Paradise Left

[Phaedrus]

Sweden. It's lauded by the UN as having the highest standard of living in the world. It is the only functioning openly Socialist country in the world. It's own citizens take pride in the fact that they have free everything, and that it only costs just over half of their income in taxes. Canada is green with envy; they have at least a marginalist movement that doesn't want to be eaten alive in taxation in exchange for a free supply of substandard everything.

In Sweden a politician can get away with being caught in an extramarital affair, being caught using drugs, and even a porn star can be elected to parliament. Just don't get caught cheating on your taxes, because when you have the highest standard of living in the world due to everything being free, the population gets really pissed if you aren't paying your fair share for the free stuff.


Phaedrus

 

[kayaman+]

"In Sweden a politician can get away with being caught in an extramarital affair"

That would be pretty much true of Latin America as well, and I would suspect that in a lot of other parts of the world too. All these Puritanical hang ups about sex are mostly a U.S. thing. I also think that the obsession with politicians personal lifes is greater in the States also. As and American living abroad, what a lot of people in the States didn't get about the whole Clinton/Lewinski thing was why it was embarrassing on an international level. Not because the President lied, but because we are so hung up and inhibited that we would make such a big deal about a hummer.

"and even a porn star can be elected to parliament"

That happened in Italy too, I can't remember her name off hand though.

 

[Oceans11]

France is the same, it is no big deal.

Whereas in the UK it is bad for your political career.

One of the main reasons is that the politicians in those countries dont tell you how you should run your personal life.
They stick to politics, instead of preaching.