If Sweden was a U.S. state, how rich would it be? (HINT: Not Very)

The Claremont Institute ^ | December 7, 2004 | Joey Tartakovsky

[AnalogReigns]

"'The richest EU country—Ireland'

This bit alone condemns this article to the 'absolute crap' pile."

They are talking about per capita income I'm sure...and Ireland, mainly due to its friendly stance toward business, since the '80s has been a booming place.

[DainBramage]

Th can only afford bikinis and beer.

[Tolik]

Interesting article PING!

This ping list is not author-specific for articles I'd like to share. Some for perfect moral clarity, some for provocative thoughts; or simply interesting articles I'd hate to miss myself. (I don't have to agree with the author 100% to feel the need to share an article.) I will try not to abuse the ping list and not to annoy you too much, but on some days there is more of good stuff that is worthy attention. I keep separate PING lists for my favorite authors Victor Davis Hanson, Lee Harris, David Warren, Orson Scott Card. You are welcome in or out, just freepmail me (and note which PING list you are talking about).

[Reaganez]

I have visited Europe and it IS poor compared to the United States. The upper class areas are more or less the same but once you get away from the wealthy cities you see the difference.

Don't buy the socialist propaganda.

[Jabba the Nutt]

Sweden has poor people, alcohlics, drug addicts. It has ghettos, high crime areas, where it's no go for the police and fire department.

How many Swedish babies does Sweden have?

[Maceman]

Gee, things must be getting better in Sweden. According to this article from 2002, Sweden would be the very poorest state in the Union.

You think things are getting better there, or is it just that at least one of these studies is wrong?

[Spirited]

http://www.washingtontimes.com/functions/print.php?StoryID=20031227-085037-6600r

[A Cyrenian]

bump

[PGalt]

Interesting article. Thanks. Only the 5(Ra^ther) poorest? If Grey Davis ran it, he could make it #1.

[Spirited]

"UK is EU 'richest'"

http://www.eupolitix.com/EN/News/200407/6bfe1f3a-20d0-4fbc-9149-0c8b06de2a21.htm

[Slipperduke]

We've got proper Football, they've got armour-plated Rugby.

We win!

[AngloSaxon]

What was I thinking? Of course!

Tea anyone?

[LadyLiberty86]

My Swede acquaintances say their system is better because they don't have any poor people.

They do have a smaller percentage of their population living in poverty.

Sweden: 6.5%
United States: 17%

They also enjoy a higher quality of life as measured by the Human Development Index, which uses life expectancy, school enrollment, literacy and income to rank 177 countries.

Human Development Indicator rank (1 = highest and 177 = lowest)

Sweden: #2
United States: #8

[Slipperduke]

Jolly good of you, old man. Two lumps, please.

Been drinking a lot of Bovril actually. I go to Barnet in the Conference a lot, and nothing says non-league football like a plastic cup of beef juice.

[AngloSaxon]

I read recently that they have decided to take the beef out of Bovril. Won't taste the same.

I myself normally sit in the cold at Coventry Matches, I'm sure with our current displays we'll be non league soon!

[reformedliberal]

Excellent food (real bread, coffee, beer,wine, cheese, etc.), more time off with family, less cars and traffic, more regular exercise (BICYCLES everywhere), lots of parks and free public amenities, (nearly) free higher education--all these things make for a very nice way of life over there.

---

Good bakeries are everywhere I have been in the US. If one is unfortunate enough to live far from one, it is still possible...and simple...to bake bread from scratch. I drink real coffee, fresh ground every morning from relatively inexpensive ($7/lb) beans. Occasionally, I will splurge for double that to enjoy my favorite Sumatra Dark. The local supermarket carries beer and wine from all over the world and anyone can purchase whatever one likes. I can't speak for the time off with family, as we are self-employed and work together about half the time. Everyone I am close to is also self-employed in family enterprises. We have income, freedom to set our own schedule and plenty of time together.

Traffic depends on locale. If traffic is a bother, one could always move to a rural area where the problem is likely to be getting stuck behind some farm machinery, although, in the past few years, the traffic in our nearest small town has become more congested and I admit to being irritated by the amount of traffic in cities and on the major Interstates, but that is just a reality in a large country with a productive economy. Bikes are a matter of choice, as well. How many Europeans can own acres of their own land? When you can walk around your own 40 acres or more,canoe or kayak or fish just across the road and bike on side roads through gorgeous, quiet scenery, parks are irrelevant. I have lived in Milwaukee, decades ago, and there were loads of beautiful parks. Today, the parks in LaCrosse, WI are also impressive. While upper-income families may pay through the nose for the elite schools, I know plenty of middle to working class families whose kids receive government grants and scholarships to attend public universities for relatively little cost to themselves.

We usually choose islands for vacation, as cities just don't appeal to us, and usually we are surrounded by Germans, Norwegians and Dutch. They tend to scrimp more than the Americans, and often seem to be on no-frill holidays. OTOH, we have met a few who are also self-employed, gregarious, and altogether enjoyable companions.

A friend is a university professor, renowned in her specialized field. A few years ago, she spent a semester in Norway. She was looking for a pair of shoes and was frustrated because there seemed to only be a few styles available everywhere. She mentioned this to a colleague, who responded:"We don't feel the need to be different. No one needs a lot of choices." She has vowed to not return there, ever, characterizing it as Stalinoid.

Another friend of Spanish descent spent time there a couple of years ago, visiting family. They reported that most people have their official job, which is taxed punitively, and a second job off the books. It was my impression that many people punched into their official job and then went off to earn their untaxed income during the time they were supposed to be working for their taxable income.

The two things visiting Europeans seem to most shocked by in America is the prevalence of firearms and target ranges and the amount of land individuals can own. Once, back in the 90s, some close friends were hosting a group of Europeans from the NIS. They assumed that our shopping area was a Potemkin mall, so they were invited to pick any place at random on the map. After an afternoon driving hither and yon throughout SW WI, SE MN and SE IA, they had to admit that all Americans had access to, to them, extremely varied goods, mostly of high quality.

It wasn't always this way. When I moved here over 30 years ago, I would travel 90 miles every 3 weeks or so to stock up on ethnic and gourmet foods. Today, some of these are available in my local supermarket and I am about 45 minutes from an excellent selection in a mid-sized city.

I have so few complaints about my quality of life that about all I can come up with that I must drive 4 hours to attend quality live cultural events. However, since many of the same artists who exhibit/perform in those urban galleries and concert halls actually live close by, I do not really feel deprived.

Sorry for the extended post, but I remember when everyone I knew was one generation removed from Europe and all the older folks would ever say was:"It is better here."

[A Ruckus of Dogs]

Then, stuff with generous entitlements, massive tax burdens, rigid labor markets, and regulation-mad bureaucracies

Except for rigid labor markets, the US is fast approaching the rest of the list.

[Sarajevo]

I have visited Europe and it IS poor compared to the United States. The upper class areas are more or less the same but once you get away from the wealthy cities you see the difference.

I was stationed in Europe for 14.5 years and conducted operations in almost every nation in what is now considered "Western Europe." What qualifies the Europeans as poor? I found them rich in western history, the arts, theater, transportation systems.... In all countries, "once you get away from the wealthy cities", a difference is always noted, i.e. city dweller vs. country dweller.Case in point: Appalachia and the East coast of the U.S.

I have also found that the people living in these "depressed" area's are essentially friendlier, more open, and more willing to invite you into their homes for a coffee, than a city dweller.

Let us not denigrate a people for their culture, but accept it, as it only enriches us.