Why social democracy has been so "successful" in Scandanavia
N_Fiddledog N_Fiddledog:
Really Stalk n' Snipe?
You find it ironic if I wink at the smear artists of Progdom. Here's some more for you then.

DanSC @ Mon Aug 24, 2015 1:06 pm
Norway also has a ton of oil money
BeaverFever BeaverFever:
This whole thread is just a steaming pile of horseshit and hot air. Not one post in this thread even attempts to present a single objective fact, just the usual spouting off of empty right-wing rhetoric.
And your entire posting history is just a steaming pile of horseshit and hot air. Not one post of yours even attempts to present a single objective fact, just the usual spouting off of empty left-wing rhetoric.
Thanos @ Mon Aug 24, 2015 1:39 pm
Better than what you and the dog regularly offer in the these kinds of threads, which usually amounts to no more than "you know what country X really needs? a massive tax cut for the rich, a crash course in the works of Ayn Rand, and their very own Sarah Palin to lead the way!". 
fifeboy fifeboy:
Sweden has always had a hard right. Sometimes they get together enough voters to get a middle of the road government.
I think you're missing some key points though.
What Sweden would call "middle of the road" would be somewhere between NDP and Liberal here. That could be argued, but what cannot is I personally believe it, and would call that "Left."
Here's the more important thing though. That wasn't who I was talking about.
I was talking specifically about the Swedish political party called Sweden Democrats.
They've been around since 1988, but only began to gather momentum in the mid 2000s after the more extreme factions were expelled from the party. However they are still referred to in the socialist controlled (or if you prefer, "mainstream") media as "far right."
They have never held power in Sweden. I don't think they won an actual seat until 2010.
However they are currently leading in the polls.
That specifically is what I was talking about.
Here, read the whole thing in the link below.
(Yes the socialists don't like one particular poll, but I suspect that poll is not the only one giving those results.)
Sweden’s nationalists lead polls for first time
Thanos Thanos:
Better than what you and the dog regularly offer in the these kinds of threads, which usually amounts to no more than "you know what country X really needs? a massive tax cut for the rich, a crash course in the works of Ayn Rand, and their very own Sarah Palin to lead the way!".

You were missing the sarcasm. Sparky jumps in slamming us for not providing any 'objective facts' while not providing any of his own.
Here's the money quote from the link above:
""There is a significant amount of dissatisfaction in general with the government, and not least against its immigration and integration policies, and the begging issue. Many don't see the Moderates as an alternative on these issues so they turn to us instead," Sweden Democrats party secretary Richard Jomshof told news agency TT in a comment on the strong poll showing."
N_Fiddledog N_Fiddledog:
fifeboy fifeboy:
Sweden has always had a hard right. Sometimes they get together enough voters to get a middle of the road government.
I think you're missing some key points though.
What Sweden would call "middle of the road" would be somewhere between NDP and Liberal here. That could be argued, but what cannot is I personally believe it, and would call that "Left."
Here's the more important thing though. That wasn't who I was talking about.
I was talking specifically about the Swedish political party called Sweden Democrats.
They've been around since 1988, but only began to gather momentum in the mid 2000s after the more extreme factions were expelled from the party. However they are still referred to in the socialist controlled (or if you prefer, "mainstream") media as "far right."
They have never held power in Sweden. I don't think they won an actual seat until 2010.
However they are currently leading in the polls.
That specifically is what I was talking about.
Here, read the whole thing in the link below.
(Yes the socialists don't like one particular poll, but I suspect that poll is not the only one giving those results.)
Sweden’s nationalists lead polls for first timeSo, doggie, when do you expect them to win power and how long do you expect they will remain in power. It's hard to remember so long ago, but I have vague recollections of the right thumping their chests about "a swing away from evil socialism" in the newly enlightened Sweden. I can't recall if the swing was permanent or not

Edit:
Believe it or not doggie, but I actually do believe a country should control its borders and apart from real refugees refuse entry to undesireables. Ask any First Nations person about it
How about broad consensus and cooperation between the people living there? If everyone agrees to make it work, you can make it work.
A somewhat toned down version of social democracy has been quite successful here in Canada, too for similar reasons.
fifeboy fifeboy:
So, doggie, when do you expect them to win power and how long do you expect they will remain in power.
You're asking for an opinion, right?
I want to make that clear, because I don't want the peanut gallery jumping in with a
"You didn't give any facts this time, like I never do. So there. I win. You suck. Shut up.
" Cause that's amusing, but it gets old.
OK, so my opinion is I don't know how far this noticeable swing right (not just in Sweden but throughout Europe) will go? Something is happening though. I'm watching the Netherlands, because as I understand it they're first up, and if Geert's party makes significant gains it will be canary in the coal mines stuff.
$1:
"It's hard to remember so long ago, but I have vague recollections of the right thumping their chests about "a swing away from evil socialism" in the newly enlightened Sweden.
You remember correctly. Because as I remember I was one of the chest thumpers, so I'm going to hope I remember it better.
It was years ago, and as I recall it was what I referred to earlier. It was an economic switch to capitalist policies, because the socialist economic practices were failing. At the time the new Swedish capitalists were announcing success.
I guess I can go back and look into it if you think it's relevant here. Do you?
Thanos @ Mon Aug 24, 2015 3:23 pm
Jabberwalker Jabberwalker:
How about broad consensus and cooperation between the people living there? If everyone agrees to make it work, you can make it work.
A somewhat toned down version of social democracy has been quite successful here in Canada, too for similar reasons.
If the Scandinavians, Germans, Japanese, or whoever else on this planet are generally happy with their society and the degree of social obligation that they have towards the maintenance of the society then why the hell should they listen to a bunch of hackneyed Reagan-era GOP boilerplate and sociopathic Randroid "philosophy" about individualism, free markets, or "greed is good" bullshit?
Once again, it's a cadre of anarcho-libertarian, anarcho-capitalists, and anti-government conservative radicals in the United States that really are the only ones that believe in this kind of odious anti-social tripe. The vast majority of people everywhere else in the world generally don't. It's the US that is the odd-man-out with this kind of thinking, not the rest of the world that's doing something wrong.
[*]
N_Fiddledog N_Fiddledog:
You're asking for an opinion, right?
I want to make that clear, because I don't want the peanut gallery jumping in with a
"You didn't give any facts this time, like I never do. So there. I win. You suck. Shut up.
" Cause that's amusing, but it gets old.
Nobody ever accused you of not having an opinion, actual facts...well...
$1:
OK, so my opinion is I don't know how far this noticeable swing right (not just in Sweden but throughout Europe) will go? Something is happening though. I'm watching the Netherlands, because as I understand it they're first up, and if Geert's party makes significant gains it will be canary in the coal mines stuff.
Netherlands... I vote to listen to Brenda's opinion first...
Greece ??? OBOY, that's rich. What's it their mad about now
$1:
You remember correctly. Because as I remember I was one of the chest thumpers, so I'm going to hope I remember it better.
It was years ago, and as I recall it was what I referred to earlier. It was an economic switch to capitalist policies, because the socialist economic practices were failing. At the time the new Swedish capitalists were announcing success.
I guess I can go back and look into it if you think it's relevant here. Do you?
Only relevant in that it didn't last. The Constipates couldn't get enough greedy people together long enough to sustain their
erectioner...election.
fifeboy fifeboy:
Greece ??? OBOY, that's rich. What's it their mad about now
OK, I wanna laugh, but that would be mean.
Not Greece, silly rabbit. "Geert". Geert Wilders. Google it.
BartSimpson BartSimpson:
In short it's a philosophy that holds the individual in contempt and it provides that the collective and state are superior to the individual.
Exactly. I don't know why this Ayn Rand nonsense is being thrown out. There is an enormous middle ground between Jante and Galt's Gulch where the vast majority of us in North America reside, myself included.
That having been said, I long ago realized and accepted that my own brand of individualism was never going to become mainstream thought in Canada. And any attempt to artificially impose such a philosophy on Canadians would be an utter failure, not to mention undemocratic. I choose therefore to pick my battles, and satisfy myself with those small victories that come my way.
In terms of left/right (which is related to but not the same as collectivist/individualist), Stephen Harper has moved Canadians as far right as they'll go. The Canadian political DNA was largely authored by and reflected in the Laurentian Consensus, which has diminished somewhat but will never entirely go away. It's our ideological "set point". But Scandinavian social democracy is as far removed from the Canadian set point as my personal ideology is. Harper was wrong when called us a "Northern European welfare state". We are no such thing (Pierre Trudeau's efforts notwithstanding). Neither are we America Jr. Perhaps the trick is to keep Randians and Linda McQuaig equally frustrated.
N_Fiddledog N_Fiddledog:
fifeboy fifeboy:
Greece ??? OBOY, that's rich. What's it their mad about now
OK, I wanna laugh, but that would be mean.
Not Greece, silly rabbit. "Geert". Geert Wilders. Google it.

Sorry, my fault there, but defend myself because reading your posts is akin to cleaning the Augean Stables. My shovel is worn out and I need one with a bigger scoop.