What this article failed to realize is that the value of the scandinavian system is based on fair distribution of wealth.
Nobody questions the living standards of the higher class americans. The gap in US is just way higher than in most other countries. A huge amount of people are living below poverty level in the US. Not so in scandinavia. You don't see homeless people wandering around the streets. You don't see people struggling with 3 jobs to make a daily living.
What you do see however is a large amount of young people living on social security that find thier lives so easy that they won't even bother to find work. The state pays the rent, gas, electricity and basic necessities such as food and clothing. They get enough cash per month to invest in new tv's, amplifiers, speakers etc. (well, after some saving at least.)
The difference really is that in the US the wealth is concentrated heavily on the rich part of the population which does its best to forget they have millions of poor people around the country. As a result US has high crime and fully populated criminal systems. A US catholic priest put it interestingly; in the US the criminal system plays the part of european welfare system. Only difference is that the US system of penalizing creates outcasts where the european system of welfare focuses on keeping people socially fit despite thier problems.
This produces safety because nobody is really forced to rob anyone for food or much anything else for that matter. Drug addicts are an exception naturally, but luckily in scandinavia even that problem isn't that apparent yet.
In US a succesful person can end up homeless if he gets sick and has to expend his medical insurance (or lack of one.) That is very unlinkely to happen in scandinavia. Healthcare is quite cheap and the system protects the workers from unlawful actions during sickness or similar phases of life.
The scandinavian system is far from perfect. But it is much safer for an individual in so many levels.
