Do like the Germans do, try and become Vikings!

To anyone sane of mind, it's pretty obvious that something, basically, is wrong about the way large parts of European and American economy is run today.

Our German neighbors are beginning to realize this and lately Chancellor Merkel have been very successful in restoring economic growth on German soil. Presently, the German economy, after 20 years of a sad standstill, is growing at a pace nearing that of Sweden.

Scandinavia (including Finland) taken as a whole is today the World's 10th largest economy despite it's 25 million inhabitants.

Many would say Scandinavia today leads or places itself among the World leaders of the Planet in areas like IT (Ericsson, Sony Ericsson, Nokia), the automotive business (Volvo, Volvo Cars, Scania), general/infrastructural/power engineering (Swiss/Swedish ABB), medical/biotech (British-Swedish Astra Zeneca), appliance/consumer electronics (Electrolux), home products (IKEA etc) and then there's mining, retailing and not the least brewing giants over here like LKAB, H&M and Carlsberg.

Something of much greater importance is our ability to handle national wealth. Probably, this matter is related to the fact that Denmark and Sweden are very old and homogeneous societies (contrary to USA, Germany and Italy). Norway, Iceland and Finland have not been sovereign nations for a long time, but have always nurtured a very strong national identity.

Today, few nations are supressed by other nations. Instead, millions of people in developed nations are supressed by their banks and have their futures ruined by their own governments.

Back in the early 1990's, my nation, Sweden, encountered more or less the same disastrous economical situation America and most of Europe of today does; zero economic growth, mass unemployment and huge national debt.

Quite contrary to the traditional image of Sweden/Scandinavia, Northenmost Europe of today is a great place for running a business and building a future for families and individuals.

But although there, undeniably, are many Socialist, nannystate traits to the Swedish/Scandinavian society of today, I'd say we are done with Socialism as a country/corner of the Earth and are beginning to realize how much is to be gained from promoting true Capitalism.

More specifically, this is what Sweden is doing rigt and most other well developed countries are doing wrong:

1. Paying national debts (America and most of Europe does not, instead they rely in the ridiculous idea of having the strongest "World currency" - money is worth nothing if you don't have the brute production and trade force to back it up..)

2. Educating its work force (In this area, large parts of Europe and America display huge problems)

5. Taxing consumption, employment, house ownership heavily but NOT income (dito)

6. Investing large sums in R&D (Germany, France, Britain and America do invest a lot of money in R&D, but Sweden invests way more per capita)

2 of the 15 richest men on Earth are Swedes (Sweden has a population of a mere 9 million).

The $30 000 (MSRP) Volvo V70/XC70 is the average car in my country. This really says it all about Swedish standard of living. Genuine poverty does not exist - but perhaps some would say our material wealth is yet another sign of wicked Nordic Socialism:)

IMO, Sweden is a nation conceived in the Lutheran tradition of entrepreneurship, hard work, law and progress.

This has very little to do with the kind of political ideology that led to the national disaster in neighboring Russia during its Soviet, Socialist past.

By learning from Nordic ability to build successful Capitalist companies and productive societal structures, America as well as Continental Europe could find its way back to Protestant ethics and manage to avoid echoing that tragic, big government Eastern European fiasco of the last century.

First off, "disposable personal income", a really big item in most parts of the world, is lower in Sweden than in many US states. Some time back it was lower than Mississippi.

Now you may not value personal disposable income, but that's a personal problem.

Regarding the Danes, within the last 200 years well over half of them emigrated to America. Regarding the Swedes, within that same period well over half of them emigrated to America. Regarding the Finns, within that same period probably 90% of them emigrated to America or any other place they could escape to. Fortunately for them they have some really hot women or the Russians would have found it necessary to import more Pomars to repopulate the place.

So, why am I bringing up "the last 200 years" ~ lots of stuff goes on in 200 years anywhere. But rarely does the formerly RICHEST EMPIRE ON EARTH ~ the Swedish Empire ~ with all the wealthiest people on the planet ~ just wither away and disappear.

America 200 years ago was, for all practical purposes, a Third World Hell Hole with fairly democratic government at the local level and something more like a kleptocracy at the top. My goodness, half the country had SLAVERY!

Today, we got the big bucks and the big ammo, and Scandinavia is #10, but it's still on the way back up!

Obviously using a long term point of view gives the advantage to America, but it also reminds us of the fact you can be up, and you can be down, and in the end no one has all the really pat answers to that.

Regarding homogeneity ~ we ain't got none, don't want none, couldn't force us on it without some serious killin' in fact.

I don't see that in the long term homogeneity is an advantage or a disadvantage. Besides, Scandinavia is really not homogenous. First off you still got 11 Sa'ami tribes ~ they know who they are even if you don't ~ and come the next ice age (which could start this winter for all anyone knows) their marginal advantage in the cold could well lay Europe as a whole open to a quick Sa'ami takeover!

Finland appears homgenous ~ but the Swedish speaking minority know who they are and when they emigrated to America they set up their own synod. Same with the Finns. They set up their own synod. And the Sa'ami? The greater number escaped to America (or were brought here as slaves by the Swedes) early enough (mid-1600s) that they were able to retain much of their pre-Christian culture (see Santa Claus, et al.)

Norway is not homogenous ~ they are simply nuts. Cops without guns? Bizarre!~ And Sweden? They only imagine they recreated Scania in the Swedish image ~ there are ill feelings lurking just below a deceptively peaceful surface ~

To the degree Sweden found a secret to building wealth, they figured out that if you tax the rich at high enough level they will move everything abroad! That taxes are lower now is no guarantee they will be in the future.

“There is a growing muzzie population in Sweden, but I think it’s still under 10%”

- Yes, it's still under 10%.

The ethnic group displaying the highest birth rates in Sweden is the vast, ethnically homogeneous, urban middle class.

By the way, the highest birth rates in Scandinavia's largest city, Stockholm, are found in the upper middle class area of Södermalm, while some of the lowest figures in this department in all of Scandinavia are featured by Rinkeby/Kista, a part of the city housing a large Muslim population.

For some reason, Swedes who have established themselves in society tend to reproduce a lot while those who fail to do so have fewer children.

I'm not sure, but my guess is that secularized Muslims who adapt to Western ways of life are better at building happy homes and producing offspring over here than uneducated, backwards Muslims who refuse to integrate with Western Civilization.

Concerning the Swedish baby boom of today:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2738546/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2328696/posts

These are good news, but I'm not saying Islam doesn't constitute a threat to Western Civilization. It sure does.

There is no reason why Sweden or any other part of the Christian World should allow mass Muslim immigration.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.