Sweden: paradise or purgatory?

The Atlantic ^ | 05 Jun 2008 | megan mcardle

[george76]

I know, I should link more. I tend to forget that my readers don't know everything I know--that they haven't written a couple dozen stories about European disability and pension systems, growth rates, unemployment, immigration, and so forth...

So sorry that I didn't provide links on my Sweden post about disability, unemployment, and so forth. I just sort of assumed that Sweden's amazing rates of disability, "true" unemployment rate that may top 20%, and so forth were common knowledge. They certainly aren't particularly controversial. But if there is anything less common than common sense, it's probably "common knowledge".

Let me be clear: Sweden is not by any means a dystopian hell on earth full of morose workers standing in endless queues for Yugoslavian shoes. It's a lovely place to live, full of people who are about as happy as genetics and the weather permit them to be.

However, Sweden is wrestling with a lot of big issues.

the subject of cultural homogeneity and welfare states is complicated, delicate, and by no means settled.

[george76]

Interesting comments, too.

.

[weegee]

[MinnesotaLibertarian]

Sweeden is a beautiful country filled with wonderful people who are unfortunately naive big-government liberals. Kind of like Minnesota...I wonder how that could be. I think that's why I'm still able to love living here. The liberal politicians frustrate me, but at least in this state, I feel that most are good people with good intentions, even if they lead to the wrong policies. I can't say the same for most liberal politicians from elsewhere, or even a lot of conservative politicians.

I think it's worth noting that in both Scandinavia and the Upper Midwest, this system of government works better than it does elsewhere. I think this is due to cultural differences. I'm proud of my Scandinavian heritage because it's one of hard work and honesty, which lead to less mooches off a generous welfare system.

[george76]

Hard work and honesty goes a long way.

These socialist areas are magnets for lazy scammers ; eventually, many of the best and brightest will get tired of pulling the over loaded wagon, then leave.

---

Sweden does have the highest rate of workers on sick leave in Europe, despite being consistently ranked by the OECD as Europe’s healthiest country. As my former colleague Johan Norberg has observed, sick leave payments—which, at the time of the last election, were as high as 80 percent of a worker’s salary—accounted for a staggering 16 percent of the government budget.

http://reason.com/blog/show/126884.html

[AIM-54]

Kind of like Minnesota

lol. precisely.

It must be in the genes.

[MinnesotaLibertarian]

I think that may be what’s happening now in Sweeden. The old fishing village model doesn’t work anymore when scammers start to fill the land. Thankfully, Minnesota has never gone anywhere near as far as Sweeden, so I don’t think we’re in too much danger.

[MinnesotaLibertarian]

I’m from the same gene pool, but I guess I must’ve caught a recessive gene.

[Publius6961]

BUMP!

[Charles Henrickson]

Ping to the Swedish Ping List.

[WesternCulture]

I live in Sweden.

Most people here are well off by American standards.

The wages are very good and consumer prices are much lower than in neighboring Denmark and Norway altough Danish and Norwegian salaries are even more impressive than those earned by us Swedes.

In Norway, a decent car like the Volvo XC90 costs about twice as much as in Sweden, even though Norwegian wages are far from TWICE as high as their Swedish counterparts.

My car is a fully equipped, 200 hp Volvo V70.

Life in Scandinavia is good.

[AndrewB]

Let me go and face the danger!

[Enchante]

Life is good!!