Nordic Inspiration: Towards A Solution For Poverty, Terrorism & Community Cohesion
Boom! Our brothers and sisters in Finland plan on paying everyone in the country a Universal income. That rocks my world.
We are so behind our enlightened Nordic kinfolk in Finland, Sweden, Denmark & Iceland. Their governments may or may not be paragons in a universal sense, but they are clearly getting some crucial components right like healthcare, and now this universal income. Fix those two things in the West and we can begin to have a dialogue about leveling the playing field on other pressing matters.
Kids join gangs because of deprivation and lack. So do adults. Gangs like ISIL, Boko Haram, the KKK and others promise what they can’t get at home — in some cases both here and in developing countries, primarily food, shelter, healthcare, a sense of belonging and feeling empowered. The self-esteem and safe group who would get your back that most of us gained through consistent attendance at a school, cultural center or house of worship that taught real world applicable skills along with rational morality. Miss out any one of these components and a child or adult becomes vulnerable to predation by hate gang recruiters.
You want that to stop here? Worldwide? Then petition your government for similar programs. Institute truly free or affordable Universal Healthcare. Obamacare was a good first stab at it, but isn’t affordable for many by a long shot. Jail the major rulebreakers as Iceland did with their bankers when they tried to screw the whole country — don’t give them a wussy bailout as we did in the U.S. Fix the system so that individual votes actually count again, because they sure don’t now. Get every child — and I mean *every* child, legal citizen or not, fed, clothed and educated to a high standard, and their parents supported to care for and nurture ALL of their children without having to make heartbreaking sacrifices.
Teach the one thing all religions can agree on as nationwide morality — love one another unconditionally and do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Provide tutorial on this at school and in the workplace. Send action teams into prisons and mental hospitals with rehab and inclusion programs that surround the incarcerated with love and stream them back into strong and loving environments that allow them to shine and feel valued at their own level. Encourage the same at nursing homes and senior communities, and hook seniors up with children in shared environments. This has proven to be immensely beneficial to both ends of the spectrum.
Do all that, and then come talk to me about how free and democratic your country is, and how well it provides for its citizens.
Bringing This All Home:
Generally speaking, peace out, and take a load off — everywhere you can. Life is short, be kind to others whenever possible for we are all courageously fighting [largely invisible] inner battles. And as His Holiness The Dalai Lama says: “Kindness is always Possible”. Help folks when you see they need it before they have to ask, and always when they do ask, if you can without injuring yourself. Adopt an animal in need. Two, if you can. Hug someone every day. Give surprise smiles. Pay for a stranger’s coffee and make a new friend. Trust your gut, it never lies. And as always, enjoy the ride. 🙏🏼❤️✌🏽️
