Socialism 101: Finland The Christian Science Monitor is running a series on the economies of Europe. Don't miss today's piece by Peter Ford on the Finnish "social model." Some fast facts: • Ranked #1 for press freedom by Reporters Without Borders (U.S.? #22) • Ranked #2 (after Sweden) in investment in research and development (R&D) • Free university education • Subsidized day care • Most competitive economy in the world by World Economic Forum ranking • Among the world's most egalitarian societies As is typical of anything you may learn of the successes of socialism through the U.S. media, the author—either by editorial requirement or acculturation—needed to find reasons why socialism may work in Finland but not here. Or why it might not be desirable. There were slim pickings. Ford managed to come up with homogeneity, high taxes, a high suicide rate and an overcrowded healthcare system. Let's take a brief look at these— Homogeneity The largest minority in Finland is Swedish, which accounts for 6% of the population. (They all look the same to me.) While this has the undoubted advantage of reducing intrasocietal tribalism, I have to wonder if one of the advantages of this homogeneity (which you will never see mentioned) is that it makes subversion of the society by capitalists and autocrats more difficult. The Finns managed to maintain their neutrality and independence during the Cold War despite sitting atop the Soviet Union. But the ways of capitalism are far less benign than most Americans can bring themselves to imagine. Western oligarchies will spare no expense to make any form of socialism appear "unworkable," and in all likelihood, some such effort is being made with the Finns. Meanwhile, President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, who's trying to use Venezuela's oil money to bring education and health care to the Venezuelans over the objections of You Know Who, must contend with made-in-America efforts at subversion.i High taxes Since the