Letters to the Editor: The U.S. is in trouble, but armchair quarterbacking from Finland is unhelpful

To the editor: Having lived in Canada for 30 years, a country where the demands of world leadership are far less burdensome than the United States, I know that the government and citizenry in a place like Finland can lead a more focused home country existence. (“Finns are happy; Americans aren’t. What’s Finland’s secret? Trust,” Opinion, Dec. 29)

This, while they often rather sanctimoniously enjoy critiquing the U.S. from their armchair quarterback positions.

That said, the U.S. with several major reforms could stabilize its democracy and far better serve the majority of its citizens. The need for these reforms is rather obvious:

- The public financing of political campaigns could eliminate control of government by special interests.

- Voting districts should be drawn by independent committees.

- Getting rid of the filibuster and the electoral college would lead to majority rule.

The minority trying to hold onto power at any cost is destroying us.

Mary Kay Gordon, Santa Monica

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To the editor: The op-ed article is timely and should be required reading for all those right-wing Republicans who constantly equate socialism with communism.

The main reason that not only Finland, but other countries like Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, New Zealand and Austria are consistently rated as having the happiest people in the world, is because those countries each have a form of democratic socialism.

Much of what they do is similar to President Biden’s Build Back Better plan and Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal — programs that would and have created a real middle class, where there are opportunities for all citizens to have equal access to programs that will improve their lives.

Bob Bergman, Newbury Park