[vidarh]

Taxes in the US are not nearly as much lower than in Scandinavia as people like to think, though of course it varies quite a bit depending on state income taxes. When you take into account "necessary but privatised " bits like health insurance, it erases most of the remaining difference.

[true_religion]

The thing about health care is that it doesn't feel necessary when you're young, and healthy. Its when you're old, or are having children that you start to care about the health care system.... and by then its too late to revolt.

[vasilipupkin]

I don't think that's accurate, Swedish overall tax burden is something like 45% of GDP

[seanflyon]

For comparison US taxes are 24-27% of GDP according to Wikipedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_tax_revenu...