DiscussMormonism.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcX6BUZlEw4

Let's do it America...

And for those who like to read, Rand Paul's new book on Socialism is good, and it goes some into the "Scandinavian" Socialism claims.
by the way, there are other good videos out there which go into the Scandinavian country's, what they actually are and do, contrary to the Leftist Lies about them.

You want us to believe you read a book? I don’t think so.

- Doc

ldsfaqs wrote:

Since our resident welfare king, faps, can't seem to read or even follow the basic rules for posting a link to a video, Im going to assume, since I refuse to click on some blind link to another shiatty rightwing propaganda video, that faps, our resident welfare king, has found another emotionally driven, factually deficient video that explains why social saftey nets are "eViL!!!".

Hey faps, you working yet?

It was actually a decent video. I don't know that FAQs completely understood it given a few of the key messages contradict his own vocally expressed views. But I'd actually recommend it, too. Not bad.

One major item faqs link doesn't touch on is the disparity between the US and Sweden when it comes to military spending.

https://www.defensenews.com/industry/20 ... i-reports/

https://www.indexmundi.com/facts/sweden ... XPND.GD.ZS

At 1.04% of GDP in 2018, if the US moved closer to Sweden and come down from our 3.1% of GDP to 1.4% it would cut our defense spending down to around 270B from 649B. That's a lot of tax dollars and we would still outspend 2nd place China. So, something else for faqs to think about.

honorentheos wrote:It was actually a decent video. I don't know that FAQs completely understood it given a few of the key messages contradict his own vocally expressed views. But I'd actually recommend it, too. Not bad.

So, based off your recommendation I watched the video. Like. The whole thing. Which is 12 years in Internet time, so I'm basically an expert on the Swedish model now.

One big takeaway that I like is the deregulation of licensing. It's such a racket. Since we have inspectors that'll review a tradesman's work, I don't see why they have to spend thousands of dollars to get licensed. Hell, even cosmetologists are getting licensed these days. Absurd.

But, yeah. The video makes an interesting argument that we totally mis-view how the Swedish system operates. According to various websites that I just googled, because I'm an expert on the Swedish model now, their debt-to-GDP is ~34% while ours is ~104%. It makes me wonder if we were to scale up Sweden to our size and population if their model would work as well as it does for their country right now. We're operating at an order of magnitude greater than them with a host of different issues we have to deal with that they don't. At the end of the day, each country has to, like the economist stated (I don't recall his name), find their own path to prosperity and I don't think it's realistic to say if we do what they do it'd work out. We have thousands of different variables they don't.

- Doc

Doctor CamNC4Me wrote:We're operating at an order of magnitude greater than them with a host of different issues we have to deal with that they don't. At the end of the day, each country has to, like the economist stated (I don't recall his name), find their own path to prosperity and I don't think it's realistic to say if we do what they do it'd work out. We have thousands of different variables they don't.

I thought this was a good closing point as well.

Maybe it was the lack of ominous music and video clips ending in stills with Bernie Sanders with red eyes as the camera rotates around his now-demonic face, but for a faqs link it was not bad. I left me thinking it would do both sides of the partisan political divide good to move past the caricatures of other models both employ to really ask what they are doing and why. I think the segment on how capital flight is a risk under high taxation is worth the left side of the spectrum taking some time to understand better, while there is still much going on in Sweden that is progressive though the video would let those go past quietly while trying to make it sound like Sweden is a capitalist Mecca by focusing market competition and where they don't have taxes but we do. Truth seems to be somewhere in the middle, but importantly they are open to changing when needed instead of getting bogged down in partisan ideological trench warfare.

Oh great, another documentary playing the semantic shell game of Socialism, Free Market, Democracy, Democratic Socialism and did I mention Socialism?

Sweden isn't "Socialist," it is Democratic Socialist. Socialism doesn't exist. But instead of focusing on words, let's focus on what Sweden has successfully done which Bernie Sanders is actually pushing for:

Sweden has successfully implemented universal government funded healthcare that results in a healthier population at a much lower cost.

Sweden provides 100% tax funded education.

Sweden's labor force is 70% unionized.

Sweden's tax revenue is over 40% of GDP, ours is under 20%.

Sweden's national debt is 38% of its GDP. Ours is over 100% and climbing.

Sweden's tax rate is 57%, ours highest tax bracket is 37%.

So if we can get all this and still remain a "Capitalist" country like these interviewees insist, then what are Republicans so afraid of?

The fact is, if anyone on the left even suggests pushing for any of these items above, they're immediately branded a Socialist.

Icarus wrote:Sweden isn't "Socialist," it is Democratic Socialist.

I don't think this is a thing. Democratic socialism is just marketing and branding. No one can point to some activity within a world governments and use it to clearly define what it means to be democratic socialist. While there is an important Social Democrat party in Sweden it is silly to claim the form of government is Social Democratic.

honorentheos wrote:

Icarus wrote:Sweden isn't "Socialist," it is Democratic Socialist.

I don't think this is a thing. Democratic socialism is just marketing and branding. No one can point to some activity within a world governments and use it to clearly define what it means to be democratic socialist.

I mean, the main guy being interviewed straight up shot down that term. The problem with various political identifications seems to be that they mean different things to different people. It always seems like there's a No True Socialist thing going on with Leftist ideologies. Then again, it's not like the Right has a cohesive identity other than government is bad, taxes are bad, and blowing money on a gargantuan military is good. <- Inb4 No True Conservative.

- Doc