Favorite Country M-Z (round 3)

[Mercenary]

If I honestly thought any country waa better than the US then I would move there. No such country exists therefore I vote USA. Although I am also fond of my current temporary residence of South Korea.

[politicus]

If I honestly thought any country was better than the US then I would move there. No such country exists therefore I vote USA. Although I am also fond of my current temporary residence of South Korea.

We do not live in a free migration world, so that is just silly.

[Antonio the Sixth]

If I honestly thought any country was better than the US then I would move there. No such country exists therefore I vote USA. Although I am also fond of my current temporary residence of South Korea.

We do not live in a free migration world, so that is just silly.

And even then, most people don't just abandon their friends, relatives, job, and habit just because they think their country isn't the best in the world. That's not just silly, that's absurd.

[politicus]

@Antonio: Just heard a radio interview with Professor in polsci Ove Kaj Petersen, who is a leading expert on Nordic welfare states, and according to him Denmark has both the largest welfare state, the highest tax rate and the highest redistribution effect in the world. He also says DK has upheld the Nordic model in its most comprehensive form and cites things like the continued importance of collective agreements on the labour market and strength of trade unions. He estimates Sweden has gone furthest in "a neo-liberal direction" of the Scandinavian countries (which means Swe/No/Dk in Danish). So the ranking is apparently 1. Denmark 2. Norway 3. Sweden. With the caveat that I do not know enough about Finland to rate it relative to Sweden, but I would assume the Swedish welfare state is still more comprehensive than the Finnish.

[TNF]

USA!

[Antonio the Sixth]

@Antonio: Just heard a radio interview with Professor in polsci Ove Kaj Petersen, who is a leading expert on Nordic welfare states, and according to him Denmark has both the largest welfare state, the highest tax rate and the highest redistribution effect in the world. He also says DK has upheld the Nordic model in its most comprehensive form and cites things like the continued importance of collective agreements on the labour market and strength of trade unions. He estimates Sweden has gone furthest in "a neo-liberal direction" of the Scandinavian countries (which means Swe/No/Dk in Danish). So the ranking is apparently 1. Denmark 2. Norway 3. Sweden. With the caveat that I do not know enough about Finland to rate it relative to Sweden, but I would assume the Swedish welfare state is still more comprehensive than the Finnish.

Well, that's interesting to know, thanks. I'd like to learn more about the relative performance of Scandinavian welfare states when I have more time (right now I'm really too busy). I assume the bulk of neoliberalization happened under Göran Persson? Bildt must have sparked off the trend, but he didn't stay long enough to have a major impact.