Sweden: - Capitalist Nation ??? (vs, become)

[Sweden]

Haha, NOW those links have made it to CD Saw them months ago on DN:s (Dagens Nyheter) webpage and... yes, pretty much everyone in my e-mail list has seen them by now.

Ah, after watching these videos, I feel sooo sorry living in a "socialist hellhole"... Now, do we REALLY want to become Sweden? I mean, reeeeally?

Hasdrubal, I'm with you on that. Sweden ranks highest or second highest (depending on year of the list) in standard of living in the world, and even if we pay "huge" amounts of taxes, it's not like the money just vanish into thin air (or into less desireable places, such as... a war). We do get things for the money we pay. Free health care, free education, great roads, etc. And even if people themselves don't take advantage of e.g. the education or health care, by paying those taxes they make it possible for other people to e.g. get health care or an education. Taxes = solidarity around here.
I for one support that.

[BigSwede]

I would like to point out that we don't have a social government right now.
Maybe by american standards....

[City of Rain]

Originally Posted by Sweden

Sweden ranks highest or second highest (depending on year of the list) in standard of living in the world.

sorry bro, but youre a bit further down on the list than that.

Human Development Index - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

List of countries by GDP (nominal) per capita - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

youre still way above the US, though.. but i guess thats not really saying much

[Shizzles]

Originally Posted by DrVanNostrand

When have Bill Mauer or Jon Stewart called places like Sweden "hellholes" or anything remotely similar? It is conservatives who frequently bash the European model, especially those evil Socialist Scandinavian nations. Did you even watch the linked Daily Show segment where O'Reilly, Cavuto, and Beck demonized the place? Do you honestly believe Stewart was trying to bash Sweden with that segment? Seriously?

Also, I'd say white trash trailer parks and Detroit are a consequence of socioeconomics, not geography. The trailer parks and Detroit weren't here when the colonies were established. They are as American as apple pie.

Countries like Sweden don't have areas like that because they have economic safeguards in place that prevent certain levels of poverty from manifesting.

Reading comprehension is critical, young grasshopper. Bill Mauer and Jon Stewart's shtcik is to paint conservatives as people who "Complain about Sweden".

[Cornerguy1]

Moderator's Note:

Discussing Sweden is fine; discussions on US politics are not appropriate for this forum and should be taken over to Politics.

[Allan Trafton]

Originally Posted by City of Rain

hahaha great videos.

i really love how americans are so scared of socialism (or communism as you like to call it).

its all very plausible

imagine living in any scandinavian country: it'd be just like living in america, just you would get healthcare and education for free and pay more tax.. but all of the scandinavian countries are also more succesfull than the US in terms of economy, so people there generally make more money.

so basically, imagine getting free healthcare, education and whatnot and STILL have more money to spend.. welcome to europe some other pluses would be: lower crime, obesity rate and barely any hobos at all (because of our socialism..)

I'll buy the health care, roads and education part, but not the income. Anyways education is free up to 12th grade, also the U.S. government pays for health care for 50% of the population through medicare, medicade and other programs.

A lower class person Sweden is much better, but for middle class or above I would take the U.S. in a heartbeat.

I looked up the stats on Wikipedia per capita income

6) U.S. $46,859
17) Sweden $37,245


There is a sizable difference.

[DrVanNostrand]

Originally Posted by Allan Trafton

Do you any source to back up this more money to spend point. I'll buy the health care, roads and education part, but not the income. Anyways education is free up to 12th grade, also the U.S. government pays for health care for 50% of the population through medicare, medicade and other programs.

A lower class person Sweden is much better, but for middle class or above I would take the U.S. in a heartbeat.

The middle class in Sweden are much better off, as they aren't stretched so thin by health care costs, college debts (i.e. individual and children), etc.

You also aren't taking retirement into consideration. We Americans largely fend for ourselves in retirement. Costs can be astronomical, and that's why parents moving in with their kids is so common.

I'm not sure about Sweden, but I know that the elderly are well cared for in Denmark. I assume it's the same.

Here in the US, not so much.

There are many, many benefits to Socialism. The problem is, Americans have been force fed a warped, dystopian outlook of what the system isn't (in actuality), and for the most part, we've bought it all hook, line, and sinker.

[DrVanNostrand]

Originally Posted by Allan Trafton

I looked up the stats on Wikipedia per capita income

6) U.S. $46,859
17) Sweden $37,245


There is a sizable difference.

1. The US have more extraordinarily wealthy citizens, which skew the per capita figures (it's an average). Our rich-poor gap is astounding.

2. Sweds don't pay for health care or education, so if you take both of those costs into consideration, the gap in disposable income is bridged considerably.

[Allan Trafton]

Education is paid for up to 12th grade and nothing is really free it's paid by taxes. I'm sure Sweden and Denmark are great and their systems work for them, but in the U.S. we have enough deadbeats and lazy types already. Imagine if we had socialism. We would have entire groups with no desire to do anything. It would make it even worse.


We have the government into enough stuff as of now. Why do we want them running everything. We can't afford the government programs now. We are broke and have no money for grand programs.

Good luck to Northern Europe. If there system works more power to them. But in U.S. the last thing we need is for the government to involve itself into more of our lives. They screwed up enough already.

[BigSwede]

Originally Posted by DrVanNostrand

Sweds don't pay for health care

We do pay for health care now,but it doesn't ruin us.