It is a pity that greedy middlemen who act as consultants to the ‘rich’ and the ‘powerful’ have now stepped up their campaign against the ESI and EPF schemes. They do not come forward to analyse how 27% of wages is recovered towards social security in Germany while it ranges upto 69 and 73% in Scandinavia.
It is even more pitiful that the politicians in power choose to pay heed to these middlemen to spoil the living conditions of the working population throughout the nation. The first of choice of these middlemen is to coin new terms. Contribution to Provident Fund is called by these middlemen as ‘confiscation’; removing the ESI and EPF benefits is projected as ‘increasing the take-home pay’; beneficiaries of the ESI and EPF schemes are called ‘hostages’. Fertile minds work in innumerable ways to curtail the benefits enjoyed by the common people!
The most charitable comment on the tendency of these middlemen could only be that these people are ‘least honest’ in their attempts. The way they tax their brains to coin new phrases to project their anti-people act as pro-people ones show that they enjoy their own sadistic behaviour. Their arguments will be replied to point-wise, later.
For now, we present only the opinions of the public across the world about the social security benefits provided by their governments and the extent of ‘confiscation’, as collected from Facebook:
(1). Patty Stewart Lucca : We visited Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. We can see your point!! We were very impressed how many benefits you had, free medical care. Free education, maternity and paternity leave, no homeless people in the streets! Taxes are high, but every one has the right to shelter and food. Some citizens can have more than others, but everyone has a decent standard of living. We said it would not work in the US, because we have a different work ethic here. (April 18, 2014).
(2). Bjarne Thyregod : Judy – because You dont know better. And Sorry to tell but a Danish teacher earn 60K a year, all people have 6 weeks paid freedom, state paid pension. Students dont pay their studies, schools re free, student get 1000 dollar pr month from the state, hospitals are free,, doctors free. We have som oeople that Want to get more and pay less – greed is a world spread disease.
(3). Tony Mavilia : My father came to the USA in 1932- he never completed high school because he had to go to work at 16 – was drafted into the army – The GI bIll enabled him to learn a skill. He bought a house ( worked 2 jobs to afford it – then Mom went to work, She had HS only ) They put me through private HS and I paid for College oin my own no loans ( partial scholarship – New York States Regents Scholarship and part time job while in school ) They lived a pretty secure life – vacationed several times a year – bought new cars when needed and had all the requisite mod-cons of a middle class life .At his death he owned his home – no mortgage payments. THAT was the American Dream. To live decently, own a home, see that your children got a decent education, have a secure job live nicely off your pension and savings and leave something to your kids when you passed away. Very few can afford that anymore- make no mistake the GOP laid the foundation for that beginning with the policies of Ronald Reagan and is working over time to make sure no American will live as was the former norm – the American Dream is dead and the GOP is responsible in great part. Now they work to remove Social Security and Medicare. Who do they represent – certainly not the American People.
(4). Mark Møller Hansen : I’m a Dane and there’s several things wrong with this:===== 1: The lady in the picture is an ACTRESS PLAYING a teacher, not a real teacher . ===== 2: The average salary with a minimum of 4 years experience is 45k rather than 61k (no benefits and a higher pressure and negative energy than any other profession at the moment) =====3: The minimum taxes are around 43% (45% if you’re working) =====4: Students can barely survive on the support they get and there are no jobs to get since virtually all part-time jobs are occupied by wellfare-receivers (companies don’t have to pay for them, meaning a free work-force) =====5: The average family’s struggling to keep afloat with prices and taxes going through the roof while millionaires and politicians are laughing all the way to the bank.
No, Denmark isn’t crap and we TRY to take care of each other, but bureaucracy’s screwing us over as badly as any other country.
(5). Jackie Has IC : America sucks for our generation. It was great for my parents generation who could graduate high school, get married, get a good job that would invest in the worker and train that worker so yes you could work your way up, build a new home, mother stayed home, raised two kids, had family vacations, fathers job lasted 30 years, possibly came with a pension, plus health insurance. As his own children have had none of that at all, only low wage jobs, part time, zero growth or job training within any company, forced to go to college for a promise of a good job forced into to a lifetime of student loan debt, unable to live on one parent income, forcing the mother to work outside of the home, forcing the added cost of daycare which our parents didn’t have. It goes on and on. No we don’t have the American Dream, it’s a joke. People go homeless and die even if they have a job in this country. And our country allows it to happen and looks the other way, they don’t care one bit.
(6). Paul Chataway : The point is not to be anti USA or anti any other country, I have heard the above stats m any times and I wonder why other countries don’t follow countries like Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and Dans, and look seriously at adopting similar principles…Today everyone is under more stress just to get through life should we not be looking at trying to enjoy our lives as we move forward and minimise our stresses? I am writing this from China where I choose to live but I am from Australia where some of the above principles apply and at times I really SAD to see our social institutions being attacked as if “Social Entitlements ” are evil. But Corporate Welfare is just because it might create jobs. That wealth distribution & caring about the less fortunate is a corporate concept. Don’t allow the Greedy rich & powerful dictate social policy, there is advantage ONLY FOR S FEW , to keep people in financial insecurity, it provides cheap Labour, your under some ones easy control. No i don’t support a dog eat dog society we don’t have to accepting this LIE we can all be included in being a part of a supportive fair community.
(7). Wayne Martin: I agree; your standard of living is much higher than it is here in America – I lived in Scotland and Ireland for 6 years and the standard of living there was so much better than when I came home – I couldn’t believe how much better life was over there…when I retired, I was paying 54% in taxes, which drove me to retire. You are so right – you pay more in taxes, but you actually get something for them….
(8). Gwen Sheder My husband made more money than that before he retired from the phone company three years ago. He got 6 weeks paid vacation. Our health coverage provided by his employer is the best coverage in the world. If we have health concerns it is taken care of immediately. We choose our own doctors. When my husband was having heart problems it was taken care of right away. He had a triple by-pass by a top heart surgeon. Out of pocket expenses was $500 USD. Also, he has a great pension. Our home and two cars are paid for. It does not get any better in the world than that. It is all about how you play your cards in America. He paid 30% in taxes. A lot less than Europeans. By the way people can get higher education for less than $21,000 at public intitutions. It is affordable if you know how to go about it. Also, people can get grants, scholarships, and government assistance for higher education. It is all a matter of making use of what is available.
(8. a). Terry McCoy Ummm.. yeah the only reason you your enjoying such a good life style in retirement is because of the union that your husband was a part of while working for the telephone company. In this day and age starting out as a young 20 something a family would be hard pressed to duplicate that life style
(8.b).Ruth Leahy Gwen Sheder You are living in another Age that people today cannot access. That’s why the Scandinavian system is being touted. To stop people falling through the cracks. You totally miss the point. Lack empathy. If you could do it then anyone can. Sounds like it was your husband doing it anyway, not you per se. Those Days are long gone. Just because you had it “easy” doesn’t mean others can who are no lesser people than you or your husband. You haven’t even tried to walk in other peoples’ shoes yet you know! Nothing.
(8.c). Donna Richardson No, the moral is “go back in time to when unions were strong and the Republican Party didn’t exist only to help the wealthy devour the middle class.”
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Readers may, if time permits, go through many such statements from the link provided below given in two pieces. Add them together to reach the thread:
angemayaworld/photos/a.10150341047095533.592075.311648465532/10154020989410533/?type=1&theater
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Also, the benefits assured under the social security system in Philippines:
Flourishing ESIC 