The Secret of The Scandinavian Economic Miracle
If you look at almost any list measuring human development around the world, you can be sure that Scandinavian countries are somewhere at the top. But what's their secret?
00:00 - Intro
01:01 - The Birth of the Nordic Model
02:31 - Part 1: The Welfare State
06:56 - Part 2: The Great Compromise
08:22 - Part 3: Social Trust
10:13 - The Origin of Social Trust
References, sources and further reading
Intro:
worldjusticeproject.org/rule-...
pages.eiu.com/rs/753-RIQ-438/...
www.theglobaleconomy.com/rank....
fragilestatesindex.org/global...
ourworldindata.org/trust
www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/0...
www.statista.com/statistics/1...
The Birth of the Nordic Model:
nordics.info/show/artikel/red...
nordics.info/show/artikel/the...
Part 1: The Welfare State
www.ifn.se/wfiles/wp/wp873.pdf
herususetyodotcom.files.wordp...
portal.research.lu.se/en/publ...
Part 2: The Great Compromise
tidsskrift.dk/scandinavian_po...
Part 3: Social Trust
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.c...
www.socialeurope.eu/wp-conten...
norden.diva-portal.org/smash/...
The Origin of Social Trust
www.econstor.eu/dspace/bitstr...
www.jstor.org/stable/4621213
norden.diva-portal.org/smash/...
sciencenorway.no/forskningno-...
www.emerald.com/insight/conte...
democracyjournal.org/magazine....
sciencenordic.com/denmark-eco...
I love how nobody noticed that all of Sweden’s territory had a Danish flag in the beginning of the video. The memes write themselves.
E
i did, and im very upset
Kristian Tyrann is back!
@@bjorn3476Same
Fuck, we need an extremely fat person to start a rebellion now
I moved to Copenhagen 13 years ago. Best decision of my life. The state helped me with free education, healthcare and support when i was out of job. Now i have proper job, paying high taxes, repaying all that dept to society. The middle class in Denmark is really strong and stands together.
You just mentioned all the reasons why they are rich. There are richer countries, but Scandinavian countries are amongst the best balanced between rich, poor and middle class.
E
the thing is, there is no middle class in dk, you dont get to go to a better school or get better health services or kindergarden. Everything is low-class for everyone!
@@GlutterG The thing is that social democrats have been running these countries for the vast majority of time the passed 150 years or so and the stats speaks for themselves. All of Scandinavia is on top of every list you can find. Yo go home and do your research instead of littering the internet with your stupid bs. This coming from a Swede.
I moved to Copenhagen 16 years ago from the U.S.! I 100% agree with your statements, and have been able to enjoy the same. I ❤ Denmark!!
Being born in these countries its pretty much the same as winning the lottery
ahhahaha yes
Yup.
Iceland is kinda mid i cant lie. Its nice to live in but nothing special to do
yeah, pretty much
Nah bro, "free healtcare", as long as you are underage
Growing up as a Kid in Denmark you realise how lucky you are not to be born in a poor place like Africa. Being an adult you realize being born in the nordic country was closer to a blessing than pure luck. I love living here. Could never imagine my home being anywhere other than scandinavia or the nordic countries as a whole. I’m danish yet I feel at home in Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Faroe Isles, Åland, Svalbard, Greenland and Finland. Because we are the same regardless of language and government❤
Faroe Islands ;) Hilsen en færing :P
Because we are spoiled brats over here. Whining over luxury while other people are starving to death. From Vikings to metrosexual snobs
Your bias is showing😂 Africa is not a country. There are countries in Africa that are wealthy and prosperous. Yes, there is poverty, but it's everywhere. Even in Scandinavia.
@@lillia5333he didn’t say it was a country either
@@lillia5333 That’s the biggest copium I’ve seen in the week
Scandinavian countries: Sweden, Norway, Denmark Nordic countries: Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland Scandinavian and Nordic are not synonyms
They are just words it doesn’t fuking matter
@@cascadia6260 maybe it doesn't matter to you but for many (especially Finns) it does
@@cascadia6260ah yes, just like Apples and Oranges are both fruits, so they are synonymous regardless. Just remember when you eat an apple, it's okay to call it an orange, because the words don't matter, do they?
@@paleoph6168 most people don’t think apples and oranges are the same, while mentioning either of those two terms makes people think of that rough area on earth
It is in English common usage, and hence it is in this context (speaking as a dane). The name is from roman times, but was not used with any geographic precision. The modern *english* term refers to *english* geopraphic designation of the Scandinavian peninsula, which generally is defined as including northern Finland from something like north of Kemi. Denmark on the other hand definately is not part of the Scandinavian peninsula. So there is some logic to the English usage and in any case it is not our language. I bet you don't go around saying to english speakers that Holland is not a country and Germany is an ancient roman colonial term and that english speakers should use the "land of the people" designation instead.
As a Finnish person, I'd say the main reason is pretty simple as to why Nordic countries are so well off financially and have the happiest people on the planet. We take care of each other. That's it. We make sure everyone has equal opportunities for education, everyone has free health care and we don't prioritize making money as the number 1 goal in life. We prioritize everyone in society. If the people around you are happy, you are happy. Everyone's happy. While in America for example, the cradle of capitalism, life is all about the "Everything for me, nothing for you" mentality. That will not lead to a happy society. There will be people who are millionaries and people who make minimum wage. There's way more poverty, homelessness and crime in America than here. People actually trust each other here. Americans have never learned to take care of each other or trust each other. But in Nordic countries we don't see it like that. We seem to better realize that life is about finding true happiness from within yourself and the people around you, helping other people and learning to be a good person yourself. It's not about pursuing money, materialism, consumerism, privilege over others and trying to have a better life than the people around you. But of course, Americans are always the most vocal to critize this way of life. But the results and stats speak for themselves. Life is better here. I can only be proud of the things I've done in my life, and that's why I will never say that I'm proud to be Finnish because I had nothing to do with it. All I can say is I feel blessed and grateful that I was born into the best place on Earth.
That is not to mention the #1 ranked educational system in the world AND y'all did it all since 1946!!! I moved from the US to Sweden three years ago and I always tell people of my admiration for Finland and all its people.
I agree with you that I'm grateful to be born here maybe Norway wouldn't be bad either but not even Denmark or Sweden over Finland and Iceland too isolated and cold.
@@EnGammalAmazonAs a Finnish person I am also very pessimistic. So while I am really proud of my country, our achievements, success…. I feel like we are in an edge. And the edge is crumbling. Our healthcare system has already fallen down and it is hanging by a tree branch on the clif. As a teacher I can only see struggles in the future. Again, this dragged to be a long story so thats the tldr. And why is it? Well, we have forgotten the most important thing and one of the first things in the video: support each other. I can see the individualism rising up in our society. Politicians say that the social support is too good and it doesnt motivate people to go to work! Rich people use independent Healthcare because public healthcare has so long queues! So most people have to wait months and months for non-emergency operations. And thats just tip of it, huge problems. Also, schools are getting more and more unequal. Thats because poor people have restricted options (naturally) on where they want to live. Now, that in itself is not necessarily a major problem. But what happens is that especially immigrants tend to end up living in concentrated areas. And that means there might be a school with major student population being immigrants or immigrant parents. Even that in itself wouldnt be a problem except that the teachers arent educated to that. Some kids wont speak finnish when they start school. Well, there you have a special needs student, except they will be studying in the same class as the rest of it. Everybody suffers from it: the kid who doesnt speak the language needs much more finnish classes and the really smart ones would benefit from faster pace and more challenging assignments. But in a class you really need to go in the pace of the slowest. Edit. Adding that the wealthier families then might even move to a ”better” area where their kids can go to a school with less problems or none of that. I know, as a teacher, I might do a totally different kind of work compared to another teacher.
I’ve lived in Finland for more than 20 years and agree with a lot of what you wrote. Although, healthcare is definitely not free, you always get a bill along with over taxation. Don’t get me wrong, I love this country, but pretending that the healthcare system is in top shape is not true. Since Siun Sote took over there have been massive cuts to accessible healthcare. Joensuu is a great example. You can call your assigned clinic every morning for days with no answer or call backs, which makes it impossible to get an appointment. People overrun the ER for things like the flu because they aren’t able to access clinical care do to understaffing and constant systematic changes to save money. That’s the reality.
How would we know you're happy? These 'quality of life' measures ignore entirely the fact that people barely talk to each other. The *system* helps each other, but I'd be careful about going down the 'learning to be a good person' line of explanation
The idea of 'Social Trust' is really quite simple and has been deeply woven into the Nordic culture over the centuries. So much of these countries is rural and forested, there were a lot of subsistence farmers living in small and rural areas. It was a very harsh life for many. If you broke your leg in the winter, your whole family could starve. Now, you might not be good friends with Fredrik next door, but if you broke your leg, he and his wife and kids would pitch in and cook something for you, carry in your firewood, milk the cow, and gather the eggs for you. Not because you were close friends, but because he knew that if it was him that had broken his leg, you and your family would be there to help. That is the real social contract. It fades so far into the background that most Swedes don't even recognize it. I share this with my neighbors often and they seem stunned that that is even there. It is kind of like wallpaper to them. They are so used to it that they don't even recognize that it is there. (As a side note, Sweden has had some of the ugliest wallpaper patterns on the planet and only now are they getting away from wallpaper and painting their interiors more soothing and interesting colors! But they have not forgotten to care for one another.) Also, I wrote this before 10:10 in the video. As far as the Church, well, I would say that the church may have done more to harm this quality than to have helped it. If the Church was such a strong influence, it would have continued to be a part of the present....and it is not.
(replying to this comment so ppl see it) im swedish and the fact at 0:11 sweden has a danish flag REALY PISSES ME OF (Swedes and Dains have a love hate relation ship)
oh my god i just noticed it, why didnt i notice it initially oh no@@Tagggen2
@@Tagggen2 That's an opinion. Ima be a douchebag, we are called Danes.
The climate is not unique to Scandinavia, and the village taking care of their community is not unique to Scandinavia either, some places in the world still function like this.
sry if i called you wrong i have dyslexya and im swedish english is my 2nd language@@bongkidemil4203
I am half Swedish and half German born and raised in the US. I spent most of my 73 years in Washington and Oregon; two of the nicest places to live in the US. I moved to Sweden two years and brought my business with me. The best way to explain how the Nordic countries compare to the US, or any other country, is to ask two questions and consider the answers. First, "Is the quality of life better or worse in the Nordics?" Second, "Do the Nordics have more 'disposable income' at the end of the month or year?" They might be tough questions if you have not been to a Nordic country. The answer to both questions is a definite 'Yes.' Yes because you may pay more taxes, but you get far more for your money. I also think it is a far higher tax rate in the US than most people admit. There are so many hidden taxes that we forget about. There are also aspects of how the US tax structure puts a lot of the tax burden on the average citizen which in turn is a hidden tax benefit to large businesses. If you factored in the cost of our military budget into the cost of keeping oil flowing into the US, our fuel prices would be as high or higher than in the Nordics. The military budget is funded by all citizens which means that even if you do not have a car, you are paying for low fuel costs that then give manufacturers an advantage in shipping costs. Imagine if all manufacturers paid the real cost of fuel. There would be an incredible shift in manufacturing and logistics which would be a benefit to those that live in the urban areas. I am not saying that this is the only or best answer to the US's problems, but it is one of many things to consider.
You made a long comment for something so easy to answer. Nordic have the best rating of quality of life and some of the highest incomes in the world, finished.
Exactly, you make some strong points. Especially on the purchase power, which many mistake for income after tax. The truth is that most people in the Nordic countries are wealthy, and if they travel the world, they will find themselves rich in comparison.
The american healthcare system is around 2-3 times more expensive per person. I have had 4 leg surgeries when i was younger, if i lived in the US and my parents didnt have social security. They would be broke
@@kimf.wendel9113 Most of the time yes. Just want to share an anecdote of my last travels. I was on a cruise in the Mediterranean this summer and the cruise ship used $ and had taxes similar to how it is in the US. You can imagine the pain in my wallet as I pay a high income tax in Sweden and then had to pay a lot of hidden taxes and fees on the cruise ship. Was a fun trip but we had to "crack the code" and find the most value on the ship, avoiding any extra taxes or fees.
the obvious issue with putting government in charge of things is that over time quality reduces and costs increase. That just happens naturally if you think how government works, there is no incentive to improve quality or reduce the costs. They don't have to compete with other companies like a private company would. And also all their costs are covered by the tax payer, so they can essentially waste a lot of money and provide very little value and they can't go bankrupt. They don't care about losses and profits like a private company. Private companies have to operate in a free market which means that people vote with their money who has to go bankrupt and who gets to make profit. That doesn't happen in public sector - you can't really stop paying taxes just because you are not happy with the service.
as a socially aware expat Brit living in Denmark for the last 54 years I can only confirm your analysis of life in Scandinavia.I couldn't dream of moving back to England even without Brexit
Since we colonized most of England during the Vikingr Age and breeded ourselves into large parts of the then Pict- , Celtic- and Anglo-Saxon indigenous population your gene pool is basically Scandinavian anyhooo.......so... Welcome home, brother. :)
@@ulfdanielsen6009i googled its 6% of modern english population
What does 'socially aware' mean?
*Immigrant
@@Britlurker 😅😅
It’s easy to give a good impression of something if you leave out the negatives. I’m living in Sweden and was born here so I do agree that it’s pretty great to live here. But there have been large social changes the last decade or two that has not been without its troubles. The disastrous results of the lack of integration policies is that social cohesion is on decline, which undermines the trust.
Perhaps the nordic model where made for people of the nordic culture.... When you import too many from another culture, not born and grown up in the Nordic Model, you ask for trouble. We was wondering why Swedenallowed so many people in the country, back in 2015. Love from Danmark
Well said @@nutinabox
This is one of the main questions/dilemmas of our current times I think. With declining birth rates in ALL industrialized nations and the current models of state welfare based on new workers being the norm, can the current state of stability remain in the WEST/First world nations?? To me its as simple as defeating Nationalism/racism. The influx of US immigrants were ALWAYS fought against amd still are but in the past DESPITE the barriers placed before them they (the immigrants) became Americans and moved the nation forward. Can other regions like Italy, Scandanavia, Japan etc do like wise??
What's been happening basically is that the liberal and conservative right has cancelled the social contract and don't want to pay their share of the taxes anymore, leaving everybody but themselves to rot in hell.
a bigger issue is the dismanteling of the welfare thanks to the right wing and the social democrats. they stand to gain from you being outraged about immigration, that way you dont think about the increasing gaps between classes.
Unfortunately, social trust is being eroded by excessive immigration from nations without a social trust foundation. More and more the benefits that the Swedish society has enjoyed are being exploited by new arrivals who find it difficult to make the integrational leap and do not reach the plateau where the benefits can be enjoyed without the need to abuse the system. The Scandinavian model has to be adjusted to account for this if it is to thrive in the future. (Not against people from everywhere finding hapiness in Sweden, only against people not understanding that when in Rome, you do as the Romans do.) Leve Sverige, leve det!
Gotta love Islam !! But keep letting the „poor refugees” in
This perpetuates a cycle of exploitation and inequality as immigrants are often denied the same rights and opportunities as native citizens. Furthermore, the idealized society's obsession with material wealth and success can lead to a disregard for the well-being of individuals, fostering a culture of greed and selfishness.
Thanks for this amazing information !! If you don't find a means of multiplying money, you will wake up one day to realise that the money you thought you had, has finished. Investment is key, I pray that anyone who reads this will be successful in life
You're absolutely right, to be a successful in life required not only hard work but awareness and sometime opportunity at the moment, investment remains the best way to start.
@@samuelwatt4580 I agree with you. Investment is the key to sustaining your financial longevity. And not just any investment but an investment with guaranteed return.
@@chrisharrison-ir5wbyeah investment is the key to sustaining your financial longevity but venturing into any legit investment or business without a proper guidance of an expert can lead to great loss too.
@@fatimagonimodu8434Exactly and many of us don't know where to invest our money so we invest it on wrong place and to the wrong people
@@philippine6168 Obviously talking about been successful, I know I am blessed if not I wouldn't have met someone who is as spectacular as Debra Barton
man i actually feel more proud about my country sweden now after watching this video, when i mostly have been just tired of the people and the society. This is an important part of education right here
How's the social trust doing there while dodging bullets from gang shootouts and such? We're making the same mistakes here by taking in refugees whom have first fked up their own countries and are now bringing their corrupt ways and behavior here.
The emphasis on conformity and unquestioning obedience to authority in Scandinavian societies can create a sense of complacency and hinder progress. This pressure to conform often results in a lack of diversity and stifles creativity, ultimately limiting the potential for societal growth and innovation.
At 00:10, the flag for Sweden mistakenly shows a Danish flag. So embarrassed about that 😓
It happens
Its ok we fought them for 600 years perpetually. We know the difference.
Happens to the best, good you spotted it ;)
There's so much sibling rivalry between the Scandi countries that you could've passed it off as a deliberate joke xD
Theres a bounty on your head in Sweden right now
It's good that someone acknowledges the strong cultural and social factors that drive the Nordic model. Too many people IMHO focus on the high taxes and large welfare state. They didn't come from nowhere and require the consent of the electorate to be implemented. If the people didn't feel like it was a good deal for them a political party would come along promising something else and probably get elected.
The taxes arent that high for ordinary people. Only for the rich
@@svein8994 I think it's relative, like most things. I compared (using Talent International's calculator) a median salary tax rate between Norway and Australia (where I live) and the Norwegians apparently pay 24% of their gross in taxes and we in OZ pay around 21%. In Denmark it's 32%, Sweden 29% and Finland 38%. Globally speaking, other than Norway, those rates are pretty high.
@@svein8994 The rich pay little to nothing. (capital gains tax at most) You must mean people with high salaries, which is not how you get rich anywhere.
Median tax rate in Australia is between 32.5% and 37%. Pretty steep
@@theoracle6005 those are the marginal rates for the middle brackets. The calculation I made was for the total tax liability as a proportion of the median salary for an individual tax payer. Our top marginal rate is 45% + Medicare levy.
In the old poor times, trust in each other was necessary. Maybe a village had ten fields of crop but only one bull and plow. Everyone had to co-operate to work every field and wait, and trust, that in time the tools and work will come to one's own field too. In a bit richer areas, where everyone had their own tools and horsepower for working, there was less need to build trust among each other. Building trust is a long process.
its called the andels movement... neighbours pool the workforce and machines to help each other...not communisme .. its based on kapitalisme its called socialismen.
This can lead to a lack of diversity and the suppression of alternative perspectives, hindering progress and innovation. Furthermore, the rigid social hierarchy within an idealized society can result in power imbalances and the concentration of wealth and resources in the hands of a few, further exacerbating inequality and limiting upward mobility for marginalized groups.
An explanation for those of you outside the Nordic region: Scandinavia: Geographically: Scandinavia refers to the Scandinavian Peninsula, which includes the countries of Sweden and Norway. Parts of northern Finland can also be counted as part of the Scandinavian Peninsula in a geographical sense, but Finland is not considered part of Scandinavia in a cultural or historical sense. Linguistically and Culturally: The term Scandinavia is often used to describe the three countries Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, as these countries have historical, cultural, and linguistic ties. The Scandinavian languages (Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish) are mutually intelligible to a large extent, meaning that speakers of one Scandinavian language can often understand the other two. The Nordic Region: Geographically and Politically: The Nordic region refers to a larger region that includes all the Nordic countries: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden, as well as the three autonomous territories of Åland (belongs to Finland), the Faroe Islands (belongs to Denmark), and Greenland (also part of Denmark). Cooperation: The Nordic countries have a longstanding cooperation within the framework of the Nordic Council and the Nordic Council of Ministers, which includes political, economic, and cultural initiatives. Why are there both options? Both terms have historical roots. Scandinavia originates from the Scandinavian Peninsula and the cultural and linguistic ties between Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. The Nordic region, on the other hand, is a broader term that encompasses all the Nordic countries and reflects the broader cooperation and shared values in this region. In short, while Scandinavia focuses more on the historical and cultural ties between Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, the Nordic region encompasses a larger group of countries with broader cooperation and shared initiatives.
This... So much of this.
I'm pretty sure the Danish Isles are considered a part of Scandinavian Peninsula
@@thebegungler7333 Denmark does not belong to the peninsula geographically. But you are right that it is widely accepted Linguistically and Culturally as I said.
@@johnny5240 Yes it does, as I said the islands are considered to be a part of the Scandinavian peninsula, even though Jutland isn't. At the very least Bornholm is, as it is part of Skåneland, the region that the name "Scandinavia" comes from
This is accurate what you said, but do not forget that Finland was also a part of Sweden for 600 years before getting invaded by Russia and having independence after that. So a large part of the Scandinavian history and cultural ties can be shared also with Finland regardless Finland being a "remote forest barrier state" in history for Sweden.
I dont know the historical reasons why it functions as well as it does, but id like to think it speaks to the nordic character. People are very honest and modest, we dont care for personal wealth in the same sense, and maybe that breeds a less corruptible system
I can't think of many historical reasons besides the introduction of Lutherism which is compatible with the culture and the ideas you see here. There's also some history with the king empowering the people to balance the elites which is unheard of outside the Nordics
@@nordicnostalgia8106 this is one of the big reasons for the turst for coverment in nordics. The fact that the rulers had to try to get support from the people, not only the aristocrats. The kings in Sweden and Denmark had so little land to give away, as it was already in the hands of the nobility, they had to be creative to still be the rulers.
It's all about 'Lagom'. If you have just enough trust for society, it works. It starts to break down when people start thinking of it as **free** and not as allotted to you as a result of your trust in the system and taxes it needs. People not realizing the work needed to get the system to function will start weighing down the system as a whole, which makes the next 20 years immensely interesting at least for Sweden...
might have something to do with the Jante Lag, which is basically social rules that makes individualism seem a bit tacky. This isn't unique to scandinavia tho, another word for it is Tall Poppy Syndrome @@nordicnostalgia8106
@@SverkerSuper One way to break it down is to import millions of people from wholly different groups who have no such concept. Since its so patently obvious it can't be a mistake, it must be deliberate sabotage.
As a Norwegian, I pay my taxes without complaining. I am so glad that I have almost free medicare and free school.
That and military/police is the only reasons one might consider paying taxes. The rest should be founded the Roman way.
When I was a student I payed my taxes without complaint, but now I think I pay a bit to much. I don't have a particularly high wage, but with all the work I put in the pay is good and I end up paying 1 full average salary in taxes. That is a bit to much for all the hard work I put in. Had I had the same salary for normal ampunt of effort I wouldn't mind the high tax, but working myself almoat to death each year only to give a lot of it away .... I don't know, simply put I don't feel I get as much back as I pay in. 500.000 in income taxes each year is a bit on the high side ....
@@ahenathon Whose towers can still be seen today in the dust?
As a Swede I pay my taxes complaining every time. You don't need >65% taxes to run a country. To quote Leif Östling: "What the fuck do I get for the money"
@@Mr.Engineer. In July I paid 65% on my internship salary, was not a fun sight to see. Sweden is one of the few countries where it's actually beneficial not working, for reference see the woman who earned 35000 sek/mo. in social support alone (keep in mind that 35k is above the median salary), she worked 0h per month.
I think it's important to know that most country have more population and has diverse race and ethnicity
it's sad that that is a factor at all, tribalism is a real bitch sometimes
As a Norwegian, paying high taxes doesn't matter, because even if your in the working class, your salory is pretty decent. And the thing that puzzles me the most when people complain about the concept of a tax-model for education, healthcare etc. is that theese things aren't free to begin with. You have to pay for them one way or another. Why should we trust private businesses more than public services? One has the incentive to make as much money as possible, by any means necessary. Unless we have a neo-liberalistic assumption that more money always means better services (which i think should go without saying is not always the case). The other is incentivized by their obligations to the public, and the quality of their services are strictly monitored and compared to that of other nations. In fact, education and healthcare are both well established institutions that experiment and innovate through internal processes and global communication/cooporation, which does not (in my opinion) make it comparable to most other services/businesses that often fail to innovate without a market competition. Therefore, i don't think there is much of a benefit making institutions like education and healthcare private. Im quite certain that i pay far less for my education and healthcare than for example an american, because the price of their insurance is designed to generate as much profit as possible (which is a lot since healthcare is arguably one of the most essential services there is). Yet i think you would be hard pressed to argue that Norwegian healthcare is generally worse than american healthcare with any statistical backing, unless your rich. And with the tax-model, everyone, even those who are down on their luck, will receive help to get them on their feet again, to be healthy and productive members of society, which benefits everyone. I'm always happy to see non-Scandinavians (presumably) promote this model. As a scandinavian myself, i feel that i can see first hand all of the benefits of the model, yet simultaneously i would seem biased since im scandinavian, so my point of view is probably less credible to outsiders. And of course, like you said, it's not like this model is perfect in every way and there are certainly some cultural requirements for adopting such a model.
As a Bosnian living in Denmark, fleeing the war in 1993, I must admit that Denmark is the best country in the world to live in.. I've travelled across the world, and it really saddens me to see how people are living in countries that you would think should have a high standard of life, but they don't they don't even come close to Denmark in terms of social wealth, kindness across people from different social layers etc.. Denmark, Norway and Switzerland must be the top 3 countries in the world, but Denmark is on the very top.. 💙💙
Switzerland? Really?
Yeah, I must agree. I used to live and study in Denmark for years so I know what I'm talking about. Greeting from Finland! :) P.s. Finland is very, very good too, but I prefer Denmark because my personality is more suited to the Danish way of living.
As a norwegian i must say we are on the top but yes i agree with the rest og ur comment
Are you actually talking about Switzerland or we're you thinking about Sweden..? 🤔
@@Tobbe... You think a dane would ever give the swedes that recognition? NEVER!
I've been living in denmark for 4 years and the video is super accurate! Good work!
I'm grateful the Nordic model stands for other nations to see and to hopefully see what is possible and what can be improved elsewhere. Great explanatory video. Thank you so much!
As a Norwegian I want to give merit to this explanation, many other videos holds many misconceptions, but here you manage to explain the essentials in a short video. I've studied quite a lot of Norwegian history, and my 5 cents of the future of at least Norway is that we in the decades after WWII leading up to the millennium were blessed by some excellent politicians. This seems to no longer be the case, which in turn could affect the trust we have towards them. At the same time some of the ground work done in the past is hard to ruin completely, for example the limitations on oil earning spending still give me hope for the future.
E
Isn't it also due to good oil reserves (especially for Norway) that you can afford that upfront cost with welfare until citizens are able to pay taxes?
@@antonk.653 yes, but oil is no guarantee to have a decent country, look at Venezuela for example. That's why in my opinion a lot of the credit is to the politicians that made the early decisions on how to save, distribute and tax the earnings from the oil industry was essential.
As a fellow Nordmann i want to support this. Trust in politicians is rapidly plummeting though, with multiple politicians having directly broken either Norwegian law and/or rules that come with the position theyre in, a prime minister that continually fails to do anything about literally any problem at all. Personally, as someone who is of Sámi decent and have Sámi relatives its frustrating to see the government do nothing about the blatant breach of human rights, knowing full well that the windmills that now stands on what is really Reindeer grazing grounds have to be torn down, they just wont do it. when the protests began it took the prime minister a full 5 days or a week ish to even respond and acknowledge the protests, and still now around 1.5 years after court mandated they be removed nothing has been done. This marks the 3rd major Sámi revolt against govt trampling all over Sámi rights, and the second one to occur in modern times (Alta conflict-late 80s). Sámi trust in the government faded away long ago, and very recently just hit what i would consider almost rock bottom. the general publics trust in them is now following along that path, but peoples trust in each other is still there mostly and that is just as important.
@@arospro I completely agree that oil (or natural resources) alone are no guarantee, just look at any other dictatorial regime, most of them having natural resources (Russia, Saudi Arabia etc.). I was in Norway two times, once in 2017 in the Stavanger Oil Museum. The most impressive thing I learned was the miraculous decision to make the oil reserves into some sort of a national fund available for every citizen. So there is alot of merit about Norway's politicians at that time. Still, was the resource just a catalyst or a necessity for the development for the nordic countries?
Sweden had a chancellor in the 1600 named Axel Oxelstierna who separated politics from agencies, hence agencies are run by experts and politicians can only set policies. When we had corona we all of it was run by the agencies (expecially the public health agency) and politicians were not allowed to intervene. Therefore our measured were based on trust as we are all adults and we never closed down. This is Sweden way of working in a nutshell since the 1600....
But it’s not like that in the rest of scandinavia and the nordics, though.
The strict regulations and high taxes in Sweden can discourage foreign investment and hinder economic growth. This can potentially limit job opportunities for both foreigners and locals alike. However, it is important to note that Sweden also offers a high standard of living, excellent healthcare, and strong social welfare programs that benefit its citizens.
The Absolutism period in Denmark-Norway (1660-1849(Norway1814)) worked in a similar way replacing the old nobility with a meriocracy running the country in the Kings name and with very low levels of coruption. The absense of coruption for centuries is the base of pretty much everything working today.
@@steffenb.jrgensen2014 Yes, I know that our Nordic countries has similar. During the pandemic this was very visible. The politicians were not even allowed to be part of the experts press conferences...and the politicians were not allowed to introduced rules or laws if they didn't come from the experts. That is why we never closed down as the experts couldn't see that a lock down would help...naturally they were prepared if they saw any signs. In the US it was Trump who was the main person at press conferences and even had his own ideas based on his "expertise". If you are interested in how to secure a good society free from corruption etc... I can recommend Timothy Snyder's book "on Tyranny". You can check some videos he has done as well. So brilliant.
There are some additional possible explanations. Sweden and Scandinavia have a model of separation of politicians and civil servants. This model is different from other countries in that it is based on the separation of government polity from the application and implementation of public policy by experts and officials employed within government agencies. The legal principle of transparency is an essential part of the Swedish public administration. This reduces the risk for corruption and helps trust.
Furthermore, the high cost of living in Sweden can pose financial challenges for newcomers, as they may need to adjust their lifestyle and budget accordingly. Moreover, the combination of neoconservative and communist ideologies can create a complex political landscape that newcomers may find difficult to navigate and understand fully.
yes however 2020-2022 showed Sweden had a mush stronger separation where the politicians were not able to ignore the healthcare servants and that is why Sweden had a completely diff. approach where in other countries it was purely political
You are an incredible documentarian. This is excellent to watch! Thank you for your honesty and lack of agenda! Just information!
In the Netherlands I pay almost 50% income tax, total taxes summed up are around 60% if you earn above average. In my opinion that's too much, working hard must have more benefits.
Agree that no one should pay more than 50%, which makes you a minority shareholder in your own life. And the Government the majority shareholder. But a top marginal rate of 49% on the rich sounds fine.
WTF? So you literally pay the government more than half of what you rightfully earn on your own? That's straight up robbery, not to mention immoral.
Crises always force change because human beings are habitual creatures. The only difference for the Nordics is that they are committed to change and seeing it through. Culturally, the notion of compromise plays a big part but that is constantly under threat of polarisation. The problem for the Nordics is the same for most developed economies - ageing population. More retirees, shrinking workforce. So the problem is financing the welfare state. Wonder if that would be under the dark side series?
Really.. ? :) We have secured many generations ahead with the same standar of living here in Norway. We invest smart and we have a different and more fair system. Democratically the Nordic countries are the most democratic countries on the planet. It smells like envy here.. But don`t worry, we know who we are and where we`re going :)
@@geirkarlsen7329 Nobody knows where the world's going. If climate change fucks over the world it'll fuck over your corner too. Don't trick yourself into thinking you don't share the ball of garbage rock with the rest of us.
@@geirkarlsen7329 It helps to have an oil fund worth over €1tn. Wealth created by pumping climate destroying petroleum out of the ground. What's democratic about helping to destroy the future of the planet and your children's future? and wealth won't prevent climate change effecting your country too. I lived in Sweden for 8 years and left for good. There was no ikigai -sense of purpose in the elderly there, they just sat alone in their apartments or in old people's homes. I used to read of people being found dead weeks or months later in the Swedish newspapers with no family looking for them. No sense of community, no neighbours looking out for each other, high rates of depression and isolation. Thank god I left when I could back to my own country.
war is another good one for changing the social/political environment.
@@greenknitterevery country either uses or produces oil and contributes to the destruction of the planet. As far as the elderly abandonment, that happens in the US and is something they can work on improving.
Some other reason for social trust are the following (at least in Sweden) 1) the crown didn’t have as high a claim to the Swedish land as in other euopean countries which meant that swedish farmers toiled their own land. The crown therefor also didn’t spend as much time in internal politics and focused more on eternal expansion and international affairs. 2) the introduction of Lutheranism meant that the crown, the church and the common people where more independent. The church could criticise the king in religious aspect and the king could criticise the church in political aspects without the other having complete control of the other. Probably humbled both institutions a bit which benefited the commoner. 3) Axel Oxenstierna the right hand of Gustavus Adolphus made some brilliant reforms which made sure power where distributed between different regions and institutions, once again probably humbled all of them and made corruption less likely. 4) “Jante lagen”, a unspoken but well known norm in all of Scandinavia, individuals are not suppose to think they are better than other no matter the circumstances. Bragging is very tabu here and to this day our top politicians and celebrities live lives much more similar to the commoner than in most free countries I would argue. You are not better than we, no matter how rich or famous, so you better pay your taxes and get in line just like the rest of us.
Excellently described and spot on!
I often hear Americans talk about the “dangers of a public healthcare system” because they will not help the most vulnerable and so on because of a lack of funding. I live in Denmark and my 95 year old grandfather just had brain surgery to fix two brain bleeds he received when he took a bad fall. He’s currently in the hospital at this moment recovering. He was under 24 hour intensive care observation for 3 days after the surgery until he was able to breathe properly on his own again without supplemental oxygen. The only criticism I have is that they lost his hearing aids during a brain scan, but those are being replaced by the hospital.
I´m glad to hear that your grandfather survived, truly. I care about you or your grandfather, but I still paid for the expenses of his trip to the hospital due to the "free" healthcare system. It's not fair on my part, that I have to pay for your grandfathers illness, nor should he or you pay for mine.
@@LordHansen1st Yeah, you did, so did I and my parents, and my brother and so on. Healthcare is one area where we simply can’t afford to pay for individually. It’s too expensive and it will drag the entire economy and society down if someone went bankrupt every time they had some serious illness. The idea is the same with regular insurance companies - everyone pays for everyone else, except that they are trying to make a profit as well.
@@Lemonz1989The problem is that you essentially force me to pay for your grandfathers health, and use MY hardearned money on someone I do not care about. Now you're gonna say; "Well we pay for your healthcare too!" No you don't, I don't go to the doctor because I eat healthy, and goes to the gym almost every day of the week. What would you say to a system, where people can drop out of the healthcare system with the consequence: Not having to pay for healthcare at all and revokes all rights to the healthcare system.
@@LordHansen1st Just like I’m forced to pay for motorways for people I don’t care about, even though I don’t drive a car. But I know that it benefits me too, because it makes the economy as a whole grow. It’s the same with health. A population that bankrupts almost anyone who has a serious illness will make the economy as a whole slow down, so treating people’s illnesses and injuries indirectly benefits you. You can see this in countries that have poor healthcare systems where people can’t afford treatment. Disease burden is a severe hindrance to economic growth, because it keeps people from being able to work, or work solely to pay for medical bills, and not spend money in other areas of the economy. And you are clearly young when you say that you don’t become sick because you go to the gym and eat healthy. You could break a knee while lifting weights, you could get hit by a car on your way home, you could pop an aneurysm in your brain while running and so on. I was a really active gymnast as a teen and ate healthy, but I developed deadly autoimmune type 1 diabetes anyway, and need lifelong treatment for that. You, just like I did, could develop an autoimmune disease at any point in your life, since they have unknown causes and are partly genetic.
@@Lemonz1989 Motorways are 100% necessary for society to work and cost only a fraction to maintain compared to healthcare. Healthcare should be privatized, like any other company in Denmark
that 40% unemployment in Denmark is a bit misrepresented. It was unemployment for specific trades in larger cities. The majority though lived in rural areas and agriculture is where the majority was employed.
Small but maybe important miss: (one of the) last political persons assassinated in Scandinavia /Sweden were Olof Palme (Swedidh PM, 1986) and Anna Lindh (Swedish Foreign Minister, 2003). And the "trust" into the system is gradually being lost since the 1990s. But that may only be clear when one observes the country for a little longer ... else, thanks for the video.
Well said Jan, the trust is definitely gradually fading away, Only the future will tell.
And its one bad big mistake. if only palme survived 🥲
Being a Norwegian - living in both Oslo and Bohuslän (Sweden) I'm shocked how fast Sweden has lost the grip of violence and crime. Sadly Sweden is becoming the odd one out in Scandinavia.
@@MrNikodemus5 Yep its very sad, Bad leadership and a goverment without majority. But voting right wing, country looking more like uk and kissing the feet of capitalist USA is not the right move. Real swedish socialist democracy fell ages ago and is very much missed.
It is the greed that has been copied from other western nations (GB, USA, Germany, France) as the main driver in politics, which will destroy the trust. This started in Sweden and is now spreading to Finland and possible to Denmark next. Norway wil be the last to stand.
Very very well explained 👏👏👏 Good job 👌
I love your videos. The topics, the execution and the overall quality. Keep it up! I'm here to stay.
Exactly. Dom is so easy on the ears, too.
The trust has been diminishing for quite some time, as us Scandinavians see that the taxes we pay are "thrown out the window" more and more as time progresses. Scandinavia isn't perfect and there are many cracks in the beautiful facade. However, i'm still proud to call myself danish and i'm proud of my country and heritage.
As far as i'm aware the diminishing trust in the system is a result of globalists who actually want to be rid of the system in faviour of one single power making all decisions for them. Thus no longer being a nordic system. But ofcourse, globalists are just a conspiracy theory to common folk so they blame local policies entire for it when it's being invaded by foreign politics.
Heritage of being defeated by Sweden? hahah psyyyych
@@Vidyadude Same could be said in reverse, depending on the time period - but yes, the last war between Denmark and Sweden ended up in Denmark loosing.
This. At least sweden has been slowly collapsing for quite some time now. We tax more than half of our salaries, this month I taxed 65% of my base salary alone. Our gas prices are insanely high, our electricity prices are insanely high, our healthcare is failing and the lines to get help are longer than ever, both in traditional healthcare and mental healthcare. We have segregation like never before. Literal mafia families that run entire communities where EMS don't dare to go. We currently have the highest terrorist threat level that we've ever had, even the british government recommends people not to visit. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Once I'm done with my education I'm moving to a country where you actually get rewarded for working and getting an education.
Great production. Thank u
When i went to middle school here in sweden, they taught us to ”treat others how you want to be treated” and to ”share the thing both of you want instead of fight” and stuff like that. And now in high school we got ”studiebidrag” or ”study contribution” which we only get when we go to school or don’t get really late 4 times without the teachers knowing the reason why, like that we can’t help that we got a doctor’s apointment at a time when we got school, it’s like this: ”you get the ”study contribution” when you cotribute to school. and if we see a patern in which you are late or you just hasn’t reported in sick or something, you don’t get the ”study contribution” that month.) the study contribution is 1200kr (or 108$) and you also get a kids version to pay for the kids no matter how much money you have and that one is called ”kids contribution” (doesn’t translate well) and on that one the parents get 1200kr to pay for the kid
Important note, we might not have a general minimum wage, but there are exceptions to that rules in certain industries like construction, cleaning and other industries at risk for being manipulated
This only works as long as there is trust among the citizens and everyone participates. This is unfortunately slowly disappearing.
I have relatives in neighbouring countries and none of them have the same benefits and opportunities like I do. As a Dane you immediately notice shortcomings even when travelling in Europe.
Yes and no. I´m English and emigrated here to Sweden, been like 45 years now. It´s no problem to move here, you would be welcome and you will only be required to learn the language naturally. Yet the state pays for a basic course. Best is to learn half before coming, with cheap evening courses. Plenty of locations to rent here, while you look for some work. I have often thought that I have been luck getting here and it was not originally by choice. Yet recently it´s clear that we have avoided a lot of trouble here than other places. When I first came, I could not understand how a country could keep it´s streets so clean, or why it´s people were so kind. I feel humbled with the years here. Yet, there are still people who try to show how wealthy they are and it comes across as being very materialistic, with little effort towards fixing simple issues instead of buying a new one. They do not like queuing up either, probably because that was learnt from the 2WW. Apart from the little bumps another great law here, is the right to walk wherever you want in Sweden, yes, you are allowed to walk across other peoples land. Makes Trekking a lot of fun and the feeling of nature very special too. If you want to give a family a great start it´s recommended 👌👌
Great video, good cover. As for minimum wages, it's true there's none. But the cooperation is still obligated by agreements to ensure some sort of ground level. I'm now 28 male who now works in iT, who came to Denmark with my parents during the civil war in Balkan. I couldn't imagine myself living any other place. You description of educational success is very correct. Everyone has the chance to strive and do good. Only downside is the way the grades are used to get into university etc. I never really think about the taxes, im just happy that I have a network of options that are available if due needed. Of course everything isn't sunshine and rainbows, but I think it's important to handle what you can controle, and not to dwell on stuff you can't.
Sometimes being born here feels like having won the lottery
Our ability to adapt to every obstacle placed in our path. All the way back from the Viking era, with trading, learning from other cultures, wars, acceptance of not been the bigger bear, tough nature, diplomacy and entrepreneurship has been the main pillars for our existence in a thousand years.
Is there a book, or a few books, that cover these topics that anyone would recommend? Thanks.
You got the flags wrong for Sweden. It shows a danish flag instead of the Swedish flag at 0:10 (or was it on purpose?)
The Danish flag is very much alike the Norwegian :) Iceland has a different flag than Norway. But they are directly linked to us by blood and culture :) The Danish flag is by the way the oldest in the world.
It's funny how we are all better off when we take care of each other, no? Just like Jesus told us to do with the Sermon on the Mount.
Coming from an other EU country, I think the educational model has a lot to do with it too. I get to work with youth in their 20's from many nationalities and the differences are stark!
Point 3 should have been Free Education. Social Trust is just a result of all three points together. Having said that, I support this video 100%. (I'm from Norway btw)
It is sad to say that the trust is fattening away when more and more people from other countries moving in 😢
Another key point not mentioned in the video is that Scandinavian countries tend to have a very homogenous demographic. They are not melting pots like the US and UK.
Means nothing but ok.
@@bakeraus they dont have to deal with crt, reparation fee threats etc. That have completely contradtiory cultures that require differing allocation of taxes, its not that hard to get. Literally means everythig when you have to appeal to multiudes of people.
Good point
@@ReadyFreddie101it’s not a problem when you’re the richest country in the US. The US doesn’t have a problem with resources, it’s has a problem with the allocation of them. If they increased the welfare state we might not have such a middle and lower class sinking more and more into poverty.
Clearly you haven't been to Stockholm or Oslo!
Very good video. I tried to explain this so many times... Now I can just link this video. You forgot to mention "Andelsbevægelsen" - cooperativly owned business. They are also an important part of the equality and trust. Many thriving businesses today are still cooperatives: Dairy (Arla), Petrol (OK), Insurance, banks, Housing. I dont agree on your conclusion: that other countries cannot adopt this model. Not easy, but it CAN be done one element at a time. The first obstacle for us/uk is to get cooperative/representative political system, instead of a deviding (FPTP) system.
One big aspect of the social trust is the principle that all publiclicly funded research and data, and public operator's desicion making documents are available for the public and media, unless specifically classified - which is opposite to many countries where decision making documents are classified unless specifically made public. This dates back to 18th century. It's hard to trust a governing authority if you can't check where the money is coming, where it goes and how and by whom the decisions are made.
A little trivia here, as pointed out in the video. The nordic countries are very good at keeping a strong middle class and an equal society. But they also have a lot of extremely rich people. Sweden has the most billionaires out of all countries, when excluding Switzerland and micro-nations/city states such as Monaco.
Why so many billionaires? What have they done, or maybe how, to amass so much?
@@briancavanagh7048This is actually the case in all of tje scandinavian countries. Free education is a good start for entrapranures. Good welfare solutions means people can more often dare to try out their ideas without having a rich family to fall back on. Sweden, Norway and Denmark thus have some of the highest rate of million and billionaires per capita, even when comparing with the U.S.
The dark side of Scandinavia are wolf in sheep clothing They may appear innocent and harmless on the surface, but their true intentions can be deceptive and dangerous. These individuals or groups often manipulate others for their own gain, exploiting trust and creating havoc in unsuspecting communities.
FYI Iceland also has a compromise system
When the realisation that a healthy, well educated population can express itself through proportional representation (everyone's voice is heard, and represented) drops then you have a recipe for a 'community'. When you have a 'community' that 'works', then anything is possible.Not every 'flavour' in this region is the same. I am Danish, and Denmark works for me! However each country has essentially taken the same approach, but 'made it their own' . Visitors from the US and UK particularly have a problem understanding 'what is going on', I suspect because they don't really understand the concept of a 'healthy community', and through our politics we strive to continually develop and re-develop our 'community' to be 'healthy'.
Nice Vid beside the intro map
I love Scandinavia I’m extremely happy I could be born here it is almost categorically the best place to live in the world
This channel is so underrated! Damn u, ytbe algorithm!! This channel needs to be on others' news feed more!! 😮
What i think is most important is something that lies under the aspect of Social trust wich is Unity Unity is so freaking important for a country to function properly. Here in Norway for example we are extremely focused on making immigrants and other people that move here feel like they are part of the family, to make them feel at home. Because if they dont then they feel trapped in a foreign place that they think they need to exploit to survive in, but simce they feel like part of the family they instead want to contribute to making the family better This strong unity is so well integrated into us and our society that all politicians aswell are also super focused on only wanting to make the family they are part of better wich leads to extremely low corruption
In Finland, social services and "low cost" health care are eroding badly. There's no money to fund them anymore, altho we still have money to pour into development aid and taking in more refugees to burden us. There are huge queues into public health care and the quality of it sharply falling. Medical staff is overworked and services understaffed. On top of that, it's getting more expensive by the year. Sometime in the future, I see us going the health insurance way here as well as the quality and availability of public health care keeps dropping. A proper health insurance would guarantee you proper and prompt care in a private medical facility.
They need to protect their lifestyle and high trust. That changes drastically with mass immigration
Not if done right. Canada is almost half immigrants. They have found a way to integrate immigrants and be proud of it. They also realize as countries and their citizens do better, they have less kids and population declines so unless you increase child bearing, you will need immigration. Japan is beginning to understand this.
@@kevinstfort The problem is that is has not been done right. By now, it starts to really show with enclaves in some cities where ambulances cannot enter as they are met with rocks hurled at them, gang crime and violence when someone critizises islam. Canada did it right.
@@christopherx7428 It's because Canada had controlled immigration of skilled workers while Europe had a mass influx of refugees. There is a huge difference in how different migrant groups contribute to society. But that is a geographical issue Europe cannot do much about. Canada has the 'luxury' of inaccessibility.
@@kevinstforttoo much immigrants is not good for local society...
Don't forget high economic freedom, not as high as Switzerland or Singapore, but always on the top of the list.
Most people always forget, economic freedom when talking about the Nordic countries, they only focus on their welfare states, which didn’t actually make them rich. They are able to have welfare states because they are prosperous, and because they are extremely free market economies.
The rich still need to pay more in taxes here in Denmark! We have ultra rich people who pay the same percentage in taxes as our upper-middleclass and that is really not fair. We have to campaign and protest pretty often for laws that never get passed on and policies we are against that get passed anyway. This isn't a utopia, it needs constant engagement.
Nordic countries are not rich with exception of Norway with oil. We just have heavy taxation that we use to improve our economy and provide services with them. For example in Italy they have really low taxation and there individual wealth is a LOT higher than in Nordics.
I hope Americans and all other countries are watching this. Help the poor and lower class to do better and reduce poverty and unemployment and homelessness. And the country and everyone benefits
While our unique nordic model might not be easily copied elsewhere (nearly impossible I would say) a good place to start, is provide free education on all levels, including things such as re-schooling for people who find their job is either a) no longer satisfactory or b) becoming obsolete because of technological progress and c) has transformed a lot since graduation. I can't stress enough, how important education is. There are so many benefits for having a high or at least above average educated society, that I think it is foolish to ignore. It benefits all, even the rich, as studies have shown that rich people in equal and educated socities also live longer! Education alone, is why I don't mind paying high taxes (I even still pay my church taxes as an atheist, because it helps maintain historically buildings that was important up through history and are worth preserving!)
The argument against it that everyone always brings up are "high taxes" - But if you ever get sick and need medical care, insurances, for all the school lunches, medicine, you name it: you will end up PAYING MORE. You just call it something different. And the money goes to companies which will expand the gaps in society even further. In taxes, the money goes back to the people.
It is important to note, that historically unions in the US where influenced by the mafia, whereas in the nordics they are heavily legislated. There is a flatrate defined by law.
Curious you didn't mention the Law of Jante, it's how most people explain the Scandinavian mentality.
you are formulating a tautology. Law of Jante is a recent cultural thing that reflects accurately Scandinavian mentality, not the other way around.
@@Erwin93200 Ok then, substitute "explain" for "illustrate".
The term was coined as a satire. If you go through Sandemose's ten rules, they are oppressive and constricting. However, he did inadvertently manage to capture the ancient virtues of the Scandinavian culture. Rules and concepts resting on egalitarianism, shared responsibilities and cooperation, while condemning selfishness and success at the expense of other people. The concept is thus on a complete collision course with today's celebration of ruthless individualism and pathological narcissism, which tend to be rewarded with fame and fortune.
@@Steff2929again That sounds about right!
Canada and the US could learn a lot from these great nations. Not just in social services but in clean energy, infrastructure and recycling as well.
There's a size issue for North America. Canada is double the population size of Scandinavia, US is half of the whole of Europe. The whole of Sweden is a bit bigger in terms of population than New York City. It's way easier to find common ground and trust with smaller numbers.
Too many different ethnicities.
There are a lot of comment about us from the scandinavian countries but there are a very few who knows how we think and function over here.
Nice documentary. Just one place where there was some inconsistency in the pictures. In the first part about Denmark in the 30s, which shows the problems in agriculture, we see pictures from a mountain area and a farm with wooden buildings. Denmark has no mountains and the farmhouses in Denmark were built half-timbering or bricks. It is not a forest country. When the Tour de France started in Denmark last summer, GCN-commentators talked about how the landscape seems very similar to the US midlands and that "we would probably soon see some large wooden barns along the way". Nope, those large wooden barns might stem from Scandinavia, but not Denmark.
Also a factor is (at least for Denmark) that we don't mix politics and religion. They are fully separated! There are flaws and lots of people think (and votes for parties that work for) lowering taxes would be a benefit. I guess our salaries to some extend reflect the high taxes, as we are still able to buy the goods we need even with the high income tax. I like it in Denmark!
WTF are you talking about ?? fully seperated church and state ?? then explain why the danish church minister is the highest authority in the danish church ? a minister choosen by the danish parliament.. and not even a teolog/priest.. explain why most danes pay church tax ?? they are not seperate.. yes the church minister doesn't hold power like religious leaders in muslim countrys.. that's true.. explain why membership af the danish church are opt-out instead of opt-in.. meaning you are automaticly a member of the danish church when born in Denmark and you can choose not to be.. instead of not member of any church untill you choose which religion you would cater to or none at all...
What about the christian state church?
@@xenobit7830 all of those are valid concerns I also have. But as a state we are not taking any decisions based on religion, at least not that I am aware of.
They're not separated. The state is obligated to underpin and hold up the church of Denmark through the constitution. Denmark is a Christian monarchy like England, Spain, and Sweden.
@@BillyTheKidsGhost No, the state is not Christian, like it says very clearly in our constitution. Only our Monarch is forced to be Christian.
One thing many videos miss about the US taxes vs the countries with higher quality of life is what taxes include. Even when only including unemployment and federal (medicare and SS, etc) retirement benefit fees, US taxes are already much higher. If you then add healthcare costs, transportation costs, child care costs, and the many other things included in taxes in other countries, the US is much higher cost. The difference is the "freedom" to make more cash for the average individual person, or insane amounts of excess wealth if you are able to game the system and successfully break or bend the laws, which is much more prevalent in the US, and why so many US based companies have been able to become wealthy enough to expand to countries that don't need them.
I'm in the UK. Try handing over 20% of your monthly earnings and also paying hundreds of pounds on council tax not to mention 60% petrol is VAT... Criminal!
It's not required to "game the system" to become wealthy in the states, I don't think.
Spot on!
@@JohnDoe-su8ewyes it definitely is required.
@@kevinstfort no I think not
This goes for more of the other scandinavian countries. I don’t recognise this for sweden as much, as it has moved far to the right in recent years for it to be considered a middle way between the us and soviet or whatever you mentioned
Interesting video!
5:22 - Based off the median income, this is closer to 37% for Denmark.
That is both true but at the same time no. In Denmark every pays "Arbejdsmarkedsbidrag" which is 8% of your salary before the 37% is then paid. which doesn't add up to 45%, but makes it closer to 45% than the 37%. So yes most people pay 37% if we disregard the 8% that everyone has to pay first.
THEY’VE ACTUALLY HAD THE LONGEST HISTORY OF WARS AMONGST EACH OTHER
That is true. But know that is pretty much behind is and we see almost like family. especially Norway, Sweden and denmark
Yeah, that is the one part of the video I disagree with. There is a long history of violence in the Nordics, so I don't think a peaceful history is a great argument for their success. And while a country like Sweden has had a long period of peace for the last couple hundred years, Finland built its welfare state after (and partly during) a very war heavy period in the 20th century; including a civil war, heimosodat ("tribe wars"), winter war and the continuation war.
Taxes are good, because they pay for government spending. Also the associated forms are super easy to fill in. Income tax is handled by the employer, other taxes is an online form. I basically log on, look at the prefilled numbers, correct any mistakes, and hit submit. Takes about 5 minutes once a year.
The insult of painting all of Sweden with the danish flag will never wash away. Never forget the Stockholm Bloodbath.
Thank you for the video! I wonder how Nordic countries have been able to sustain the welfare state in spite of the oil crises and other events in the 70s and 80s, which turned many countries toward neoliberal policies.
Do note, that while denmark does have some oil reserves, oil as a significant impact of the economy is only a thing in norway. The discovery and initial exploitation of oil in the late 60's had many key decisions tied to it. First, foreign companies were only hired to extract and sell the oil on behalf of norway. They were paid for the work and equipment of extraction, not the oil itself. They were also only hired with the stipulation that skills and technologies must be transfered to norwegians, reducing our dependence on foreign oil giants. Secondly, to avoid dutch disease (one aspect of the economy becomes detrimental to other aspects, by absorbing all labor and available capital+sensitivity to price changes), and to ensure that the resources lasted long into the future, the gov't put in place a cap on how many barrels of oil could be produced each year. As a result, Oil has not adversely impacted other industries. Thirdly, somewhat later, the National Pension Fund (popularly called "the oil fund") was established to invest in International non-oil businesses and value papers. It also works to keep some of the oil money out of the economy, to counteract dutch disease. This fund provides passive income to be reinvested, building up a large reserve for the state to draw on for it's social welfare programs of the future, after the oil has been made irrelevant/exhausted. There's obviously more to it, but these are significant decisions. While i'm not particularly a fan of the labor party, which ruled at the time, i can recognize that the handling of the "Oil adventure", shows a pattern of absolutely amazing statesmanship. As for why we didn't go quite as far towards neoliberal ideas? I don't know. Labor did lose ground to the conservative party in the 80's, but our Conservative party is and was somewhat more moderate than for example the British Tories, and we didn't have meaningful alternatives further right than them until a bit later.
During the oli crisis in the 70's it was illegal to drive your car on Sundays in Denmark, that was just one of the initiativers taken to try and prevent the crises to escalate
Depends on what is considered welfare, poor schools, hospitals, roads. Soon out of water, animals and trees. In Sweden we sustain the illusion of welfare but if you need it you probably wont get it unless you have 5 social security numbers to collect from. Yes the system is corrupt and sickening, may sound ungrateful but two decades ago I felt safe working late. Now I don´t. The psychwards are full so people either take it out on themselves or the general public, none cares it is more important to have 1000000 genders then actually make the country healthy.
The dark side of Scandinavia is often overlooked amidst its reputation for pristine landscapes and progressive societies. However, like any other region, Scandinavia has its own set of challenges and complexities. From high rates of alcoholism and depression to the rise of far-right movements, there are aspects that shed light on the less idyllic aspects of this otherwise picturesque corner of the world.
You forgot that the Scandinavian nations are also on the top of the list of anti-depressants consumption.
Its true, depression is super high but i would also give attention to the lack of sunlight. I eat dvitamin like 5 months a year and it makes a huge difference
i think that’s because they live in the dark for a lot of months
As said, vitamine D is listed as an anti-depressive. As long as you can feel good and have your "gotcha" moment, I'm ok with that :D
So what? Why is this a issue for you?
Because people are provided them when needed. let’s take a look at sucide leves and school shootings in the us shall we?
It can actually be summarized into your sentence "Everyone needs to be treated fairly and equally". That's it. If a country isn't doing very well it has most likely chosen another strategy being dictatorship, religious control, "everybody for themselves" or something else. Unfortunately those in control in those other countries are doing quite well at the expense of the citizens so it's hard to change.
Something that is not approached in the video is the political system: unitary parliamentary systems with a highly proportional electoral system. The Netherlands, Luxembourg and Ireland fall in that category too. This was adopted after WWI and explains a lot why the State cares a little more about your average Joe than in most other places. Many other countries adopted the same system at the same time, like the Baltic countries, but most were stuck between Germany and the USSR and that sealed their unfortunate fate.
The dark side of Scandinavia reveals a hidden underbelly of societal issues that are often overshadowed by its reputation for progressive values and high quality of life. Behind the picturesque landscapes and thriving economies, there are struggles with rising rates of mental health disorders, substance abuse, and inequality. These challenges serve as a reminder that even in seemingly idyllic societies, there are still complex issues that need to be addressed.
@@PoisonelleMisty4311 Scandinavian countries are as violent as anywhere else. But for many reasons history has made them more democratic than most other places. Citizens are more equal than most places when it comes to money and power. There is nothing easy in this and it’s a constant struggle. But that also means that societal issues are being treated a little better than in most modern societies.
The Nordic countries are largely homogeneous, and that is very helpful. With the people being mostly like-minded when it comes to values and customs, there is less friction and tension. Historically these countries don't have the problem of racism and the massive social inequities that follow.
Not that homogenous anymore. In Sweden we have two million people born outside Europe living here nowadays. And for nearly two decades we have had a deep clash between left wing people and the more conservative ones.
WAS homogenous.
@@helenaolsson7990 Overly liberal refugee policy ruined a perfectly good and peaceful country.
Norway has never been homogeneous, Tater, Sami, Romfolket, and some other groups that I don't remember. These groups couldn't get jobs, education, and at some point they were forcefully sterilized... read up on our history before you throw around us political bulletpoints that have no basis in reality
@@martinkase5842 she wrote largely, not totally
But the social trust is slowly but surely grinded away day by day
The nordic model must be replicated and IMPROVED for humanity to escape behavioral globe destroying mass disorders. There are MANY. All of us could enjoy the Nordic process and far better with long-term continuing stability if we- 1. Decided it was possible. 2. Sought for options. 3. Started test groups. 4. Expanded on successes. 5. Recruited everyone in.
One note on the minimum wage in Norway. In the Norwegian Workers Law there is no set minimum wage, that is correct, but it says that "you should be able to live off the wage you earn". This means that wages are flexible but are often abused by unserious actors.
There's no corruption, that's a big thing.
True but it’s how their economy and their government are designed that cause corruption to be significantly reduced. They don’t have a lot of regulation. They design capitalism differently, so they don’t need as much.
-"There is no corruption" Joke of the millenium
I assure you, there are power breeds greed
I lived in Sweden and I can say that is no perfect at all.
@@TheDiscordNet They trust the gov so much that don't even think if what it's doing is right, and it has made some shit in the past. They speak progressively on the outside but the reality is that there is a strong xebophobia given how well their society has worked, this happes in all the nordics, mostly in Norway tho. If someone says something they don't like, they will cancel that person from their life without explanation, since they are taught to avoid conflict. Also, it is impossible to integrate yourself in society, even if you learn swedish, you are not them. If you have kids then they will have that chance. Oh and food sucks and everything is freaking expensive. Everything else is quite great as the video shows, life is calm and you can trust your neighbor and people surrounding you.
i thought that as well, but when i trawled the world i started too see that Sweden is not perfect but its still one of the best countries for the people living in it.
@@tegelsten1 that is changing quickly. Gang violence is skyrocketing right now, and since our government has decided to shut down nuclear power plants, many will probably be without electricity during the nordic winter.
How much perfection u want? I live in India
@@TheDiscordNet What the video shows is true, although it doesn’t put an emphasis on economic freedom, which is strong in the nordics.
Spot on, 1000 years of history
While the average tax is 45% in Denmark, the tax most of the population pays, is 39%. You don't have to pay wealth taxes unless you make more than 43,500 DKK per month, which is roughly equal to $6291 USD or €5836 per month. And it's usually only people with long academic, tax paid educations, who end up making that much. Most of the general workforce earns somewhere around 35,000 DKK per month, which is roughly equal to $5061 USD or €4696 per month, which is taxed with "only" 39%. Still, if you want an even lower tax, you can start a company and make sure your employer hires your company instead of you, and then limit your monthly income to what covers your bare minimum. Because in that way you can use the company to pay for your general goods as companies can buy things without VAT and according to the Danish law, they aren't required to include VAT in their sales, so you can technically circumvent the Danish VAT percentage in this way, which is at 25%. Furthermore, businesses only pay 20% in taxes, so the only thing you have to pay 39% in taxes for, are whatever amount you pay out to yourself through your business, in order to pay your business for the personal items you buy through your business. This may sound hella illegal, but it actually isn't. See, what's happening here is that your company was hired to do some work. You did the work for your company and are now owed compensation for that work. That work comes in the form of wages, but this is where it gets interesting. Because Danish companies can buy stuff, regardless of type (yes, including food) without paying VAT and because they aren't forced to add VAT to their customers, that allows you, the owner AND an employee of your company, to buy what you need through your company as the owner, and then pay your company (as a customer) for the price of the items. You could add VAT, but in this scenario it's useless, as you are also the owner, so you just decide that you don't have to pay VAT, but you have to pay the raw price. Aaand that's the legal aspect. You have to pay your company for providing goods to you that can't be proven to belong to your company, aka it's all meant as private goods. Any business selling private goods must be compensated for their sale, so you have to pay your company. You just don't have to pay VAT. So you essentially save 25% on everything you buy and if your home is also owned by your business, you can effectively rent your home from your own business, as long as your company gets some compensation. Meaning that you can effectively make it so the only taxes you do pay, are a mere 19% and then you can completely avoid the 25% VAT by shopping only through your business. It might sound like a convoluted way of executing such savings, but it really isn't. Because every company in Denmark must have its own bank account, but most banks won't let you open an account, unless you have an accountant who can sign the A OK on your company's economics, which you want to have no matter what, as you will be slapped with a hefty fine if it doesn't line up.
Great analysis. I have often wondered why the Scandinavian countries always do so well. This makes sense. As a Canadian, I was proud to pay my taxes. I knew the bulk of it went to health care and social programs. That seemed right. I was very fortunate. But I did not have a wish to be doing well but surrounded by disadvantaged masses.
Actual reason Denmark is rich, they controlled access to the Baltic Sea, real reason Norway is rich is oil, lots of oil for a small country and exploitation of water falls for hydro electric power plants and Swedes were the smart business people (think Ikea, Volvo, Saab, dynamite) and they had iron ore. Culturally, most Scandinavians are honest, for whatever reason, most likely the Lutheran Church (but that is changing too). Or it may be a hang over from the times of the Vikings where dishonesty could mean your life. Location, location, location.
Scandinavia consists of only 3 countries: Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Finland and Iceland are not Scandinavian countries, but Nordic. Btw, general taxes in Denmark are no longer 45% but rather 38%.
Iceland and Finland larping as if they were anything more than scandinavian backwater (They're not)
I'm Swedish, this video is mostly or entirely accurate. Nicely done.
You didnt notice Swedish flag was replaced with Danish one? 😂
@@ristusnotta1653No I didn't see that, that whole image was all wrong lol. I don't mind though, Danebrogen is a beautiful flag :)
well said