Stossel Slams Socialists For Claiming Sweden’s Success

When libs are asked to name an example of how Socialism has actually worked, many of them like to say “OMAHGAWD LOOK AT SWEEEDEN.”

Yeah… no.

Allow John Stossel to explain why that’s a STEAMING LOAD OF BULL:

So, WHY do Americans think Sweden is socialist?

Swedish historian Johan Norberg clues us in:”We did have a period in the 1970s and 1980s when we had something that resembled socialism: a big government that taxed and spent heavily.”

But it led to MAJOR problems.

According to Reason.com:

“Our economy was in crisis, inflation reached 10 percent, and for a brief period interest rates soared to 500 percent. At that point the Swedish population just said, ‘Enough, we can’t do this,'” Norberg says.

Sweden cut public spending, privatized the national rail network, abolished certain government monopolies, eliminated inheritance taxes, sold state-owned businesses, and switched to a school voucher system. It also “lowered taxes and reformed the pension system,” adds Norberg.

So why do we keep hearing about the Socialist paradise that is Sweden?

“We do have a bigger welfare state than the U.S. and higher taxes than the U.S. But in other areas, when it comes to free markets, when it comes to competition, when it comes to free trade, Sweden is actually more free market.”

He’s right, according to the Heritage Foundation’s Economic Freedom Rankings. Sweden ranks higher than the U.S.

And their TAX system? Well… it would give libs a  heart attack.

“This is the dirty little secret….We don’t take from the rich and give to the poor. We squeeze the poor, because rich people might leave.”

Even people who earn below average income pay up to 60 percent in taxes.

DAAAANG

Stossel asks: What lessons should Americans take from Sweden?

“You can’t turn your backs [on] the creation of wealth,” warns Norberg.

So next time someone comes at you with the “Sweden is a Socialist Utopia line” show them this! Or better yet, remember why it’s NOT.