and people seem happy enough, so why would it be wrong for us to change into being a Socialist??
I am not saying I am for it, just want to know the difference in our way of life!In what way would America change if we became a Socialist country like Sweden? I spent the summer there, ?Wow, all of you people are full of irrational fears. 60-70% taxes? Are you kidding me? Massive redistribution of wealth? What?
Anyway, I'm studying abroad in Germany right now, and I can tell you that while it is a socialist country, things aren't that much different than in the US. Yes, taxes ARE higher, BUT it evens out because people don't have to put out so much money for things like health insurance.
There are of course poor people who barely make it by, but I can tell you that there are plenty of really rich people here and cruise around in their Mercedes SLR and shop at places I could never imagine affording. Socialist doesn't mean at all that everyone has the same amount of money - what it does try to do, is make sure that people don't simply get screwed over by the system.
If there is anything wrong with the system here, it's that there are too many people growing older and there won't be enough money in the future for them to live on after they retire, but guess what, we have EXACTLY the same problem with Social Security.
Of the four main %26quot;socialist%26quot; programs here in Germany, the US has their own version of three of them already. In the US there is already cheap health insurance if your family is poor (BluePlus in MN), unemployment benefits are built in to the system, and Social Security once you retire. If you don't like socialism, maybe we should get rid of those programs in the US.In what way would America change if we became a Socialist country like Sweden? I spent the summer there, ?We would all be equally poor. We would all fit into one of two categories, Employees of the State or Wards of the State.In what way would America change if we became a Socialist country like Sweden? I spent the summer there, ?Do you have a job? Do you pay taxes? Would you like to pay 60 to 70 percent of your income in taxes? If not, think about it.In what way would America change if we became a Socialist country like Sweden? I spent the summer there, ?It would be just like the old Soviet Union. America is to corrupt and to greedy to ever be true socialist, besides Socialism is just suppossed to be a pit stop until communism takes overIn what way would America change if we became a Socialist country like Sweden? I spent the summer there, ?America would fail. Too many lazy people and too much stuff.In what way would America change if we became a Socialist country like Sweden? I spent the summer there, ?You can be happy in any situation if you have the positive mindset to always allow the best of your emotions to shine through the dark times. However, as others have probably already mentioned, the standard of living will go down making us all equally poor, or reliant on the government, since that's who you work for. You wouldn't have the freedoms that you do now, you'd be considered government property in a sense.
EDIT to your additional details:
We would all continue to pay taxes, however it would be much more than we pay now and it would be redistributed so everyone is equally classed. I guess if you are okay with everyone being the same in terms of living standards, regardless of how hard you work compared to others, then I guess you could be happy. It's almost like the entire country would be part of a government union (obviously not exactly, just an example of the sort).In what way would America change if we became a Socialist country like Sweden? I spent the summer there, ?It's pretty easy to find political harmony in a country of what, 10 million people? Even more so when they all look and sound alike.In what way would America change if we became a Socialist country like Sweden? I spent the summer there, ?I know a few people who left Sweden. Its not as pretty as it is reported in the papers.
Socialism does not work. It never has. Sweds are scared to death of their government. Ask someone who really lives there or lived there. Also there is an huge list of Scandinavian applicants seeking U.S. citizenship- and I doubt it has much to do with the weather.In what way would America change if we became a Socialist country like Sweden? I spent the summer there, ?No offense but, if I have to explain it to you then you need to do research....how many people do you see in America walking the streets who may appear on the surface to be happy of care free but, do you really know the struggles that they have in their lives. You should have spoken to the people there and got the voice from the man on the street...In what way would America change if we became a Socialist country like Sweden? I spent the summer there, ?Sweden is not really a socialist country. Rather, it is a free-market democracy just like the U.S., but with a larger public sector, higher income taxes and a more generous unemployment welfare system.
The current government is centre-right with policies somewhere close to the middle of the U.S. political spectrum - a mix of the more liberal parts of the U.S. Republican agenda and the more conservative / market friendly groups of the Democrats.
When comparing the two systems, please bear in mind that in many European countries, more services are paid for through your income and capital gains tax. Although an American family often pays less in direct income tax than a European family does, the American family has to pay for many services that are free in Europe - tuition fees for the kids to go to university and medical insurance for example.
Therefore, the standard of living in Sweden and the U.S. is quite similar (at least that is my impression after having spent time in both countries).
Key differences between the U.S. and Sweden is that healthcare and tuition in Sweden is basically free (or rather, paid for indirectly through taxes instead of directly through fees) and that you are pretty well taken care of if you lose your job. The obvious downside of this is that taxes must be higher to finance a larger public sector.
Critics of the system point out that is unfair that hard working people do not get to keep more of what they earn and that this removes individual incentives to work and invest. Supporters on the other hand argue that universal access to healthcare, tuition and generous unemployment benefits bring more benefits than disadvantages.
It is a complex question and there are many more pros and cons than the few ones I have listed above. However, the differences between the U.S. and Sweden are actually a smaller and fewer than one might think at first.
Countries that are culturally similar to the U.S. but politically more similar to Sweden are Canada and Australia - they might give you a hint of what the U.S. would look like with more European-like policies.
