SwedenIn

I don't know about anyone else out there but I am a little bit worried. Scandanavia is cheating, in particular, Sweden is cheating. Now, I am sure that everyone has heard that Sweden is a socialist country, something that we Americans know is bad and evil and Satanic and all that. Would you be shocked if I told you that Sweden is not actually a socialist nation? In fact, it is a capitalist, free market system. Aparently they are following a different model of capitalism. Allow me to explain.

In Europe a different way of practicing capitalism in one's economy has permiated. In the United States we are more accustom to adversarial trade policy, individualist political culture, and the magic of the "invisible hand" policy. Europe practices something very similar. However, in addition to adversarial trade policy, there is something called social marketing political culture. This means that there is a high level of freedom for individuals in combination with a commitment to social conscience. Meaning that you have freedom do what you want but there is a level of concern for people who need help, in other words, it may not be their fault that they are homeless or poor. Also, there is government intervention in the market in order to provide for planning and a social safety net.

This type of capitalism has brought success to the European continent. European nationalism in individual nations resulted in two world wars and an economy in shambles, thus leading the way for the United States to take its place as the top superpower. However, because of Europe uniting it has created an economy that can not only compete with the United States, may in the coming years surpass the economy of the U.S. Asia too practices a type of capitalism that focuses more on the social good rather than the individual good which has also resulting in a booming economy.

During the 1992 presidential election, incumbant Georgre Herbert Walker Bush, batted away the ideas of the Governor of Arkansas' ideas about taking a lesson from the markets of Europe and Asia to solve the financial downturn of the early 1990's. From this arrose the idea that Asia and Europe were cheating the idea of capitalism.But if their systems weren't working and ours was, then no one would say that they were cheating.

The American people automatically have a bad taste in their mouth when they hear the word "socialism." However, you can have some social aspects while maintaining a free market society. In the future I predict that the United States will have to practice a more European or Asian market type of system. I know that many Americans will not be willing to do this, if we are not willing, then we will have to relinquish our position as the global superpower. In order to compete with the markets of Europe and Asian means becoming more like the markets of Europe and Asia. I know it is scary.