There’s plenty to say regarding Sweden: (1) its “socialist” policies were made possible by wealth created under an essentially capitalist economy (as recently as the 1950s, remember, government spent less as a percentage of GDP in Sweden than in the U.S.); (2) Swedes earn about 50 percent more in the U.S., in our supposedly wicked economy; and (3) since Sweden’s explosion of social welfare spending there have been zero jobs created on net in the private sector.
– Thomas E. Woods Jr., Ph.D., Socialism Sucks
Also note that the Nordic countries have more economic freedom than the United States (Freedom Index).
The funny thing is that if the Sanders and Ocasio-Cortezes of the world made the U.S. more like Sweden, what would really happen? They haven’t updated their perception of Sweden and if the U.S. became more like us, the United States would have to have more free markets, more free trade, pension reform with private accounts, a national school voucher system with freedom of choice and public funding going to private schools as well, low corporate taxes and no taxes on wealth, property and inheritance. Be careful what you wish for.
Johan Norberg, Lessons From Sweden
