The NYT presented this assertion from a Columbia University professor in an article on the future of socialist political parties in Europe. It provides no background or context.
On its face, the assertion seems obviously wrong. Countries like Denmark and Sweden with very strong welfare states have maintained healthy rates of growth and low rates of unemployment, until the current crisis. By comparison, the United States, the wealthy country with the least developed welfare state, has an unsustainable trade deficit and a health care system that is threatening to bankrupt the country.
The American Prospect is nonprofit, reader-funded journalism—and we need your help.
Our reporters dig deep, hold power to account, and explain how policy shapes people’s lives. If you value independent journalism that goes beyond the headlines, now’s the time to support it.
Here’s how you can help: • Donate to power fearless reporting
• Subscribe to get our print magazine 6x/year.
