Why do people despise social democracies so much?

[Pat Smith]

The principles:

The government should:

1. Hold free and fair elections for its citizens to decide who should govern them, with a system of multiparty democracy so a variety of ideals can be put into practice.

2. Have a mixed economy consisting of both private enterprise and publicly owned or subsidized programs of education, health care, child care and related social services for all citizens.

3. Have an extensive system of social security (although not to the extent advocated by socialists), with the stated goal of counteracting the effects of poverty and insuring the citizens against loss of income following illness, unemployment or retirement.

4. Have government bodies that regulate private enterprise in the interests of workers and consumers by ensuring labor rights, consumer protections, and fair market competition.

5. Promote environmentalism and enforce environmental protection laws designed to combat global warming.

6. Have a value-added/progressive taxation system to fund government expenditures.

7. Have a secular and socially progressive policy.

8. Promote immigration and multiculturalism.

9. Advocate for fair trade over free trade.

10. Have a foreign policy supporting the idea of democracy, the protection of human rights and, where possible, effective multilateralism.

11. Encourage its citizens to have a strong sense of international solidarity and tolerance.

12. Advocate for social justice, human rights, social rights, civil rights and civil liberties.

Most countries do these, and yet if you talk to them about a social democracy or a welfare state they'll scream socialism and "freedom". I just don't get it.
Yeah, I said social democracy, not socialism. Democratic socialist and social democrat is not the same thing.

Look at Sweden. I don't see it being a dictatorship or anything. It's one of the most successful countries in the World. Highest rate of higher education, great health care, strong government, and taxes aren't too high. They're only 4 to 5% higher than in the US. The thing is, they don't send their army everywhere to fight, so they save money over there and can provide for their citizens. Anyway, I'm not saying that other ways of thinking are wrong, I'm just saying that it doesn't make sense to scream socialism and "freedom".