Somalia vs. Sweden
We've been told that the United States is on a path towards socialism, towards government control of everything, towards socialized medicine, higher taxes, and an enforced set of public moral or ethical standards which may offend some people's religious sensibilities.
There are countries like this. There are also countries quite the opposite.
Ladies and gentlemen, it's time for the big event. In one corner, weighing in as the dreaded "European socialist", we have Sweden.
In the other corner, we have that land of absolute freedom and no taxes - Somalia.
In Sweden, between income taxes, consumption taxes, and other levies, you could end up with only 25 cents out of a dollar that you've earned.
In Somalia, whatever you make is yours.
In Sweden, health care is provided to every man, woman, and child. The care is of high quality, and while you can't just go in and demand a facelift any given day, you can choose a doctor and recieve good care quickly.
In Somalia, whatever health care you want, you can have, as long as you have the money.
In Sweden, the government has strict and complex laws regulating food and medicine. Dangerous foods are removed from the market, and food sellers must disclose what ingredients they use, and are subject to strict sanitary regulations.
In Somalia, nobody tells you what you can eat, what you can't, or what's good for you. Personal responsibility all the way - if you cared whether that meat was contaminated with E. Coli, you'd test it yourself.
In Sweden, roads are maintained by the government, clearly marked, and driving safety and courtesy laws are strictly enforced.
In Somalia, there are no taxes to build highways, no speed traps, and nobody is going to tell you how much you can drink before you drive. Personal responsibility.
In Sweden, taxes pay for local and national public safety, and all citizens are expected to participate.
In Somalia, you can pay for police if you want protection, or you can take money from those who don't pay enough for protection.
In Sweden, gasoline is expensive due to taxes. Financial incentives encourage people to drive small vehicles. Taxes fund a widespread and inexpensive public transporation system, though, so travel from one part of the country to another is fast and predictable.
In Somalia, you drive whatever you want. You can drive an 18-wheeler loaded with medical waste if you feel like it. So can your neighbor. There is no public transportation. You can pay someone to transport you, and you are free to determine whether they are competent, whether they are well-armed enough to protect you, and whether they actually deliver their passengers or simply kill them. Personal responsibility.
In Sweden, there is a large and well-funded primary and secondary education system. Education is compulsory, and every locality is expected to have schools that are safe, staffed with professional educators, and capable of graduating students prepared for a wide variety of careers.
In Somalia, if you want education, you can determine what you want, and pay someone to teach you or your children. There are no fixed cirruculum, and if you don't want your children being taught about evolution, christianity, chemistry, or math, that's entirely up to you. You'll have to negotiate the terms with whoever you choose, and enforce the agreement until completed.
In Sweden, employers treat employees as if they have a long-term interest in their financial, social, and physical well-being. If you expose your employees to danger, or hire and fire them arbitrarily to meet short-term business objectives, you will pay a steep price.
In Somalia, employees can negotiate any terms they like, as can employers. Those terms may be changed by either party at any moment, depending on who reaches their gun first.
In Sweden, there are strict limits on the ownership of firearms and their use. While the ownership rate of firearms is high, the number of deaths is very low.
In Somalia, you can buy whatever weapon you like. The person who wants your possessions may also buy any weapon he likes.
In Sweden, churches are treated widely as social and community organizations, allowing people to work together to solve local problems, help their neighbors, and find fellowship. Religious influence in government is very muted, but the Christian ethic of "love thy neighbor as thyself" is a core principle of government policy.
In Somalia, religious freedom is absolute. If your religion says you should kill someone, you can kill them. If someone drives by and finds you blasphemous, he can kill you. Of course, you can also kill them, if your religious conviction is such.
So, make your choice: Do you want to live in Somalia that great experiment in Libertarian philosophy? Or that crippled Socialist nation of Sweden?
Be careful, the answer is more important than you probably realize.
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