[Gustomaximus]

Which is why Norway, Denmark and Sweden are doing so well with all their socialist programs.... so what now...?

I personally feel the right answer is in the middle. Socialise whats required like health, education, emergency services, roads, pensions, etc And leave the luxuries of life as free market.

As an extra touch, I would make politicians and civil servants required to use public services rather than private alternatives. Because when they and their families have to use public schools and hospitals etc they will care a bunch more about how they run than if they are choosing private alternatives, which is common in Australia at least.

[ersii]

All three of the mention countries have pretty much free, capitalistic enterprise - which is the total opposite to what mjevans suggested.

That said, there is a huge government ("public") sector and the taxation is high on most things. Especially income and consumption.

Basically, all of the socialist programs that's currently going on in the Nordic countries rely heavily on taxing free enterprises (private sector) and would work a lot less without them.

[sebcat]

> Basically, all of the socialist programs

social, not socialist.

[oblio]

Even better, the actual platform is called "social democracy": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_democracy

Quite a different beast.

[qubex]

(Keep in mind Norway has the fortune of benefitting greatly from oil revenues. Since the price of oil collapsed the economy there hasn't been doing very well. Still, I adore the place, and the people.)

[realusername]

They are social-democrat, not socialists.