06/11/2025
I share this post under the title "The joy of travel". Your politics are your own business.
( no..I didn't write the original.)
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Today, the USA woke up to truly shocking news: New York City has elected a democratic socialist as mayor! But anyone who's traveled in Northern Europe understands that this is far less frightening than it might seem. In fact, it's pretty exciting.
We live in an age when powerful forces in our society are desperate to divide us — and one of their main strategies is fear, powered by misunderstanding. "Democratic socialism" has become a terrifying boogeyman; those who oppose it shamelessly conflate it with a ruthless USSR-style communism. In fact, much of Europe has embraced the democratic socialist model. And in most places — especially in the north — it has been a great success.
The beauty of travel is going to places that have embraced other systems... and finding that they're very happy with their choice. I enjoyed a wonderful example of this, earlier this year, when I visited Denmark — one of Europe's most "socialistic," most prosperous, and most content countries. On one sunny afternoon, I observed some skeptical fellow Americans being exposed to this real-world exemplar of democratic socialism firsthand.
On a small-boat cruise around Copenhagen harbor, upon passing the parliament building, our twentysomething Danish guide began to talk about his country's multi-party system — which allows him to cast his vote for a party that precisely matches his values... and then they must work with other parties to find consensus and build a coalition.
The elderly Chicagoans on the boat couldn't resist. "Huh, back home we have two parties," they groused. "The Democrats just love to raise taxes and never lower them. And then give all that money to illegal immigrants."
Not wanting to pick a fight with a senior citizen in the middle of Copenhagen harbor, I bit my tongue. But our guide gracefully pivoted. He acknowledged that Denmark has dizzyingly high taxes — much, much higher than anything that's ever been proposed by a serious Democratic candidate Stateside. And yet, from his point of view, he is satisfied with what he gets in return: education, health care, child care, retirement, the list goes on.
"Of course," he acknowledged (quite diplomatically), "what we don't have is the *choice* whether to pay for each of those things. We all have to pay into the same pot. And, as a young person, I realize that I'm paying for services that I may not use for a very long time, if ever. For example, if I never have kids, why should I pay for someone else's child care? However, ultimately we feel that builds a stronger society: It's good for me, in the long run, if Danish kids are properly cared for. And for most Danes, those high taxes are a worthwhile investment. Our system has problems. But all systems do. And overall, I am very happy to live in Denmark."
You've likely heard similar "testimonials" in your travels. Maybe you've even been that person whose opinions about things like universal healthcare or "big government being good government" have been challenged, or even changed, by conversations like this one. As my guide noted, no system is perfect. But Europeans are generally satisfied with what they've got and would never trade places with the American system... even if they sometimes enjoy grumbling about it.
Of course, New York City is not Copenhagen, and Denmark is not the United States; the exact "Danish model" probably wouldn't fly here in the USA. Any time I post about Europe's innovative political solutions, cynics come out of the woodwork: "That would never work here! The USA is too big, too diverse, too divided!"
How unpatriotic! The United States is one of the wealthiest, most powerful nations on earth. We've never met a challenge that we failed to rise to. You just have to figure out what your priorities are, and vote and legislate accordingly. We can have those things, too — if we want it.
As prices continue to soar, voter discontent reaches all-time highs, and we find ourselves probing the political fringes and experimenting with extreme solutions (such as unprecedented tariffs), it's illustrative to compare notes with a successful society like Denmark. One of the great benefits of leaving home is seeing things from a fresh, uncluttered perspective — and to think about how some of those principles might improve American lives (and politics).
After all, isn't that the joy of travel?
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