This is one of the most common misconceptions in political debate, and even Scandinavian leaders have pushed back on it. In 2015, Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said at Harvard: 'I would like to make one thing clear. Denmark is far from a socialist planned economy. Denmark is a market economy.'

Let's look at the actual policies. Sweden, Denmark, and Norway have no national minimum wage. They have lower corporate tax rates than the U.S. had before 2017 — Denmark's is 22%, Sweden's is 20.6%, compared to the old U.S. rate of 35%. They rank near the top of the Heritage Foundation's Index of Economic Freedom. Sweden actually privatized its social security system, allowing workers to invest in personal accounts.

The high taxes aren't just on the rich — they hit everyone. Denmark's top income tax rate kicks in at about $75,000. Sweden's value-added tax (VAT) is 25% on most goods. The average Dane pays roughly 45% of income in taxes. In the U.S., applying similar rates would mean a single teacher or plumber paying nearly half their income to the government.

These countries also have major structural differences. They're small (Denmark has 5.9 million people — less than Wisconsin), ethnically homogeneous, have strong cultural work ethics, minimal defense spending (they shelter under NATO's umbrella, funded primarily by the U.S.), and built their welfare states on top of wealth generated during decades of relatively free-market policies.

When Sweden tried actual socialism in the 1970s-90s, expanding government dramatically, growth stagnated and no new net jobs were created. They reformed back toward free markets in the 1990s.

I'm happy to discuss what we can learn from Scandinavian countries — school choice, for instance, since Sweden has a robust voucher system. But calling them socialist misrepresents their economies and misleads the conversation.