9/19/2006

I Want My Nanny: Hey What's So Bad About Socialism?

Swedes at the crossroads
Election pits free-market theorists against defenders of the nanny state.
BY KARL RITTER
Associated Press
STOCKHOLM, Sweden — Times are good in Sweden, but voters might boot the ruling party from power anyway in elections this weekend. One reason: The longstanding opposition doesn't really plan to overhaul Sweden's fabled economic model.

The combination of massive taxes and generous welfare benefits has confounded free-market thinkers for years. How can a system that seems such a sure recipe for economic sclerosis create such prosperity?

For economists on the right, the affluence is illusory: Beneath touched-up economic statistics, they say, you'll find a failing state that encourages people to milk the system and will soon be in deep trouble as competition from China and India gathers pace.

To the left, Sweden is the closest you get to paradise on earth. There's little poverty, education is free and health care is universal. Six-week vacations and 16 months of paid parental leave allow workers to combine jobs and family life.

Both sides can cite plenty of studies to prove their point.

Read more @ St. Paul Pioneer Press.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

How many ads would we have to sell to go to Sweden?

Anonymous said...

I never knew Socialists looked like that!

Anonymous said...

And you thought like they all looked like me...

Anonymous said...

Now THERE'S a scary thought!

Anonymous said...

I'll bet there's some media guys in Sweden now convincing people that having excellent free education, universal health care and one of the highest standards of living in the world is really bad for the Swedish people. They need to create some ghettos and stimulate crime so the so they can be enjoy "freedom" like we do.