I am somewhat of a student of history, and have yet to find anywhere that socialism has accually worked. Some may argue that it is working in Europe right now. But, is it really? As I see it, there is mounting debt, runaway inflation, and government take overs of entire industries. Just to name a few of the problems facing many nations in Europe. Also, the EU seems to have lost most, if not all, of it's economic power, with the exception of the Euro still existing. So, where is it working, and providing this great utopia that it's proponants say is the result?
A good recent review of the pluses and minuses of the Danish system can be found in
Something Not Rotten in Denmark by Paul Krugman in the New York Times of October 19
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/19/opinion/something-not-rotten-in-denmark.html
Denmark is often regarded as the most socialized nation as it has the largest percent of GDP spent by the government.
When you say that socialism isn't working, I wonder what your standard is. For most socialists, the criterion is the standard of living of the poorest strata of citizens measured in relative, not absolute terms. Is that what you are using as a measure?
I too fancy myself a student of history, particularly economic history. I can't imagine what sources have given your assessment of European socialism. Where did you get these strange ideas?
