“We seem to have lost our belief in a market economy somewhat and our trust that letting go can lead to something great,” he said. “The government does not have to subsidise and compensate for everything. People flourish in freedom, as does innovation. And that is what we need to drive up productivity.”
Separate article with more details on the proposed budget.
“NL seems to have lost faith in the market,” …
… says finance minister who has never worked in the private economy.
I mean, at least he’s an economist.
On the other hand, he’s also a VVDer
Considering how great these “market economics” have been working out for us these past 50 years, it’s really hard to see why…
But yes, I’m sure he’ll have all the answers.
We must have Faith in the Economy. Faith comes from budget discipline, and prosperity through the word of the Market. Verily, I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall ask the Market shall provide. Or do you not know that the sinful will not inherit the benefits of Prosperity? Neither subsidies, nor spending, nor taxes on stock buybacks, nor maatschappelijke diensttijd, will please the Economy. Submit yourselves therefore to the Free Market.
The market has brought us a wrecked climate knowingly purpetrated by big oil, pfas in our bodies knowingly brought to us by big chemical companies. Microplastics by the companies that sold us the recycling lies. Companies cutting corners and risking our lives in the process… the market cannot regulate them… only governments can. And this needs to start with putting the CEOs of these large companies in jail. The board of Shell, Exxon, BP, 3M all knew what they where doing to us. And did it anyway.
The companies that made the outside cladding of the grenfell tower, VW and Bosch with their defeat device for environmental testing… all knowing. Slave labor in clothing making… The list is depressing and seemingly endless.
The (ultra) rich are ignoring laws, dodging taxes, flying private jets while they gaslight us that WE need to be conscious about what we buy and how we recycle.
The market has failed us, and we need a government to F-ing fix it. By regulating companies, holding companies to account and also individuals within companies, especially C level and boards. A free market needs strong oversight to prevent the excesses we see…
Because at this point, for most people, the free market that is yammered about by these people is a glutenous psychopath that will sell us all for spare parts if it thinks it can get away with it.
What annoys me most is typical liberals like this talk about “the economy” in a singular sense, and whether something can be simply “good” or “bad” for the economy as a whole. To them, “good for the economy” is a translation for the ultra-wealthy getting even wealthier (because they are the ones most invested in it). No consideration of whether this is beneficial for average people or not. I suppose we’re supposed to be happy that our overlords are padding their accounts with even more zeroes? Hooray…
I really hope that we can try to change the dialogue around what the economy really is and how its effects are not uniform across the entire human population.
This isn’t typically a liberal position — at least in North America
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