Financial freedom to have a say were YOUR money goes. Paying compulsory taxes that go towards people that can't be arsed to work, wars, economic migrants that have 0 to offer the society, overseas investments, the tax payer never sees etc., all leave the pocket empty when it comes to pay day. I would prefer my money earned go to better causes if I can't have it myself

Which is YOUR money? Depends on what the law is? Or on something else?

Note that people with serious health problems often find it difficult to earn very much.

Those pieces of paper and with pictures of important people and numbers on. In the past if you didn't have the gold or silver coin to hand the king they'd take your assets such as land or livestock, putting whole families and villages in turmoil and poverty - I don't see any difference today

hey is that you magnifico, or is it you campo, either way welcome back mate.

I'm not convinced about this image of Sweden you've got.

Fact is, in Europe if you walked into the road and were hit by a bus, you would not have the stress you would have here. You would be fixed up, using the latest medical advances, you would be offered a hospital bed and fed three meals a day. Your employment would stop but instead of a life on the street or burdening friends or family you would be offered government housing, which would be to a very accommodating standard, perhaps a nurse would pop in to see you a few times a week, if you had further hospital appointments they would be taken care of including all the medicine that would help you on your way. During your recovery you would be taken care of on the states tab, may even receive subsidised items like food, suits, and cars. When it was time to return to work you will be assisted in finding suitable work, if you had a child in the meantime they would receive support payments, they would go to a state school that would be the envy of most non-European countries. Once you were in work you would work until 58 and then retire on a pension relevant to your last wage. You would get bus passes, nursing visits and all sorts of things old people need until the day you die.

Now, compare that with what would happen if you were hit by a bus on a high street in China, America or one of those other backwards thinking places where peoples health depends on their wealth.

In Europe the stress of stressful situations, loosing a job, loosing a limb, falling ill, looking after loved ones, supporting children is lessened by the support of the state. I suppose it's all an inconvenience until you need it, then you get back what you put in, or perhaps even more.

Even in Africa, a vast number of nations offer state health, it's not brilliant, but its better than the sweet FA they would get it if it was down to the private sector, the poor have no money so it would make no sense to look for business there. It's there as a support net when you've fallen on hard times, or if you live to a standard where you can't afford to get ill.

Europe has a lot of different countries, each one with its own systems and policies, your comments are misleading.

@Haali

You'll have to forgive me, I've never been hit by a bus in Sweden.

I was taking what I would imagine most EU countries adhere to. There's not that much freedom in the EU to try something radically different.

Can you put me right the level of Swedish socialism available to people hit by a bus? You seem to know what it isn't, so presumably you know what it is.

I'm sure it's more along my lines than lie there bleeding, loose your job, have your kids starve and take a career as a beggar, peruse the driver for compensation through a myriad of solicitors all to little avail and loose your arse pockets in the process.

@Napoleon: No, it's not like that in Sweden.

@Haali and Alien

Well if I'm off, put me right. What's it like in this third world, backwards, moribund hellhole they call Sweden?

@Napoleon: Sorry, I misread your comment. In fact I agree with what you've written.