Posted on 10/28/2010 10:59:56 AM PDT by WesternCulture
I'm Swedish and I admit my nation has made a lot of mistakes throughout the centuries.
But, in resemblence to the other Nordic nations (Scandinavia + Finland), we know how to run an economy.
From people who live in other parts of the World pretending to understand macro economics I often hear remarks like "Norway is rich because of oil" and "Sweden is a small country with a homogenous population that therefore is easily governed".
A nation like Libya too houses a homogenous population and has even more oil and gas reserves than Norway, but can't exactly compete with Scandinavia in terms of things like Porsches per capita. Why?
The tiny Viking nation of Norway today is an extremly healthy economy boasting more dollar millionaires per capita than any other nation on Earth.
Perhaps this also has got something to do with law and order, Lutheran work ethics, education and a genuine understanding of the word "democracy".
Britain is today ruining herself on social security programmes it can't afford while the French are on senseless strikes leading nowhere but into a "cul-de-sac" (dead end).
Over here in the Nordic countries, we have since long abandonded national strategies like those of the other European nations. Building up national debt simply isn't a good idea. We have failed in other areas like that of immigration policy, but not in this regard.
Despite being home to some of the most PC political parties on Earth, Scandinavia is worthy of admiration in many other respects.
For instance, have a look at the Forbes Global 2000 list. The Nordic countries (population 25 million) have more companies noted than Germany (population 83 million).
It all begun around 1980.
At that time Norway and Denmark decided it was a good idea too reduce their national debt. Sweden, where I'm from, went the other way and therefore we still are lagging behind Denmark in the area of GDP/capita (according to my conclusions anyhow).
Instead of passing on national debt from one generation to the next we have decided that the best solution is to strive to get rid of national debt as such.
Many Americans fail to understand USA since 40 years ago (or more) is trapped in a similar kind of vicious circle that Sweden was caught up in around 1980; in order to fuel demand from the consumer sector of economy "artificial" demand is built up by tax cuts (which are great IF the government can afford them) and in order to get some of the money back, the government relies on high corporate taxes strangeling the business sector.
Today, Scandinavia has;
- Lower corporate taxes than America and Germany
- Lower Income taxes than the US
- Much higher wages than the rest of Europe, Japan and the US
- Very small national deficits
Yes, the Nordic countries still are countries characterized by a "big government" philosophy, but no one could deny the Nordic Countries, the tenth largest economy on Earth by the way, also features a very healthy business climate and and a GDP growing faster than all other fully industrialized parts of the World..
There is a very effective war on wealth being waged in North America. A small cadre of people have decided Americans are too rich and got that way by exploiting the rest of the world and doing everything in their considerable power to throw monkey wrenches into the gears of the economy.
Our President is the chief wrench tosser.
I think it will be very interesting to see exactly how much wealth those same monkey-wrench tossers will have when all the dust is settled. My own take is that they have decided that it is a crime that others have so much money that they should have.
And they are moving to take as much of it as they can get.
“A nation like Libya too houses a homogenous population and has even more oil and gas reserves than Norway, but can’t exactly compete with Scandinavia “
A very good point. It’s what you do with it.
Every time you open up FR you can find a dozen examples the sabotage works. Here for instance:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2616429/posts
Presidents and Congress have made it their political message to sell this lie to the people, and people fall for it over and over.
If you listen to the polemic of those pushing for national health care, greater federal government involvement in education, day care, college loan repayment programs etc etc etc..... their arguments ALL go back to this basic lie. We will give you something for free!
It's the same reason why the Nigerian Scam is still working: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advance-fee_fraud
Truth is, the people that fall for this scam often don't care if someone else is being swindled. They are often told stories that are unbelievable, that sound to good to be true. But these people “want” to believe this lie because they so much wish they get a free ticket to wealth and prosperity for the rest of their lives. Likewise the electorate supports many of these big lie/big government solutions to every problem because politicians tell them it's free and people want to believe that. In a way, many of these American politicians are no different that some scammer in Africa running a Nigerian scam and the electorate is no different than the people that fall for this scam because they are greedy, shortsighted and selfish. But there is no law against broken political promises or deception.
I work for a Swedish company and spend 2 months a year in Sweden.
“(Sweden has) Lower corporate taxes than America and Germany”
I have no idea if true but I don’t see how it can be much lower.
“(Sweden has) Lower Income taxes than the US”
He probably means the average person pays less because he makes half what his US counterpart makes. The tax rate is actually much higher.
“(Sweden has) Much higher wages than the rest of Europe, Japan and the US”
This is complete BS. The average professional in Sweden makes $40,000 USD while the same position pays $80,000 in US and over $250,000 in Japan. (However the cost of living in Japan is huge but Sweden and US is comparable)
“There is a very effective war on wealth being waged in North America. A small cadre of people have decided Americans are too rich and got that way by exploiting the rest of the world and doing everything in their considerable power to throw monkey wrenches into the gears of the economy.
Our President is the chief wrench tosser.”
- Attacking the few who are rich is not the way to go.
This is what the Socialists of Italy and France have done ever since the end of WWII. They probably never will give up and face reality.
Sad, as these two countries are magnificent in so many other ways.
Despite the fact that Sweden still is very much of a Socialist country, we have always taken good care of our industries.
There are exceptions to this rule (as mentioned above concerning the years around 1980), but in general, Swedish workers have been and still are very loyal and disciplined.
I have no right to tell Americans what to do, but it brings joy and hope to my heart everytime I hear Americans denouncing his “reforms”.
Regardless of education, personal wealth and background all of us ought to learn more about economy and the condition our nations are in.
I don’t believe USA will go under, but I believe it could do better.
From a Scandinavian:
God bless America!
- I mean it.
Okay. How do I emigrate? The eyes are as blue as any Scandinavians.
Though I have seen some Finns and Norwegians eyes who are almost silver.
I have been to Sweden and the women are generally amazing.
Okay. How do I emigrate? The eyes are as blue as any Scandinavians.
Though I have seen some Finns and Norwegians eyes who are almost silver.
I have been to Sweden and the women are generally amazing.
Idiots in America who watch TV believe the big lie. TV and Hollywood are totally evil.
Agreed. They take pride in their appearances.
“This is complete BS. The average professional in Sweden makes $40,000 USD while the same position pays $80,000 in US and over $250,000 in Japan. (However the cost of living in Japan is huge but Sweden and US is comparable)”
- What you fail to understand is that in both Sweden and USA professionals like successful dentists/lawyers/software programmers make up for a very small part of the labor force.
Instead you should be asking things like;
“What does a Volvo worker earn compared to the ordinary (US) GM/Ford employee”
Not to mention the ridiculous wages people working for Wal Mart, McDonald’s etc. earn in America..
No one denies the fact that the really rich in America is really rich.
The question is this;
- Does the average American family own two houses and a $35 000 Volvo v70 while travelling to exotic resorts in Thailand and such places each year?
You’ve been to both Sweden and America just like I have, do you really think the average person lives better in the US than in Sweden?
No offence. I respect opinions differing from my own.
Cheers!
God bless you all too my friend
A child of Swedish immigrant grandparents.
“Okay. How do I emigrate? The eyes are as blue as any Scandinavians.”
- Don’t emigrate!!
There are plenty of Nordic beuties looking for American men in the US.
Furthermore, what all American patriots should be doing is what all patriots ought to be doing; work hard in order to make their country stronger, wiser and glorious!
The tax rate is actually much higher.
“God bless you all too my friend
A child of Swedish immigrant grandparents.”
- Greetings from the old country!
Swedish immigrants were very important in making America the leading nation on Earth.
I am happy to find out there still are strong ties between the hearts of Swedish men and women and American men and women.
Thank you for you post.
“God bless you all too my friend
A child of Swedish immigrant grandparents.”
- Greetings from the old country!
Swedish immigrants were very important in making America the leading nation on Earth.
I am happy to find out there still are strong ties between the hearts of Swedish men and women and American men and women.
Thank you for your post.
I’ll take less government and more liberty over a well run big government.
Someone please send me a plane ticket! I cannot take another month of the Imam and that thing he is married to.
I dumped TV a year ago because ALL TV and ALL Hollywood loves the Imam.
I feel like an East German trying to get out of this h*ll.
Denmark, Sweden even Norway or Finland. Greenland and Iceland are okay too. I will take Iceland over Greenland.
Just get me away from the Imam/devil.
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