Bernie Sanders an the Big Swedish Lie

Like so many other leftists, Bernie Sanders has embarked on the claim that America should become more European like and institute even more social welfare programs. As they always do, they hold up Sweden as some sort of shining example of how the modern socialist state should work.

The problems is, like with so many other leftist arguments, this one is superficial and shallow in its accounting of the historical realities behind modern Sweden. In short the argument is rife with the lies of omission.

In that period when the American colonists were just begining their long struggle against King George III, Sweden was still under the domination of the usual types of self-entitled nobility and oppressive trade guilds that had been the social model since the middle ages. Most of the population lived in the poverty of a feudal economic system. They were quite simply serfs. 

By the begining of the 19th century the same type of enlightened classical liberalism that had inspired the American Revolution began to take root in Sweden. The nation was transformed from an economic system of Royal licences and trade guilds into a model of laze fair economics. The transformation was so complete that in the period between the middle of the 19th century and the middle of the 20th century Sweden's population doubled and personal income grew nearly 1000%. Sweden became the 4th wealthiest nation in the world. Sweden's industry and population became some of the most modern and innovative in the world. This, coupled with sound banking policy allowed them to accumulate massive capital reserves. 

There was so much prosperity and wealth that the Swedish left which had been, if not dormant, was unable to make much headway against it. They then changed tactics and began insisting that all those reserves should be spent on providing the usual litany of "free stuff" for the population at large. By the year 2000 many programs were in place from health care to subsidized housing etc. and Sweden still held its place as number 4 in national wealth.  But then all those capital reserves built up over a century of hard work and frugality began to run out and Sweden quickly slipped from number 4 to number 14 on the list of national wealth. Additionally, since the social welfare era Sweden's economic growth has stagnated and real job creation has fallen to near zero and corporste innovation has all but disappeared as major corporations survive primarily on government contracts and no longer have to compete. 

As Sweden continues to deteriorate economically, it also deterioates socially and they even seems to be unable to defend themselves or their culture from an invading horde of Muslims who have no interest in assimilating into Sweden but rather seek to parasitically destroy it from the inside. Working against this trend, Sweden has begun to cut back on its social welfare system and privatize large sectors of the economy that had become state controlled.

The idea that the US can impliment a Swedish style socialistic system in a nation of nearly 325 million and already nearly $20 trillion in debt, without destroying labor mobility, taxing captial generation and innovation out of existance just when it is needed most, is purely delusional.  The Swedes are begining to return to their productive capitalistc roots. We should be doing the same.