Rache
I concur with with your opinion although my opinion of nth Korea is more of a monarchist state, with nepotism demonstrated with heir apparent the son of Kim.
The solution to the lack of left leadership in the western world is spontaneous acts of kindness.

Dear BB,

I suppose there are certain drawbacks
to capitalism that are common to all
capitalistic systems: such as marked
social inequality, a large and impoverished
lower class, and repeated cycles of prosperity
and recession, employment and unemployment.
No capitalist society has found a way out of
these dilemmas. And, nevertheless, in the most
capitalistic society on earth - the United States,
Americans remain convinced that their social and
economic interests are best served if the means
of production and distribution are privately
owned, and both political parties strongly
endorse free dompetition and the pursuit of
private profit.

Here in Australia, politics is a dirty word of
late. Many are dismayed by the current political
scene and can find no place in it for themselves.

I don't know where the left have disappeared to -
what we have is a kind of conservatism which
appears to be an impediment to social change.

We are in critical times and we need
long term planning which allows for the proper
protection and preservation of our environment.
The only way in which the country can work properly
is for management and Labour to co-operate with one
another, not condemn one another.

The sad truth is that the right only know one
language and that is condemnation.

You were impressed with democratic socialism - which
many of the countries of Western Europe practice
in one form or another. Do you realize how high their
taxes are?

Currently, most of these countries have been moving
in a more capitalist direction. The reason seems to be
that while socialist societies may distribute wealth
more evenly than capitalist ones, they are less
efficient in creating wealth in the first place.

Foxy
The Scandinavian countries are not perfect but they HAPPILY pay higher taxes and get greater benefits, especially in health and education. People are generally happier when there is a more even distribution of wealth.
They also live longer than Australians or Americans , have smaller prison populations, less road accidents and very high payments by our standards for pensions child birth bonuses and dozens of other social measures.

I would willingly pay higher taxes if it was spent on social services especially if this encouraged a greater sense of community and gives us all a few extra years of life.
The trouble is there is NO LEFT to push this agenda and most simply follow the capitalist ideology of "me first" and "look after number one".

Dear BB,

Be careful what you wish for.

The suicide rate is quite high in the Scandinavian
countries.

Our system may not be perfect - but we do have
the ability to be more active rather than passive
and we can participate in shaping our destiny.
The only thing holding us back now is not believing
we have the ability to take big steps.

I for one believe that there is room for social equity.
I do not believe in the politics of money and power.
In an ideology of greed, filled by an inbridled commitment
to individualism. This leaves no room for compassion or an
egalitarian society.

I don't believe that business has the right to get whatever
it wants. I think we need a re-assessment of the relationship
between labour and capital...

Regarding high taxes in Scandinavian countries - in Finland (actually a Nordic country) everybody is able to see on-line how much tax each citizen paid the previous financial year.

Rather than quietly minimising their taxes, the wealthy vie for the prestigious position of being the highest taxpayer, not the wealthiest individual.

That's somewhat different from many other societies and accruing massive personal wealth is not as important in enjoying a life where you know you will be cared for from the cradle to the grave.

As for suicide rates, there are significant discrepancies in rates between those countries so it's not a general trend for the region.

These countries are reported to have the highest "happiness" rates in the world and one theory is that people who suffer from clinical depression in such societies are more likely to commit suicide than those living in generally miserable societies.
Another is insomnia due to extended daylight periods, or alcohol abuse or many other theories.

Whatever the reason, I don't think you can just put it down to the income tax rate.

Good points from Foxy and Wobbles
This demonstrates that a left thinking government is sensible practical and socially cohesive.
So where is the left in Australian politics? It does not exist.