[pc]
Posted on 10/12/2005 1:01:20 PM PDT by Jibaholic
Sweden is frequently held up as an example that the United States should try to emulate. It has the one of the most extensive welfare states in Europe and yet is also more prosperous and has lower unemployment than its neighbors to the south. But a closer examination reveals that not only could the Swedish model never work for the United States, but that it isn’t working too well for Sweden itself.
Sweden is a small country of nine million people who are almost exclusively native born middle class whites. Since the early stages of the Swedish welfare state were created as far back as the 1930s it is difficult to separate the effects of the welfare state from the general effects of rising prosperity throughout the 20th century. The real test of the Swedish model is not how well it has worked for native born middle class whites (after all, native born whites in America are also much more prosperous than in the 1930s), but how well it has done for others. In Sweden that means Muslim immigrants.
Muslim immigrants to Sweden are not assimilated into mainstream Swedish life. Instead they are balkanized into high crime ghettos. The most notorious example is Malmo, Sweden’s third largest city. The Muslim regions are so dangerous and so hostile to Swedes that city services will not enter the Muslim parts of the city without a police escort. Violent crime is skyrocketing, unemployment is high, and there are high rates of dependency upon welfare state benefits. Here is a good article with more on the subject of Muslim immigrants to Sweden.
Muslim immigrants to the United States are much better assimilated. They are not balkanized into Muslim ghettos and have high rates of education above the national average. Muslim immigrants to the United States are generally of higher socioeconomic standing than Muslim immigrants to Europe, so you would expect for there to be fewer problems. But the United States has a 200 year history of taking the poorest and most reviled immigrants and successfully assimilating them into mainstream middle class America. Think of the Irish and Jewish immigrants to United States in the early 20th century, or present day African immigrants who succeed in the face of racism. The United States has been creating wealth among the poorest immigrants whereas Sweden is creating long term dependency.
The other problem with the Swedish system is that it is unsustainable even for Sweden. Sweden has a birth rate of 1.5 children per woman. By contrast, the United States has a birth rate of 2.08 children per woman - the highest of any industrialized nation. The aging United States population is causing a growing problem funding social security and Medicare (government health care for the elderly). Now imagine that we had a more extensive welfare state and a declining population of workers to pay for those benefits and you can see the challenges that Sweden is facing. Not surprisingly, Sweden’s economy is in decline. In 1970 Sweden had the world’s fourth highest per capita GDP. Now it is 17th. The parallel declines of the birth rate and the economy are revealing. Sweden has enjoyed success because of centuries building upon Lutheran traditions of hard work and community, but a few decades of life under the welfare state has been eroded them.
Eventually the Swedish welfare state will become unsustainable and Sweden will have no choice but to become more like the United States. Gradually roll back the welfare state and lower taxes. This will promote economic growth while at the same time breaking the cycle of dependency that is isolating and impoverishing Sweden’s immigrant community.
Welfare states depend on a growing economy. The high taxes necessary for a welfare state impede growth. Welfare states are born to lose.
Make that 50% range, not $50 range...
We have a working system, or had one, it just seems we did not pay enough attention to it's preservation.
no but bring a few of the babes over i sure want mind-compared the covered up crazy bomb toters
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