Social welfare expenditures in the United States and the Nordic Countries

[Swedish Rainbow Capitalist Cheese]

All they do is run deficits and encourage ppl to stay home on their couch because they know they won't have to work.

Sweden hasn't had a deficit since 96 you stupid troll, and our state dept is minimal compared to the one Reagan, the Bushes, and Obama has run up for America. Denmark and Norway has no debt at all.

[Swedish Rainbow Capitalist Cheese]

Weird and distorted conclusion. "After adjustments for direct and indirect taxes paid," indeed. That's the whole difference: The Scandinavians have a much better taxation system.

I'm not sure what you mean, but the point is that Sweden has the weird habit of taxing benefits, something I think few other countries do. People who get, say, unemployment benefits get taxed on it. Thus, both tax levels and spending levels SEEM higher in Sweden than they actually are, since some of that spending is taken back through taxes and some of those taxes are on money already earned by the state through other taxes.

I remember having a very intresting discussion with a teacher back in 4th grade about why the school had to pay property taxes to the municipality that runs them. It's the municipality paying taxes to themselves. Still doesn't make any sense to me.