Editing 76-03-B7 (section)

= Sweden 1 =

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=== Transcript ===
Why don't we take warning from what has happened in other countries before we get as deep in the swamp as they are. I’ll be right back.

When the English pound went into decline every fraction of a penny loss in value was and is reported each day in all the media. Not so widely heralded are the words of the socialist Prime Minister of England<SUP>1</SUP> who has been betraying socialist gospel and doing penance. Having taken the “Right little, tight little Isle” down the road to a socialist Utopia which turned out to be a cracked
plaster, quonset hut with a double mortgage, unemployed tenants and a roof blown off by inflation the present leader of the Labor, socialist party is calling far on private enterprise and the free marketplace for help.

Then there is Sweden the socialist showplace. They have lived for some 40 years according to the gospel of Karl Marx. In any argument about the shortcomings or merits of socialism our own liberals would fall back on Sweden citing its high standard of living, lack of unemployment and general economic health. About any of us who don't trust socialism could come back with was the element of free enterprise Sweden still allowed to exist. We’d say that was really what kept Sweden afloat but it wasn’t a satisfactory argument because they’d say that was the kind of socialism they wanted for America. Come to think of it we’re pretty well on our way to that kind of mix right now.

Maybe we’ll be saved in spite of ourselves if the British P.M. will keep talking and if we’ll pay a little heed to the recent election in Sweden. and If we'll ask why—why after 40 years did the Swedes vote the socialist govt, out and the conservatives in.

Maybe a motion picture director can help us understand. Ingmar Bergman virtually a national hero in Sweden and pretty popular with moviegoers in our own country wants to leave Sweden and live in America. He has good reason. His government charged him with tax avoidance. The government wants him to pay taxes of $1.39 for on every dollar he earns. That’s kind of a losing proposition. Ingmar just handed them his fortune and walked away with only his talent.

Sweden's average man earns $8800 a year and pays $3520 of that in tax. His boss pays $2200 for social security dues and payroll tax.

To try and curb the 10% inflation rate the government passed a new tax law last year that made the rate for those earning $33,000—102%. A distinguished author wrote a fairy tale which ended with her supposedly stealing money from the national treasury to pay the 102% tax
on her royalty for the book plus something to live on.

The Secretary of Finance told parliament “taxation was none of her business.” Now they’ve had an election, she’s still writing & there’s a new Sec. of Finance."<SUP>2</SUP>

Tomorrow I’ll tell you some other things in Sweden's socialism that made them vote as they did.

This is Ronald Reagan. thanks for listening.

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=== Details ===
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<TR><TD WIDTH="150">Batch Number</TD><TD WIDTH="150">{{PAGENAME}}</TD></TR>
<TD>Production Date</TD><TD>10/18/[[Radio1976|1976]]</TD></TR>
<TD>Book/Page</TD><TD>[[Radio_Commentary_Books#Reagan.27s_Path_to_Victory|RPtV]]-78</TD></TR>
<TD>Audio</TD><TD>No</TD></TR>
<TD>Youtube?</TD><TD>No</TD></TR>
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===Added Notes===
''From the book:''
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<LI>James Callaghan.
<LI>Gunnar Strang served as the Swedish Minister of Finance from 1955 to 1976. Following the change in government in the fall of 1976, the Finance Ministry was dissolved and replaced with two separate ministries, the Budget Ministry and the Ministry for Economic Affairs. Ingemar Mundebo headed the Budget Ministry, and Gosta Bohman headed the Ministry of Economic Affairs.
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<LI>The "distinguished author" who wrote the fairy tale is [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astrid_Lindgren Astrid Lindgren], best known for creating Pippi Longstocking. 
<LI>The fairy tale is ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomperipossa_in_Monismania Pomperipossa in Monismania]''.
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