Denmark and Sweden are some of the happiest countries in the world, but they also have the highest tax rates (insurance, school)
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Denmark and Sweden are also two highly irrelevant countries on the world stage and their people are so socialized and zombified that they have no ambitions or expectations for themselves or their country. Have people from these countries won any Nobel prizes in science, literature, or medicine lately? Are they trailblazers in technology like the USA?
I have no interest in the great USA becoming mediocre and inconsequential -- and happy about it -- like many small European countries.
These countries have high per capita income, great health care, no crime, a highly educated population, and modern infrastructure. It's impossible for a country to do that without a substantial portion of the country having some ambition.
Why can't you give these countries credit for being successful?
Nobody is saying America has to turn into Sweden but why do feel the need to down them?
After all they are going forward in terms of economic growth and we going backward.
"Denmark and Sweden are some of the happiest countries in the world, but they also have the highest tax rates"
What all the world's countries do not understand is that happiness can only be bought with money. America's bliss proves that. God Ble$$ America.
Is happiness the most important thing in life? If so why don't we just pull some 1984. We could deplete people oxygen when they are babies, then we'll medicate them their whole lives. Viola! Happiness. That is obviously ridiculous though. Keep in mind that Sweden and Denmark are small countries with small populations. Sweden's population is 9.2 million and Denmark's is 5.5 million. They had very little ethnic diversity until recently. So they have a very family like culture and government. Imagine sharing your resources evenly with your family. It is easy to give to people you know and you can expect the same from them. It is easy to keep track of where the money goes and who is getting what. Now, imagine sharing in the same way with an arena full of people who you don't know and who don't know you. How can you know where your money is going, who is getting the money, and for what reasons. More people would cheat the system and there would be more opinions and ideas that would clash. The United States has +300 million people with extremely differing ideas and ways of life. I don't see socialism working out in the same way it does in Nordic countries. And besides, how do you measure happiness?
I'm from Denmark and I agree with you 100 %. I have come to the exact same conclusion after thinking about this for quite a while. People always see multiculturalism only as a good thing, and homogeneity as bad. You know if you say you would prefer to live in a country, where most people are alike and share the same cultural values, and where people that come as immigrants integrate, then you are a racist nowadays. That's why you will see in the future that welfare states like the one we have in Denmark is gonna change dramatically, you know change in the direction to become more liberal like in the USA, and untill people have accepted the dramatically different liberal model, there is gonna be a "fight" between the once who "have" against the once who "don't have" or wealthy and middleclass against poor if you will.
My only question is, how come almost no Americans have the same opinion as you. I mean MANY Americans critize and are like afraid of the Scandinavian welfare model and think is ****. But how hard can it be to understand how benefitial it is, and how many people that supports it when it's like sharing with your family as you just said. But how come most Americans don't get that?
Cheers
Exactly- the insane message from the left is that the government, in its infinite wisdom, knows how to spend YOUR money much better than you do.
Liberalism is the tyranny of the government over the individual and the concession of individual thought and initiative to the "wisdom" of the state. How dense would one have to be to believe thier banter? Liberal dumb.
the message from the right is MONEY MONEY MONEY MONEY.. and if you ask about something else they say.. CAR EXPENSIVE HOUSE MONEY MONEY MONEY.... that's all that exists to these people, they won't admit it but it is the MEANING OF LIFE both SPIRITUALLY and in EVERY OTHER WAY.
that's why a WHOLE SOCIETY of people living a GOOD MEANINGFUL BALANCED LESS VIOLENT HAPPIER LIFE... doesn't appeal to them.
it's about TEN FOR ME NONE FOR YOU... MONEY, me want MONEY, me WANT me WANT.
Because Sweden and Denmark are not "rat race" countries. You can have a decent standard of living, middle class, but not necessarily filthy rich. The poor are not forced to live in dangerous ghettos or have to rent from slumlords. Fewer working hours, more paid holiday, good safety net if you lose your job and free or dirt cheap higher education, meaning that people are free to study subjects of their choosing, not just do business related degrees. You get to spend more time with family and friends and can better yourself no matter what background you were born into. Forgot to mention, healthcare is paid for by tax, so no out of pocket expenses. You also have far more rights as an employee.
Personally, I would prefer the lifestyle in either Sweden or Denmark than the US, which I am not a good fit for.
the message from the right is MONEY MONEY MONEY MONEY.. and if you ask about something else they say.. CAR EXPENSIVE HOUSE MONEY MONEY MONEY.... that's all that exists to these people, they won't admit it but it is the MEANING OF LIFE both SPIRITUALLY and in EVERY OTHER WAY.
that's why a WHOLE SOCIETY of people living a GOOD MEANINGFUL BALANCED LESS VIOLENT HAPPIER LIFE... doesn't appeal to them.
it's about TEN FOR ME NONE FOR YOU... MONEY, me want MONEY, me WANT me WANT.
Its the same with democrats, only their obsession lies with other peoples money.
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I agree with you! (Made in Denmark)
