[jhbadger]

The problem lies in the definition of "capitalist". Certainly there are numerous countries that by a variety of metrics have a better quality of life than the US (longer life expectancy, fewer percentage impoverished, smaller degree of economic inequality, and so on). The Scandinavian countries are the classic example, but most of Western Europe, Australia, Japan, are as well. Capitalism vs socialism is a continuum, and it looks like the best place is somewhere in the middle.

[umanwizard]

Scandinavian countries are capitalist by any standard. They are not even close to being “on a continuum” between capitalism and socialism. As far as I know most businesses in Scandinavia are not controlled and owned by their workers.

We could use more public spending on safety nets in the US. That has nothing to do with whether “capitalism has failed”.

[jhbadger]

But you can't ignore the reason why the US doesn't have effective safety nets is because corporations don't want them. The reason why the US doesn't have a universal public health care system is because private insurers are doing everything they can to fight it, for example. Countries that put the needs of their people over the needs of corporations are more on the socialist continuum even if they have private businesses.