Your opening argument precludes a huge amount of critical empirical information. Comparing how policies work out in other countries isn't perfect, but it's the

Your opening argument precludes a huge amount of critical empirical information. Comparing how policies work out in other countries isn't perfect, but it's the only way to know anything about how they operate in the real world other than actually implementing the policy in your own country. And that's a chicken-and-egg thing, because why would you try a different policy direction if there's no evidence that it works? I understand the impulse behind American Exceptionalism, but it looks to me like a recipe for gridlocked ideology, because instead of evidence from other countries, one can only argue using abstract theories... ...which is what I'd categorize most of the rest of your post. All the excel spreadsheets and econ papers in the world aren't going to hold sway with me against the significant numerical evidence that if you're anything but rich in the US, you're probably better off in a number of other countries. Yes of course there are meaningful differences between countries, but leisure hours, bankruptcies due to medical reasons, violent crime rates - these and many more are very universal and can be compared. Furthermore, even if the US is incomparable, most other countries (for example New Zealand or Canada) are much more similar to Norway than the US, and should be following policies that have been successful for the later, not the former. In terms of the failed social policies of the US and Greece, I would put that down to poor governance. Better designed policies in the same vein have succeeded, demonstrably, in other countries. So while I appreciate the time you've taken to write your post, there's nothing in it that lends weight to your argument that leftist policies result in a worse place. The US, even the Democrats, are right of centre. If things were better in Reagan's past, you can't pin it on leftism. Since his time, they've reduced business taxes, reduced progressive taxation, and failed to implement leftist programs like universal healthcare. Yes, things are worse for the median American - this is what the left predicted. Things have gotten better for the average Swede in the same time period. Of course, you seem to be arguing that governments in general make things worse the more that they are involved. But it's very easy to come up with an imaginary system of governance that is better than the status quo. That's what Marx did. It's a completely different thing to see it work in practice, and if you've got an example of a functioning society where the averge person doesn't suffer for the lack of environmental, labour, etc. regulations, and from the lack of universal education and healthcare, I would love to see it. Finally, that "Just think. Don't follow. Lead." line. I know you mean it to be inspiring, but implying that I hold these opinions because I haven't considered them deeply, or that I've been brainwashed, just isn't productive.