Compared to the US, I’d say they’re extremely socially progressive.
Healthcare, low gender pay gap, higher “minimum” wages (I know there’s no legal minimum most places but there are commonly accepted lowest wages), very low homelessness, very LGBT+ accepting.
Socially progressive enough? Not for my tastes. But it’s a lot better than the US in social systems
Is this left-wing?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compulsory_sterilisation_in_Sweden
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_Institute_for_Racial_Biology
It was.
Eugenics was considered left wing around the 1930s. In Canada, the “father of Medicare” initially supported eugenics but realized how awful it was pretty quickly. The women who got universal sufferage similarly supported eugenics.
As a lefty, it sucks, but we need to be aware of our past and avoid similar mistakes.
As recent as the 90’s it also used to be left-wing to oppose immigration, since it was seen as a way for the right to devalue labor and lower wages.
A lot has changed.
I’d say the Nordics are somewhat economically left-wing.
They’re not socially progressive, no.
Compared to the US, I’d say they’re extremely socially progressive.
Healthcare, low gender pay gap, higher “minimum” wages (I know there’s no legal minimum most places but there are commonly accepted lowest wages), very low homelessness, very LGBT+ accepting.
Socially progressive enough? Not for my tastes. But it’s a lot better than the US in social systems