In Norway, Start-ups Say Ja to Socialism

In Norway, Start-ups Say Ja to Socialism

At one point, I asked Wiggo Dalmo why he was still working so hard to expand his company: Why not just have a nice life—especially given that the authorities would take a hefty chunk of whatever additional money he made? "For me personally, building something to change the world is the kick," he says. "The worst thing to me is people who chose the easiest path. We should use our wonderful years to do something on this earth."

When I got back to the United States, I had a beer with Bjørn Holte, the CEO of bMenu, whom I'd first met in Oslo. It was early November—days after the congressional elections—and Holte had just arrived in New York City, where he is opening a new office. We talked about the commercial real estate market, the amazing cultural diversity in a city that has twice as many people as his entire country, and the current debate in the United States about the role of government. Holte was fascinated by this last topic, particularly the angry opposition to President Obama's health care reform package. "It makes me laugh," he says. "Americans don't understand that you can't have a functioning economy if people aren't healthy."

Holte's American subsidiary pays annual health care premiums that make his head spin—more than $23,000 per employee for a family plan—and that make the cost of employing a software developer in the United States substantially higher than it is in Norway, even after taxes. (For a full breakdown, see "Making Payroll.") Holte is no pinko—he finds many aspects of Norwegian socialism problematic, particularly regulations about hiring and firing—but when he looks at the costs and benefits of taxes in each country, he sees no contest. Norway is worth the cost.

This issue of Inc. ended up in my mailbox instead of my subscribing neighbor's. Divine providence, clearly.

You will be shocked, I know, that there are hard working people who are not Americans and that there are other health systems that don't hobble businesses.

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JustLists' 30 Significant Medical Achievements and Their Country of Origin

30 Significant Medical Achievements and Their Country of Origin :

"Much debate occurs today about whether a country’s chosen health system impedes or encourages discovery and invention in the medical field. The fact is… innovation occurs wherever fertile and creative minds are trying to address real human need. Here is a list of a few significant discoveries/inventions:"

This is just too good a list not to share! Have fun showing it to your friends and frenemies!

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Mike Huckabee on politics, Christianity, Israel : The New Yorker

Mike Huckabee on politics, Christianity, Israel : The New Yorker

In defiance of libertarian laissez-faire, Huckabee has extended his Christian vision to include the poor. “If there are a certain number of kids from single-parent homes who aren’t going to school and don’t have health care, you can say that’s not government’s job,” Huckabee told me. “Well, sweet and fine! But you know what? If the kid’s sitting outside the door of the hospital choking with asthma, do I sit there and say, ‘Oh, I’m sorry, I don’t think, philosophically, government should get involved’? I’d much rather the kid get help than I sit around and say I’m so pure in my ideology.”

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Big Pharma Lawsuits - Who Got Hit with the Biggest Settlement? - LawyersAndSettlements.com

Big Pharma Lawsuits - Who Got Hit with the Biggest Settlement? - LawyersAndSettlements.com:

From LucyC:

"It seems that every month practically, one pharmaceutical company or another makes the news for bending rules around marketing. Mis-marketing, which could also be called consumer fraud, can result in serious, if not life-changing consequences for people making decisions about their health.
Recently, I came across a list of the largest settlements paid by 11 pharmaceutical companies for bending the rules. The fines total a staggering $6 billion. The more frequent offender, according to the company that compiled the list, is Eli Lilly. They paid more than $1.4 billion in fines all for various violations for just one drug—Zyprexa. "

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The ACP Advocate Blog by Bob Doherty: Irony

The ACP Advocate Blog by Bob Doherty: Irony

Good piece on the GOPs history of advocating for an individual mandate - until Democrats suported it:

In 1990, the conservative Heritage Foundation developed a plan for universal coverage that described the individual mandate as a “social contract” between the government and individuals:“Under this social contract, the federal government would agree to make it financially possible, through refund able tax benefits or in some cases by providing access to public-sector health programs, for every American family to purchase at least a basic package of, including catastrophic insurance. In return, government would require, by law every head of household to acquire at least a basic health plan for his or her family."
The individual mandate was then incorporated into bills proposed by GOP stalwarts Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Chuck Grassley (R-IO) as an alternative to “Hillary Care.” It later became a lynchpin of the Massachusetts health reform plan championed by then governor (and likely 2012 presidential candidate) Mitt Romney (R-MA).
That was then, this is now.
The Heritage Foundation now argues that the individual mandate is “unprecedented” and “unconstitutional”- conveniently ignoring its own past ownership of the idea. A few days ago, Senator Hatch hailed the Virginia judge’s decision to overturn the individual mandate as “a great day for liberty. Congress must obey the Constitution rather than make it up as we go along. Liberty limits on government, and today those limits have been upheld.”

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The Militia Act of 1792

The Militia Act of 1792:

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That each and every free able-bodied white male citizen of the respective States, resident therein, who is or shall be of age of eighteen years, and under the age of forty-five years (except as is herein after excepted) shall severally and respectively be enrolled in the militia, by the Captain or Commanding Officer of the company, within whose bounds such citizen shall reside, and that within twelve months after the passing of this Act. And it shall at all time hereafter be the duty of every such Captain or Commanding Officer of a company, to enroll every such citizen as aforesaid, and also those who shall, from time to time, arrive at the age of 18 years, or being at the age of 18 years, and under the age of 45 years (except as before excepted) shall come to reside within his bounds; and shall without delay notify such citizen of the said enrollment, by the proper non-commissioned Officer of the company, by whom such notice may be proved. That every citizen, so enrolled and notified, shall, within six months thereafter, provide himself with a good musket or firelock, a sufficient bayonet and belt, two spare flints, and a knapsack, a pouch, with a box therein, to contain not less than twenty four cartridges, suited to the bore of his musket or firelock, each cartridge to contain a proper quantity of powder and ball; or with a good rifle, knapsack, shot-pouch, and powder-horn, twenty balls suited to the bore of his rifle, and a quarter of a pound of powder; and shall appear so armed, accoutred and provided, when called out to exercise or into service, except, that when called out on company days to exercise only, he may appear without a knapsack.

Thanks to Ezra Klein, Joe Conason and others for pointing this out!

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Healthcare Compensation Still Strong

Healthcare Compensation Still Strong

New survey results from Executive Compensation 2010/2011 show that hospital CEOs earn an average $353,900 per year, (CEOs at not-for-profits average $225,400; at home care facilities, $282,300 a year; at physician clinics, $254,000; at behavioral health facilities, $241,300; and at long-term care facilities, $235,700.

These executives, physicians, and skilled clinicians undoubtedly would make a strong argument that they deserve the salaries they're getting. Besides, it's what the market is paying, and it's hard to blame anyone for earning as much money as he or she can.

However, let's put this in perspective. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 4.1% of U.S. households had an income between $150,000 and $200,000 in 2009, and 3.9% had an income of $200,000 or higher, while 11% of U.S. households earn between $15,000 to $25,000 annually. The median household income in the U.S. that year was $50,221.

I threw this in the 'contrarian economics' category because it has the 2009 income data.

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