Sweden is considered the shining star in the crown of socialism, the nation that leftists always point to when the ghastly record of almost every other socialist nation throughout history is thrown into their faces.

Well, this is how Sweden is doing.

When a person who knows something about science hears about a "perpetual motion machine," he dismisses it out of hand. He doesn't need to see the numbers, or the descriptions, or listen to the endless explanations by the inventor.

He knows it doesn't work.

And anyone who knows human nature, and even rudimentary economics, does not need overwhelming evidence to know that a nation organized under a socialist regime will certainly fail.

"When on a planet with positive gravity I need not watch a hammer I have released to know that it has fallen."



- Mr. Spock



According to recent opinion polls Sweden's Social Democrats are comfortably ahead of the centre-right opposition in the run-up to the September 15 elections.

Once the cycle of people voting themselves money from the treasury begins, it is difficult to stop. The benefits show up at the voter's front door, while the negatives all seem to happen somewhere else far away. At least at first. In our own country, there are dozens of tax takers for every taxpayer, and the voting record of our wealth-redistributing society reflects this. We will end up where Sweden is, only worse, since we won't have a robust American economy to lean on.

This exchange culled from a message board is interesting. Take it for what it's worth.