"...most European countries (including Germany, Sweden, Denmark and Belgium) if they joined the US…

"...most European countries (including Germany, Sweden, Denmark and Belgium) if they joined the US, would rank among the poorest one-third of US states on a per-capita GDP basis, and the UK, France, Japan and New Zealand would all rank among America’s very poorest states, below No. 47 West Virginia, and not too far above No. 50 Mississippi. Countries like Italy, S. Korea, Spain, Portugal and Greece would each rank below Mississippi as the poorest states in the country."  
Mark Perry

Unless the Goal Is Lower Living Standards, Bernie Sanders Has Learned the Wrong Lesson from Europe

I wrote yesterday that many European nations are doomed to demographics and fiscal chaos, but a lot of people don’t care that much about the future. Bernie Sanders, for instance, looks at nat…