XPost: soc.culture.baltics, soc.culture.czecho-slovak, soc.culture.russian   
   XPost: soc.culture.nordic   
   From: anton.usenet@gmail.com   
      
   James A. Donald kirjoitti:   
   > On Fri, 15 Aug 2008 10:44:09 +0300, Anton    
   > wrote:   
   >> Second: Finland built after WWII a "wellfare state" structure, with its   
   >> publically funded healthcare, free education from elementery school   
   >> education to university level etc etc. If the Finno-Soviet trade had   
   >> been all tribute with nothing or next to nothing in exchange, it could   
   >> hardly have been possible to financially support all these sectors   
      
   > Capitalism creates enough wealth that it can pay a lot of tribute, and   
   > still make everyone better off.   
      
   Most capitalist countries consider < 1% of their annual budget too   
   expensive to give as aid to developing countries. If the economy can't   
   afford < 1% of "tithe" to the poor how could it afford to pay "tribute"   
   to the mean, nasty, bully?   
      
   > Which, in practice, has usually been what has happened.   
      
   Yes, yes.. Finns played tribute. Even children were always shadowed by   
   baby KGB-pioneers while going to the candy kiosk, and the little bear   
   (or was he a wolf?) demanded that he should have half of the lollipop or   
   then else...   
      
      
      
   The world would be a merrier and more productive place if some had been   
   an BJ instead...   
      
      
      
   --   
   Anton   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)