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The Walmart of Finland

The Cat

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Finland's largest private sector employer is a consumer cooperative.

gosh its almost like its more profitable to not be a souless corporate vampire and people do really well when they can have a hand in their own interests.
 

Vendrah

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Presumably, one reason is that big salaries are less attractive in a country with stiff taxation on the rich. Another is that for the ambitious, working at one of the biggest companies in the country is still exciting and stimulating even if it means taking a salary hit. Not to mention that a salary in the mid-six figures or into the millions is still pretty great. And as we’ll see below, ruthless profiteering would threaten S Group’s business model.
Another possibility is that maybe the actual reason is that these top members are actually replacable, and if one of them denies the 1M instead of 2,3,4 M bonus, there are other equally capable people that can do the same service.
 

ygolo

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I'm wondering what it would take to make a consumer cooperative in the USA.

Is it simply just incorporating and filling out the appropriate paperwork, or would it accidentally be illegal here?

I know people make food co-ops, and tourism co-ops. I'm wondering if something like that is possible for healthcare.
 

ceecee

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I'm wondering what it would take to make a consumer cooperative in the USA.

Is it simply just incorporating and filling out the appropriate paperwork, or would it accidentally be illegal here?

I know people make food co-ops, and tourism co-ops. I'm wondering if something like that is possible for healthcare.
They're not illegal in the US that I know of but forms of them may be, let's just say, squashed or pushed out, when attempted - especially utilities. A city near me has a utility coop that's existed since before electricity. Credit unions are consumers coops, I know of housing coops, food and grocery and child care/preschools but the only healthcare ones I know of are HMO's. Which are still predatory insurance companies, no matter what. While not exactly a coop, I would love to see public banks make a comeback in the US. We currently only have one left that I know of.

 

The Cat

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I've been reading about this:

Why did the $10 billion in grants become $6 billion in loans?
AhgHtnP.png
 

ceecee

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I've been reading about this:

Why did the $10 billion in grants become $6 billion in loans?
Maybe shit like this?

 

ygolo

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Here's a lot more detail about the closures:(It seemed like the Trump administration really went after these programs, but some if it started under Obama)

 

ceecee

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Here's a lot more detail about the closures:(It seemed like the Trump administration really went after these programs, but some if it started under Obama)

So it's more because it started under Obama, not because it's, yanno ripping people off.
 

ygolo

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So it's more because it started under Obama, not because it's, yanno ripping people off.
Well, there are going to be bad actors.

But I do think a lot of people didn't want anything created under ACA to succeed.
 

The Cat

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I don't remember any of this. But that doesn't mean anything. I don't think a lot of people do.
people have better memories than they think they do. Its hard to live in such a state of denial if you're simply forgetful. People pay top dollar and a pound of flesh for some good nepenthe. Forgetfulness can be priceless to most humans.
 

Julius_Van_Der_Beak

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people have better memories than they think they do. Its hard to live in such a state of denial if you're simply forgetful. People pay top dollar and a pound of flesh for some good nepenthe. Forgetfulness can be priceless to most humans.
I know for a fact that I was not very wired into things during the time period when this was all first discussed for a variety of complicated reasons. I always assumed I didn't miss much but perhaps I wrong. This was the age of me trying to solve everything by being out in nature.

I've said this before but this and the stuff in the Middle East reminds me of why I should be reading more news. With the Middle East, I get such a diversity of positions and opinions on social media that is rather bewildering (and I'm sometimes surprised by who has what position). The truth is important to me, and I think social media is not a good way to get that. This actually makes me said because it was something I saw it at one point as being a source for greater interconnectivity,and maybe even increasing knowledge. These days, I see fake nature videos of giant snakes and red peacocks, and that's making me wonder what chicanery is going on there that I can't spot. IDK, does Facebook even have rules against AI bullshit? Because they probably should in many cases; I don't mind someone playing around with it going "hey look what I made with AI". Then again, I think remember artists being opposed to that as well.
 
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The Cat

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I know for a fact that I was not very wired into things during the time period when this was all first discussed for a variety of complicated reasons. I always assumed I didn't miss much but perhaps I wrong. This was the age of me trying to solve everything by being out in nature.

I've said this before but this and the stuff in the Middle East reminds me of why I should be reading more news. With the Middle East, I get such a diversity of positions and opinions on social media that is rather bewildering (and I'm sometimes surprised by who has what position). The truth is important to me, and I think social media is not a good way to get that. This actually makes me said because it was something I saw it at one point as being a source for greater interconnectivity,and maybe even increasing knowledge. These days, I see fake nature videos of giant snakes and red peacocks, and that's making me wonder what chicanery is going on there that I can't spot. IDK, does Facebook even have rules against AI bullshit? Because they probably should in many cases; I don't mind someone playing around with it going "hey look what I made with AI". Then again, I think remember artists being opposed to that as well.
Social media has never been about truth. It's always only ever been about clicks. The difference between a fun creative writing project and a rabbit hole that consumes lives and drives madness is largely a matter of how one processes perspective and responds to addiction and anxiety. The fake nature videos, the chicanery has always been there. It could be considered an evolutionary imperitive to learn to recognize marketing tactics for what they are.
 

ceecee

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I know for a fact that I was not very wired into things during the time period when this was all first discussed for a variety of complicated reasons. I always assumed I didn't miss much but perhaps I wrong. This was the age of me trying to solve everything by being out in nature.

I've said this before but this and the stuff in the Middle East reminds me of why I should be reading more news. With the Middle East, I get such a diversity of positions and opinions on social media that is rather bewildering (and I'm sometimes surprised by who has what position). The truth is important to me, and I think social media is not a good way to get that. This actually makes me said because it was something I saw it at one point as being a source for greater interconnectivity,and maybe even increasing knowledge. These days, I see fake nature videos of giant snakes and red peacocks, and that's making me wonder what chicanery is going on there that I can't spot. IDK, does Facebook even have rules against AI bullshit? Because they probably should in many cases; I don't mind someone playing around with it going "hey look what I made with AI". Then again, I think remember artists being opposed to that as well.
I would not look to any social media to explain the Middle East. Or any middle or east for that matter, that's just not its purpose. If you want to see how the events of right now came about you will need to go back over a century. Prior to that, these places had been under Ottoman rule for the better part of 500 years.

 

The Cat

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Some even might suggest going back further than a century, but all the way back to Abrahamic times; there are those who for better or for worse view this as an ancient family feud that has taken on a life of its own and formed two religions around itself. Social Media is...less like a proper history lesson and more like this:
 
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