I don't know how to define "small" and "large" objectively. I prefer to use "efficient". It sure looks to me that them liberal Swedes have figured out how to run a relatively efficient solvent government (using the tax burden/govt expenditure metric). Hence, my point about the clearly invalid assertion made by the author the original article.
I don't think we care if a government is small, solvent, or efficient, if it is a totalitarian one. Those things are not enough.
Come on, dude, no need for this... Indeed, I assumed the starting point was that we confine the discussion to the countries mentioned in the original article and ones similar to them.
Nonsense. Their taxes are almost twice as high as ours, yet their debt to GDP ratios are low to high 40s which is far from the best on your list and where we were not long ago. I wouldn't call that success, nor would I call us insolvent -- yet. But our glide-path is unsustainable thanks in large part to liberalism, as it was/is in the places mentioned in the article, also thanks in large part to liberalism, which is why liberalism is retreating. Tell me where it's growing and has been successful. Your examples don't make a case for anything except liberalism run amok. Ever buy a car in Denmark? Didn't think so.
Firstly, you're confusing flow and stock variables. Secondly, who says they have to be at the top of the list? Finally, let's not quibble over the definition of success ('cause I know you'll disagree with me as a matter of principle). My argument (or rather my refutation of the author's assertion) is still valid, as it only requires that liberal Scandinavian societies aren't failures. Would you call them failures and, if so, on what basis? Now you're not abiding by basic tenets of logic, mate. Aren't you just stating as given exactly the point that you're attempting to prove? Moreover, I just told you where liberalism is successful and certainly not retreating. I also told you that Ireland can't possibly be included in the same group of "liberalism sufferers" as Greece. What do you mean by "liberalism run amok"? As to Denmark, have you yourself ever lived in or visited Denmark? While I haven't ever bought a car in Denmark, I actually live nearby and I travel all over the Scandi countries, incl Denmark, extremely frequently. So what exactly is your point about cars in Denmark? At any rate, I think it will be very difficult to argue with you, since your logical reasoning faculties seem to be somewhat impaired by your temper.
History has shown us that any political party that swings too far over to the extreme and over-reaches will pay a price for it in following elections. The new paradigm for the US is that there is no overlap between the parties like there used to be.