Watch on YouTube (it’s only 2 minutes): Fox News tried spreading Fake News on Denmark
Fox News tried coming after Denmark’s social safety net, saying it was like Venezuela. This Danish politician’s rebuttal was legendary, and got 40 million views. Fox Business claimed in a segment that
- Denmark’s welfare state strips people of their opportunity (actually, it gives them opportunity)
- No-one wants to work in Denmark (actually, Denmark’s employment rate is higher than the USA, and people are paid a decent wage)
- Denmark’s free education causes a lack of college graduations (actually, 79% of Danish undergraduate students completed their courses – less than 60% of undergraduate students in the USA finished their studies within 6 years – and increasing number of US citizens can’t afford college in their home country). Denmark has some of Europe’s lowest university dropout rates and performs better than nations charging their students.
- All school graduates want to start cupcake cafes (actually, Denmark is more business-friendly than USA)
Denmark rates #3 in the UN World Happiness index (UK is #19, USA is #18)
Denmark rates #11 in the World in the UNICEF Child Wellbeing index (UK is #16, USA is #26).
Denmark rates #2 in the World in the OECD Work-Life-Balance index (hygge). (UK is #28, USA is #30).
Denmark rates #1 in old age pensions and provide pensioners with care helpers who visit them at home.
Denmark rates #1 in the OECD world’s lowest income inequality index. US is richest and 2nd most unequal.
Denmark rates #19 on the World Economic Forum’s gender equality index (UK is #20).
Copenhagen is currently the world’s 9th most-liveable city – no U.S. city made it into the top 10.
Denmark employment rates (3.9% unemployment) are higher than in the USA (4%).
Danish workers are more productive than their US counterparts.
Despite very limited natural resources, Denmark is among the world’s 10 most prosperous nations, alongside the USA.
In Denmark, trust is the basis of most social, business and government interactions.
Denmark has free universal health care.
Denmark has free high-quality education (and student grants).
Childcare is subsidised.
Denmark ranks among the countries with the lowest level perceived corruption in the public sector.
Denmark has a relatively high level of safety compared to many other countries.
People living in Denmark pay some of the world’s highest taxes – up to half of their income, but are happy to do so. Danes also pay a 25 % value-added tax on most items, and a tax of up to 150 % on new cars.
“In Denmark, few have too much, and even fewer have too little”. Nikolai Frederick Grundtvig, 1820
We could ALL learn a lot from Denmark.
Nordic Horizons is an informal group of Scottish professionals who want to raise the standard of knowledge and debate about life and policy in the Nordic nations. There is an Independence Live Livestream of Dan Jorgensen in Edinburgh. Yes Edinburgh West has a website, Facebook, Twitter, National Yes Registry and a Library of topics on Scottish Politics, including Independence.