Sweden the socialist paradise? Sweden is often portrayed by American leftists as an enlightened example of compassionate socialism. However, recent figures from Swedish Research Institute of Trade published in the "liberal Dagens Nyheter newspaper" show that if Sweden were a US state, it would be the poorest state, ranking below Mississippi. The article also states that "Black people, who have the lowest income in the United States, now have a higher standard of living than an ordinary Swedish household." And according to figures from the United Nations Crime Victimization Survey, Sweden has more crime than the US. (Via Plastic.)