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I work with a lot of Swedes and Finns. Your post is pretty far from accurate. Several of those With whom I work are successful entrepreneurs and have made millions. I have two people in the region on my team and they make over $200K a year and live very much like an upper middle class American.
OP, you need to distinguish between socialism and democratic socialism. The Scandies are democratic socialist. Bernie and AOC are democratic socialists.
Not far from accurate. Just a different perspective. Sure, successful entrepreneurs can make $200k there, but I dont consider that to be a lot for a successful entrepreneur.
If they were doing the same type of business here, they would be making a lot more than that, would be taxed at a lower rate, and the money that they do keep would go a lot farther.
Not far from accurate. Just a different perspective. Sure, successful entrepreneurs can make $200k there, but I dont consider that to be a lot for a successful entrepreneur.
If they were doing the same type of business here, they would be making a lot more than that, would be taxed at a lower rate, and the money that they do keep would go a lot farther.
Reread my post. People who work for me in a corporate gig make $200K. Entrepreneurs I know have made millions.
This is why they’re failing. They point to countries like the following below as true democratic socialism. And claim have a better quality of life compared to the US. I’ve never lived in the following countries so I can’t comment either way. What do you say.
Denmark
Finland
Netherlands
Canada
Sweden
Norway
Ireland
New Zealand
Belgium
Why do people keep saying that countries with smaller houses, smaller cars, lower salaries, higher taxes, higher gas prices and more expensive consumer items have a better quality of life than the United States?
Why do people keep saying that countries with smaller houses, smaller cars, lower salaries, higher taxes, higher gas prices and more expensive consumer items have a better quality of life than the United States?
The median wages in the Scandies are higher than the US. It’s only when you look at the mean, and weight the ultra wealthy that the US comes out ahead. It’s better to be middle class in the Scandies. It’s better to be very wealthy in the US.
Middle class Scandinavians also do not worry about paying for healthcare or college.
Because they rate higher in happiness and life satisfaction and mortality rates and all those other metrics.
Denmark is consistently rated as the best place to live.
They don't worry about their health and education. Their basic needs are always covered. They don't have to make life decisions entirely based on money. Abused wives can leave their marriages without having to worry if the kids will have what they need. Well being is valued over possessions.
Who says bigger houses and bigger cars are the secret to happiness? That's a weird metric. Consumer goods? Really? That says a lot about you.
Reread my post. People who work for me in a corporate gig make $200K. Entrepreneurs I know have made millions.
What do these entrepreneurs do? I already accounted for those that are involved in international trade. Their income is unlimited, no matter what country they live in because they can sell their products online to the rest of the world.
The cost of living is higher there. The average salary in Denmark is around $75k USD. But they are taxed at 45%. The average home in Denmark is quite a bit higher than the average home in the USA. The cost of transportation is about double that of the US.
Have you spent any time there? If you did, you would see what I mean. They live very modest lives compared to Americans. And I'm not even saying that is a bad thing. Some people prefer that type of lifestyle. I dont.
What do these entrepreneurs do? I already accounted for those that are involved in international trade. Their income is unlimited, no matter what country they live in because they can sell their products online to the rest of the world.
The cost of living is higher there. The average salary in Denmark is around $75k USD. But they are taxed at 45%. The average home in Denmark is quite a bit higher than the average home in the USA. The cost of transportation is about double that of the US.
Have you spent any time there? If you did, you would see what I mean. They live very modest lives compared to Americans. And I'm not even saying that is a bad thing. Some people prefer that type of lifestyle. I dont.
I know two who have started companies in Sweden, serving the Scandies. They both grew their businesses throughout Europe. One exited through an IPO, traded on the OMX and with a market cap of over $10B US. The other continues to run his business, but with a huge infusion of PE capital.
Like I said, the government is not utopia. It has its pros and cons. My American doctor friends are terrified of the prospect of such a system because it would destroy their earnings potential.
It is harder to be ultra wealthy in these countries, easier to be middle class. I tend to think a thriving middle class is a better indicator of a thriving country.
The size of the middle class across the selected Western European nations is related to the countries’ overall standards of living. The countries fall into three groups based on their national median disposable incomes in 2010. National incomes and the middle-income shares were the lowest in Ireland, Italy, Spain and the UK (64% to 69%); higher in Finland, France and Germany (72% to 75%); and higher still in Denmark, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Norway (75% to 80%).
Cuba and Venezuela started as socialist. Amazing how that led to dictatorship.
All of those various countries are largely capitalistic. The Scandinavian countries are wealthy because of things like oil rights. That allows them to have social programs.
Sweden, Finland, Belgium, and Ireland have little or no oil. Denmark doesn't have a lot. Norway has a lot of oil, but puts the money in the bank for the future.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BigCityDreamer
Why do people keep saying that countries with smaller houses, smaller cars, lower salaries, higher taxes, higher gas prices and more expensive consumer items have a better quality of life than the United States?
What makes you think having bigger houses, bigger cars, and such make life worse? The folks in Denmark think big houses, big cars, and long drives are wasteful and unnecessary.
I know two who have started companies in Sweden, serving the Scandies. They have both grown their business throughout Europe. One exited through an IPO and the other continues to run his business, but with a huge infusion of PE capital.
Like I said, the government is not utopia. It has its pros and cons. My American doctor friends are terrified of the prospect of such a system because it would destroy their earnings potential.
I used to worry about that too when I was first starting out, but now that I am in a place where my investments earn me more than my salary, it is not something I worry about anymore. If reimbursements go down, I will just cut down my work hours (or stop completely), and concentrate more on my real estate business
That said, there are places in the world with universal health care, that also manage to pay their doctors fairly. The Netherlands is one of them. Australia is great for doctors. Canada isn't terrible either. And why shouldn't doctors be paid well? They work as hard, or harder, than many people in business who make a lot more money than they do.
Middle class Scandinavians also do not worry about paying for healthcare or college.
Oh they pay alright. Taxes are considerably more.
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