this post was submitted on 08 Oct 2023
1057 points (95.1% liked)

World News

38506 readers
2722 users here now

A community for discussing events around the World

Rules:

We ask that the users report any comment or post that violate the rules, to use critical thinking when reading, posting or commenting. Users that post off-topic spam, advocate violence, have multiple comments or posts removed, weaponize reports or violate the code of conduct will be banned.

All posts and comments will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. This means that some content that violates the rules may be allowed, while other content that does not violate the rules may be removed. The moderators retain the right to remove any content and ban users.


Lemmy World Partners

News [email protected]

Politics [email protected]

World Politics [email protected]


Recommendations

For Firefox users, there is media bias / propaganda / fact check plugin.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/media-bias-fact-check/

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 

Finland ranked seventh in the world in OECD's student assessment chart in 2018, well above the UK and the United States, where there is a mix of private and state education

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] WheeGeetheCat 3 points 11 months ago (1 children)

If you want to copy Finland, learn from and copy their election system first.

Don't bother asking your elected officials, because evidence shows that they don't represent their voters, they represent their donors. This is due to American's electoral system, specifically first past the post voting combined with electoral college. This prevents more than 2 parties, which prevents real competition in politics, which makes it easy for the richest people around to buy up all the representation.

Such is our reality now where they can say 'Sure, democrats and republicans are clearly on the take, but what are you gonna do about? Vote 3rd party and waste your vote?', and they'll be right. Election laws protect the 2 parties, because they've slowly changed them over time to do so. Even party primaries are a new addition.

So anyone wanting change in the USA needs to attack their safe seats and open up the playing field so we can have real representation again. Then you can ask your reps for stuff.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Neither I nor the article am American. If you feel that pressuring your elected officials in the US is not worthwhile and that certain things need to happen first, I understand, and I wish you luck in your efforts. For those of us who aren't from the US, I hope the knowledge of Finland's social policies is useful in your context. Keeping an eye on how others are succeeding can be helpful.

[–] WheeGeetheCat 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Ah, sorry for assuming. Although it sounds like England uses FPTP as well in some elections if you're from there. I assume thats why we got Boris and Trump: idiot twins.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Not English or a FPTP system citizen either, I'm afraid. If it is any consolation, we have elected unfit leaders using a ranked voting system too. It's part of the reason I advocate for multiple-front approaches to social betterment - all parts of all systems can be compromised by bad actors.

I'm also I'm not familiar enough with how Finland's election system works to make a direct comparison there, I only have experience in public education policy, not electoral systems.

[–] WheeGeetheCat 1 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

Ironically, Finland uses an election system that was once proposed by Thomas Jefferson, 'American Founding Father' - the 'Dhondt method' https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%27Hondt_method. (it was also independently re-invented by D'Hondt in Belgium)

I would think Americans may want to emulate that