Granted, Finnish socialists are to the left of the centre in a European context. But the SDP (SosialiDemokraattinen Puolue, Social Democratic Party) is not a socialist party in the proper sense of the word. Think about the concept of socialism and look at what Finland is in reality. Hardly socialism. Imagine an 'absolute' political scale in terms of material transactions with total market liberalism at one end and state-controlled socialism at the other.
I'm half-Finnish (if that has relevance). I live in Finland.
Take a look at the first place country, Finland. A socialist country. The president is a member of the social democrats; when she was elected she was a single mother. The Minster of Education, Tuula Haatainen, is also a socialist.
Not quite socialist - non-socialist parties have more seats in the parliament than socialist parties. And even the "socialist" parties aren't very socialist; the SDP, which you mention, is essentially a centre-left party - although way more to the left than Labour or the Democratic party. Then again, so are virtually all the Finnish parties. I don't think Haatainen would admit to being a socialist per se, the word continues to have a nasty ring to it.
>As for corruption. You can hardly buy a cup of coffee in Finland for your client without getting the local equivalent of IRS breathing down your neck.
Some of us like it that way:>
Slashdot Mirror
Granted, Finnish socialists are to the left of the centre in a European context. But the SDP (SosialiDemokraattinen Puolue, Social Democratic Party) is not a socialist party in the proper sense of the word. Think about the concept of socialism and look at what Finland is in reality. Hardly socialism. Imagine an 'absolute' political scale in terms of material transactions with total market liberalism at one end and state-controlled socialism at the other.
I'm half-Finnish (if that has relevance). I live in Finland.
Take a look at the first place country, Finland. A socialist country. The president is a member of the social democrats; when she was elected she was a single mother. The Minster of Education, Tuula Haatainen, is also a socialist.
Not quite socialist - non-socialist parties have more seats in the parliament than socialist parties. And even the "socialist" parties aren't very socialist; the SDP, which you mention, is essentially a centre-left party - although way more to the left than Labour or the Democratic party. Then again, so are virtually all the Finnish parties. I don't think Haatainen would admit to being a socialist per se, the word continues to have a nasty ring to it.
But that is precisely what the number one country, Finland, did.
Did it? I live here and just finished studying, didn't exactly notice it.
>As for corruption. You can hardly buy a cup of coffee in Finland for your client without getting the local equivalent of IRS breathing down your neck. Some of us like it that way :>