There has been a lot of talk lately about socialism—and even communism—with Donald Trump and the Republican Party throwing those words around as political weapons and counting on Americans not to know what they actually mean.
That’s why I am republishing this piece by Marianne Thorn, a Danish author with a degree in economics and a long career in finance, consulting, investments, and real estate. She lives in Denmark and is tired of hearing Americans call her country socialist when most of us have little idea what Denmark—or socialism—is all about.
Calling Democrats “socialists” or “communists” is an old political weapon, most often used against liberals and progressives who want government to rein in corporate power, tax great wealth, and take care of our own people. Republicans have used it relentlessly. Conservative Democrats have used Americans’ fear of socialism, too. Hillary Clinton used it to separate herself from Bernie Sanders in 2016, even though what Sanders was talking about was democratic socialism—not Soviet communism. It had the effect she wanted.
The wealthy and powerful have always cried “socialism” when government threatens to regulate their businesses, tax their fortunes, or give working people a larger share of the country’s prosperity.
And the tactic works because most Americans still don’t know what socialism is—or how it differs from the political and economic system of a country like Denmark.
That ignorance matters. It allows politicians to frighten Americans away from ideas that might actually make their lives better: healthcare that cannot bankrupt them, education their children can afford, help when they lose a job, and the basic security of knowing that one catastrophe will not destroy everything they have built.
This is a much bigger subject than one piece, and one we need to keep talking about. But Marianne gives us a very good place to begin. Here she tells us what Denmark actually is, what the Danish idea of welfare really means—and why she is so tired of hearing Americans call her country socialist.
I find it fascinating.
May I present “Americans behave like a bull in a china shop when they call Denmark socialist” by Marianne Thorn.
—Beth
Americans behave like a bull in a china shop when they call Denmark socialist – it is insulting and misinformation and only illustrates your ignorance
Denmark has half the child mortality of the US - Here is why, and it is not about vaccines. This post is a reaction to a post written by Jonathan Cohn.
JONATHAN COHN, ANAND GIRIDHARADAS, PARKER MOLLOY, AND POLITICO EUROPE
DEC 26, 2025
Denmark is NOT socialist – that is misinformation.
As a Danish citizen residing in Denmark, I am so tired of insulting claims from Americans. Denmark is NOT socialist. Denmark is not North Korea. If Denmark is socialist, then all religious people are socialist – regardless of whether they call themselves Christians, Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus or something else.
We have more to spend after tax than Americans – and we don’t pay for healthcare or education
It is true that we in Denmark pay high taxes – BUT we also have a higher average income, and after tax we have the same disposable income as an American, AND we do not pay to see a doctor, be treated in hospital, or for education at either primary or university level – ALL of this is free in the Nordic countries, including Denmark. In the United States, on the other hand, people live in constant fear of getting sick, being fired and thus losing everything. See my essay attached below:
The Nordic contract – freedom through community
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OCTOBER 27, 2025
There is a seductive myth that low taxes equal freedom. It is the American dream in economic disguise: the idea that you own your own life, your money, your destiny. A myth that arose at a time when lone men rode across the prairie, shot a bison and found a little gold in the river. It sounds mythical, and it IS mythical. Romanticised, with little to do…
Denmark’s independent institutions versus American political interference
My daughter is an adult now, so I am not familiar with how much we vaccinate in Denmark now, but when she got the vaccinations recommended, when she was a child. I trust our authorities because, unlike the US, Denmark has strong, credible and INDEPENDENT institutions that politicians have no influence over. I am also not aware of how much vaccination is done in the US.
Child mortality: The United States has twice the mortality rate of Denmark
The infant mortality rate in Denmark (for children under 1 year of age) is approximately 2.6 deaths per 1,000 births in 2024. In the United States, it is 5.3 deaths per 1,000 births in 2024.
The infant mortality rate in Denmark for children under 5 years of age is approximately 3.4 deaths per 1,000 births in 2023. In the US, the figure is approximately 7 deaths per 1,000 births in 2020.
That is twice as high.
So when RFK Jr. wants to reduce your vaccination schedule to the Danish level, perhaps you should ask yourselves: Why does Denmark have half the infant mortality rate of the United States, despite fewer vaccines? The answer is not that we vaccinate less – the answer is that we have a coherent healthcare system where ALL pregnant women receive maternity care, ALL children receive healthcare, and where parents do not fear losing their jobs and insurance if they become ill. Vaccines are just one small piece of a much bigger puzzle.
Mass shootings: The United States has had 1,700 times more than Denmark in 10 years
If we take something as crazy as your gun laws and mentality around firearms and compare mass shootings in just the last 10 years:
Over a 10-year period (2014-2024), the difference is dramatic:
Denmark: Approximately 3-4 mass shootings during the period:
2015: Copenhagen shootings (14-15 February) at Krudttønden and the Great Synagogue - 3 killed
2016: Gang-related shooting (mentioned as the last before Fields)
2022: Fields shopping mall (3 July) – 3 killed
United States: A total of 5,188 mass shootings from 2014 to 2024
Annual distribution:
2014: 272
2015-2016: rising to 383
2017: 347
2018-2019: rising to 414
2020: 610
2021: 689
2022: 644
2023: 659
2024: 503
This means that the United States has had about 1,700 times more mass shootings than Denmark over the past 10 years – or an average of more than one mass shooting per day, compared to Denmark’s average of less than one per year.
It is important to note that mass shootings are very rare in Scandinavia, which makes Denmark’s figures exceptionally low compared to the epidemic levels in the US.
Well, I say – where is the common sense?
I would never consider living in the United States
So when I am asked whether, as a Dane, I would like to live in the United States compared to living in Denmark, the answer is very clear: I would not even consider it.
The United States threatens us – we were friends, now only on the surface
Compared to Denmark and the Nordic countries, the United States is a warlike nation. You call yourselves Christians and start lecturing us in Europe on how to live our lives. At the same time, you threaten us with all kinds of unpleasantries. We were once friends – now we are only friends on the surface. Your president constantly threatens to invade/steal/buy Greenland – and because of your weapons and attitude, we have to put up with it. This brings us back to the so-called socialist.
What you call socialist, we call charity
What you call socialist, we call charity. It is written in the book that you claim to live by. Your vice-president even squeezed in a meeting with a dying man, just because he – well, what else did he want other than to impose his own selfish desires on a dying man – and perhaps obtain some kind of blessing or manipulate the Catholic population ahead of an upcoming election. Americans are not charitable, and do not live by the book you claim to live by.
In Denmark, EVERYONE has a chance – regardless of their parents’ financial situation
In Denmark, EVERYONE has a chance to become something. EVERYONE has a chance to get a good education; the only thing required is that you attend school and do your homework. No matter how poor your parents are, you can go to a good school, high school and on to university – the only limitation is your abilities and effort in terms of homework, etc.
Free healthcare for all – the same treatment regardless of income
In Denmark, everyone is entitled to treatment at hospitals, doctors, etc. Regardless of income, it is free, and you receive the same treatment. However, if you have the money, you can also go to a private hospital, but this is mostly for sports injuries and cosmetic surgery. In Denmark, you cannot have cosmetic surgery at a public hospital – which is reasonable. No one needs silicone breasts or Frankenstein faces.
Taxes secure the future – not vulgar weddings in Venice
Stop calling Denmark socialist. We have a royal family, which is definitely not socialist. We also have rich people – not Bezos rich, but who the hell needs a vulgar wedding in Venice when children in the US can’t even go to a decent school? Maybe he should pay a little tax instead, so that the US can benefit from a skilled workforce in the future. That’s what taxes do – they secure the future of a country.
A well-educated and healthy population is the foundation of a country’s future
A well-educated and healthy population is the foundation of a country’s long-term development and prosperity. Here are the most important effects:
Economic development:
Higher productivity: Educated workers are more efficient and can solve complex problems
Innovation and competitiveness: Stronger education systems promote research, technological development and the knowledge economy
Economic growth: Investments in human capital typically yield higher returns than physical capital in the long term
Higher incomes: Better education leads to higher wages and living standards
Health benefits:
Lower healthcare costs: Prevention reduces treatment costs
Longer working life: Healthy people can work longer and contribute more to society
Lower child and maternal mortality: As we saw in our previous discussion – Denmark’s low figures versus the USA
Better quality of life: Fewer years lived with illness or disability
Social effects:
Less inequality: Education is historically the strongest social elevator
Lower crime: Stronger correlation between education and law-abiding behaviour
Greater social cohesion: Shared values and democratic participation
Better parenting skills: Educated parents invest more in their children’s development
Demographic advantages:
Lower birth rates: Educated women have fewer children but invest more in each child
Later childbirth: Better timing in relation to career and stability
Less population pressure: More sustainable population development
Political stability:
Stronger democracy: Educated citizens participate more in democracy
Better institutions: Competent civil service and less corruption
Peaceful development: Education reduces the risk of conflict
Concrete examples:
South Korea: Massive investment in education and health transformed the country from poverty to high income in 50 years
Scandinavia: The combination of universal education and healthcare created some of the world’s most prosperous and equal societies
Singapore: Strategic focus on human capital turned a small island state into a global financial hub
Lack of investment leads to a negative spiral and possibly civil war
Long-term effects: A well-educated and healthy population creates a positive spiral: Better education → higher incomes → better health → more productivity → more resources for education and health.
Conversely, lack of investment in human capital creates a negative spiral – as seen in parts of the United States with poor access to education and health, leading to shorter life expectancy, lower social mobility and increased inequality.
I don’t really understand how the US dares to continue down this path, where inequality is growing ever greater with all the weapons in circulation in the country. If you’re not careful, it will end in a spectacular civil war.
Charity versus modern slavery
So what you call socialism, we call an investment in the future and charity – and over 50% of the Danish population is not even a member of a church. What do you call the United States? In any case, not everyone has equal opportunities – I call it modern slavery when people, despite having several jobs, cannot even afford to go to the doctor or give their children a good education.
Yes, we have fewer vaccines on the schedule. But do you know what else we have? Half the infant mortality rate of yours. So maybe – just maybe – Denmark’s success is not about fewer vaccines, but about a completely different social system with respect for humans and view of humanity?
My thanks to Marianne Thorn for allowing me to republish her piece—and for being willing to tell Americans, plainly, what we so often get wrong about Denmark.
And thank you to all of my subscribers for reading, commenting, sharing my work, and helping this community grow. I am grateful for every one of you.
I am especially thankful for my paid subscribers. Your financial support allows me to keep doing this work and to keep most of what I publish available to everyone. I never take that support for granted.
If Marianne’s piece gave you something to think about, please share it. And if you value the work I do here, consider becoming a paid subscriber—or buying me a cup of coffee.
yes, please tip me a cup of coffee
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