Sweden: Lessons for America? - Full Video

It’s been suggested that Americans would be better off if the United States was more like Sweden. Do the Swedes know something that we don’t? Sweden: Lessons for America? A Personal Exploration by Johan Norberg delves into the economic and social landscape of the Swedish scholar’s homeland. Join him to see that the lessons to be learned from Sweden may not be the ones you expect.
The one-hour documentary follows Norberg on a journey through the history of Sweden’s economic rise, from one of the poorest countries in the world to one of the most prosperous. The program illuminates key ideas and enterprises that sparked the reform and continue to help Sweden maintain its lofty economic position, including freedom of the press, free trade, new technology companies, crazy jobs and even an old Swedish superhero.
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Chapters
0:00 Introduction
2:38 Anders Chydenius
9:12 Freedom of the Press
14:08 A High & a Low
20:14 Unions & Crazy Taxes
27:33 Reforms & Entrepreneurship
35:06 Schools: Swedish Style
40:53 Rebuilding Trust
46:48 Social Trust?
51:06 Conclusion

[@moulieswaraprasad9567]

"In order to distribute a cake,somebody must have baked it at first". Best lesson learnt from this video!!!!!!

[@ksportjacket]

Collosal wisdom!!

[@thegreatitudecoach]

Moulieswara Prasad you cant tax your way to prosperity.

[@alanlee67]

What I learned from the video is that such a model would never work in the US. Swedes are very eastern in their philosophy. They understand that you have to cooperate and be productive individuals for the company to succeed so that you can in turn succeed...a lot like Japan. The western philosophy is that you should be as lazy as possible and at the same time make as much money as possible. That's why labor unions in the US are just purely toxic.

[@jobroadcommunityimpact6494]

First and foremost, the cake is based. Secondly, a lot more hands than the entrepreneur went into baking that cake... public infrastructure, government policies, labor, etc

[@im-un-fragile]

@@jobroadcommunityimpact6494 But the entrepreneur takes the sole risk by purchasing the equipment, the ingredients, committing to a commercial lease or investing in the purchase of a location, paying for advertising, paying for insurance (liability and loss through fire or some other damage), and the myriad other items it takes to open and successfully maintain a business. All that before they even open their doors for business, all in hopes that the cake (or widget) he or she makes is good enough the public will continue to purchase their wares to keep them in business. If the business fails, the entrepreneur is on the hook for all the investment made resulting in possible bankruptcy or lingering debt. The employee simply loses that job and is tasked with finding another. Very little, if any, risk to them.

[@username65585]

The study of how Sweden grew from poverty to one of the richest nations in the world can be contrasted with how Argentina fell from one of the richest countries in the world to where they are today.

[@UNDFTDGordon]

username absolutely. Dependency theory and the socialism that it's spawned from ruined Argentina.

[@dejabu24]

argentina was on the top 5 or 6 on the late 19th early 20th century , its crazy what happened to them

[@airigid]

What do you think about people who are dependent on the sun to sustain life?

[@fl3669]

Exactly, I’m from Argentina and its mind blowing the amount of destruction populist and socialist governments created. But the people here want more socialism, they say its not enough. You can see by yourselves the indoctrination that is taking place on public schools and universities. We truly are in a state of emergency.

[@jayschmidt6373]

And this video and organization is sponsored by the Koch Brothers and other megabillionaire oligarchs... if you're not rich, then why the fuck do you believe their lies?

[@sdnlawrence5640]

This film should be part of every freshman orientation at every college and university in every country, including and especially in the USA.

[@zion3335]

So its true after all. Hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times make weak men, weak men make hard times.

[@Snarky79]

Hard times make hard-ons weaker, occasional-kotex wouldn't know the difference, so stiffies come back in vogue, strong women know the difference:good times return.

[@tylersecrest5536]

Sounds like my life story 100p

[@YashKansalx]

zion33 😂

[@zaidnava3728]

Every man’s journey

[@enricolucarelli816]

Few words, great truth

[@lukad98]

In Slovenia we have a say: The first generation builds, the second lives of the fruits of the first generations work, and the third spends it all.

[@liz-marie4224]

My God It is my mother sitting on the big staircase outside on one of the step smoking (at 27:58) in early 70´s visiting Stockholm, I was so chocked and surprised to see her since she past on at only age 60 in 2002. That is so awesome, she would have loved it to be in a documentary about this matter, since she and my dad had a family accounting /law firm. My dad (that has also past away in June 1983) was so upset in the beginning of the 80´s due to the tax increase, because he could only hire my older sister to work in the family firm since the taxes for the employer fee was to huge for him to give me a job in our family owned business :( So I went to America to work instead after college at age 18.

[@denisebilby4947]

LiZ- Marie wow, cool

[@Sigridovski]

She is very young there, like 18 or something. Nice you have her on film now.

[@TheSpoonyluvin]

"A Scandinavian economist once said to Milton Friedman, ‘In Scandinavia, we have no poverty’. Milton Friedman replied, ‘That’s interesting, because in America, among Scandinavians, we have no poverty, either’."

[@Veylon]

As a Scandinavian-American who grew up in poverty, I contest that statement.

[@harleywoolford5247]

Seems like Bernie Sanders doesn't really know much about Sweden

[@UNDFTDGordon]

harley woolford he doesn't know about much other than demagoguery.

[@TobiasWahlqvist]

Bernie Sanders politics would result in a Venezuela rather than a Sweden. Very good points on the topic here: onarchy.liberty.me/bernie-sanders-is-not-a-scandinavian-style-socialist/

[@skyleonidas9270]

seems like bernie doesen't know much about anything

[@Broombringer]

Bernie is not considered a socialist at all by Swedish standard. If Bernie were a Swedish politician he would be considered right wing.

[@zTruthSeeker316]

Thanks for the wonderful video Johan. As for bernie sanders: There are only two options. 1) He absolutely doesn't know. 2) Or, he is deceitful (for whatever motive i.e., power, greed, stupidity, etc.). Regardless, most bernie supporters don't realize bernie speaks out of his backside, which is common among "progressives" (left-wing & right-wing). Sad but true.

[@vashthestampede4716]

That was an awesome documentary. I'm from Brazil and we have a lot to learn with Sweden. We are learn, but we still have a long road ahead. In Brazil I also hear lots of people saying that we should be socialist like Sweden. "Socialist economy" doesn"'t exist, because there is no calculation of prices. I loved Anders Chydenius story.

[@carapo66]

"Without economic growth there is no wealth to share". This video is an eye-opener. Thank you for this.

[@voranartsirisubsoontorn9010]

Used to work for Swedish company indirectly and love the way they do business and management style. Thanks Electrolux.

[@MilwaukeeF40C]

Were you in the lingonberry industry?

[@danijelandroid]

Wait a minute. Electrolux is a Swedish company?

[@adamsjoberrg]

@@danijelandroid Yup!

[@bastrixer]

Try working for a smaller company and tell me the same :p

[@danielkarlsson3624]

@@bastrixer You don't automatically get rich just because you have a small business in Sweden. You get rich if you have an amazing idea. Small business owners like to pretend like they are the backbone of our economy and should get all the free stuffs. That's BS. You have a job, and should contribute to society just like everyone else. And if you come up with the next Spotify idea, then yeah, you're gonna have well earned success. But don't cry me a small business owner river .

[@TheTomGPalmer]

I hope that this gets a wide audience here on KZbin!

[@origionalwinja]

im sure youtube will shut them down financially and cap their reach. even though google would have never existed under any economic form other than capitalism, and no one would have been successful in google with out it, they all rally against it because they want control, and theyre greedy. they think socialism wont come after them, and theyll be 'in charge' and the eltets... they wont, theyll be in the gulag just like everyone else

[@askrat3499]

Imagine having a whole documentary telling you how a country went from being poor to rich through a free market economy and still believing that big government is the solution to all your problems 😂

[@mdjcsmith]

45:19 Sometimes it takes a trip overseas to understand how good you have it in your own backyard, and why you should work to preserve it.

[@murmansk3]

Thanks for this amazing documentary (from a classical liberal swedish citizen).

[@britamagnusson5407]

This guy is well known for his radical right wing views! Do keep that in mind if you listen to! He definitly does not represent the Sweden I was borne and grew up in!

[@murmansk3]

​@@britamagnusson5407 Is well known for his radical right wing views, by who, do i know you? Can you also deffine radical right wing views in a more specific way and are your political views better to represent politic views in Sweden in a more broader way than mine? And anyway, who really cares, swedes has all sorts of different political views.

[@erwinhun]

It's not a documentary though, the aim is to influence the viewer. It is more of a debate article, where they advocate a few opinions of theirs and add (sometimes simplified) facts supporting their views while leaving out facts that could have neuanced the impression.

[@passingliaison]

@Erwin Hun Have you never seen any other Documentary besides this one? What you just described as reasons for it not being a Documentary applies to almost every Documentary I have watched over the last 20 years. Most Documentaries are one sided, just look at the tripe Michael Moore has produced since Columbine. Hell, even his Columbine Documentary is one sided and uses outright dishonest editing to push a false story. Like his "I got a free gun from this bank and took it home the same day" segment. The events are entirely fabricated, because he didn't take it home the same day as he claims. Point is, few Documentaries share both sides of the argument, like Cassey Jay's Documentary did, where she spoke to both sides. Most are little more than propaganda tools.

[@murmansk3]

@@erwinhun What simplified facts then?

[@flyshacker]

What an excellent documentary! I was shocked by many jaw-dropping facts about how positive and experimental Sweden has become: NO minimum wage law! Taxation is regressive! Socialized medicine is provided by private competing services! National education is provided by private competing services! Politics is removed from the pension system by automatically increasing or decreasing benefits based on the success of the overall economy! What I admire most is how Sweden's vast experience has led to a more consensus-driven society that fosters freedom, innovation, and competition. We in the U.S. have a lot to learn from Sweden!

[@lynlee6861]

If pensioms were based on increasing or decreasing economy in U.S. Trust me it would always be decreasing or broke here, politicians are pure criminals, there wouldn't be anything for the people that paid in. And now at this point, it would go for trans surgerys, and illegals. Whites american males would all be slaughtered if our government had its way. Thats just for starters of course

[@Guycodeacademypage]

This was EXCELLENT. I'm half-Swedish (Mom came over to the US from Sweden when she was 19) and I'm always hearing stories from my mom and Uncle (who still lives in Sweden). It's interesting because my Uncle labels Sweden Socialist. He says their loose border policy has caused a lot of issues (I wish this would have been addressed in this video - and that the debate on immigration has certainly heated up).

[@vandertuber]

Stupid US Consumer Protection Agency won't let US Citizens have that awesome airbag helmet !!

[@jaxonmattox9267]

@Arwyn The big issue for the manufacturer is that in the US they are extremely likely to get sued, and sued regularly. The litigious nature of American society is one of the biggest problems for businesses to deal with

[@robotnik77]

It musses your hair. Can't have that.

[@ayandas874]

@Arwyn But people should also be free too wear even bulletproof helmets if they wanted to.

[@mr.w.146]

I'm working on airbag underwear to save genitalia.

[@micke2943]

@@robotnik77 What hair? xD

[@fredriks5090]

Imagine a king that lets you create 26 versions of your own newspaper before "giving up". In someplace other than Sweden, he might have been executed or exiled by the tenth edition.

[@tourniquet3306]

I hope this pops up in Bernie Sander's KZbin suggestions

[@annyshechtman2484]

Absolutely wonderful to watch and very sightful. thank you for posting this to the public!

[@MrRamazanLale2]

Did invading Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, Niger,... helped the civilians?

[@daellymnaidel942]

Devastatingly under-watched documentary. Thank you to everyone who made this. Real eye opener.

[@squirrelinstructor6075]

This was the most informative vid i have seen for a while, thankyou very much from the UK. This should be required viewing for all members of the uk parliament.

[@nirajsolanki8725]

Finally, you have managed to win me over completely. What a wonderful series! Erudite, intelligent, well-researched, and true to the things it is professing to teach. Keep up the good work. :-)

[@ReformedSooner24]

Between this and Sabaton, I’m developing a newfound respect and/or interest in Sweden

[@timfronimos459]

I watched this on PBS and then stayed up to watch it again at 2 a.m. it was an awesome program

[@IsaacS2010]

Excellent presentation. Thank you so much, Johan for sharing this with us (in the US)!

[@dumyjobby]

Thank you for this beautiful documentary. Cheers from Romania

[@bagamias-hula]

Şi salutari din statele unite! Glad to see this spreading to toata lumea!

[@erwinhun]

It's not a documentary though, the aim is to influence the viewer. It is more of a debate article, where they advocate a few opinions of theirs and add (sometimes simplified) facts supporting their views while leaving out facts that could have neuanced the impression.

[@danielpincu6030]

I think that the other side has had too long to argue there point of view which is why it is only fair that they get some time to create their own argument.

[@jayschmidt6373]

And this video and organization is sponsored by the Koch Brothers and other megabillionaire oligarchs... if you're not rich, then why the fuck do you believe their lies?

[@lmaozedong2259]

Erwin Hun Måste vara trist att vara gråsosse i detta århundrade

[@afreeman4302]

Thank you from Texas and thank you.

[@thadiussean9133]

yes, we should learn the fact that they have school choice over there

[@gerassimos.fourlanos]

I am a liberal myself, living in Sweden, and I do like the basic line of argument in this video. But since it presents a business case for a certain idea, however attractive that idea is, it does project a rather distorted picture of the prevailing reality in Sweden. It is true, in my opinion, that the degree of economic freedom in Sweden is very high in general, but new hurdles and threats keep appearing all the time. Nowadays a big obstacle to innovative thinking is the all-encompassing politically correct conventionality, the urge to uniformity, and a rather unhealthy proliferation of petty rules in all areas in order to achieve that perfect uniformity. To state an example, if you have a business activity which is off the beaten path, you will keep receiving letters and phone calls from your bank asking you time and again to explain where your income comes from - even though it is obvious - and what exactly is your business idea, threatening to freeze your account if you do not provide explanations, ostensibly, in order to combat money laundering. Similarly, in a country where registering a company was a piece of cake, even during the years of the most oppressive social-democratic rule, today you will be surprised to see how many unnecessary obstacles you will face, weird questions to answer and red tape. It is still not as bad as in Greece, my native country, but it is on the way to get there.

[@origionalwinja]

every single thing you stated as a drawback is directly caused by liberalism/socialism. each point can be solved by the elimination of socialists/leftists

[@andrewdurfee3896]

I concer with your statement about the basic line of the argument in this video. That is Sweden's prosperity is due to how much they have embraced and allowed a free market economy in their nation. I recognize that not all aspects of their embrace free market economy principles. America in like manner prospers to the degree in which it embraces and live the principles of a free market economy, however, we too are suffering from more and more government regulations. Excessive regulations kill innovation and squander much of the money that a company makes. I hope we will turn back to more free market economics.

[@audreyandremington5265]

@@origionalwinja yo... i don't think "eliminating" people is good. Idk If you meant eliminating the political school of thought or not, but even if you just meant eliminating liberal thinking, idk if that's really a good idea. I mean, everyone should have the right to think that way. We need to discuss this stuff, not shut our opponents up.

[@gentryblack1322]

In America the whole of the PC culture comes from the left, social warriors, me too movements etc... If congress in America were to watch and even believe this documentary it would change nothing for most of our congress. Our Congress is out to take power and wealth from any and all. Pelosi said it best. "we can't trust Americans to have brains" that was not what she said verbatim but that was the gist.

[@gentryblack1322]

@@audreyandremington5265 I agree to a point.... I draw the line at indoctrination of kids in school, and college though!

[@mrmkieselbach]

Love this! Thank you for producing this video, Mr. Norberg!

[@ek9772]

Thank you for bringing a well done, insightful, historical, and condensed summary of Sweden’s economic development through time while threading into it the existing social and political atmosphere of those times.

[@LIITEMIES]

Are you cidding me.

[@kev3d]

Fascinating. Thank you. Though I can only imagine some poor Venezuelan watching this and seeing the dismal growth numbers from Sweden in the 1970's with envy.

[@derekspace]

For once I have no words. Thank you for schooling me. You guys said stuff I know and then informed me of stuff I did not know. Great job! This video should be shown to all 8th graders in America...yeah I'm dreaming. THANK YOU!

[@magus9dannugcris]

Thanks for this meaningful share on your homeland. A lot to learn from Swedish experience.

[@MaskinJunior]

The key thing to take from this is Swedish prosperity comes from our consensus culture. It has nothing to do with economics. By realizing we all are in the same boat and not fighting so much we have found solutions everyone in the boat can live with. Nobody got everything they wanted, but we didn't part discontent. Because of this when we change political leadership we don't do 180 with the new power trying to undo everything the former power achieved. What happens is a slight turn in direction, and when we have strayed too far to one side, power changes hands and we begin a slight turn in the other direction.

[@robotnik77]

Of course it has to do with economics. You're using only one eye. Open the other.

[@gurglejug627]

yeah, it's been good - now it's going to fuck - watch the promised re-writing of the constitution and see what happens now...

[@VigneshBalasubramaniam]

This is a perfect example of why we need a balance of policies from the left, and the right to achieve a near-ideal nation. A strong, open, caplitalist market economy, with minimal regulations (from the right) can help pay for the various social programs like healthcare and pensions (for the left).

[@jeffcarsello1725]

really excellent video, this guy is so entertaining I'm surprised we don't see more of him...thanks for posting

[@hwobstj]

Awesome education! Thank you for producing this.

[@darthutah6649]

Sweden has run a budget surplus since 2004

[@genocidejoe]

@@denisebilby4947 do you live in sweden,no then shhhhhh dumbass and turn of fox news its not god for you

[@AnuarKronfel]

Anders Chydenius was kind of similar to Juan de Mariana in Spain. It's really interesting to see how people from different cultures and times can end up sharing the same ideals.

[@lynnwong-denton5947]

What a fantastic feature for understanding Sweden. Thank you Johan Norberg for this excellent presentation/feature.

[@leifstrong]

Wonderful video thank you for this production.

[@bpither]

Chydenius might have read or heard about "an/the invisible hand" as mentioned by Adam Smith in two books published prior to The Wealth of Nations.

[@FalloutConspiracy]

This was a very informative and illuminating video. I enjoyed the light tone and the affably laid-back style of the host. Liked!

[@ilovecoffee7623]

Thanks for traveling to Scandinavia, and making an insightful documentary about the situation there for us in The West.

[@NowBeFree]

Wow! This was illuminating. I am so glad I watched it. Thank you for making this video.

[@MrPemellquist]

Great presentation. Although you mention that in the US employer / union relationships are more antagonistic than In Sweden, it is important to also point out that we have less unions overall in US. US unions are more prevalent in labor intensive jobs, e.g. UAW. Many US sectors such as high tech and IT have not unions instead a different model exists.

[@andersmalmgren6528]

Same in sweden, unions have alot less presence in IT than in classic industries. Which is good, unions are expensive for companies. Which in the end are bad for the employees.

[@RobertDahlbergPhoto]

We had it all figured out, but then we imported identity politics and it went bad really fast. Shootings and grenads in the streets.

[@fatelamore]

It'll be that way as long as cage-free liberals roam the allies and halls of Congress.

[@jayfelsberg1931]

I didn't see a lot of mention if any of the problems of identity politics and immigration, no-go zones, and the drain of immigrant welfare on the system.

[@mehere9215]

According to the documentary, is only 30 years ago since they have financially develop because of the deregulations and the lowering of taxes, they cant say they are going to give America a Lesson, when we develop after 50 years of the settlement in America, by year 1840 we were and Industrial nation, we were financially develop, the crash came on 1932 because of the greed of bankers, politicians and elites. In the 1980, they were still paying 130% in taxes. this documentary is targeting America. and like this, there are to many documentaries trying to convince people that financial freedom comes from socialism.

[@vladanlausevic1733]

Imported ? How ?

[@something3395]

Me Here can you rewrite thar so it is atleast properly readable? By the way no one targets America here. And Sweden started industrialising in the 1800's already.

[@constantinealexandrakis]

Yet another great documentary by Norberg. Thank you Sir!

[@DelfinFoto]

Wow. This is really eye-opening

[@johanndiaz8695]

This video needs more views

[@jn3750]

I live in the USA but one of my best friends is from Sweden (we did our PhD together in the USA). My friend used to brag about his country all the time until recently when he confided to me that his beloved country is screwed up - in a very bad way (**). Without revealing too much, all I can say is that he blames all this on the liberal policies enacted in the last 10 years or so.

[@robotnik77]

Of course you are using the term "Liberal" in the American sense of the word?

[@xmochix604]

J N sad. Last night was a close call for many who voted red.

[@insiainutorrt259]

The problems started far earlyer with the gradual destruction of every aspect of swedish society , culture , morals and basic common sense... around WW2 or earlyer... today and 10 years back we now see the inevitable results of a long process

[@pontuseklund8875]

In a democracy - we are allowed to think, say and believe what we want. We have the access to free press in the Western world but Pres. Trump is trying to stop the free press. Will US remain a democracy?

[@kyleendrake2638]

They shouldn't have opened their boarders.

[@kimbroughjim]

Excellent documentary. Thank you for sharing.

[@MrNo1jaeger]

Ta mig fan den bästa beskrivningen jag någonsin sett.

[@anthonylemkendorf3114]

I have Swedish friends who tell me the only way to survive in a small business in Sweden is to “avoid “ at least some taxes.( I really enjoyed the documentary).👍🏻

[@qinby1182]

@Anthony Lemkendorf Would say then they do not have a viable business. If you can not afford to follow the rules (or pay a living wage) then it is not a business it is a fraud scheme. By not following the rules they distort the market and force competitors who follow the rules out of business. That is an unfair advantage and leads to a race to the bottom, it is the same as if the competition got subsidized.

[@phamnuwen9442]

Qinby 1 The point is that the taxes are too high, and mostly go to useless things like paying people not to work. If taxation went to only essential services like defense and maybe some police taxes would be well below 10% and people wouldn't mind paying.

[@Ohem1]

The issue is when you employ someone you have to pay tax - as in you have to pay "the government" to have someone help you increase productivity. But if you, as a company, buy a service or product from another "paper firm" you avoid the VAT and the employment tax. So there's more incentive being your own company and provide labor service than to be employed by someone else.

[@donde2k]

ger du, I am sensing quite a lot of anger from you. Please try to have a better attitude - like that of Niklas Ohlsson, below.

[@MrAceman82]

@Quinby 1: Usually in every country 90% are small businesses. If you put them of weight like high taxation. What can you expect? Bankruptcies, increased unemployment, decreased salaries. Sweden have paved their own failure, but they are going slowly. Sweden was not devastated by two world wars.

[@PetervandenHeuvel81]

The school voucher system is a system described by Milton Friedman in 1979, in Free to choose.

[@kassramzh9204]

Thank you for this great documentary.

[@JacoMyburgh]

Thank you for this MR. Stossel, thank you sir!

[@alohaleslie9407]

I thought I knew just enough about Sweden to have an intelligent conversation. NOT! This is so good, especially for all of us Americans who also believe they know what kind of system Sweden follows. Thanks so much!

[@proflucasiano]

I would love to see this translated to Portuguese, we really need this type of information in our language.

[@adorablydeplorable7580]

I have truly learned a lot from this video. Thank you.

[@canadianborn7149]

Very informative documentary. Well done.

[@fredrikjonsson1974]

Balance is the Key for "prosperity" to as many as possible! I am left and this is right leaning but there are good points here in the current economic system we have.

[@afonsodeportugal]

"Perfectly balanced, as all things should be".

[@nonmagicmike723]

53:52 Golden quote.

[@mikedunn9310]

Heard about this on Stossel's show. Good stuff. Thanks

[@peterharoldjanakjr2078]

What a pleasure it was to watch this. Well done.

[@Smartphonekanalen]

The social contract with citizens doesnt't work. People have to wait a long time to get medical help. Schools picking there students and we score low in Pisa (partly because of migration). Meanwhile it's hard to rent an apartment. Buying apartments and houses have never before been so expensive in Sweden.

[@larrypilgrim12]

Immigration unchecked will drive up housing costs. Housing inflation got worse in America when immigrants came in at high rates, packing many lower income earners into a single house and eating up the starter housing market. Consequences of not keeping a balanced population, and welfare state.

[@origionalwinja]

all the things you complained about are caused by socialists wanting to take back sweeden to the 70's. they crave power, and the have none in a capitalist society

[@game2game275]

@@larrypilgrim12 You have to remember the difference in US and Swedish immigration. Immigration to the US is mainly for economical reasons, and as there are serious shortages of low wage jobs in America, they fill places Americans wouldn't take and contribute to the economy. There are still local problems that emerge when large groups settle, but it's still different. In Sweden the problematic influx of people came around 2013. Before that we mainly saw economic Eastern European migrants, and some refugees from Yugoslavia. But the large welfare state couldn't handle an enormous migration and maintain the same standard of living. The Swedish government decided to sacrifice those luxuries that people had become used to, that's all.

[@TS-mt6rm]

You missed 3 points. Effects of having a intact capital after WW1. Inflation during the interwar period and having a intact capital after WW2.

[@cookmoore3736]

Amazing work! Thank you

[@MikeD-lr3ev]

Glad to see a lot more people have watched this video since its 1st release on KZbin..

[@limerickman8512]

Study how sweden had Mercantilism (government kingship heavy hand) had proverty, then free ecomony and people thrived, then socialism (government socialists voters heavy hand) created proverty, then back to free markets, where the people thrived again.

[@Rosencrona]

The greatest system must have features of all : a King, a hint of social democracy, and a mostly free market.

[@jaydunbar7538]

My grandfather used to say the best government you can have is a good dictatorship, all the benefits of everything, problem is good people don't take over countries.

[@svartvist]

A people that love to tinker with socio-economic ideas as much as products. Now they're shooting themselves in the feet again.

[@TommyGunz327]

And now Islamism where the Sweden will be finished.

[@devonferris]

Limerickman who knew right? Haha

[@mojomanrosie]

I can get down with the school vouchers, social security based on the economy, and deregulation in the business market

[@melindasmith3713]

Until the school you wanted is full ! You must register at birth and hope they get to your number , that seems stupid to me . So a full list for good schools , someone is gonna lose out ! Yet pay the same in taxes but don't get the equal school .

[@YouTube_is_trash_365]

This is quality stuff. Great video

[@joannaradacina2585]

Very informative and educational. Dare I say that it is refreshing to find out that there are societies which evaluate the political and economical systems for efficiency?

[@168tsai8]

I wonder if Sweden has already figured out how to deal with advancements in AI and robotics displacing the country's workforce in the not too distant future.

[@s50201]

As the thief needs the upstanding citizen to survive, the welfare state needs capitalism to survive. Capitalism is the engine that generates value, and the entrepreneurs and the capitalists, are their drivers.

[@VanjeAv]

I love you for making this!

[@PreachingTruth]

This was really well done.

[@susancronk8512]

What a great documentary. There are some good takeaways. I think you are right, the extra-high taxes would be rejected in America. The idea of the voucher systems for schools and having schools dealt with at the local level is very encouraging, and there are many advocating for that here and getting the federal government out of the schools system. One of the biggest challenges we are facing here is over a half million homeless across the nation. I notice that Sweden's is around 6,000, despite the rather generous welfare system. I would think that would be near zero. What is the contributing factor for that there? And, have those numbers changed with the influx of refugees? I watched a documentary earlier and was very concerned about the increase in crime. My vision of Sweden has always been as a very clean, safe, peaceful place. I love the cyclist airbag idea and I hope they are making strides in getting it introduced in the U.S. Despite our innovation at times we are reluctant for very bold new ideas. I do have one story to share. I was cycling a few years ago and had a standard foam-type helmet on. A rock truck passed me and kicked back a rock that took a 1" deep divot out of the front of my helmet just above the forehead. I was glad I had it, but there is a lot of discussion around as to whether the helmets are really as safe as they are promoted to be.

[@tubularfrog]

Hey, great production. Johan is a wonderful presenter. This was very informative. I felt like it was part "Myth Busters" and part "Dirty Jobs" with the cooking oil reclamation. I really liked the story of Anders Chydenius. He sounds like one of the American founding fathers! Thanks for this fine production. It changed my conception of modern Swedish life. Really pretty people there too. I hope to visit someday.

[@kristofferhellstrom]

Awesome docu! Keep it up

[@fhucko]

Thank you for this video.

[@Rivershines]

Bravo! Great documentary! I’m Australian and we have a similar story, except we still have a bloated state service employing 60% of the working population meaning the other 40% and associated enterprises are the only ones producing GDP. We have a wealthy economy supported by migration, which is unsustainable and causing flow on social issues like homelessness and crime in the big cities, and we rely heavily on the wealth of mining where we give away the resources (no price on resources, if you can afford to take them). But we too deregulated in the 1990s and it’s proven over and over that government can’t innovate or run businesses at a profit. We are hoping for further deregulated to help us deal with the Covid recession. Sweden and Germany show there is no substitute for medium sized enterprises and vigorous manufacturing!

[@martinknutsson8374]

I wish I could live in a country that he is describing. In my country the middle class have shrunked with 9.1% 1987 - 2012. Our schools are getting worse, and our children score lower and lower on the EU standard (Pisa) test. The low income wages have stagnated for 30 years. Right wing extremism is growing at a rapid pace. The wait time to get medical treatment is getting longer. The ultra rich is taking most of our economic growth and then gamble on the stock exchange abroad. Our industries is moving to low wage countries like China. We have high unemployment and so on. I also live in Sweden, but I don't see any rainbow and sprinkles as Johan sees. So when you watch this video be aware that it is produced by free market fundamentalist and is not the general view in Sweden. The balanced view is somewhere in the middle of my critic and this video.

[@kucikiro3343]

I'm Swedish and this clip is just pure neo-liberalist propaganda.

[@katej392]

Well spoken, I 100% agree

[@lahlberg1838]

I couldn't agree more Martin. Unfortunatelly it is a total absence of nuances in the video.

[@massimechoub3343]

Same here in France, but those kind of channel never explains why the US average life expectancy is one of the lowest of the OECD while spending the most. Why they also have to pay taxes, but their infrastructure are crumbling ?

[@predattak]

"Right wing extremism is growing at a rapid pace." Gee i wonder why.

[@icyivy2424]

Very nice video, I like the fact that he is objective about the situation.

[@crownman3440]

Wonderful video. Everyone should watch this!

[@goatamongsheep4296]

Barbara Lerner-Spectre gives a much more concise message. Look her up.

[@65commet]

1st and really big, even on the street scenes there is no visable ethinticity in the vid. USA Our home is white European, including Sweedes, native American, South American, (Euro and insidiousness) black from Africa Carribean and Middle East, Asian from every part of the rim, Korean, Japanese, Okinawan, Viet Nam, Twain, Chinese, Phillipeens, Australian, and Russian Croatian, Serbian, mid East Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran Turkey, Jordan Egypt and Jews. None of them, none, are of the same identity, mind set, or world view. We are clay and iron. Our weekness is simply people from everywhere. Want to keep Sweeden, than keep people out.

[@walttrinkala7728]

Thanks for the video. I have learned a lot. God bless Sweden and America!

[@larriecole3222]

I find your innovative approach's to social engineering problems fascinating and far less tribal and hierarchal than those of North America. Your constructs have great value, and i am so pleased you shared them . Thank you. from Canada.

[@rich8304]

Great documentary. I would hope our politicians here in America would watch and learn. Stop the character assassination politics and solve the problems.The mature look at the math was a great statement that We the people should demand.

[@ericscommentaries704]

I watched this video and was astounded that Sweden truly did, by admission of those in the video, "Mature" into realizing that the socialistic economic model did profound damage to their economy and realized the need to focuse on more private based options of management and financing. I wasnt too chuffed about the continued socialistic redistribution of wealth to maintain several social welfare services, but I was exuberant about realizing the markets of Sweden are freer than that of the US. Far less regulations and tarriffs. less of an adversarial relationship between the unions (probably the cause of continued social welfare), but it is less of a "gimme gimme" mentality, and more of a "how can we make this work to earn more for everyone" mentality.

[@ElinoCanuck]

Great video. Thank you!

[@kneedeacon2309]

Thank you for your infor., , really interesting.

[@jodycameron-roy2544]

Great video Johan. You are the best Pokemon!

[@andresg297]

hey Johan happy to help with the translation to Latinamerican Spanish

[@elrincondelamarillo7613]

¿La vas a traducir? Tenía pensado hacer lo mismo y titularla ‘’Suecia: ¿Lecciones para Latinoamérica?”.

[@JadMadi]

Excellent documentary and the lessons are definitely not just for America but for the whole world.

[@jessewarfield2167]

Wow, very cool. Thanks for providing for free