[smc]

Originally Posted by TracyCoxx

When you say put people before profits, do you mean back rubs? Those can be free. Are you talking about services to people that cost little or nothing? Because without profits you can't offer much. Paladin was talking about how Europe can afford to devote more of their resources towards social programs because we take on a lot of their defense burden. Yet even so, they are going under. Whether you're talking about Europe or not, this is an example of what happens.

If not Europe, which country or countries should we emulate?

I wonder whether, when you make a sarcastically banal comment such as "do you mean back rubs?," you sit back and stare at the computer screen, beaming with pride at how clever you are. But in fact such a comment only solidifies the view that most of the positions you take on this site reveal a coldheartedness that goes along with your general lack of regard for the great mass of people who are less fortunate than you through no fault of their own, but because of a system that relegates them to homelessness, joblessness, hunger, and so on.

Nevertheless, I will point out that European countries enjoyed far greater social protections for their citizens long before the United States became the source of their defense "budgets." Further, I have not suggested emulating any specific country or countries, only pointed to the fact of greater social safety in certain countries. I will not fall into your trap, and that of paladin68, to name countries to emulate. I call it a trap, because just as you are sitting back enjoying your banal sarcasm, I have no doubt you are desperately hoping I will mention Cuba or some other place so that you can then change the substance of the discussion.

No, there is no country to emulate, only an idea. A very powerful idea. It is that society can be organized to put human needs first. Profits are not necessary. Those of you who worship the market, the false god that your high priests claim can deliver every good thing to the mass of people but reveals itself time and again to be a tool of exploitation and enrichment of the few, can smugly call me a communist or whatever you want. The good news is that you don't get to decide how things will turn out. It will be either barbarism, as the decrepit system you so love destroys people and the earth, or it will be something we haven't seen before. And then you will have to make a choice of whether to throw your lot in with those whose interests are actually closest to yours.