Why northern Europe is the new American dream?

Simon Kuper is in superb form in this fluent essay on how overworked American professionals now look enviously at Northern Europeans. Why? Because many Northern Europeans “get home from work in time for dinner with the kids; no stress about paying for their education or healthcare; safe streets in a safe region; an affordable home near extended family; frequent holidays and a long life. You won’t get rich, but you won’t need to either.”

As Donald Trump has said “Sadly, the American dream is dead.” America now is a society dominated by heirs, “the predictable result of 80 years of national wealth accumulation and low to non-existent inheritance taxes. The US has less social mobility than northern Europe…most Democrats and young Americans now believe in “socialism”. By that, they seem to mean a more equal society with decent social services – in short, something like Northern Europe.”