Social Democracy in Scandanavian Countries

[Pretty Flaco]

I've become interested in how social democracy has affected scandanavian countries. In the US you'll often hear that their economies are failing and that they never get anything good done or make enough money becomes they lack "good ol' capitalism" or some shit along those lines. Is any of that true?

Is life better in those countries? I understand they're still capitalist, but have the advances made by social democrats made life easier for working class people? Is education completely free, and how does a cheaper or free education affect people? Also, what is healthcare like in some of those countries?

And my last question: did any of the governments go on the route to austerity after the recession? How largely did the recession affect countries run by social democrats/ or ones that are characterized by social democratic reforms?

Thanks if you guys can help :)

[Ballyfornia]

I remember reading somewhere that Norway is a type of mixed economy. All major industries where nationalized, For the most part stayed out of recession, and is planning to boost manufacturing over the next few years.

[Wubbaz]

I've become interested in how social democracy has affected scandanavian countries. In the US you'll often hear that their economies are failing and that they never get anything good done or make enough money becomes they lack "good ol' capitalism" or some shit along those lines. Is any of that true?

I will talk a bit about Denmark, since that's the country I live in. Our economy is currently experiencing slow growth compared to the rest of Europe, due a number of reasons. However, we have proven to be able to grow faster than neo-liberal countries such as the US and Great Britain. Our system is based on solid unemployment security (compared to other countries), a flexible labor market as well as strong unions, which sadly has been weakened in strength since the wave of neo-liberalism washing over the Western economies sine the 80's. Our right-wing government has recently made us join a neo-liberal pact under the claim that it will "strengthen competition". However, the pact basicly means more power to capital and the EU.


Is life better in those countries? I understand they're still capitalist, but have the advances made by social democrats made life easier for working class people? Is education completely free, and how does a cheaper or free education affect people? Also, what is healthcare like in some of those countries?

I have never lived in other countries, but I'd say that the Nordic countries are some of the best countries to live in. We have the lowest inequality (though there still is incredible distance between the owner of Maersk, who is the richest danish capitalist, and a lone mother with 2 children, for example). Our education is free, all the way from elementary school to universities. Free education means that we also have one of the highest social mobilities in the world, because it is possible for anyone to get an university degree (although students from families with a tradtion for higher education still has bigger chance of graduation). Our healthcare is free, besides going to the dentist after you've turned 18. I come from a working class family, and I will be graduating next year and then go to a university. Without free education, I would never have been able to get higher education.


And my last question: did any of the governments go on the route to austerity after the recession? How largely did the recession affect countries run by social democrats/ or ones that are characterized by social democratic reforms?

Our current right-wing government (which luckily appears to lose the next election), has indeed gone total berserk with austerity after the recession, cutting in the school system, healthcare as well as unemployment security. Luckily, the recession did not hit us very hard, thanks to our strong economy, but our government was on the path to making us crash as hard as Great Britain and Ireland, by allowing interest-free loans few years before the crisis.

A good thing about this crisis is, that the people have become unhappy and are moving over to voting on left-wing parties. If we would have an election today, our left-wing parties would win.

If there is anything else you'd like to know about Nordic countries, feel free to ask, as I've only given a very brief introduction here. :)

[Demogorgon]

Scandinavian countries consistently score amongst the highest on the Human Development Index, essentially meaning that they have the highest standard of living in the world (the HDI is quite flawed, but if it were adapted to include certain things it really should-infant mortality mostly) they would outstrip the US by even more.

[eric922]

feel free to ask, as I've only given a very brief introduction here. :) I have one. How open is your immigration policy? haha, because if the U.S. gets much worse I'm leaving.

[Wubbaz]

I have one. How open is your immigration policy? haha, because if the U.S. gets much worse I'm leaving.

My country (Denmark) has one of the most restrictive immigration policies, if not the most restrictive, in Europe. This is due to our current government needing the votes from our nationalist Danish People's Party in order to maintain the majority in the congress. The DPP is a party filled with racists and closet-nazis, and it is responsible for our current surge of islamophia.

[eric922]

My country (Denmark) has one of the most restrictive immigration policies, if not the most restrictive, in Europe. This is due to our current government needing the votes from our nationalist Danish People's Party in order to maintain the majority in the congress. The DPP is a party filled with racists and closet-nazis, and it is responsible for our current surge of islamophia. Even their name sounds Naziesque "National Danish People's Party." Well hopefully, you all can get rid of them come the next election. Unfortunately we are stuck with our racist party (Republicans)

[Wubbaz]

Even their name sounds Naziesque "National Danish People's Party." Well hopefully, you all can get rid of them come the next election. Unfortunately we are stuck with our racist party (Republicans)

Yes indeed. They were the first party to defend the Muhammed Drawnings, using their love for freedom of speech to justify discrimination and racism towards muslims. They have officially declared war against Islam, and seek to remove it from Denmark.

It makes me puke.

[The dane]

I live in denmark wich is a scandinavian country (For everybody who didnt know that allready) and I think living in denmark is great! If you get hurt, you can go to the hospital for free... When you need to go to school you can do it for free!
The only problem about this, is that it isnt 'free' but we pay it from our tax money... The system works.. or well it did untill our current gowerment decided to lick some american ass! Join the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Since then our economy has been shit, the war is 'eating' soo many money!

In the past few months the unemployment has been falling and of course that's good, and it means that there aint so many ppl to 'take money from the box without filling it again'

The Dane

[The dane]

Damn right my friend! Venstre can go fuck themselfs!
By the way... you are the first dane I've meet here... Congrats! you won a prize!:rolleyes:

[Red_Xan]

I'm not sure about the mechanics of the welfare system there, but I've heard that Sweden and other scandinavian countries with similar welfare systems are doing extremely well with low unemployment rates, and I've seen evidence to say that they have more equitable shares of wealth between rich and poor.