In all honesty, I did make that title a little hyperbolic to match the insanity of Teabaggers. But it's true, the US has dropped two slots in world-wide economic competitiveness. And just who replaced the US? To the chagrin of the neo-liberal Anglo-American Atlanticists I am sure, Social Democratic Sweden now comes in at 2nd place.
Yep, Sweden: "socialists", high-tax rate, universal healthcare, Sweden beat out the US. According to the World Economic Forum, not exactly the Internationale, Sweden now enjoys 2nd place in the most competitive countries in the world. Why?
Sweden is the world’s second most competitive country, the World Economic Forum said in its annual ranking, hailing the Scandinavian country for its transparent institutions, efficient financial markets and the world’s strongest technological adoption.
Sweden overtakes the US in competitiveness
It is interesting how the Scandinavian countries enjoy high levels of and are rated the happiest in the world by lifestyle
1 Denmark Europe 82 17 1 7.9
2 Finland Europe 75 23 2 7.8
3 Norway Europe 69 31 0 7.9
4 Sweden Europe 68 30 2 7.9
and still pay high taxes. How could that be, perhaps it has something to do with this?
Sweden benefits from the world’s most transparent and efficient public institutions, with very low levels of corruption and undue influence and a government that is considered to be one of the most efficient in the world, the report stated.
The "world's most transparent and efficient public institutions"! I don't know, but I have a feeling that if people actually saw where their tax-dollars go, they wouldn't mind paying them. If the system was transparent, and taxpayers had uncorrupted representation, maybe, perhaps, there would be more support for "medicare for all" and support for government programs.
It would be interesting to list all the taxpayer paid-for services offered to Swedish citizens and compare those taxes that pay for them with the equivalent services in the US and how much they cost with out-of-pocket prices. I have the feeling that the privatized services costs way more that the socialized price tag.
Sweden, those "dirty socialists" just overtook the US in economic competitiveness.
Next time some Teabagger derides "socialism" as if they actually knew what they were talking about, we ask them why the "socialists" are beating us in the world economy. Probably would do no good, cognitive dissonance being what it is and all