Want the American Dream? Move to Sweden

[marmar]

via CommonDreams:



Published on Wednesday, October 22, 2008 by Inter Press Service
Rich-Poor Divide Worst Among Rich Countries
by Jim Lobe


WASHINGTON - The "American Dream" of upward social mobility appears to have emigrated from its birthplace in the United States to northern Europe, according to a major new report by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) on the growth of economic equality over the past 20 years.

Of its 30 member states, most of which are also members of the European Union, the United States has the largest gap between its wealthiest and poorest households after Mexico and Turkey, according to the report, "Growing Unequal?", which was released at OECD headquarters in Paris Tuesday.

That gap has grown particularly large in the U.S. since 2000 -- that is, under the administration of President George W. Bush -- according to the report, which found that the gap between the U.S. middle class and the wealthiest 10 percent has also increased.

The growth in the divide has major implications for social mobility, according to OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria, who said the report's data had demonstrated that the notion that inequality encourages the poor to do better is false.

"Social mobility is low in countries with high inequality like Italy, the UK (United Kingdom), and the United States. And it is much higher in the Nordic countries, where income is distributed more evenly," he told reporters. ......(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2008/10/22-7

[Oregone]

1. Or to Canada...

Social mobility here is very close to Sweden (tied in some studies).

With children, this was one of the main reasons I left the states.

[22kaye]

2. Canada: 'socialist' paradise

National health care, gay marriage, medicinal marijuana, lower-cost (compared to the US) university, good public schools, strong labor unions, stable, fiscally sound federal government, national budget surplus, proud of it's multicultural character and support of human rights - Canada is all those things and yet society hasn't gone to h***. In fact, I'd never even consider moving to the US despite the problems Canada does have.

[Oregone]

3. Despite national healthcare and the Crown corporations, Canada isn't 'socialist'.

Socialism means that the government owns all means of production. In Canada, there is a thriving private sector. The government does own some companies, but they seem to be those vital to transportation, energy, and health (but not all health providers are public, even though public insurance pays their expenses).

Canada's private and public sector play nice together, but there is definitely no threat to the private sector, and capitalism is alive and well in Canada.