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September 29, 2005
Scandinavians: Biz Wimps No More
Sez Reuters:
Nordic countries, with Finland in the lead, have some of the world's most competitive economies, despite high taxes and extensive social security systems, according to a study issued on Wednesday.
The study, from the World Economic Forum, claimed that
the north European nations "are challenging the conventional wisdom that high taxes and large safety nets undermine competitiveness."
This year's lineup of the top five: 1. Finland, 2. USA, 3. Sweden, 4. Denmark, 5. Taiwan. Of course, this is just the opinion of the folks who bring us Davos. That and 3 bucks won't even get you a latte in Stockholm. But the report is a bracing rebuttal, however small, to the myopic American assumption that a national health program, for example, is somehow incompatible with a competitive business climate.
Which is not to say Swedish business folks are thrilled with the Swedish system, they're not. And several of my friends moan about the complexities and pain of starting small companies here. Despite those obstacles, both IKEA and H&M seem to be doing very nicely. Some years ago I met a Swedish marketer whose job was to convince regular citizens that businesses paid too much in taxes and needed a break. It was an impossible job, he told me. Swedes don't like taxes, he said, but accept them as unpleasant but necessary to keep the system running.
This place isn't perfect, far from it. But it's not a Commie sinkhole verging on collapse, either. Contrary to the myth back home, there is more than one place in the world that has a functioning democracy, freedom of expression, and a healthy business climate. And thanks to global warming, Stockholm will have California's weather eventually. So if we survive, the weather will be terrific too.
Posted by Deborah Branscum at September 29, 2005 11:24 AM
Comments
National health plan? How about the administration rationalizing tax cuts for the rich by claiming they will stimulate investment? As if there isn't already too much venture capital looking for a new account to disperse into. Oy!
Posted by: Pete at September 29, 2005 06:09 PM