They do seem rather miserable.

Maybe they just don't have to pretend to be cheerful all the time.

https://worldhappiness.report/ed/2023/world-happiness-trust-...

Scandinavia is ethnically homogenous.

That's not really true, and what does that have to do with the parent's assertions?

Take Canada as an example then. It has a strong welfare state, is neither miserable and poor, nor ethnically homogenous.

To be clear, neither Canada nor Scandinavia is perfect nor perfectly happy.

Lots of countries are ethnically homogenous and yet, they are fucking hellholes.

<snort>

    Alban Uzoma Nwapa (born 26 August 1957), better known by his stage name Dr. Alban, is a Nigerian-born Swedish musician and producer with his own record label, Dr. Records.

    His music can best be described as Eurodance/hip-hop reggae in a dancehall style.

    He has sold an estimated 16 million records worldwide and is most famous for his worldwide 1992 hit "It's My Life", from the album One Love.

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Alban

Welcome to Sweden (1990): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uPDfuC3Jck

This isn’t true outside of the daydreams of right wing cucks and Americans.