‘I Don’t Mean To Rub Salt In Your Wounds’: Swede Tells Americans What It’s Like To Live In Sweden And It’s Eye-Opening
GDP per capita rose by 50 percent in Sweden between 1995–2016. In 2018, researchers at Oxfam and Development Finance International named it the most committed country to reducing inequality, and according to the World Happiness Report 2020, it’s the 7th happiest place on Earth. So I guess it’s safe to say the Swedes have it good. But what exactly is their secret?
Well, this Swedish citizen thinks it’s purposeful internal politics. In a recent Facebook post, they used their own life as an example to explain taxes, healthcare, and other vital parts of their country. The post soon went viral, making its way into personal feeds abroad, too. Foreigners — especially Americans — even got jealous.
Image credits: Fredrik Rubensson
As Elke Asen, a Policy Analyst with the Tax Foundation’s Center for Global Tax Policy, pointed out, Scandinavian countries are well-known for their broad social safety net and their public funding of services such as universal healthcare, higher education, parental leave, and child and elderly care.
Of course, high levels of public spending require high levels of taxation. In 2018, Denmark’s tax-to-GDP ratio was at 44.9 percent, Norway’s at 39.0 percent, and Sweden’s at 43.9 percent. For comparison, the same in the US was 24.3 percent.
In 2018, these three Northern Ruropean countries raised a high amount of tax revenue as a percent of GDP from individual taxes, almost exclusively through personal income taxes and social security contributions.
One way to analyze the level of taxation on wage income is to look at what experts call the “tax wedge,” a figure that shows the difference between an employer’s cost of an employee and the employee’s net disposable income.
In 2018, the tax wedge for a single worker with no children earning a nation’s average wage was 35.8 percent in Denmark, 35.9 percent in Norway, and a whopping 43.0 percent in Sweden. Although Denmark and Norway are below the OECD average of 36.1 percent, their tax wedges—and Sweden’s—are higher than the U.S. tax wedge of 29.6 percent.
By international comparison, Sweden is a prosperous country that evenly distributes wealth between its citizens. Its sociopolitical model consists of three fundamental pillars: a labor market that facilitates adjustment to change, a universal welfare policy, and an economic policy that promotes openness and stability. And after reading the now-viral post on Facebook, people have been saying it must be working.
Here’s what people said after reading the post
Universal healthcare is great for capitalism. Universal daycare is great of capitalism. Universal college education is great for capitalism. A minimum wage that someone can live off of is great for capitalism. All of the above improves the economy and well being of employees and will lead to higher profits for companies. Come on USA, give it a try!
We would, if people didn’t think socialism and communism were one in the same. Many of us support socialism. But many of us don’t. And so if Biden even shows support for socialism, or passes any law remotely socialist, there will be outcry among many, maybe even among those who voted for him. Maybe someday we could be relatively socialist. But only if it’s done right, and very gradually. Things are too tense right now for there to be a sudden change.
Load More Replies...My health insurance costs more per month than his total income taxes.
The US Founding Fathers were rich, white men, most of them slaveowners. The system they created functions exactly as they intended.
Right you are, and the Constitution functions very well. It is pure genius. Show me where the Founding Fathers had ANYTHING to do with taxes, cost of insurance, home ownership, price of gas, health insurance, etc. You can't because they did not. Hell, income tax was over a century away when it was written. But, "the man is keepin' you down!" Ninja, please.
Load More Replies...I really do not understand how Americans still think or are made to think this is called Socialism. Educate yourself. In the Netherlands we call it a social democracy. Also, when voting, way more options than just republican or democrate.
It's worth noting that the US wastes so much money on warfare that we can't Promote the General Welfare. Bullets, Beans, and Band Aids. The US only spends taxes on the first one. That's why we don't have enough of the second two.
The USA currently spends about 1.3 trillion on medicare, 1.1 trillion on social security and just over 700 billion on defense. Even if you disbanded the entire military tomorrow that 700 billion would not be close to paying for universal healthcare.
Load More Replies...GOP has robbed USA and most Americans are too blind and deaf to care.
Not most. Nowhere near most. Just look at the last election.
Load More Replies...I've said it before and again now: Healthy, educated people make a healthier economic base. Good infrastructure = better economy. If 150 million Americans each pay $10 into a healthcare fund (national healthcare) a month, then e very month, that's 1,500 million dollars to cover everyone. The math doesn't lie. Also, the OP from Sweden is speaking from his own experience. Others ni Sweden (or Canada, etc.) will tell you that they hate the taxation and have a devastatingly high cost of living.... No -ism is perfect, but if we agree we should all be healthy and educated to *start*? The rest might follow a bit better...
Canadian here. Nobody likes taxes but I wouldn't say I hate them, it goes to fund the country and programs. Certainly will not complain about the healthcare. I spent several weeks in hospital and several months in out patient. Cost me very little (parking, a few over the counter items that were not covered) . Have American friends who would have been bankrupted. In fact the first thing they asked was not so much how I was feeling but how was I going to pay for it.
Load More Replies...As a swede, this is so true. Only thing is that most people dont have a house that cheap. It is probably in one of the less populated areas. We pay in average roughly 600 dollars a month in rent or mortages. https://hurvibor.se/boendekostnader/jamfor-boendeformer/
Standard rate to rent an apartment in 2019 is 1150$ https://www.scb.se/hitta-statistik/statistik-efter-amne/boende-byggande-och-bebyggelse/bostads-och-hyresuppgifter/avgifter-hyror-for-nybyggda-lagenheter/pong/tabell-och-diagram/hyresratter-i-flerbostadshus-ar-2019-fordelat-efter-region-typ-av-byggherre-och-modell-for-hyressattning/
Load More Replies...I'm not from the US and consequently I'm struggling to see why it's eye-opening. It sounds normal and right to me.
Sweden doesn't pay a crushing military budget that's equal to the next 10 countries... combined!
Because Sweden doesn't feel the need to "liberate" so many countries around the world?
Load More Replies...Be careful or there is going to be a huge influx of Americans migrating to Sweden! LOL
I dunno man. There's too strong of a resistance among Americans against the use of taxes to take care of other people. This year is the first time I needed government assistance, and I'm happy I've paid into the system. But I know about people who have been on it all their lives. When asked, they think the money is funded by the government, not people with jobs. Another woman thought her government assistance was from a pool of money from only her parents. Entitlement and other behavioral disorders go both ways on this issue, and it's not as simple as "caring about one another."
I know. I'm American, and I was raised to remember that no, Social Security is not a 401(k) or pension; it's tax-funded. Medicare, ditto. My taxes do not fund JUST ME.... It's a pool of millions and millions of people paying taxes inot ALL this stuff. Which spreads out the risk, reducing costs, and increasing benefits, whether it's healthcare or other programs. *sigh* Americans have this mental tic, from decades of political rhetoric, that anyone benefitting must be a "cheat" who "steals". But they're often using those same benefits, an d see no irony. *headdesk*....
Load More Replies...Education is probably better as well. I'm trying to finish my Bachelor's Degree, but won't be able to since I'll lose my financial aid, and I won't be eligible for a loan because I failed a class. It's the last class I have to take to get my Bachelors. I got through the Associate's program and Bachelor's programs while I was homeless, I made the Dean's List most quarters, the quarters I didn't I made the President's List. But because I can't pass one class (a coding class), that's it. No more aid and I can't finish my degree. Feels like I wasted 4 years of my life.
This is how a country should operate. But when at best, 50% of the population is ignorant and afraid of anything they're not used to and susceptible to conspiracy theories perpetuated by those most profiting from the health industry - pharma, hospitals, insurance cos - nothing is going to change. Plus we have legalized bribery in our political system called lobbying. We give our politicians top tier health insurance with the job so they have no incentive to change it. Plus all those billion dollar industries throw untold millions at lawmakers to keep the industry full on rapey to the American people. Stupid people plus a corrupt political system = the people getting screwed and it will never change because there's no incentive for it to change. Politicians only care about their interests and bank accounts.
Sweden is less than 3 percent of US population. Sweden is protected by NATO so lower defense spending in cold war till today. Sweden did not have to rebuild after ww2. This fact more than any policy is why sweden enjoys the standard of living it does. Sweden was top supplier of raw material to Germany before and during ww2 Sweden although neutral was biased towards nazis at the least, and overtly helping at the worst.
Im a u.s. citizen staying in Sweden and it's not cracked up what it's said to be. First, let's say you have a pre existing medical condition such as heart disease and you need an operation, it could take over a year for you to receive your operation because you are put on a waiting list. And if you want a second opinion for medical attention out of network, you need to pay U.S. healthcare prices for it. My wife and mother inlaw are swedish citizens and this happened to my mother inlaw. You never see the same doctor or "G.P." because healthcare workers in Sweden do not get paid half of what they make in the U.S. so the quality of care is lacking compared to U.S. I know this because I work in healthcare. The houses here are very cheap... On the country side, far from the city were most jobs are. If you want to live close to your job you will be paying for it. Drivers license in Sweden will cost you around $3,000.00 not joking. To fill a ten gallon tank of gas it's around $120.00 here.
The grass is greener on the other side... Untill you jump the fence and see it was just green concrete.
Load More Replies...I suggest you check out The Congo and PNG. Sweden can't compete with them.
Load More Replies...This post is missleading. There's no way in hell taxes are 25% in Sweden. I have a friend who pays about 55% in taxes! There are tax brackets, there is a minimum amount that is not taxed, but the base is 32%, and there are 2 more levels of taxation which add 20 and 25 % on top of the 32%, respectively. Considering he earns $3000 per month, that's about 306000 krona per year, assuming this is after tax. The first 32% bracket is for incomes between 20k and 468k p.a. roughly. Considering his net income, his gross must be in the next bracket which is about 52%. Now, I don't know where this post is from or when is it from. That doesn't negate the fact that Seden has all the social benefits but keep in mind that those don't come from just 25% tax. All countries with strong social policies have a high tax rating. It's the same as here in the UK, we get "free" healthcare and socialsecurity but for that there's also a progressive taxation of up to 45% for the highest salaries.
As always - the bottom lines are never pointed out. America is young and its government is stupid and greedy. America is a republic, NOT a democracy. America generally sucks because of how money is managed (terrible education, rampant racism, freedom of the press, and honestly, general freedom)
I don't think that being a republic or democracy has anything to do with how you care for your citizens. Fact is that the American society is a capitalist one where everyone is looking out for themselves with little or no concern for people who are struggling to get by. It seems like the majority is self-centered and the sheer thought that someone might benefit from their tax money is enough to make them go crazy. All the while they are totally fine with Amazon paying no taxes and paying their employees so badly that they are eligible for food stamps. Which basically means that Amazon employees get paid with tax money.
Load More Replies...I had a look at rent and mortgage costs, and this seems way out on all the information I can find about actual living costs in Sweden.
In the link you provided earlier ( https://www.routesnorth.com/planning-your-trip/cost-of-living-in-sweden) you'll find all that info,.Rent: One-bedroom apartment (city centre) 9000–12,000 SEK. One-bedroom apartment (suburbs)7000–10,000 SEK. Student dorm/apartment 3000–6500 SEK. 1000SEK = $118. When you're looking to buy the costs can range from $300 000 to $ 500 000 for an apartment, depending on the location. Also on that site: QUESTION: Is the cost of living in Sweden higher than in the US? ANSWER: Actually, no. Despite its reputation as a pricey country, the cost of living in Sweden is around 10% cheaper than in the US.
Load More Replies...So in Sweden you earn good money and have a good healthcare ... but what about the weather, the food, the leisure .. ?
Weather sucks, food is great and so i leisure
Load More Replies...Not a good time to boast. Not even an opportune moment for a display of justifiable pride. I wonder if there will be any country that escapes the economic impact of the covid 19 pandemic. Even Sweden has begun imposing the occasional lockdown now due to the rise in cases. During Sweden's first wave of covid 19 when the virus burned through elder care homes, resulting in a hugely disproportionate number of fatalities, no medical care was offered to the victims as far as actual treatment of the disease. No ventilators. Treatment was limited to palliative care. Ample morphine so that the elders didn't suffer too much as they slowly drowned from pulmonary edema, alone and isolated from family. That's a cold, hard fact. I won't say that Sweden was alone in allowing such circumstances to occur, either through gross mismanagement, negligence or cold hearted calculation. I keep it in mind though when I ponder on Sweden's fabled egalitarianism and read an article such as this.
Dude, you need to spend more money on food. You have the budget, go organic - for the environment's sake.
And then.. here comes Romania where you pay over 40% of your pay in taxes and you don't get s**t in return.
What I just read: "Taxation in Sweden on salaries for an employee involves contributing to three different levels of government: the municipality, the county council, and the central government. Social security contributions are paid to finance the social security system." AND THE TAX RATE EVERYONE PAYS IS BASED ON IMCOME LEVEL: "Sweden has a progressive income tax, the rates for 2018 are as follows (based on yearly incomes): 0% from 0 kronor to 20,008 kronor Circa 32% (ca. 11% county and 20% municipality tax which is the Swedish average): from 20,008 kronor to 468,700 kronor 32% + 20%: from 468,700 kronor to 675,700 kronor 32% + 25%: above 675,700 kronor (prior to 2020)" FYI A KRONOR IS CURRENTLY WORTH US$0.12 OR BP£0.088. [SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA/ YOU CAN READ MORE THERE ABOUT HOW IT WORKS]
Remember that when someone says e.g. you pay 32% if you make over $20,000 then ****you only pay that % for the money over that amount****. Your actual % of money going to taxes will be a weighted average between the lowest tax rung and the highest tax rung that you are a part of.
Load More Replies...Swedes are white. We can't possibly let any money in America go to people of color. If there were a way to exclude them we'd have the same benefits in a second.
I make $3200 per month. My take home is $2080. That works out to 35% taxes. There's still property tax to pay and state sales tax on everything but food and medicine. I do not get universal health care, I have pretty good health insurance but will retire in a couple years and will depend on Medicare. A serious illness could wipe me out. I never had parental leave. We do have free lending libraries (I can't believe they have not privatized them) I get 20 days of vacation per year. College is very expesive. Let's face it, I (we) are paying a lot of money to the Pentagon and not much to improve our lives. America is a stupid stupid country. The only way out is for the majority to vote 3rd party - the Greens for instance.
So what? I can carry my AR-15 in public, yell at store owners when they remind me to wear a mask because I'm not vaccinated, and harass people of color using burner accounts on social media -- Half of this ass backwards country
I make $3200 per month. My take home is 2080. So I pay 35% for taxes. I don't get universal health care. I don't get parental leave. I get 20 days of vacation - because I'm union. The US is a stupid stupid country.
With a few nuances, we think and do the same in France. I rarely attend medicine - I am lucky - but I am proud that those in my country who need it can benefit from it for free or almost. And it's the same for school, college, high school, university ...
Just read this... "The average annual cost of health insurance in the USA is $7,470 for an individual and $21,342 for a family as of July 2020"... LOL WTF AMERICA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I would have thought that any European country has a similar system not just Sweden, I know we do in Britain, we also have state pensions (around £175 per week at the moment) which can be increased with private pension if wanted.
There is a theory among some archeologists and historians that the reason the Scandinavian countries are so open to a socially responsible/socially responsive system comes from the Vikings. After returning from a raid (or 'viking' in Norse) when the spoils were divvied up it was according to well-established rules (like the fact that the family of those lost in battle received full portions, boat owners and leaders got a little more, etc), but the goods were not taken until EVERY member of the crew or crews was happy with the division.
" For comparison, the same in the US was 24.3 percent." I call B.S. If you add up ALL of the US taxes (sales tax, gas tax, property tax, ad infinitum) I think you are closer to 35-40%, if not more. And what do you get for that? NOT MUCH.
America has a huge per cent of the population that is on welfare and does not contribute to the society. How does this figure in? I talked once to a Canadian lady who said that Canada does not have this.
Fairy tale. The income tax rate in Sweden is 57.20% currently. Do you think because it's on the internet, it has to be true? I guess if you get your world news from Facebook and don't bother with your own research... If the poster starts off lying about tax rate, is it possible anything else might not be true? Nah, no way. It's what you wanna hear so it's straight up legit, right?
Sounds great! Now, how many illegals do you support with no input from them? How many do you allow to enter the country and live off you every year? Do you allow them to stay indefinitely? Do they get free education? Free medical? Come on! How many MILLIONS of illegals do you give access to your socialized society?
As an American, I appreciate what the OP is saying, but his story is anecdotal. There are so many generalizations made/implied that we can't draw reasonable conclusions from it. I have traveled in Europe and love and respect most everyone I have met there. But I really get tired of all the America-bashing that so many do, without truly knowing who we are as a people. Despite the train wreck that is our national political system, most of us are good, hard-working, honest, and generous. We want people to be okay, and we like to help those truly in need...and yes, that includes people in other countries and regions. In that regard, we are easily the most generous people in the world, yet we are still reviled, ridiculed, and insulted...non-stop. I guess it comes with the territory, but sometimes, it would be nice just to hear a simple, "thank you", or "Hey, we really like this about the US." Tired of the hatred and misunderstanding.
It's not a misunderstanding, to those who have money the US is a first world country, to our poor it is a third world country. The evidence is in the fact that large numbers of people in the US do not have access to adequate water, food, shelter, clothing, medical care...and so on. Our country is literally a dystopian nightmare that will continue to decline and increase in fascism. That is what total unchecked capitalism looks like.
Load More Replies...In the U.S., Billionaires and Millionaires work feverishly to make sure the Middle and Working classes think poor people are the problem.
Government insurance have 2! Waiting 16 years for proper medical care! With cash I could of been back to work 15 years ago! Friend paid for three surgeries not government insurance back to work in 6 Months a each time and still working! If you don't get hurt or sick government insurance is great! Who supports you! Know leaches in America get free medical, rent, food vouchers! But I'm not a leach! So I don't Deserve free
I beg you to consider that the facts are showing us that privatizing things, letting individuals at small levels take control, and taking the governments hand out of things actually breeds natural competition, which makes things cheaper and also forces individuals to improve to be able to compete. If you really trust a few people in high places to keep our society improving and running over individuals with the ability to freely compete in a capital market, you do not believe in America. People envy Sweden's healthcare until you realize they have made almost no medical advancements in decades because of this system. Also paying 25% taxes sounds great until you realize that the total "pie" is not getting any bigger because you are not progressing or competing. Privatization and competition make a bigger pie which means better and cheaper healthcare, education, everything. Trust small businesses and individuals over corporations and government, I beg you!
I'm not sure why Trump is getting the blame, its fairly much standard for most American politicians to advertise cutting taxes. Even those on the left like Bernie Sanders is reluctant to tell people they need to pay tax to fund healthcare/education, he normally says "The rich will pay". I live in Norway and they have a similar system as the Swede, high taxes and great social infrastructure, but everyone who earns pays for the privilege.
Also, if you can’t work temporarily you get paid enough to live. You won’t get rich but you will get enough to pay rent, bills, food, medicine, healthcare and other necessities. From the state. (In Sweden.) The only thing you’ve got to do is fill in an application and prove that you have no income, no savings etc and a letter from a doctor. If you can’t work permanently you also get money to sustain yourself through a different and a little more complicated process, but still, there’s a system so that nobody has to starve and become homeless. (Of course there’s still homeless people but that for a different reason such as addiction or immigration or people not knowing how to seek help.)
I love Swedeb and the people are some of the nicest on the planet. I have friends there lucky to know them My dad was also from Helsingborg
It's kinda funny that people don't know that most European countries have free healthcare, free education and paid parental leave as well as lots of holiday days. I'm Romanian and although we in Eastern Europe are not as economically developed as Scandinavian or Central European countries, everyone is always surprised when they find out that we have pretty much the same system. We don't pay as much in taxes, we have free education (University included), free health care (and if a medical procedure is not free, usually it's at least half of the regular price. Lots of blood tests, scans, medical check ups from any department are free + receits are either free or half off.) Borrowing books from a library costs about 6-7 euro/ year for a book permit but there are lots of libraries from which we can borrow books for free. IRenting an apartment is usually 250 - 320 euro but there are others, fancier too. More info below.
Also, bills cost around 60-65 euro/month, with Internet being as cheap as 10 euro/month (and we have the best Internet speed in Europe). We have 21 - 25 paid holiday days. A pregnant woman can get in maternal leave starting with 7 months pregnant and has the right to stay in leave for the next 3 years, paid. The reason why so many Romanians leave for other countries is that jobs don't pay enough but if you manage to get a well-paid job, especially if you're a doctor, architect, programmer, graphic designer, etc, Romania is a really good and affordable country to live in. I don't know the situation from other countries in detail but most Europeans have the same rights as Swedes.
Load More Replies...Well while this sounds prophetic in nature. IT'S TOTALLY MISLEADING. I I just looked up the population of Sweden (2019 10.23 million) the US has over 330 million. And the communist Dems are letting 1000's cross the boarder everyday. All these moronic Nordic countries deride Russia all the time while policing their own Sheeple-Lemmings with the same Communistic era policies.
I love this kind of "truth". You just know this by "checking the internet". Because on the internet there are all the truths you want, especially if you only use facts that agree with you. First of all, you should think about the words in the Bible about how to behave towards your fellow human beings. Then you should learn the difference between socialism and totalitarianism. And before you go to bed, take a look at what Sweden's history looks like. There is no country that Sweden has been at war with more times than Russia. For a long time, Russia was/is the biggest enemy. But that was a long time ago since we battled, I know. The "Communist Democrats" in Sweden have not been at war since the beginning of the 19th century. That is how moronic we are. Since then, "The World's Leading Democracy and Principal Preserver of Peace", USA, has been involved in about 107 different wars. God bless America!: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wars_involving_the_United_States
Load More Replies...Calling BS on this, average rent for a 1 br apartment in Sweden is about $700-900 USD monthly. Yet this post states this guy has a mortgage for $250 a month ? Once you do the same math with a real rent/mortgage nubmer this picture isnt so rosy. Leaving the example above with $343 monthly left over for entertainment etc.
In light of the current pandemic circumstances in Sweden, where they have actually begun imposing the occasional lockdown, I don't see the relevance of this article. There won't be many countries, if any, whose economies will remain unaffected by the impact of the pandemic. The question I ask, what it all gets down to is if things get really bad, what will the leaders of all these countries ask of the public, in terms of what they should be willing to sacrifice and why. When covid 19 burned through the elder care facilities in Sweden during the first pandemic wave, resulting in a hugely disproportionate number of casualties, there were no ventilators. Treatment was limited to palliative care. An ample supply of morphine was on hand so that as these care home residents drowned from pulmonary edema they didn't suffer too much. That's a cold, hard fact. I keep it in mind to temper any admiration I have for Sweden's fabled egalitarianism.
Still in Europe we pay around 8 USD per gallon fuel,compared to 2,5 USD per gallon in the US.
As a New Zealander I’m pissed with our population about how far behind Sweden we are on a bunch of these too. As much as I moan about Jacinda being spineless about a lot of this stuff (she has stratospheric popularity for well documented reasons and could really make more use of it to push for policies that would make things more equal), she’s right that a lot of the population kick up a s**t at the mere suggestion of making stuff less horrendously unequal.
The weird thing is... a significant portion of the people who would most benefit from the changes, are exactly the ones who rally against them.
Load More Replies...Of course, it'd be great to have a government that isn't in massive-amounts ofdebt in the first place, so that taxes pay for services, rather than paying off debt, that we didn't authorise, resulting in the need to borrow more money to pay for services, etc etc, never ending debt cycle, conjured up by the bloody banks!
I wonder what it's like for a person that can't work due to disability or an illness.
I think that it must be like a lot countries. In France you get paid with differents subsidies depending of your disability, for example Disabled adult allowance (up to 900euros) + Autonomy allowance (100 euros) + Addional resources allowance (100euros). And depending on their income everybody could have other allowances for housing, free healthcare...
Load More Replies...It is more or less the same in Germany. If you make 3000 Euros/month by 38,5 hours/week you will get 1900+ in the worst tax class (single, no children), if you are married and have children you pay way less. In this 1000 something that goes away is Universal healthcare, unemployment fee, retirement fee and a care fee (Pflegeversicherung) included. I could not live in the American system, tbh, I would probably already be dead with my chronic illness and the unbelievable costs for meds in the USA
the lady talking about how much she gets to keep out of what she works for, maybe if you had a job in congress, you could retire in a few years with 10 million . just saying.
I live in Poland. Half a year I pay more than half of what I earn in taxes. I only theoretically have health care (try getting a visit...), I have no chance of living to retirement (and if so, despite paying so much my whole life I'd get a tiny pension), I don't have kids (and people who have are the only ones who get benefits), but still I think I'm better off than the Americans. I feel sorry for you.
https://www.routesnorth.com/planning-your-trip/cost-of-living-in-sweden/
To be fair, the US will probably spend the rest of the money they make from taxes on their department of defense.
Please read this post. It is the absolute best explanation as to why Americans don't have healthcare and do not want any social programs of any kind. This is something that has been going for awhile. https://eand.co/americas-problem-is-that-white-people-want-it-to-be-a-failed-state-bac24202f32f
Please read this article, it will explain why America does not have universal healthcare. https://eand.co/americas-problem-is-that-white-people-want-it-to-be-a-failed-state-bac24202f32f
Well, I have a way better deal than this guy: I get everything for free cuz ima kid and I live with my mom B)
My niece lives in Sweden & during covid, anyone over 50 was denied hospitalization if the had covid. They were sent home to die. Not every country is perfect.
My only question here is. "If I work I contribute to the companies success" Does Sweden not have middle management?
Yes, they have middle management and what is your question?
Load More Replies...Seems to me that you really need a decent accountant to help you with your taxes, because you really don't know s**t about taxes yourself.
Load More Replies...lol. You think the US is the only country in the world taking responsibility? 85% of the worlds refugees are hosted in developing nations. Yemen, Thailand, Syria, Gaza, Turkey , Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey and Germany all took over 1m refugees in 2019. The US took 341,715 in 2019, compared with Sweden who took 253,787 - pretty signicant responsibility on Sweden's part given its comparative size and population compared to America. You want to blame all America's problems on refugees? Get your facts right and try again.
Load More Replies...Try speaking English. Also, if you move to a foreign country, it's common courtesy to learn their language.
Load More Replies...Actually, according to Forbes, it's Canada. Then Japan, followed by Spain. Apparently only the Norwegians and Russia (go figure) are interested in moving to the US.
Load More Replies...You're so wrong. America has made everything capitalist. That's why you pay a shedload of money for your education and healthcare. Sweden has chosen to keep essential things in society affordable and accessible and prevent greedy people to profit from them by law. All the people in the country work and pay into one communal system which cares for all of them from the cradle to the grave, without hindering them to live the life they want. And to make it worse for you, most European countries have a very similar system. That's why the people living in those countries score highest in happiness. https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/countries-with-the-happiest-people-in-the-world.html or https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Happiness_Report.
Load More Replies...Do you think people in Sweden or Canada don't get to pursue their dreams or have the best of everything? There's nothing wrong with loving America, but don't tell yourself that you have it better than the rest of us. You don't.
Load More Replies...I'm sure that you'll be sticking to the "In socialist countries you pay 85% of your income on taxes" myth that you've heard all your life. Here's a source to the real tax rates in Sweden: http://world.tax-rates.org/sweden/income-tax And there are loads more sites that will debunk that lie.
Load More Replies...Universal healthcare is great for capitalism. Universal daycare is great of capitalism. Universal college education is great for capitalism. A minimum wage that someone can live off of is great for capitalism. All of the above improves the economy and well being of employees and will lead to higher profits for companies. Come on USA, give it a try!
We would, if people didn’t think socialism and communism were one in the same. Many of us support socialism. But many of us don’t. And so if Biden even shows support for socialism, or passes any law remotely socialist, there will be outcry among many, maybe even among those who voted for him. Maybe someday we could be relatively socialist. But only if it’s done right, and very gradually. Things are too tense right now for there to be a sudden change.
Load More Replies...My health insurance costs more per month than his total income taxes.
The US Founding Fathers were rich, white men, most of them slaveowners. The system they created functions exactly as they intended.
Right you are, and the Constitution functions very well. It is pure genius. Show me where the Founding Fathers had ANYTHING to do with taxes, cost of insurance, home ownership, price of gas, health insurance, etc. You can't because they did not. Hell, income tax was over a century away when it was written. But, "the man is keepin' you down!" Ninja, please.
Load More Replies...I really do not understand how Americans still think or are made to think this is called Socialism. Educate yourself. In the Netherlands we call it a social democracy. Also, when voting, way more options than just republican or democrate.
It's worth noting that the US wastes so much money on warfare that we can't Promote the General Welfare. Bullets, Beans, and Band Aids. The US only spends taxes on the first one. That's why we don't have enough of the second two.
The USA currently spends about 1.3 trillion on medicare, 1.1 trillion on social security and just over 700 billion on defense. Even if you disbanded the entire military tomorrow that 700 billion would not be close to paying for universal healthcare.
Load More Replies...GOP has robbed USA and most Americans are too blind and deaf to care.
Not most. Nowhere near most. Just look at the last election.
Load More Replies...I've said it before and again now: Healthy, educated people make a healthier economic base. Good infrastructure = better economy. If 150 million Americans each pay $10 into a healthcare fund (national healthcare) a month, then e very month, that's 1,500 million dollars to cover everyone. The math doesn't lie. Also, the OP from Sweden is speaking from his own experience. Others ni Sweden (or Canada, etc.) will tell you that they hate the taxation and have a devastatingly high cost of living.... No -ism is perfect, but if we agree we should all be healthy and educated to *start*? The rest might follow a bit better...
Canadian here. Nobody likes taxes but I wouldn't say I hate them, it goes to fund the country and programs. Certainly will not complain about the healthcare. I spent several weeks in hospital and several months in out patient. Cost me very little (parking, a few over the counter items that were not covered) . Have American friends who would have been bankrupted. In fact the first thing they asked was not so much how I was feeling but how was I going to pay for it.
Load More Replies...As a swede, this is so true. Only thing is that most people dont have a house that cheap. It is probably in one of the less populated areas. We pay in average roughly 600 dollars a month in rent or mortages. https://hurvibor.se/boendekostnader/jamfor-boendeformer/
Standard rate to rent an apartment in 2019 is 1150$ https://www.scb.se/hitta-statistik/statistik-efter-amne/boende-byggande-och-bebyggelse/bostads-och-hyresuppgifter/avgifter-hyror-for-nybyggda-lagenheter/pong/tabell-och-diagram/hyresratter-i-flerbostadshus-ar-2019-fordelat-efter-region-typ-av-byggherre-och-modell-for-hyressattning/
Load More Replies...I'm not from the US and consequently I'm struggling to see why it's eye-opening. It sounds normal and right to me.
Sweden doesn't pay a crushing military budget that's equal to the next 10 countries... combined!
Because Sweden doesn't feel the need to "liberate" so many countries around the world?
Load More Replies...Be careful or there is going to be a huge influx of Americans migrating to Sweden! LOL
I dunno man. There's too strong of a resistance among Americans against the use of taxes to take care of other people. This year is the first time I needed government assistance, and I'm happy I've paid into the system. But I know about people who have been on it all their lives. When asked, they think the money is funded by the government, not people with jobs. Another woman thought her government assistance was from a pool of money from only her parents. Entitlement and other behavioral disorders go both ways on this issue, and it's not as simple as "caring about one another."
I know. I'm American, and I was raised to remember that no, Social Security is not a 401(k) or pension; it's tax-funded. Medicare, ditto. My taxes do not fund JUST ME.... It's a pool of millions and millions of people paying taxes inot ALL this stuff. Which spreads out the risk, reducing costs, and increasing benefits, whether it's healthcare or other programs. *sigh* Americans have this mental tic, from decades of political rhetoric, that anyone benefitting must be a "cheat" who "steals". But they're often using those same benefits, an d see no irony. *headdesk*....
Load More Replies...Education is probably better as well. I'm trying to finish my Bachelor's Degree, but won't be able to since I'll lose my financial aid, and I won't be eligible for a loan because I failed a class. It's the last class I have to take to get my Bachelors. I got through the Associate's program and Bachelor's programs while I was homeless, I made the Dean's List most quarters, the quarters I didn't I made the President's List. But because I can't pass one class (a coding class), that's it. No more aid and I can't finish my degree. Feels like I wasted 4 years of my life.
This is how a country should operate. But when at best, 50% of the population is ignorant and afraid of anything they're not used to and susceptible to conspiracy theories perpetuated by those most profiting from the health industry - pharma, hospitals, insurance cos - nothing is going to change. Plus we have legalized bribery in our political system called lobbying. We give our politicians top tier health insurance with the job so they have no incentive to change it. Plus all those billion dollar industries throw untold millions at lawmakers to keep the industry full on rapey to the American people. Stupid people plus a corrupt political system = the people getting screwed and it will never change because there's no incentive for it to change. Politicians only care about their interests and bank accounts.
Sweden is less than 3 percent of US population. Sweden is protected by NATO so lower defense spending in cold war till today. Sweden did not have to rebuild after ww2. This fact more than any policy is why sweden enjoys the standard of living it does. Sweden was top supplier of raw material to Germany before and during ww2 Sweden although neutral was biased towards nazis at the least, and overtly helping at the worst.
Im a u.s. citizen staying in Sweden and it's not cracked up what it's said to be. First, let's say you have a pre existing medical condition such as heart disease and you need an operation, it could take over a year for you to receive your operation because you are put on a waiting list. And if you want a second opinion for medical attention out of network, you need to pay U.S. healthcare prices for it. My wife and mother inlaw are swedish citizens and this happened to my mother inlaw. You never see the same doctor or "G.P." because healthcare workers in Sweden do not get paid half of what they make in the U.S. so the quality of care is lacking compared to U.S. I know this because I work in healthcare. The houses here are very cheap... On the country side, far from the city were most jobs are. If you want to live close to your job you will be paying for it. Drivers license in Sweden will cost you around $3,000.00 not joking. To fill a ten gallon tank of gas it's around $120.00 here.
The grass is greener on the other side... Untill you jump the fence and see it was just green concrete.
Load More Replies...I suggest you check out The Congo and PNG. Sweden can't compete with them.
Load More Replies...This post is missleading. There's no way in hell taxes are 25% in Sweden. I have a friend who pays about 55% in taxes! There are tax brackets, there is a minimum amount that is not taxed, but the base is 32%, and there are 2 more levels of taxation which add 20 and 25 % on top of the 32%, respectively. Considering he earns $3000 per month, that's about 306000 krona per year, assuming this is after tax. The first 32% bracket is for incomes between 20k and 468k p.a. roughly. Considering his net income, his gross must be in the next bracket which is about 52%. Now, I don't know where this post is from or when is it from. That doesn't negate the fact that Seden has all the social benefits but keep in mind that those don't come from just 25% tax. All countries with strong social policies have a high tax rating. It's the same as here in the UK, we get "free" healthcare and socialsecurity but for that there's also a progressive taxation of up to 45% for the highest salaries.
As always - the bottom lines are never pointed out. America is young and its government is stupid and greedy. America is a republic, NOT a democracy. America generally sucks because of how money is managed (terrible education, rampant racism, freedom of the press, and honestly, general freedom)
I don't think that being a republic or democracy has anything to do with how you care for your citizens. Fact is that the American society is a capitalist one where everyone is looking out for themselves with little or no concern for people who are struggling to get by. It seems like the majority is self-centered and the sheer thought that someone might benefit from their tax money is enough to make them go crazy. All the while they are totally fine with Amazon paying no taxes and paying their employees so badly that they are eligible for food stamps. Which basically means that Amazon employees get paid with tax money.
Load More Replies...I had a look at rent and mortgage costs, and this seems way out on all the information I can find about actual living costs in Sweden.
In the link you provided earlier ( https://www.routesnorth.com/planning-your-trip/cost-of-living-in-sweden) you'll find all that info,.Rent: One-bedroom apartment (city centre) 9000–12,000 SEK. One-bedroom apartment (suburbs)7000–10,000 SEK. Student dorm/apartment 3000–6500 SEK. 1000SEK = $118. When you're looking to buy the costs can range from $300 000 to $ 500 000 for an apartment, depending on the location. Also on that site: QUESTION: Is the cost of living in Sweden higher than in the US? ANSWER: Actually, no. Despite its reputation as a pricey country, the cost of living in Sweden is around 10% cheaper than in the US.
Load More Replies...So in Sweden you earn good money and have a good healthcare ... but what about the weather, the food, the leisure .. ?
Weather sucks, food is great and so i leisure
Load More Replies...Not a good time to boast. Not even an opportune moment for a display of justifiable pride. I wonder if there will be any country that escapes the economic impact of the covid 19 pandemic. Even Sweden has begun imposing the occasional lockdown now due to the rise in cases. During Sweden's first wave of covid 19 when the virus burned through elder care homes, resulting in a hugely disproportionate number of fatalities, no medical care was offered to the victims as far as actual treatment of the disease. No ventilators. Treatment was limited to palliative care. Ample morphine so that the elders didn't suffer too much as they slowly drowned from pulmonary edema, alone and isolated from family. That's a cold, hard fact. I won't say that Sweden was alone in allowing such circumstances to occur, either through gross mismanagement, negligence or cold hearted calculation. I keep it in mind though when I ponder on Sweden's fabled egalitarianism and read an article such as this.
Dude, you need to spend more money on food. You have the budget, go organic - for the environment's sake.
And then.. here comes Romania where you pay over 40% of your pay in taxes and you don't get s**t in return.
What I just read: "Taxation in Sweden on salaries for an employee involves contributing to three different levels of government: the municipality, the county council, and the central government. Social security contributions are paid to finance the social security system." AND THE TAX RATE EVERYONE PAYS IS BASED ON IMCOME LEVEL: "Sweden has a progressive income tax, the rates for 2018 are as follows (based on yearly incomes): 0% from 0 kronor to 20,008 kronor Circa 32% (ca. 11% county and 20% municipality tax which is the Swedish average): from 20,008 kronor to 468,700 kronor 32% + 20%: from 468,700 kronor to 675,700 kronor 32% + 25%: above 675,700 kronor (prior to 2020)" FYI A KRONOR IS CURRENTLY WORTH US$0.12 OR BP£0.088. [SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA/ YOU CAN READ MORE THERE ABOUT HOW IT WORKS]
Remember that when someone says e.g. you pay 32% if you make over $20,000 then ****you only pay that % for the money over that amount****. Your actual % of money going to taxes will be a weighted average between the lowest tax rung and the highest tax rung that you are a part of.
Load More Replies...Swedes are white. We can't possibly let any money in America go to people of color. If there were a way to exclude them we'd have the same benefits in a second.
I make $3200 per month. My take home is $2080. That works out to 35% taxes. There's still property tax to pay and state sales tax on everything but food and medicine. I do not get universal health care, I have pretty good health insurance but will retire in a couple years and will depend on Medicare. A serious illness could wipe me out. I never had parental leave. We do have free lending libraries (I can't believe they have not privatized them) I get 20 days of vacation per year. College is very expesive. Let's face it, I (we) are paying a lot of money to the Pentagon and not much to improve our lives. America is a stupid stupid country. The only way out is for the majority to vote 3rd party - the Greens for instance.
So what? I can carry my AR-15 in public, yell at store owners when they remind me to wear a mask because I'm not vaccinated, and harass people of color using burner accounts on social media -- Half of this ass backwards country
I make $3200 per month. My take home is 2080. So I pay 35% for taxes. I don't get universal health care. I don't get parental leave. I get 20 days of vacation - because I'm union. The US is a stupid stupid country.
With a few nuances, we think and do the same in France. I rarely attend medicine - I am lucky - but I am proud that those in my country who need it can benefit from it for free or almost. And it's the same for school, college, high school, university ...
Just read this... "The average annual cost of health insurance in the USA is $7,470 for an individual and $21,342 for a family as of July 2020"... LOL WTF AMERICA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I would have thought that any European country has a similar system not just Sweden, I know we do in Britain, we also have state pensions (around £175 per week at the moment) which can be increased with private pension if wanted.
There is a theory among some archeologists and historians that the reason the Scandinavian countries are so open to a socially responsible/socially responsive system comes from the Vikings. After returning from a raid (or 'viking' in Norse) when the spoils were divvied up it was according to well-established rules (like the fact that the family of those lost in battle received full portions, boat owners and leaders got a little more, etc), but the goods were not taken until EVERY member of the crew or crews was happy with the division.
" For comparison, the same in the US was 24.3 percent." I call B.S. If you add up ALL of the US taxes (sales tax, gas tax, property tax, ad infinitum) I think you are closer to 35-40%, if not more. And what do you get for that? NOT MUCH.
America has a huge per cent of the population that is on welfare and does not contribute to the society. How does this figure in? I talked once to a Canadian lady who said that Canada does not have this.
Fairy tale. The income tax rate in Sweden is 57.20% currently. Do you think because it's on the internet, it has to be true? I guess if you get your world news from Facebook and don't bother with your own research... If the poster starts off lying about tax rate, is it possible anything else might not be true? Nah, no way. It's what you wanna hear so it's straight up legit, right?
Sounds great! Now, how many illegals do you support with no input from them? How many do you allow to enter the country and live off you every year? Do you allow them to stay indefinitely? Do they get free education? Free medical? Come on! How many MILLIONS of illegals do you give access to your socialized society?
As an American, I appreciate what the OP is saying, but his story is anecdotal. There are so many generalizations made/implied that we can't draw reasonable conclusions from it. I have traveled in Europe and love and respect most everyone I have met there. But I really get tired of all the America-bashing that so many do, without truly knowing who we are as a people. Despite the train wreck that is our national political system, most of us are good, hard-working, honest, and generous. We want people to be okay, and we like to help those truly in need...and yes, that includes people in other countries and regions. In that regard, we are easily the most generous people in the world, yet we are still reviled, ridiculed, and insulted...non-stop. I guess it comes with the territory, but sometimes, it would be nice just to hear a simple, "thank you", or "Hey, we really like this about the US." Tired of the hatred and misunderstanding.
It's not a misunderstanding, to those who have money the US is a first world country, to our poor it is a third world country. The evidence is in the fact that large numbers of people in the US do not have access to adequate water, food, shelter, clothing, medical care...and so on. Our country is literally a dystopian nightmare that will continue to decline and increase in fascism. That is what total unchecked capitalism looks like.
Load More Replies...In the U.S., Billionaires and Millionaires work feverishly to make sure the Middle and Working classes think poor people are the problem.
Government insurance have 2! Waiting 16 years for proper medical care! With cash I could of been back to work 15 years ago! Friend paid for three surgeries not government insurance back to work in 6 Months a each time and still working! If you don't get hurt or sick government insurance is great! Who supports you! Know leaches in America get free medical, rent, food vouchers! But I'm not a leach! So I don't Deserve free
I beg you to consider that the facts are showing us that privatizing things, letting individuals at small levels take control, and taking the governments hand out of things actually breeds natural competition, which makes things cheaper and also forces individuals to improve to be able to compete. If you really trust a few people in high places to keep our society improving and running over individuals with the ability to freely compete in a capital market, you do not believe in America. People envy Sweden's healthcare until you realize they have made almost no medical advancements in decades because of this system. Also paying 25% taxes sounds great until you realize that the total "pie" is not getting any bigger because you are not progressing or competing. Privatization and competition make a bigger pie which means better and cheaper healthcare, education, everything. Trust small businesses and individuals over corporations and government, I beg you!
I'm not sure why Trump is getting the blame, its fairly much standard for most American politicians to advertise cutting taxes. Even those on the left like Bernie Sanders is reluctant to tell people they need to pay tax to fund healthcare/education, he normally says "The rich will pay". I live in Norway and they have a similar system as the Swede, high taxes and great social infrastructure, but everyone who earns pays for the privilege.
Also, if you can’t work temporarily you get paid enough to live. You won’t get rich but you will get enough to pay rent, bills, food, medicine, healthcare and other necessities. From the state. (In Sweden.) The only thing you’ve got to do is fill in an application and prove that you have no income, no savings etc and a letter from a doctor. If you can’t work permanently you also get money to sustain yourself through a different and a little more complicated process, but still, there’s a system so that nobody has to starve and become homeless. (Of course there’s still homeless people but that for a different reason such as addiction or immigration or people not knowing how to seek help.)
I love Swedeb and the people are some of the nicest on the planet. I have friends there lucky to know them My dad was also from Helsingborg
It's kinda funny that people don't know that most European countries have free healthcare, free education and paid parental leave as well as lots of holiday days. I'm Romanian and although we in Eastern Europe are not as economically developed as Scandinavian or Central European countries, everyone is always surprised when they find out that we have pretty much the same system. We don't pay as much in taxes, we have free education (University included), free health care (and if a medical procedure is not free, usually it's at least half of the regular price. Lots of blood tests, scans, medical check ups from any department are free + receits are either free or half off.) Borrowing books from a library costs about 6-7 euro/ year for a book permit but there are lots of libraries from which we can borrow books for free. IRenting an apartment is usually 250 - 320 euro but there are others, fancier too. More info below.
Also, bills cost around 60-65 euro/month, with Internet being as cheap as 10 euro/month (and we have the best Internet speed in Europe). We have 21 - 25 paid holiday days. A pregnant woman can get in maternal leave starting with 7 months pregnant and has the right to stay in leave for the next 3 years, paid. The reason why so many Romanians leave for other countries is that jobs don't pay enough but if you manage to get a well-paid job, especially if you're a doctor, architect, programmer, graphic designer, etc, Romania is a really good and affordable country to live in. I don't know the situation from other countries in detail but most Europeans have the same rights as Swedes.
Load More Replies...Well while this sounds prophetic in nature. IT'S TOTALLY MISLEADING. I I just looked up the population of Sweden (2019 10.23 million) the US has over 330 million. And the communist Dems are letting 1000's cross the boarder everyday. All these moronic Nordic countries deride Russia all the time while policing their own Sheeple-Lemmings with the same Communistic era policies.
I love this kind of "truth". You just know this by "checking the internet". Because on the internet there are all the truths you want, especially if you only use facts that agree with you. First of all, you should think about the words in the Bible about how to behave towards your fellow human beings. Then you should learn the difference between socialism and totalitarianism. And before you go to bed, take a look at what Sweden's history looks like. There is no country that Sweden has been at war with more times than Russia. For a long time, Russia was/is the biggest enemy. But that was a long time ago since we battled, I know. The "Communist Democrats" in Sweden have not been at war since the beginning of the 19th century. That is how moronic we are. Since then, "The World's Leading Democracy and Principal Preserver of Peace", USA, has been involved in about 107 different wars. God bless America!: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wars_involving_the_United_States
Load More Replies...Calling BS on this, average rent for a 1 br apartment in Sweden is about $700-900 USD monthly. Yet this post states this guy has a mortgage for $250 a month ? Once you do the same math with a real rent/mortgage nubmer this picture isnt so rosy. Leaving the example above with $343 monthly left over for entertainment etc.
In light of the current pandemic circumstances in Sweden, where they have actually begun imposing the occasional lockdown, I don't see the relevance of this article. There won't be many countries, if any, whose economies will remain unaffected by the impact of the pandemic. The question I ask, what it all gets down to is if things get really bad, what will the leaders of all these countries ask of the public, in terms of what they should be willing to sacrifice and why. When covid 19 burned through the elder care facilities in Sweden during the first pandemic wave, resulting in a hugely disproportionate number of casualties, there were no ventilators. Treatment was limited to palliative care. An ample supply of morphine was on hand so that as these care home residents drowned from pulmonary edema they didn't suffer too much. That's a cold, hard fact. I keep it in mind to temper any admiration I have for Sweden's fabled egalitarianism.
Still in Europe we pay around 8 USD per gallon fuel,compared to 2,5 USD per gallon in the US.
As a New Zealander I’m pissed with our population about how far behind Sweden we are on a bunch of these too. As much as I moan about Jacinda being spineless about a lot of this stuff (she has stratospheric popularity for well documented reasons and could really make more use of it to push for policies that would make things more equal), she’s right that a lot of the population kick up a s**t at the mere suggestion of making stuff less horrendously unequal.
The weird thing is... a significant portion of the people who would most benefit from the changes, are exactly the ones who rally against them.
Load More Replies...Of course, it'd be great to have a government that isn't in massive-amounts ofdebt in the first place, so that taxes pay for services, rather than paying off debt, that we didn't authorise, resulting in the need to borrow more money to pay for services, etc etc, never ending debt cycle, conjured up by the bloody banks!
I wonder what it's like for a person that can't work due to disability or an illness.
I think that it must be like a lot countries. In France you get paid with differents subsidies depending of your disability, for example Disabled adult allowance (up to 900euros) + Autonomy allowance (100 euros) + Addional resources allowance (100euros). And depending on their income everybody could have other allowances for housing, free healthcare...
Load More Replies...It is more or less the same in Germany. If you make 3000 Euros/month by 38,5 hours/week you will get 1900+ in the worst tax class (single, no children), if you are married and have children you pay way less. In this 1000 something that goes away is Universal healthcare, unemployment fee, retirement fee and a care fee (Pflegeversicherung) included. I could not live in the American system, tbh, I would probably already be dead with my chronic illness and the unbelievable costs for meds in the USA
the lady talking about how much she gets to keep out of what she works for, maybe if you had a job in congress, you could retire in a few years with 10 million . just saying.
I live in Poland. Half a year I pay more than half of what I earn in taxes. I only theoretically have health care (try getting a visit...), I have no chance of living to retirement (and if so, despite paying so much my whole life I'd get a tiny pension), I don't have kids (and people who have are the only ones who get benefits), but still I think I'm better off than the Americans. I feel sorry for you.
https://www.routesnorth.com/planning-your-trip/cost-of-living-in-sweden/
To be fair, the US will probably spend the rest of the money they make from taxes on their department of defense.
Please read this post. It is the absolute best explanation as to why Americans don't have healthcare and do not want any social programs of any kind. This is something that has been going for awhile. https://eand.co/americas-problem-is-that-white-people-want-it-to-be-a-failed-state-bac24202f32f
Please read this article, it will explain why America does not have universal healthcare. https://eand.co/americas-problem-is-that-white-people-want-it-to-be-a-failed-state-bac24202f32f
Well, I have a way better deal than this guy: I get everything for free cuz ima kid and I live with my mom B)
My niece lives in Sweden & during covid, anyone over 50 was denied hospitalization if the had covid. They were sent home to die. Not every country is perfect.
My only question here is. "If I work I contribute to the companies success" Does Sweden not have middle management?
Yes, they have middle management and what is your question?
Load More Replies...Seems to me that you really need a decent accountant to help you with your taxes, because you really don't know s**t about taxes yourself.
Load More Replies...lol. You think the US is the only country in the world taking responsibility? 85% of the worlds refugees are hosted in developing nations. Yemen, Thailand, Syria, Gaza, Turkey , Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey and Germany all took over 1m refugees in 2019. The US took 341,715 in 2019, compared with Sweden who took 253,787 - pretty signicant responsibility on Sweden's part given its comparative size and population compared to America. You want to blame all America's problems on refugees? Get your facts right and try again.
Load More Replies...Try speaking English. Also, if you move to a foreign country, it's common courtesy to learn their language.
Load More Replies...Actually, according to Forbes, it's Canada. Then Japan, followed by Spain. Apparently only the Norwegians and Russia (go figure) are interested in moving to the US.
Load More Replies...You're so wrong. America has made everything capitalist. That's why you pay a shedload of money for your education and healthcare. Sweden has chosen to keep essential things in society affordable and accessible and prevent greedy people to profit from them by law. All the people in the country work and pay into one communal system which cares for all of them from the cradle to the grave, without hindering them to live the life they want. And to make it worse for you, most European countries have a very similar system. That's why the people living in those countries score highest in happiness. https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/countries-with-the-happiest-people-in-the-world.html or https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Happiness_Report.
Load More Replies...Do you think people in Sweden or Canada don't get to pursue their dreams or have the best of everything? There's nothing wrong with loving America, but don't tell yourself that you have it better than the rest of us. You don't.
Load More Replies...I'm sure that you'll be sticking to the "In socialist countries you pay 85% of your income on taxes" myth that you've heard all your life. Here's a source to the real tax rates in Sweden: http://world.tax-rates.org/sweden/income-tax And there are loads more sites that will debunk that lie.
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