Going Dutch, Holland's public-private partnership system.

[Dinner]

This is a really great article from the NYT which talks about some of the pluses and minuses of Holland's social welfare system which is really just a large network of both public and private initiatives. In many ways it is superior to the American system and in a few ways it is worse but it holds some really great insights to anyone who wishes to reform everything from health care to education in the US. The actual article is to long to reprint here but it is well worth the read so please do if you have the time. The reality is far different from the characture American politicians like to paint.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/03/magazine/03european-t.html?pagewanted=1&_r=3

[KrazyHorse]

Thanks for letting us know that you're turd over at CG, Oerdin.

Forget to log out before posting that?

[Maniac]

Only read halfway the first page:

I have two daughters, you see. Every quarter, the SVB quietly drops $665 into my account with the one-word explanation kinderbijslag, or child benefit. As the SVB’s Web site cheerily informed me when I went there in bewilderment after the first deposit

The US doesn't have child benefit?

[Dinner]

Thanks for letting us know that you're turd over at CG, Oerdin.

Forget to log out before posting that?

I read Turd's post and posted here.

[dannubis]

Yeah great system... As is the case with everything they do, Kees makes a splendid system but everyone who does not get into the numerus clausus is forced to go abroad. So it's the other people that can pay for the mess they make.