It might have something to do with them being used to having a government that isn't utterly dysfunctional from top to bottom. Such a thing is possible, believe it or not. Their health systems are certainly less complicated and bureaucratic than US systems, despite being public.
Yes, and Sweden's population is 3% of the US's, and the country is very homogenous ethnically. There are other factors I'm sure, but these factors are very important.
In any event, I detect the unmistakable tendency of many in the American Left to view the Nordic countries as something approaching utopia[0].
Utopia is probably not the right word- but when you start reading about places in the world where things actually work in a non-corrupt way, there is a certain point where it hits with the power of a revelation. You suddenly go, wait, politicians that take bribes get in trouble for it? Corporations that abuse their power have to account for it? What kind of crazy world is this? You suddenly realize that there is a higher standard out there, and all the shoulder-shrugging non-explanations of "well that's just how government is" start to look pretty flimsy. It's not that I expect utopia; it's that I think we can do better than complete and total failure.
Over 16% of the Swedish population is foreign-born, which is higher than in the USA. Only about half of that is from other European nations, and that is mostly from Eastern Europe. Iraq is the second most common country of origin after Finland.
Yeah, sure, they have it easier because of the demographics. Still, doesn't change the fact that their government is much more functional. You're being overly defensive.
