Posted on 12/06/2004 8:33:36 AM PST by dukeman
Back in the 1980s, one of the channels (PBS?) did a documentary about poverty in America, called 'How the other half lives ...' or something like that. The Soviet Union decided to show it to their people, with the intention of convincing them how bad things were in the land of the capitalist enemy. Well, it had the opposite effect. The Russians saw how poor Americans had TVs, homes, refrigerators and so on.
Preach on!
However, let it be noted that people paying taxes, working, behaving in a moral, responsible way DON'T need the welfare state.
"Sweden has high taxes and a large welfare state. The level of unemployment is low, but workers take excessive sick leave; according to the Economist Intelligence Unit, an average of 430,000 employees, or 10 percent of the workforce, are on sick leave at any given time. Despite these drawbacks, as was pointed out in the 2003 Index, the economic landscape of Scandinavia is changing. Economic freedom in Sweden has grown with the implementation of policies that increase opportunity and attract investment through low trade barriers, stable money, open domestic financial markets, an openness to foreign investment, reduced regulation, market-determined wages and prices, and relatively little informal market activity. In addition, Sweden’s history of political stability, strong rule of law, and protection of property rights provides fertile ground for such policies to take root."
Then you know exactly what I'm talking about. But this is true all over the world. It is simply more surprising to realize it is so pervasive in Europe and Canada. I think that the propaganda is almost to the point of dangerous. I don't understand why we don't have a better public relations system in place. Even Blair spends millions on public relations experts and the like.
I only know 2 kinds of Swedes: socialists and libertarians.
:-)
Run the same chart back 5 years or 7 years, and it's your analysis that falls on its face. The long-term trend for Swedish biz is not positive.
What is the benefit of "diverse"? Cultural pollution? Why engage in name-calling ("xenophobic")? All I want to do is retain my national culture. That's not unreasonable. If you are intolerant of that, please go back where you came from.
Hmmm, apparently blondes are stupid.
We must have Kyoto to kill the US economy!
"Despite these drawbacks, as was pointed out in the 2003 Index, the economic landscape of Scandinavia is changing. Economic freedom in Sweden has grown with the implementation of policies that increase opportunity and attract investment through low trade barriers, stable money, open domestic financial markets, an openness to foreign investment, reduced regulation, market-determined wages and prices, and relatively little informal market activity. In addition, Sweden’s history of political stability, strong rule of law, and protection of property rights provides fertile ground for such policies to take root."
Below is the link to the two graph of the Swedish ETF, EWD, comparing it to our common market indexes. This graph backs up what you highlighted above.
Below is the link for the two year comparison:
http://finance.yahoo.com/q/bc?s=EWD&t=2y&l=on&z=m&q=l&c=^GSPC,^IXIC,^DJI
"Researchers took into account not just income, but other factors considered important to people's satisfaction and well-being.
They included health, freedom, unemployment, family life, climate, political stability and security, gender equality and family and community life."
Nice commie survey. When I start to put "gender equality" on the same footing as freedom, I hope they just shoot me.
That's an intersting and informative not to mention unbiased and accurate list.
~snicker.
Ireland is nice thogh... If you're not Irish and can actually afford to buy stuff there.
Sweden is starting back away from its interference in markets.
5 years ago it was an economic waste land. The past two years show that it is coming around.
Another Euro country, Austria has done similiar things including reducing their tax burden. The results the past two years are outstanding. The Austria etf is EWO.
France and Germany are not on the same trends as Austria and Sweden. They are the true real life pictures of socialism, high taxes, runaway unions and anti capitalism.
Will Sweden continue to grow its way out of what its socialist leaders brought about in 40-50 years? It depends on if they stick to their current behavior and don't revert to their previous tax and spend behavior.
you do know that money isn't everything, don't you?
I love Swedish culture, so I really hope they pull it off. My snapshot of Swedish business is about 7 years past, having headed up a US department for a large Swedish company through the late 1990's.
An aside: at my R&D facility, we had 150 engineers, equally divided among Americans, Japanese expats, and Swedish expats. We had a saying that "The Japanese do all the work, the Americans do all the complaining, and the Swedes take all the vacation". Good times!
BTTT!!!!!!
Unless you are an American Indian I'm not sure what you would consider our National Culture. We are a nation of immigrants and I'm very proud of that. Everyone has something to offer and I recognize that there are other cultures that I can learn from. I judge people as individuals, fortunately our constitution supports this.
Poor child is evidently suffering from swollen indices...
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