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Denmark and Norway appear to have less income inequality and poverty than the United States. Denmark and Norway also have what we would call universal healthcare and free higher education.
However, a lot of consumer goods such as cars, gasoline, food and clothes cost 50%-100% more in these countries than in the United States. These countries have 25% sales tax and 55% income tax. Median salaries are also lower, especially for people in the upper-income brackets.
Also notable is that these countries are more than 90% white, similar to U.S. states like New Hampshire or Maine. The United States as a whole is much more racially diverse than Denmark or Norway.
So, which system do you think is preferable - a more capitalist system like the United States, or a social democracy like Denmark and Norway? Should the United States copy these countries?
Denmark and Norway have capitalism with a larger social safety net.
Capitalism is where the means of production and distribution can be privately owned. In socialism it is owned by the government or worker collectives.
Having something like a pension isn't anti-capitalism. Adam Smith - the philosopher who comes up with capitalism, actually advocates keeping workers content through things such as pensions. If Adam Smith were alive today he might very well advocate a national healthcare system inside of capitalism to keep workers content as he did the pension.
You aren't necessarily doing it - but many including Bernie Sanders and AOC have used the terms Capitalism and Socialism incorrectly.
Why would that make a difference? China & Venezuela aren't exactly diverse either.
What about Venezuela is not diverse? We are diverse like Venezuela and our results of copying their Socialist system would likely be very similar.
I worked in China, it's more diverse than you think but they were a miserable failure when they were Socialist and when they became Capitalist, have been growing dramatically since.
Nordics have proven capable of running a social democracy, no American country has.
Why would we copy tiny little European countries that flirt with their form of socialism?
Norway's population is 5.3 million, same as South Carolina, roughly.
This comparison is laughable. What would be the point for a world super power to copy a minimally successful, tiny European country?
I've been to Denmark a number of times. I spend many days a week in American neighborhoods here in "rich" Gulf Coast Florida.
The only place I've seen in my life that compares with what is right here....is maybe in Jamaica in the 1970's. Please - go tell all these people living in old rusted out vans on the back of another rotted out property....about this "Superpower" that you speak of.
46% of Floridians are not making it.
That figure is closer to ZERO in Denmark...the only "poverty" that would be able to be found would be gamblers, drug addicts and drunks who decide they want to be that way.
So....either 46% of Floridians have decided they want to be poor......or, their system is far superior. Take your pick.
Note that the area I serve is Trump Central, so the "those people are all liberals" thing won't work here.
The giant foam finger does not help the people who are diseased and bankrupt.
BTW, in your comparison - SC has 860,000 living in poverty. Denmark has about zero, but if we really want to juice things up we could say they have 150K (but ALL these people have full health insurance and everything else!)....
So, the Quiz is.....do you approve of more people...or less people...in poverty? Which is the mark of a great nation and/or a "superpower". This is not comix.
Embrace it, folks. Democratic socialism is our future.
The Scandinavian countries are capitalists. Socialism does not work, it never has.
Scandinavia simply has more generous social programs.
Quote:
The Nordic model refers to the economic and social policies common to the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Norway, Iceland, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, and Sweden). This includes a comprehensive welfare state and collective bargaining at the national level with a high percentage of the workforce unionized while being based on the economic foundations of free market capitalism.
Nordics have proven capable of running a social democracy, no American country has.
Well, one could argue that states like MA. are closer to Denmark than they are to certain US States.
These stats are somewhat similar...that is, between Ma. and Denmark (and not most other states)..
1. Virtually all covered by Health Insurance
2. Lower per capita energy use (environmental awareness).
3. Higher wages
4. More skilled general economy
5. Lower gun violence rates (MA. is closer to Europe..and 1/3rd that of certain states).
6. Life Span (MA. is going up - much of the US is going down)
7. Extensive Social Service sector
8. Similar GDP per Capita (High)....
Since the population and relative geography is similar enough...this makes a perfect comparison. I would argue that the items listed above are incredibly important...maybe not every item of importance, but most of them.
So, there you go. Democratic Socialism.....even if we call it only 1/2 way there...not only works in the USA, but the statistics show it to be far superior in terms of most metrics that would be used as yardsticks.
I wonder what party the fellows who says the US will not make it.. because parts of the county is non-white. Those latinos, asians and blacks are all in it for themselves... Am I right or am I right?
It tells more about yourself, that you dont belive in your fellow Americans.. because it seems you dont think they are true Americans.
A small caucasian country vs a large multi cultural country... there is NO DIFFERENCE! If the laws are the same, there is NO DIFFRENCE!
You just belive those blacks and latinos will steal from you with all that excess healthcare they are gonna hoard. Thats why it will not work.. That is what you are saying..
I've been to Denmark a number of times. I spend many days a week in American neighborhoods here in "rich" Gulf Coast Florida.
The only place I've seen in my life that compares with what is right here....is maybe in Jamaica in the 1970's. Please - go tell all these people living in old rusted out vans on the back of another rotted out property....about this "Superpower" that you speak of.
46% of Floridians are not making it.
That figure is closer to ZERO in Denmark...the only "poverty" that would be able to be found would be gamblers, drug addicts and drunks who decide they want to be that way.
So....either 46% of Floridians have decided they want to be poor......or, their system is far superior. Take your pick.
Note that the area I serve is Trump Central, so the "those people are all liberals" thing won't work here.
The giant foam finger does not help the people who are diseased and bankrupt.
BTW, in your comparison - SC has 860,000 living in poverty. Denmark has about zero, but if we really want to juice things up we could say they have 150K (but ALL these people have full health insurance and everything else!)....
So, the Quiz is.....do you approve of more people...or less people...in poverty? Which is the mark of a great nation and/or a "superpower". This is not comix.
I call BS on your comments. The median income in Florida is $52K and Denmark it's $29K
You have generalizations based on going to a few neighborhoods but no data to support your generalizations.
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