https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbTEzhaXZ3w
Johan Norberg, author of In Defense of Global Capitalism, sits down with reason.tv's Michael C. Moynihan to sort out the myths of the Sweden's welfare state, health services, tax rates, and its status as the "most successful society the world has ever known."

Capitalism are not bad per se.
It's how you use the system.
When money flows around in the system it's not a problem for anyone.
But some collect piles of wealth to their own amusement and so much money they don't how to spend it.

But I haven't seen other ways to create a better system.
And it DOES makes the world safer since it's more profitable to trade then wage wars.

Stats proves that.

The arguments that, as a superpower, Russia can have some geopolitical claims on Ukraine, hold no water, a renowned Swedish economist and Peterson World Economy Institute researcher, Anders Ã…slund says, Novy region reports Apr. 5.

Russia’s GDP is merely 2.9% of the world one and 6% of those of NATO countries.
Russia’s defense budget is 10 times lower than that of the NATO countries, Åslund points out.

“Why should Russia be allowed to place itself above the law even if it doesn’t qualify for a superpower?” Åslund asks the proponents of Russia’s “special geopolitical role.”

The expert also questions the assumption that Vladimir Putin bases his decisions on rational grounds.

“Putin is wrapped up in the belief that US special services are behind all revolutions in the world. Accordingly, Ukrainians could not have toppled the corrupt Yanukovych regime on their own.

It takes a complete paranoic to think so, the expert concludes

“Why should Russia be allowed to place itself above the law even if it doesn’t qualify for a superpower?” Åslund asks the proponents of Russia’s “special geopolitical role.”

The fact that it does have a large enough arsenal of nuclear weapons to destroy the world as we know it and end human civilization.

The expert also questions the assumption that Vladimir Putin bases his decisions on rational grounds.

“Putin is wrapped up in the belief that US special services are behind all revolutions in the world. Accordingly, Ukrainians could not have toppled the corrupt Yanukovych regime on their own.

It takes a complete paranoic to think so, the expert concludes

He does. But its irrational to believe that rational thinking leads everyone to the same conclusions. Take a simple cost benefit analysis of the situation. The outcome of a cost benefit analysis depends entirely on how you weigh each factor that you include in the analysis. The thing is, a lot of things that get included in such an analysis have no clearly defined weight to them, and the weight assigned to them therefor depends on the person doing the calculation. Hence two people can make the same cost benefit analysis and still reach different conclusions.

And I very much doubt that Putin really thinks that its the CIA that toppled the Ukrainian government. Just because he and his cronies claim that kind of nonsense on state television doesn't mean they aren't aware that they are telling people a massive lie.

The myth about Stalin is still alive.

A recent poll by independent Levada Center found that 45 percent of Russians believe that Stalin-era purges were fully or to some degree justified by the Soviet Union's rapid economic progress during his rule.That figure stood at 25 percent just two years ago.

Meanwhile about 39 percent of Russians now view Stalin positively, in a drastic change from the “prevailing attitude” of negative views at the start of the millennium, the Levada Center said.

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/article.php?id=518716

A Levada Center analyst said the findings were the result of the policies of the current government.
“[Stalin is being rehabilitated because] the current Russian authorities and [President Vladimir] Putin in particular seek the legitimization and justification of their actions by resorting to the past. It gives them a certain endorsement,” Alexei Levinson, head of the Levada Center's social and cultural studies department, told The Moscow Times.

The myth about Stalin is still alive.

A recent poll by independent Levada Center found that 45 percent of Russians believe that Stalin-era purges were fully or to some degree justified by the Soviet Union's rapid economic progress during his rule.That figure stood at 25 percent just two years ago.

Meanwhile about 39 percent of Russians now view Stalin positively, in a drastic change from the “prevailing attitude” of negative views at the start of the millennium, the Levada Center said.

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/article.php?id=518716

A Levada Center analyst said the findings were the result of the policies of the current government.
“[Stalin is being rehabilitated because] the current Russian authorities and [President Vladimir] Putin in particular seek the legitimization and justification of their actions by resorting to the past. It gives them a certain endorsement,” Alexei Levinson, head of the Levada Center's social and cultural studies department, told The Moscow Times.

And Stalins purges gutted his Army's officer corp of very good leaders. and strategists. Which Is why they sufferd so badly when Germany invaded.
Political yes men make rotten Generals.
And Yes, I realixe that later in the war certain Generals walked that fine line.

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Old James

Luckily Stalin didn't purged Marshal Georgy Zjujkov.
The first Russian victory parade was received by the qualified Marshal Georgy Zjujkov on a white horse. Originally it was planned that Generalissimo Joseph Stalin should play the main role. However, it turned out that Stalin was too fragile (he was over 65 at the time and), and moreover he was not sufficiently experienced rider.

Joseph Stalin was furious when Zjujkov stole the show.

The Russian civilians are they who always suffer the most to please Kremlin.
Even today.

An Indian average salary/wealth is twice that of a Russian average salary/wealth !

And still Putin and Kremlin says Russia is rich and gloriuos...

and its status as the "most successful society the world has ever known."

umm Jan .......what about down under mate , we based a lot of our society along the northern Country's

AKA: Princess (Queen) Mary of Denmark

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Myths Realities

Myths "Communism will never work" .......

Reality " China is successfully now the biggest Economy in the world "

Myths "Capitalism and free markets is best"

Reality "Country's whom follow this theory now owe so much they are technically insolvent"

Did the Cold War End or just have a break ??

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Myths "Capitalism and free markets is best"

Reality "Country's whom follow this theory now owe so much they are technically insolvent"

This one is also incorrect. The progressive movement has been pushing us toward socialism for over a hundred years. Only by studying history do we know what capitalism and free market was.

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I have been reading online now for about five years that the major governments worldwide are less than 6 months from total collapse and that the world will sink into total anarchy. I'm thinking this is an example of the saying that if you repeat a lie often enough it will end up becoming the truth.

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Bob DeWoody

My motto: Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow as it may not be required. This no longer applies in light of current events.

there is a small worldwide movement of like minded people whose ultimate goal is the downfall of Western society as we know it. They are anti government, anti establishment, anti law and order. All they want to encourage is anarchy left right and centre. Maybe funded by the drug barons so that they can rule the world, when the bubble bursts. But I don't think it will.

The thing is though, if that happens, it becomes a government in it's own sense, and then other people will want to burst that bubble, too. Reminds me of an article I read recently about punk rock, and the part of that musical genre that is anti this and that, but then another version of punk rockers is anti to the anti movement.

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The mind is a weird and mysterious place

An Indian average salary/wealth is twice that of a Russian average salary/wealth !

I'm not sure why you keep harping on about Russia.
Probably because they scare Scandinavian countries.

Everyone knows that Norway has the highest IHDI in the world.

Norway sits at number 1 in the list
Sweden sits at number 7 in the list
Russia sits at number 40 in the list...not that far below the USA
India sits at number 100 in the list

You really should stop your fear mongering of Russia, you're starting to sound like a brain-dead FOX News reporter.

LOL
Did you read the link to IHDI?

This is an experimental measure that will be subject to changes in the future. One issue is in the inequality adjusted income index, which forms a third of the overall index

I compared a EUROPEAN country with an ASIAN country. Russia is a neighbour to Sweden, Norway, Finland and Estonia.

There are only two countries on the Scandinavian peninsula.
Norway and Sweden. A big difference between us is that Norway has oil, Swedish guest workers and not so many immigrants.

At last but not least:)
Are you comparing me with Bill O'Reilly?

and its status as the "most successful society the world has ever known."

umm Jan .......what about down under mate , we based a lot of our society along the northern Country's
AKA: Princess (Queen) Mary of Denmark

Giggle Glenn:)
I forgot.
Welcome to the Royal Family and Harald Bluetooth:)
King Harald has become something of a historical celebrity in the Danish People's depth. The reigning Danish royal family have their roots back to this sovereign and runestones tells that it was King Harold who united Denmark and made him a "riksdanare", founder of the state.

Crownprinsess Mary wearing Queen Desirée's ruby necklace purchased to Emperor Napoleon's coronation 1804

Clyde then why do you guys owe the Chinese 2 trillion buck's if your system of uncontrolled capitalism worked so well? you should not owe anything , it should be the other way around and they should owe you money .

Why does the whole world sneeze when China's economy slows ?

How come every minute now there is a new Chinese millionaire if there not capitalist's ?

Why does a poor country like Cuba have a better health system than you guys as everyone is covered there ?

Both are socialist or communist . While the so called free world goes broke the socialist or communist country's are growing stronger ........Please explain why our systems are better again ?

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Chris sounds like you poms mite have your nose outa joint there mate , seeing as we got our own Legit Royal now and don't need the house of Winsor anymore ! :)

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She looks pretty good after 4 kids, but as she is Danish and born in Hobart Tasmania, I fail to see what interest it is of the Swedes? I like her.

Maybe because Crown Prince Fredrik of Danmark's grandmother was Ingrid of Sweden:)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ingrid_of_Sweden
Princess Ingrid of Sweden got the rubin tiara as a wedding present in 1935 when she married Crown Prince Fredrik, son of Kristian X and Alexandrine. Today it is owned by Ingrid's grandson Crown Prince Fredrik and is often worn by Crown Princess Mary.

I have been reading online now for about five years that the major governments worldwide are less than 6 months from total collapse

Then simple maths says that they got it wrong 10 times already!!!

Sorry Bob I can't go along with that. I don't know where you read your information from, but is is pretty clear that there is a small worldwide movement of like minded people whose ultimate goal is the downfall of Western society as we know it. They are anti government, anti establishment, anti law and order. All they want to encourage is anarchy left right and centre. Maybe funded by the drug barons so that they can rule the world, when the bubble bursts. But I don't think it will.

I live on the outskirts of a fairly affluent area in South London. and it does worry me to see so many "gated communities" springing up for the wealthy and well to do, with every new development being built. Are they hedging their bets for their imagined future?

I don't go along with it either. That is why I made the comment about seeing these reports for at least the last 5 years. Here is one, for examples, that claims May, 2015 is the time of the disaster.
http://www.americanconservativedailynews.com/the-collapse/

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Bob DeWoody

My motto: Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow as it may not be required. This no longer applies in light of current events.