or a household basis.
This should be no surprise, since the cost of initial registration is usually greater
than the price paid for the vehicle.
Added to this is personal income tax rate in Denmark, which
should hit 55.8% of gross income by the end of this quarter, according to global macro
models and analysts’ expectations. In the long-term, the Denmark Personal
Income Tax Rate is projected to trend around 55.00 percent in 2020.
Understand, this means
the working Dane should expect their paycheck to reflect that more than half of
gross earnings will never reach their bank account.
Allow one more example, since
a meme has circulated regarding a young Danish McDonalds employee, and claims
she makes: $20 (USD) hourly, which is true, but, at a 58% tax rate, she sees
$11.60 in her check. (or at least it equates to that). So, with McDonald's averaging $ 9.35 hourly in the US (and even Florida heade3d for $15 and paying
far more in some places, the difference in net is far less. Now let’s consider how that money is spent.
I’ll do it by list, compared to US average, which is easier
to follow:
1 br. Urban appt. (Rental, not purchase) – about the same
Utilities – 49% higher
Food at market – 33% to 87% higher
Clothing /shoes – 77% higher
Local purchasing power – 40% lower
Movie – 65% higher
Beer – 200% higher !!!
Restaurant meals – 97% higher
Real estate – 300% higher!!!
Annual CPI increase - 51% higher
Transportation ticket – 97% higher
It takes little imagination to see the fallacies in many of
the meme claims. These are real numbers. Another interesting factoid is that in
many cases, Mortgage is listed as 44% of income. No responsible US lender would
do that.
Unemployment in the Danish 15-65 age group is 24%, about 6
times the US rate, but this should be tempered with the fact that there are many
in the lower end of the range who are in school full time. On a comparable basis with the US, factoring
out probable students 15-18, the rates are about equal.
Oddly enough (it really isn’t odd, but predictable) while Danish
gross average incomes are second highest among OECD countries, net or
disposable income is far down, in the bottom third, actually lower than
Mexico and Portugal at 28th of the 37 OECD countries and with an annual growth
rate of 1.3%. Simply for comparison, the US is 13th at 2.3%. Norway
is 16th with a growth rate of 2.1%, This reflects the almost
punitive Danish tax rate and higher cost of living.
On another “Meme” note, yes, Denmark is very “green,” now
producing nearly 50% of its electrical power from wind. What memes rarely state
is that the cost per kilowatt-hour in Denmark has risen steadily as more wind
generation is brought online.
Between 2010 and the end of 2018, the overall
household price for electricity in Denmark increased by approximately 4.53-euro
cents per kilowatt-hour to 31.23 euro cents. In plain speak, Americans use, per
capita more than twice as a much electrical power per capita as Danes and pay 84%
as much. Norway on the other hand, another Scandinavian semi-socialist nation
has the advantage of producing most of their power from Hydro, exporting power
in most recent years. This year, with abnormally low rainfall, has caused a
slight price jump to almost 1/6th of Danish prices. Norwegians are
also highly taxed, but even though they use about 4 times as much power per
capita, they pay less than 65% as much for it.
Of course all this, like the
Green New Dealers, overlooks (due primarily to self-inflicted gross ignorance) the fact that a zero carbon footprint
(and cheaper per kwh than wind) power source is nuclear) By the way, it remains
the only US major industry with no industry related deaths!
The things lauded as “free” in the memes extolling Denmark
aren’t free at all. They are paid for by all citizens. Not saying it isn’t
morally sound, just saying stop saying these choices made at the national level
are free.
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