tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3893847182564659255.post6897156341945764362..comments2023-11-02T13:57:16.422+02:00Comments on a lamb with no guiding light: Finland's leading fiscal conservativeArihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17741128283037566675noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3893847182564659255.post-36553005617787867222007-04-12T19:40:00.000+03:002007-04-12T19:40:00.000+03:00Erkki "Recessionbringer" Liikanen giving such warn...Erkki "Recessionbringer" Liikanen giving such warnings is of course a mere joke, but Mr Sailas is a guy whose views I tend to respect.<BR/><BR/>It of course hurts politicians, and most voters too, to hear that politics ain't what it used to be in the good old times - a supreme instrument to share wealth and goodies, and to reward your favourite interest groups - but has instead become a nasty trade-off game, where you even may have to let something go, but that's just the way it goes. There's no money.<BR/><BR/>If you want more services, you must pay more taxes, and if you want to pay less taxes, you must give up some services. If you try to cut taxes and keep the same provision of public services, it'll be the next generation that will have to pick up the tab. It's that simple. I find it truly dispiriting that it's civil servants, and not democratically elected leaders, who are daring to say these things aloud. There are decisions and there are reforms, but there's no social contract behind them. <BR/><BR/>The death tax discussion, then, is a good example of how things have developed in our welfare state. The middle class has the power, so the middle class naturally gets all privileges that the power grants. Now the middle class has discovered that what used to be a tax for the rich also damages the middle class interests, so it has naturally decided to get rid of it. Too bad for the socdems that they figured it out too late.Aapohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16238268282575859166noreply@blogger.com