FOX News likes to try and take aim at anything which they feel smacks of some socialist utopian nightmare. They then use these examples as proof that socialism in any form is wrong and will inevitably lead to some kind of disaster for whatever country decides to experiment with it.
Some of the favorite examples of this that they and like-minded people tend to fixate on is the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Communist bloc nations under it in easter Europe, as well as Cuba and, more recently, Venezuela. Also, perhaps Zimbabwe.
However, these arguments always seem to weaken when they begin to criticize the "socialism" practiced in other nations which, generally speaking, are historically and culturally considered part of the affluent "West." That includes Australia and New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Canada, Israel, and western Europe. These are countries which have some form of what conservative Americans identify as "socialism," particularly universal healthcare in some form or other, as well as programs that are designed to help average people (such as assistance with children and affordable childcare, better mass transportation, and longer vacation times).
Recently, FOX News tried to take aim at Denmark, one of those Scandinavian countries which are well known for having generous programs to benefit their citizens. Here in the United States, any such government programs are automatically labelled as "welfare" and demonized.
However, it seems to be working quite well for these Scandinavian nations, each of which actually enjoy a higher standard of living than Americans have (even though many Americans refuse to accept this reality).
Clearly, this is viewed as a threat by those who identify as conservatives here. One way to protect against it is simply to ignore it, which Americans collectively tend to be very good at.
Another way, however, is to try and demonize it, even if that requires stretching the facts, or even outright fabrications and misinformation. These are things which FOX News has long been known for. In fact, they had a court case go against them, and they had a huge fine to pay as a result of it.
That, however, is not enough to change their tune, or get them to calm down any, it seems. And so they continue with their practices, perhaps because that is the only thing that they really know how to do well. And they do it again in this little video.
Except that it does not stand up to facts.
As Reagan tended to frequently say, (or something like it) "There they go again."
Yes, here we go. They cannot stand that a country like Denmark might have met with some success with these policies which are demonized here. And so they try to discredit it, lest Americans see these policies and begin to question whether or not we might want to try similar things here in the United States, as well.
Frankly, I wish we would. But Americans tend to be incurious when it comes to the rest of the world. In fact, we tend, collectively, to be far too frequently arrogant and dismissive towards the rest of the world. Taking what Scandinavian countries, for example, do as a possible example for our own country goes against the grain of our assumption that we are the best, the "leaders of the free world," and the "last best hope of the world." It might challenge our assumptions that we are the "shining city on a hill," another of Reagan's common sayings, and it would challenge our assumptions of being the "greatest nation in the world," and "God's country."
If we dared look closer, we might even find out that some of these countries actually have some good ideas. Ideas which we could learn from and even emulate.
So instead of having some of the things that people living in other industrialized nations have which might be appealing - things like affordable, universal healthcare, an impressive education system, a much better public transportation system, benefits to help new parents with their growing families, longer vacations - we instead have FOX News to reinforce our prejudices, and to attempt to discredit anything which goes against our automatic assumption of superiority.
That conceit which we afford for ourselves - and which is growing costlier with each passing year, especially with more and more countries catching and then surpassing us in terms of overall standard of living - is beginning to feel like our own worst enemy.
Take a look at this video, and see what you think:
Fox News Tried Going After Denmark. Big Mistake. | NowThis
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