1) Many of these countries do little to help other countries around the world when catastrophe strikes. They are more inwardly focused. The U.S. is usually the first country to help when tragedy strikes. It's who we are.
2) Their populations are almost all white and there is very little diversity overall. This seems to work for them because it means less division in their countries. Think about it, the countries that are beating us, according to many young people, are basically "White Countries." An anomaly? I don't think so. I'd love to hear a liberal explain this one.
3) They live longer because they aren't obese nations like the U.S.
4) Medical costs are lower because people are in better shape.
5) They're better educated than most Americans and the spread is getting worse when comparing our public education system to theirs.
6) They're easier to govern because their populations are so small. We have cities in the U.S. that are larger than the populations of most of these Nordic countries.
7) They are not migrant friendly. They have closed borders and if you want in, you'd better have some advanced skills sets such as being a doctor, an engineer, or a scientist. They don't want to bring in people who will be a drain on their economy. They are very picky when it comes to who joins their country. Are we? Are we bringing in educated people with good values? Maybe a few, but not the average. We're certainly not bringing in educated people who can earn a good living and pay a good amount of taxes as soon as they arrive. We continue to support their livelihoods long after they've illegally crossed our border. Nordic countries don't accept this.
Anyhow, I could go on and on, but I won't. As with so many topics, many young people don't have a clue about the real world just like I didn't at their age. They get their news primarily from social media. It's scary!
Picture of Northern Lights in Norway