"Any comparison to Scandinavian welfare states runs into trouble when we keep in mind that such European welfare states are dependent on exports to the American worker-consumer, who does not enjoy welfare state largesse.
"Should America spend as much money as Europe does on a welfare state, then the European welfare states would collapse, as the lack of discretionary consumer spending (due to higher taxes) would mean less exports from Europe’s welfare states…. That is a consequence of the freeloaderism Europeans are known for."
This may be the most gloriously wrong-headed thing I’ve ever read (and I’ve read an awful lot of gloriously wrong-headed things). From here.
You must delight in reading gloriously wrong-headed things, if you can stand to wade through a comments thread at Yglesias.
There’s something uniquely frustrating about an anti-welfare state Scandinavian – i’m assuming Finnpundit is indeed a Finn, though it’s odd to think that even the nuttiest far-right Scandinavian would write such a love letter to American capitalism. I’m tempted to say those fuckers are lucky their governments provide them with the quality of life necessary to wander off on wingnut flights of fancy.