Some insider observations from living in socialist Sweden and comparing it to the USA

[GreenCardSeeker]

Hello GreenCardSeeker, I just saw your other thread. I'm always interested to hear from those outside the US. Welcome!

I hope you find the US to be an improvement over Sweden, not for nationalistic reasons but for your own sake. Having lived here for so long, I'm disappointed by a lot of things here, but it could be much worse.

Ah, thanks for the welcome. Yep, I'm hoping for a better life than this too, I don't want life to be a matter of paying most of your salary in taxes(that is, if the economy works well enough to provide jobs) and then having to beg for services I need from the government, and asking them for approval for so many things. I guess we all dream of the perfect place to live, but all countries have flaws I suppose, but the USA clearly stands above the rest, even though mass media in the country is willing to put on display all the failures of the country. In most countries, mass media doesn't really criticise the government, but works with it instead, presenting an image of the system as terrific.

I heard something funny today btw - the state TV had a show on China, and a Swedish businessman that had settled there was asked by a caller whether it was "as easy" to start a business in China as in Sweden.. The businessman said it was so much easier in China. That shows you the lack of insight Swedes in general have, thinking it's easy to start a business here when it's probably the hardest country in the world to do it in with all the paper work and taxes.

 

[user]

Ah, thanks for the welcome. Yep, I'm hoping for a better life than this too, I don't want life to be a matter of paying most of your salary in taxes(that is, if the economy works well enough to provide jobs) and then having to beg for services I need from the government, and asking them for approval for so many things. I guess we all dream of the perfect place to live, but all countries have flaws I suppose, but the USA clearly stands above the rest, even though mass media in the country is willing to put on display all the failures of the country. In most countries, mass media doesn't really criticise the government, but works with it instead, presenting an image of the system as terrific.

I heard something funny today btw - the state TV had a show on China, and a Swedish businessman that had settled there was asked by a caller whether it was "as easy" to start a business in China as in Sweden.. The businessman said it was so much easier in China. That shows you the lack of insight Swedes in general have, thinking it's easy to start a business here when it's probably the hardest country in the world to do it in with all the paper work and taxes.

That is a good point. China seems to be loosening economic restrictions very quickly while maintaining strict limits on civil liberties. On one hand, I'm glad freedom and prosperity are increasing, but on the other, I'm concerned that success can be achieved without more personal freedom, even if that effect is temporary.

 

[GreenCardSeeker]

That is a good point. China seems to be loosening economic restrictions very quickly while maintaining strict limits on civil liberties. On one hand, I'm glad freedom and prosperity are increasing, but on the other, I'm concerned that success can be achieved without more personal freedom, even if that effect is temporary.

Yep, you'd wish they'd come hand in hand. It's a bit interesting to note that Asian tyranny doesn't seem to have as negative an impact on the economy that European tyranny has though. It's a bit funny that China officially calls itself socialist/communist now even though it seems to have more economic liberty than many European countries. They usually say something like that they achieve the goals of socialism through capitalism.. You'd wish Western socialists would learn from that.

 

[user]

Yep, you'd wish they'd come hand in hand. It's a bit interesting to note that Asian tyranny doesn't seem to have as negative an impact on the economy that European tyranny has though. It's a bit funny that China officially calls itself socialist/communist now even though it seems to have more economic liberty than many European countries. They usually say something like that they achieve the goals of socialism through capitalism.. You'd wish Western socialists would learn from that.

Indeed. I'd say it has something to do with the failure of democracy itself.

 

[canadian4ronpaul]

greencard i have to say that was one of the most interesting points I have seen in a long time. socialists and liberals here in canada ALWAYS bring up sweden and how good life is over there when I try to debate with them, and its good to have a point of view of someone who actually lived there. I was pretty shocked to see some of the things I saw, it seems like you are a borderline communist state already. Interesting points about immigration as well. I cant wait to see your movie. However I think you should push for freedom in sweden. keep trying to convert people to the message of liberty before you arrive in america!

 

[GreenCardSeeker]

greencard i have to say that was one of the most interesting points I have seen in a long time. socialists and liberals here in canada ALWAYS bring up sweden and how good life is over there when I try to debate with them, and its good to have a point of view of someone who actually lived there. I was pretty shocked to see some of the things I saw, it seems like you are a borderline communist state already. Interesting points about immigration as well. I cant wait to see your movie. However I think you should push for freedom in sweden. keep trying to convert people to the message of liberty before you arrive in america!

Thanks for the appreciation. It's scary to hear people praise the Swedish model, but I guess that's the consequence of really onesided reporting. The Swedish government itself keeps telling its citizens that the system is the best in the world, and it's got quite a bit of extrajudicial punishment in store for people who disagree, so criticism is stifled. Corrupt organisations like Amnesty international that pretend to fight for human rights also refuse to cover state atrocities in Sweden since this system is their ideal one, they don't want it to look bad. I guess this shows the importance of spreading the word of how Sweden is really like, not the fairy tale international organizations like that keep spreading.