A socialist hellhole

by | Jul 2, 2021 | Editor's Blog | 9 comments

It’s official. I’m going to the godforsaken socialist hellhole, Sweden. My daughter, son-in-law, and grandson are living there and I’m worried about their freedom. I need to make sure that they are not suffering under too much oppression.

My daughter married a Swede and she’s been living in Sweden for just over two years. It’s been awful. Just a year and two months after they moved to Sweden, my grandson was born. Under oppressive Swedish law, my daughter and son-in-law were given 18 months of parental leave between the two of them. It’s gut-wrenching to watch a country force that much parental bonding on a young couple and their newborn child. I’m sure that they are just devastated that they weren’t in the United States where they could have the freedom to return home from the birthing center and adjust to having new child while simultaneously preparing to go back to work the next week. 

And it just gets worse. Swedes are forced to take a minimum 41 days per year in vacation time. That’s a soul-crushing six weeks of downtime. In an inconceivable violation of her freedom, my daughter was told last spring that she needed to take more time off. To keep the authoritarian thugs happy, they’re taking two weeks to travel around Croatia. I’m sure they will be miserable. 

And as if to add insult to injury, they are paid extra when they are traveling because Sweden knows that families spend more when they are on vacation. I get choked up just thinking about how much freedom they have lost. 

They suffer through all sorts of other oppressive socialist policies, too. They have free health care, free child care when their parental leave ends, and then, in a final slap at parenthood, they have free college when their child is entering adulthood. Crushed under the thumb of big government throughout their lives, they work less, pay higher taxes, and yet have more disposable income. I’m sure the Mercatus Institute would tell you how much freedom they’ve lost. 

The nanny state there is so smothering that they are consistently rated as the one of the happiest countries in the world. Their median income is higher than United States. They live longer and their infant mortality rate is less than half as high as it is in the Land of the Free. In addition, they have essentially no poverty. Socialism is brutal. 


But you know what’s even more galling? The corporate world doesn’t even care. No boycotts, no nothing. Sweden is consistently named one of the top countries to do business in the world. Not only that, Stockholm is second only to Silicon Valley in investment per capita. Their tech and start up scene is just booming despite the oppressive, freedom crushing socialism. I bet the Tax Foundation’s business climax index would rate them terribly.  

Yes, I’m getting mentally prepared to lose my freedom for a week. I just need to make sure that all of the oppression that my daughter and her family face is not too much. Wish me luck.  

9 Comments

  1. ScarletDove

    Sounds ideal. Can you let us know what the tax rates are in Sweden, I would like to know….all this ideal life of socialism has to be funded!

    • Glenn

      Income tax approx 30%. Additional 19,5 at everyting above $70K annually. Very low flat tax on stocks with ISK(swedish). This what average swedes care about. Then there is tax for products and services but that is most likley not what you asking for here

  2. Marjorie (Amy) Holland

    have read that Sweden citizens never leave – don’t want to immigrate anywhere. Also, is this the country that does not allow political advertising etc. yet have a 90% voter turnout.

  3. Daryl Bowman

    I remember when the Affordable Care Act was being debated and a doctor commented that Sweden had the best health care system in the world and we could learn from them. But noooooo! Americans think we know better than anyone else and can’t learn from others! What arrogance!
    Socialism is getting a bad rap because some are equating it with countries run by autocrats and dictators, etc. They don’t bother to look at socialism as practiced in democratic countries like Sweden.
    Excellent piece Tom ! Have a great trip !

  4. Melinda

    Fabulous! Have fun!

  5. stfree

    You should also report on the huuuge requirements for your daughter to emigrate there as the spouse of a citizen.

  6. Jim Buie

    I bet there are tens of thousands of refugees per year from that socialist hell-hole to the United States. No, wait, can we all go live there?

  7. Norma Munn

    I am shocked, just shocked at your agreeing to visit such a country! Seriously, my niece and her husband with a newborn a few days old would be green with envy.

  8. JOHN CASTILLO

    Sir, You shall survive and may decide to stay with your daughter

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