The Danish economic model and why it is difficult to copy
In 2016, the Democratic candidate for the U.S. presidency, Bernie Sanders, said in a debate that Denmark was a socialist country, which the United States should imitate. It is common from time to time to hear claims that Denmark is somehow the proof of how a soft socialism would work and its progress is thanks to a generous and wealth-distributing state through high taxes. In an index created by Yahoo Finance, which combined three other rankings measuring the quality of life of 165 countries, Denmark ranked first for its comprehensive social welfare system and high levels of economic security. So the questions are: Is Denmark really a socialist country? And why do Danes agree to pay high taxes?
Some sources of interest:
- CATO Institute (2015). The Danish Model - Don’t Try This at Home
www.cato.org/economic-develop...
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark. The Danish welfare state and why it is hard to copy
denmark.dk/society-and-busine...
- REALITIESOFSOCIALISM.ORG (2023). The Free Enterprise Welfare State
www.fraserinstitute.org/sites...
Music:
Whatdafunk by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Artist: audionautix.com/
#economicsnation #denmark
As a dane i am very proud of our little land , yes we pay high taxes but we are willing to do this for the benefit of everyone
Can you make enough money after taxes to buy a nice good house and nice car like an Audi A5 ?
@@Carlosthetraveler360 I notice that you use the word "nice" twice , please stop trying to keep up with your neighbours , capitolism is good but it decieves folk into demanding more than is needed for a comfortable life
be a shame, Vores land er til at lukke op og skide i.
@@Carlosthetraveler360yes. Almost every middle class citizen have Their own house, Two cars (one of them a A5 or similar and a smaller car) 5 weeks holiday+5 individual days off when you want. 😊
@@Carlosthetraveler360 who the heck needs an AudiA5?? I drive a "cheap" car from Rumania. It has cruise, air cond, best seats I have ever had, turns on a dime. love my Dacia. played "preussens Gloria" on the car sound system. Now it is a Mercedes!. Besides big luxury cars spend a lot of time in the repair shop!!
Denmark does not have a socialist economy. As usual, Americans don't have a clue about what real socialism is. Denmark is very much a capitalist economy. The difference between Danes and Americans is culture and the understanding of benefits you get from ensuring everyone has access to the same level of free healthcare and education. In America, unless you can secure a scholarship your chance of higher education is pretty much zero if you come from a poor family. In Denmark, your access to higher education is purely by merit (grades). You cannot buy your way into college and university. This means that you ensure only the best suited and motivated will get access to the higher level educations which is important when the tuition part of the education is free. In America, you can go broke if you fracture a leg. In Denmark, you just go to hospital and get it fixed. You never see a bill for that. In other words, in Denmark lives are more important than money. In America, money is king and it shows. The rich have more than what they will ever be able to use and the poor live in the streets so America in many places look more like a 3rd world country than a 1st world country. It's just a major change in culture and in the belief in what the two different people believe is more important in life.
That is so true Americans seem to think Socialism is the exact same as Communism which it is not take the UK, it's a democratic, capitalist, socialist, monochy which is basically the same as Denmark. This is why are standards of living are better than America.This is by no way of me saying I don't like America because I do it's a great country but it could be so so much more. 🇬🇧🤝🇩🇰👍🇺🇸
@@shihtzu291The UK isn't really comparable with Denmark.
@@thecrimsondragon9744 the UK isn't comparable with any EU countries, the UK is in a downward spiral.
You observe that Denmark got rich before it was able to distribute wealth equitably. Then you show that the US is richer than Denmark -- which supports Sanders' point, that the US can afford to distribute wealth as Denmark does, more equitably. Yet somehow you think this undercuts Sanders. Your argument entails that Sanders said that the US would get rich like Denmark if the US were more equitable like Denmark. But everyone knows Sanders said no such thing. His point is that the US is already rich and could afford to be more equitable like Denmark.
Idio-crazy Denmark was 100% bankrupt in 2007!! Where does all your so-called "wealth" come from or rather - exactly how many innocent people have you directly slaughtered - just since 2007??? Holocaust-Denmark sadly, is nothing but a Death camp,built on NAZI "laws" and, deserve nothing but 100% contempt!!!
The USA would become more wealthy with a Denmark like system , just look at all people leaving in a permanent state of fear due to lack of health insurance, people would take more risks and create businesses and so on without having the fear to go bankrupt.
The US tax rate isn't setup to support this. The biggest difference isn't just the resource wealth but the people themselves. Scandinavians are blocking out immigrants because they have a rare work ethic and commitment to the state (they like taxes). Americans do not have this with the only group anywhere near being their Asian population which their systems oppress in favour of African Americans who statistically don't prize education nor working long hours. American Services would require a stronger tax base from their largely unwilling population.
@@rockstar450 Don't know why you're replying to me. My comment was simply that the argument of the video is incoherent. The video claims that Sander's proposals are wrong because Denmark became rich before it became equitable. The video's argument entails that the US isn't equitable because it isn't rich yet.🤣As for the American caste system, it is not surprising that an undercaste would opt out of engagement if it perceives that it will never be equitably rewarded in the society. It is likely that equity cannot be achieved before the caste perceptions are resolved. How to resolve them is one of the abiding puzzles of the nation.
@@CharlesDuchemin-ip1yf Charles - I hear what you write BUT, you have to look more into, what Denmark really is, before you write so.. Did you know that Denmark is killing the majority of her own living abroad, should we dare to come near DK?, DK is the self-proclaimed "master" in the horrible breaches on the European regulation for "free movement", steal everything we own and often, we will just be crushed in waste incinurators (this can be ordered committed by anyone - called assassinations) and, should you still be alive, everything you've ever owned, is stolen from you, by the state of DK..the pension we were forced to save up for, while we lived in death camp DK, is likewise stolen 100%....etc etc Finally, - the families now dictating the place, are the children and grand children of the sad subjects who made WW2 go completely baserc and, started the Holocaust...+ off course committed the horrific genocide in Poland and Ukraine during the war...stopped by a German officer! In 2023, DK claim to have snipers in Ukraine .still fighting WW2 it seems!! In South America Danish Nazi families, whom the Danish state re-located there after the war, still live and are still paid by the Danish state - in 2023!? When I now want to visit an African country, I have to apply and, pay for a visa...EU citizens don't need visa's but we - Danes, do!??? I understand the African countries 100% (my second time), I'll get my visa and, I know I will be welcome but, not because I am Danish...but because I come from Ireland!!- This is extremely sad Charles - not for me but for DK and the Danes there.... Last time I was in Africa, I met some Americans and, when we spoke, we agreed how sad it is, to come from a place which makes us not welcome many places...I was welcome in Africa...because I can prove where I live and, for whom I work: The state of Ireland!! The person I, was never un-welcome in Africa - my Danish passport was😪!!! I find this so very, very sad...hence, please do a bit of research on the Scandinavian countries.. NOT as "perfect" as they sell themselves...how many of us have been directly slaughtered during the past 20 years...just wondering 😪😪😪
Too many faults! Denmark didn't first worked on getting rich and then implemented the welfare state. The outset for the welfare state was an agreement between all the influential parties in 1933 with the aim of secure elderly and unemployed against absolute poverty and financial uncertainty. This principle that political parties aiming for influence made legislation together has been carried on to this day and on many occasion also with the participation of trade unions and employers' "unions". All these participants have established good labour condition, high productivity, a labour market with high mobility, easy hiring, easy "downsizing", unemployment benefits so people's lives don't fall apart if the job ends, easy access to education and so on: So actually - Denmark - although poor - worked a long to lay the ground for the future, which is now
The current system started before WW2 with the social-laws (for want of a better word) implemented by secretary K.K. Steincke under a social-democratic governement. When the power shifted the conservatives/farmers governement kept it, because they could see the positive results - and so it is to-day (2023'9
Naturally Denmark is a Capitalist Country. It is a State inspired by Reformist Social Demokratic Ideas but definitely Capitalist.
The information provided in this video is highly inaccurate. The popularity of the communist party did not pull the social democrats to the left during the 60ties. In the 1960 election, the communist party got 1.1% of the total vote and thus had NO seats in parliament, in fact they didn't get any seats in parliament in any of the 1960ties elections. It is true that the communist party had good election in 1945 due to the war receiving 12.5% of the vote, 18 seats, but by the next election in 1947 they were reduced half of that, and as noted they were out of parliament by 1960. The idea that the Danish Welfare System originated in the 1960ties is questionable in itself. Denmark introduced free and mandatory schooling in 1739. The public school system was founded by law in 1814. By the 1840ties the state was already paying pensions to many elderly, covering the medical bills of those with serious conditions, and providing for the poor that could not find employment. Arguing over whether welfare led to wealth or wealth led welfare, is kind of like arguing over whether the chicken or the egg came first, neither will provide satisfactory answer. Both factors have been growing and feeding each other over time pretty much since the reformation.
i love walking and taking public transport as much as possible. unfortunately, this doesn’t happen in the US. no walkable communities, only slow-death traffic jams😢
I'll have a cheese Danish please.
I was looking forward to what you had to say, but when you mixed up Socialism and Communism right from the getgo, I pretty much lost interest. Socialism means that the workers own the means of production. Essentially, you own your own share in the company that you are working at. Production is owned by the people, not a singular CEO. Communism means that the state owns the factories, companies, etc. There are more differences, but man, when you fuck up right from the getgo, that kinda kills the rest of the video 😕 And no, of course Denmark is not Socialist - we have some of the most free-market policies on the planet. Why do you think Denmark is consistently ranked as one of the easiest places in the world to start up a business? This is a wildly inaccurate video. Do better, man.
Informative video brother, but it can be more better by good editing
Denmark has different demographics to USA _😅_
Icelandic here. Crying in 50% taxes :(
Working in Denmark is very different from the way you work in the USA. Due to education is free in Denmark, it is easier to get a job doing what you are best at. It is your ability and not your wealth that gets you your education and jobs. It is important that you have an influence on the work you are responsible for. If you have an academic or technical job, you are usually responsible for your own work. The management coordinates the tasks between the employees and is there to guide you when you need it. It is more important that you perform the work in good quality rather than doing a lot of overtime. Sometimes there is so much job satisfaction that it can be difficult for you to let go of work and take the vacation you are obliged to take. This is also due to the fact that the companies compete to get the best employees, not with the highest salary, but rather by offering the best working environment. Danes also have an ability to reopen a contract agreement if they can improve a contract to the advantage of one or both parties without harming the other party.
I'm Dane and I sure believe income taxes are too high. Last year I paid like 58000 dollar in direct taxes + the VAT. However I'm aware the taxes in the world are not compareable. We use taxes like US use insurance and own payments. Our taxes are a kind of shared costs making it possible for everyone to go to school, highschools, universities etc - without paying for it. Actually you get financial support while studying. Doctors, hospitals are paid for. Pensions are party paid. Dentists are party paid for. So far no road taxes , so all in all you pay for the most expensive things in life through the taxes - instead of needing to find the money for the kids University yourself. Most Danes will argue that is money well spend - but of course we don't all agree on how high the taxes should be. A good thing though: If you have the skills (the brain , the talent, the desire) you can basically make whatever you wish for - even if you come from lower income families. That is good for maximizing the use of talent
0:45 You are confusing socialism with communism. I'm getting the feeling that this video is meant to scare, rather than inform.
It is the very same thing. My bet is that you are the one that confuses socialism with welfare capitalism :)
Denmark is not the least corrupted country. Denmark is a country with the lowest PERCEIVED corruption in the world. HUGE difference. For many Danes around me it is perfectly normal to use personal connections to get privileged decisions in Kommune (municipality) or to hire their friends/family regardless if they are the best candidates (not only if they actually own the business - they can just be hiring leaders). In Denmark it is not considered as nepotism (that is part of corruption) but normal networking. So, since Danes don't know what corruption is (it is reduced to bribes) - they score corruption as very low. I am not saying that Denmark is exceptionally corrupted - but my bet is that it is not much better than any other developed country; the main difference is that Danes are so blindly in love with their country that they refuse to see any flaws of system/society around them. And if they do - they automatically blame immigrants :)
Bernie Sanders should point to Germany or the Netherlands instead. They are bigger countries with somewhat similar systems.
difficult to copy, because its corrupt like hell
when its the least corrupt country? This was your argument?
Nope. Denmark is by definition a capitalist country (as opposed to being a socialist country), because it has strong protections in place for individual rights (such as the rights of an individual business owner or an heir) and collective rights (such as the rights of a corporation or a trust). If Denmark had been a socialist country, it would not have been eligible to join the European Union due to something called the Copenhagen Criteria (google it!). But crucially Denmark is a WELFARE STATE. Meaning that people are not left to die in the streets just because they don't have health insurance or because they are unemployed or because they went bankrupt or because they are disabled (from birth or as a resullt of an accident or a violent crime). Not to be rude, but if anyone feels uneducated about a certain topic (e.g. about comparative political science), there ARE ways to educate yourself, free of charge. (In countries like Denmark, an actual education is free of charge, though. Not to brag or anything.)
Yes, Denmark is not socialist, but even your definition of socialism is not correct - it's not "the state having control of the economy", but rather the workers. It's not "state/public ownership of the means of production", it's "proletarian/social/workers' ownership of the means of production". Get things right...
denmark is great
Those list with capita is wrong Norway have much better economy than Denmark and are not on this list lol!
it is, luxembourg is number one, norway number 3, denmark and us are both in top ten, but non of them top three. but if you cut the chart and make the us look the richest, denmark look like we are number three. norway is above us as well
If Denmark is a socialist country, then the US most be socialist too.
Shows “poor person” living in a house lol
We Danes are neither socialists or capitalists!!!
This is pure BS. Its very wrong on most points😢