Think about if you opened your mailbox once a month and opened a letter with $876 enclosed for doing absolutely nothing. The people of Finland will get to experience this feeling soon, as a bill is coming close to becoming finalized which would grant every citizen, over 5 million citizens, a check for 876 euros a month. All seems nice and dandy, right? In consequence, the government will be doing away with welfare programs, unemployment centers and other programs financially funded by the government. Is this such a good idea?
Per month, the government will be handing out over four billion euros, just because. Per year, the government will be giving out over 52 billion euros, just because. In the government’s mind, this could be saving them money. At the turn of the century, Finland’s government footed thirty percent of the bill for all welfare programs, which being one of the most advanced welfare states, that's quite a chunk of change. But this bill seems to have dire consequences down the road. With a nation thats revenue for next year is expected to be just around 50 billion euros, how could it fill the hands of so many people with the entirety of the nation’s revenue? More tax cuts and reforms seem to be the answer.
An already in-debt nation, Finland is closing the mark to being in debt 130 million euros, and with this plan, this number would be increasing. Even with tax cuts, the revenue handed out to each citizen would eat away at the nation's revenue. I feel like this is not a good idea for this modern nation. Handing money to everyone would only dwindle their motivation, even if the amount of euros per month could not satisfy a life style. Why work when you can wake up on a Monday morning and have a fresh check for 876 euros in your hand, and all you had to was… well, wake up and do the tough job of opening a mailbox. This bill is like the bad parent who cannot say no to its children. If you keep giving money to a child without any discipline, how will he or she learn the value of this money. He or she will not.
I can just picture the headlines in the next ten years of an incredibly in debt Finland. This program will solve one issue, lack of government support. This new deal revokes all government and bureaucratic social programs. Before Finland’s welfare programs, unemployment was around twelve percent. After the installments of the programs, unemployment was around four percent. There are more consequences than benefits with this new deal. The effects of a lazy society and little to no government seems to be sitting up Finland for major disasters down the road.
