[ExI] Why is “cost of living” such a big problem?

[Adrian Tymes]

On Thu, Nov 5, 2026 at 2:00 PM spike jones via extropy-chat
<extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org> wrote:
> From what I can tell, Sweden is nearly indistinguishable from the US system

In the very email you replied to, Henrik gave a bunch of differences.
I'll copy and paste the table he gave, in case you missed it:

| | Sweden | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Cost (% of GDP) | ~11% | ~18% |
| Coverage | Everyone, automatically | ~92% insured, with gaps |
| Cost if you get sick | Max ~$140/year | Can reach tens of thousands
(deductibles) |
| Wait for planned care | Often months; ~35% wait >90 days | Often
shorter — if you're insured |
| Choice | Choose your clinic (private included), but no insurance to
pick | Pick your insurance, but network restrictions |
| The citizen's "cost" | High income tax (~30–35% total) | Lower
taxes, but employer premiums |