The Swedish Myth

Whether it be a college professor giving a lecture or a hippie in between bong hits, some Socialist is always extolling the virtues of Scandinavia and, in particular, Sweden as the modern Socialist utopia incarnate.  They cry “Socialism WORKS!” as they preach new age Collectivism.  Sweden is the land of unicorns and rainbows where cats and dogs play together and the population enjoys the highest stand of living in the world.  The population is coddled from cradle to grave with the Government providing for every want.  But does it really work?

The engine of the Swedish system is a crushing aggregate tax burden on individuals and businesses with a top marginal income tax rate of 57%.  In this “workers paradise”, people can earn MORE than 365 paid days off a year.  These things combine to disincentivise work and demoralize the most productive of the population.  The best and the brightest get no reward for effort so only the bare minimum is given which reduces productivity, GDP and everyone’s standard of living.

Some fun facts about Sweden.

1. Sweden’s total tax burden consumes more the 50% of GDP a year vs. 18% in the U.S. with a top marginal income tax rate of 57%.  Sweden heavily taxes income, capital gains, property and has a VAT of 25%.
2. Sweden’s median household income at the end of the 1990s was $26,000 vs. $39,400 for the U.S.  If admitted as our nation’s 51st State, Sweden would be the poorest in the union.
3. Catholicism is the Swedish nation religion and most of it’s public schools are Catholic schools.  This forces the population to fund the Catholic religion whether they like it or not.
4. Sweden publishes a low unemployment number that is considered worthless.  The unemployed are put onto the Government payroll with do-nothing jobs, said to be “retired”, are on “sick leave”, are on welfare or considered “students” all of which is considered “employed” by the Swedish government.

As King Henry and the U.S. Treasury dole out 2.3 trillion (and counting) of your money like a deranged monkey flinging feces around its cage,  companies are lining up, hat in hand, to grab a piece of this pie whereby removing risk from the risk\reward equation.  As dangerous a precedence as this is, an even worse message is being sent to the American people that the Government can be a snuggly, warm goose down comforter that will protect the citizenry from any pain; financial and emotional.  If a majority of the U.S. population turn their backs on the founding principles of this country and embrace this notion, we will all certainly be, like Sweden, the poorer.

“We will not replace the US. It is not possible.”
- Goran Persson

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