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The "Scandinavian dream" of 60% taxes, debt, and government created jobs? I don't think that's much of a dream and socialism of that scale won't work in a country as large as the U.S.
Maybe you should try to check out reality.
No 60% tax. I pay maybe slightly above 30% and for this we get free education, free healthcare of high quality, 1 year maternity leave paid, 5 weeks holliday, good infrastucture etc.
Socialism? Can you define that?
Very strict laws protecting private property here. Always been that way here.
Good welfare is actually proven to be the main reason for high social mobility.
The "Scandinavian dream" of 60% taxes, debt, and government created jobs? I don't think that's much of a dream and socialism of that scale won't work in a country as large as the U.S.
Lol, we don't pay 60% in taxes. All Nordic countries have less debt of the GDP than the US. And all the countries are free-market capitalist countries.
Index of economic freedom:
Quote:
Originally Posted by nei
Does Scandinavia have a higher % of jobs from government than the US?
Yes, but not dramatically so. For Finland it's something like 22% compared to 14% in the US.
I'll rather have people working in the public sector than in prison.
And look what countries aced this statistic too.
The US have a lot of redeeming qualities, but also some of the worst social policies in the Western World.
Not sure who that is mate The only Swedish music I really like is Roxette and some solo ventures from their guitarist Per Gessle. Also some stuff from a Swedish-language band called Kent is decent enough!
A progressive house producer. His 2004 song "Call on Me" reached #1 in Sweden.
These days, he makes some great instrumental tracks under the alias Pryda.
The bad thing about Italy is that it's a country where people die of 6.0 earthquakes because they build so poorly. It doesn't seem so appealing to me in that sense, but coastal cities like Livorno, Trieste, Genoa and Naples sure are beautiful
The probability of dying from an earthquake in Italy is so low that it's not even worth considering. There's buildings that have been standing in that part of the world for over 2000 years, so generally I'd say that their buildings have a reasonable probability of surviving in that country.
I really hate when people, especially Americans, say this. If you believe that the U.S is not the greatest country in the world then find me a better one. And don't pull some B.S about how education is "lacking" in the U.S (while this is true it is an indisputable fact that the U'S is the most powerful, wealthiest nation in the world, has an incredibly high quality of life) The U.S has opportunity unrivaled by any other nation, is by far the birthplace of more global corporations than any other country, and to top it off is extremely affordable compared to nearly every other country that compares in terms of per-capita earnings or any other measurement of personal wealth, and this is before considering our low income tax rate.
I mostly agree with the rest of the stuff you're saying, especially about our country's flaws.
This romanticized view of the U.S. does us no good, I mean, is it the worst country in the world? No, not even close. Is it the best? No way, Jose.
Whenever I see the famous "wealthiest nation" slogan being tossed around all I can think of is corporate greed, debt (national and personal), neglected infrastructure, poverty, and income inequality. Many of these almighty corporations don't even pay taxes. "Powerful nation" = exorbitant military spending on perpetual warfare and being the planet's police force. The world's highest rate of prison incarceration (by leaps and bounds). The fight over healthcare. Militarized police forces. Draconian laws. And this is only scratching the surface.
I don't even have a check book. I should figure out whether I have to pay a fee to have one. I've been putting off renewing my passport for too long. But when I do, I'll have to ask my mom to write the check for the renewal fee, and I'll give her the cash for it. I usually have virtually no use for checks.
Nope. Still no use for checks. Went to pick up my taxes at the accountant's office this morning. Cost was $200. So would have used my credit card for the cash back on that one, but they don't take credit cards. Cash or checks. So I handed over two hundred dollar bills I had gotten from the bank yesterday evening.
This romanticized view of the U.S. does us no good, I mean, is it the worst country in the world? No, not even close. Is it the best? No way, Jose.
Whenever I see the famous "wealthiest nation" slogan being tossed around all I can think of is corporate greed, debt (national and personal), neglected infrastructure, poverty, and income inequality. Many of these almighty corporations don't even pay taxes. "Powerful nation" = exorbitant military spending on perpetual warfare and being the planet's police force. The world's highest rate of prison incarceration (by leaps and bounds). The fight over healthcare. Militarized police forces. Draconian laws. And this is only scratching the surface.
I really hate when people, especially Americans, say this. If you believe that the U.S is not the greatest country in the world then find me a better one. And don't pull some B.S about how education is "lacking" in the U.S (while this is true it is an indisputable fact that the U'S is the most powerful, wealthiest nation in the world, has an incredibly high quality of life) The U.S has opportunity unrivaled by any other nation, is by far the birthplace of more global corporations than any other country, and to top it off is extremely affordable compared to nearly every other country that compares in terms of per-capita earnings or any other measurement of personal wealth, and this is before considering our low income tax rate.
I mostly agree with the rest of the stuff you're saying, especially about our country's flaws.
The problem is that many people believe the country where they are from is the greatest, so it doesn't really mean that much & is totally subjective. I mean most Maltese are extremely patriotic & think Malta is the greatest country on earth, when compared to the UK it is almost like a 3rd world country in many ways...
I like the US & have visited a few times, but I don't think it is the greatest country, for various reasons, & it is getting less great on an almost daily basis...
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The only Swedish music I really like is Roxette and some solo ventures from their guitarist Per Gessle. Also some stuff from a Swedish-language band called Kent is decent enough!
And don't pull some B.S about how education is "lacking" in the U.S (while this is true it is an indisputable fact that the U'S is the most powerful, wealthiest nation in the world, has an incredibly high quality of life) The U.S has opportunity unrivaled by any other nation, is by far the birthplace of more global corporations than any other country, and to top it off is extremely affordable compared to nearly every other country that compares in terms of per-capita earnings or any other measurement of personal wealth, and this is before considering our low income tax rate.