Why don't we just let Sweden run the world? *light hearted*

[Soupforoneplease]

On nearly every topic there is a reference to 'the way enter Scandinavian country here do it is this, and it's brilliant!' So why don't we all just all agree to a central world government and let one of these brilliant countries run it and improve things everywhere.
I've been to Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Helsinki. Things generally are great there. Bit of alcoholism in Finland, but nothing too bad. Is it there size (relatively small population) that means they can govern so efficiently? Is it that the general population are more 'obedient' for lack of a better word? What is it?

They kiss and greet in Stockholm. Smarmy people.

Finland has loads of great stuff that they just quietly get on with and the rest of the world ignore them. Sweden does it for sure with the big brother holier than thou attitude, imagining themselves the biggest and best. Ironically a good few Finnish public policies we are now admiring in Sweden were Swedish to start with, but we've gone all UK-style privatisation here and lost it.

I think the UK could do with Scandinavian style better quality apartment buildings, our (at least Sweden's) superb system of voting on a Sunday with postal voting or pre-voting allowed for weeks before that, 50/50 living after divorce as more of a norm (it has led to a greater acceptance of fathers being parents and also more acceptance of blended families), and skip the draconic school uniforms. Oh and less fucking cars.

@BeaLesshasty oh yes we do the kissing often just one cheek though, and some of us love it just as much as you do . An imported thing, you know the French way, nothing Scandi about it historically .

@BeaLesshasty

My son (who lives in Norway) tells me that when the three-metre distancing for Covid was relaxed the Norwegians he knew uttered exclamations of relief that they could now revert to their normal fifteen-metre distancing

Do Scandis do that awful European greeting of kissing on both cheeks that Brits make such a hash of?

In my experience it has been a hug or a polite smile, with nothing in between. No air-kissing.

In Finland it seems not to be good form to smile at anyone you don't know: it is seen (I was told when I wondered about the non-responses I got) as somehow being an invasion of their personal space. So if someone gives way to you in the street, saying a smiling thank-you might not be a good idea, and that is really difficult to remember not to do!

In Finland it seems not to be good form to smile at anyone you don't know: it is seen (I was told when I wondered about the non-responses I got) as somehow being an invasion of their personal space. So if someone gives way to you in the street, saying a smiling thank-you might not be a good idea, and that is really difficult to remember not to do!

I smile at the old folks I see when I go on my daily walk, sometimes say moi, most of them smile back. Dunno if its a small town thing, being friendlier.

The sun never sets on the Danish Empire (in June).

No.

I'm up for it if we can have Robyn write our national anthem.

But please can we still get rid of our kids to school at 4? And keep uniforms. Leggings/joggers and hoodie preferably! Ta

very child centred, but the big difference is the role men seem to have in family life

My best friend married a Swedish man. The biggest struggle she had with him was his lack of interest in family life. I remember she visited us when her first born was about 6 months old. We went to the supermarket to pick up some stuff for the baby and he stayed behind with my husband. The baby cried the whole time we were away and according to my husband he seemed to have no idea what to do. In fact, my husband had far more interaction with the baby the whole time they were here than this guy did, and that was long before we had kids and neither of us had any experience with babies. My husband was shocked at how little this guy did.

It did get better when he took a few months of paternity leave, but it is really obvious whenever they visit that she is more involved with the children than he is. Totally different to how it is in our family.

I've no doubt there are families over there who have a more balanced approach but it's not a given that Swedish men do it better.

It would mean that we'd keep the monarchy

And that out current covid rates per 110k would be between 107 (Norway) and 557 (Sweden)

I don't like ABBA. I'm only in favour of being taken over by Sweden if First Aid Kit get to write the new anthem.

I love it up there but there are a few drawbacks. Norway is the most expensive country in the EU for food. They also pay approx 45% tax on their wages. I think Denmark is around 39%. The winters are hard going and Im Scottish, so know all about hellish,long freezing winters. Sweden can be quite a conservative society.

I work in Denmark and the racism astounds me.
I've also lived in different parts of Scandinavia and have seen plenty which doesn't fill me with any faith that a world government run by the insert Nordic country nationals would work. AT ALL.

The huge rise of the far right in Sweden should be worrying all of us.

But please can we still get rid of our kids to school at 4?

Despite 'school' not starting until later, most are in full time daycare at well before 4 and it doesn't cost the earth. I don't know any Danish stay at home parents

@FeatheredHope why?

why? @BeefSupreme Er...because we should all be concerned about the rise of Nazis, do you not think? And the fact that it’s happened in arguably one of the most tolerant societies in the world should get everyone thinking about how easily fascism can sneak up on us.

I'm suspicious of the Norwegians. Ever since I tried that sweet brown cheese they love. Something dark at the heart of a nation that produces that. And as for the Swedes and their fermented herring...

Ed Milliband and Geoff Lloyd do a podcast, Reasons to Be Cheerful. There's an interesting episode on Finland, Learning From the World's Happiest Country (for 4 years running). Ep 186. Affordable childcare plays a big part in things. For the person asking about UI, they discuss this somewhere too.

If Finland is such a happy country why is the suicide rate high - this fact I gleaned from a poster upthread.

@LadyEloise

If Finland is such a happy country why is the suicide rate high - this fact I gleaned from a poster upthread.

Cause there are only happy people left.

@MintyMabel

very child centred, but the big difference is the role men seem to have in family life

My best friend married a Swedish man. The biggest struggle she had with him was his lack of interest in family life. I remember she visited us when her first born was about 6 months old. We went to the supermarket to pick up some stuff for the baby and he stayed behind with my husband. The baby cried the whole time we were away and according to my husband he seemed to have no idea what to do. In fact, my husband had far more interaction with the baby the whole time they were here than this guy did, and that was long before we had kids and neither of us had any experience with babies. My husband was shocked at how little this guy did.

It did get better when he took a few months of paternity leave, but it is really obvious whenever they visit that she is more involved with the children than he is. Totally different to how it is in our family.

I've no doubt there are families over there who have a more balanced approach but it's not a given that Swedish men do it better.

There are tons of shit dad's in Nordic countries. I do think that the system is more supportive for dad's to be involved (can only comment about finland). Men get 9 weeks of paternity leave and then parents can use 3 years of parental leave and in my social circles men have taken 6-12 months of parental leave.

@Serpenta

I'm suspicious of the Norwegians. Ever since I tried that sweet brown cheese they love. Something dark at the heart of a nation that produces that. And as for the Swedes and their fermented herring...

It's fine so long as you don't expect it to be cheese.

The high suicide rate in Finland was during a depression; it got better once the economy started recovering. Mind you, it will probably go up again now.

(Belgium is worse, apparently. Who'd'a thunk it?)

@Juno231

I know it's light hearted but it really wouldn't work just from a cultural point of view I think. They have some of the lowest levels of corruption, trust in their government, more of a community vibe (imagine having shared laundry rooms in the UK and one big boiler for a block of flats!) - if you just applied that blanket approach everywhere where people don't have the same beliefs I think the system would be super ripe for people taking advantage/the piss!

See I wish we had more of that community vibe/ sense of responsibility. I think it's a small minority that ruin things for others but they are so loud/ aggressive/ destructive they're impossible to work around.

Have a read of “the Almost Nearly Perfect People”, gives a great insight and description of the dark, warty underbelly of the Nordic countries, as well as the happy sunny good bits. Really interesting read for scandi-philes, that life isn’t all roses over the North Sea.

That was a very interesting book and I wouldn't mind reading it again, but because my house is the opposite of cool Scandi minimalism, it has sunk without trace into the abyss of shite.