Cog,
All the countries you mentioned are much more 'socialist' than the US but would be very high on my list of places to move to if I was younger. Sure taxes are higher, but when you are not paying for the self-appointed world's police force (as in the US), you have a lot more money to use for social welfare. They didn't change, they just never went down that path (in modern history, post WWII). I voted with my feet and we are in one of the currently lighter colored countries on you map (Poland). Wife wants to go back to Canada (for health benefits). Not going back to the states....