Swedish socialism is fine – for the Swedes. But Sweden is a small country with only about 9 million people and its population is homogenous. We are a country with over 300 million people and our population is very diverse. What works in one set of circumstances will seldom work well in a very different set of circumstances.
Swedes may be “generally happy†with their government, but they are constantly griping about the high taxes they pay and their vaunted health care system. They also have a high suicide rate for such a “happy†country, but that may be due to their long, dark winters, which tend to depress many people.
Many more countries have tried to emulate our economic model than Sweden’s. Even communist China and Russia have introduced major elements of capitalism into their economies because capitalism provides incentives for hard work. China has been much more successful at it than Russia. One reason for this is that the Chinese have always had to work hard to survive. The Russians have not been as successful because almost all living Russians have lived their lives in a nanny state and don’t have our work ethic (which is deteriorating). Unless a country has vast natural resources, somebody has to work. Saudi Arabia’s oil industry is populated with immigrants, many of them from India. The Saudi people live off government largesse.
I don’t wish ill on the Russians, but when its oil starts to run out its economy will be in deep trouble.
Be careful what you wish for because, once you start down a certain road, it is very difficult to turn back.
BTW, a Swedish worker does not have the same standard of living as an American worker with a comparable job. Japan has no natural resources, but because of its people’s work ethnic, it has been a major economic success since World War II.
BTW, have you given any thought to going Venezuelan socialism?