Nice piece, but it begs to ask WHY American and Denmark's populations have driven their countries in such different directions?

I think part of the answer lies in its demographics. Denmark is 85-90% ethnically Danish. Now I am not trying to make the "its all those damn foreigners argument" but the reality is that voting for more socialist policies like free education and healthcare follows much more naturally when one believe that other fellow I am helping is pretty much like me.

And humans are much better and believing that when they share ethnicity, culture, and language. Should we be more enlightened than this. Sure. Are we? Not so much.