Swedish study bashes European standard of living

I generally dislike statistics. Especially statistics based on something that is an opinion such as “Standard of living.” Each person has their own standard of living.

For some people happy is not having responsibilites such as rent, bills or a job. They are comfortable on the streets living day by day, and they don’t want to change. That is their “standard of living.”

and then those that are happy with just enough to get by with modern luxuries such as house and transportation.

some have the money to live excessive, but their “standards” are to just live a meager life.

but some think happiness is living excessive or beyond their means, for these people their standards are much “higher” … but are they “better?”

I don’t think “higher” is a synonym for “better” in this article.

I don’t find it hard to believe at all that America has the most highest standard of living in the world. I’m not saying better, I’m saying that American’s expect to own the “newest” and “most” of things. A computer, telephone, and television for everyroom. Heck, many are expecting these appliances in their cars now.

This is all fueled by what you called “consumerism.” American’s are always “beating the Jone’s” sorta speak.
“if they have it, then I must have it.”
and then the poor cry “I’m so poor, give me some” and since the richer are upgrading to the newer model there are always cheap “hand me downs” to the poor to keep them supplied.
It’s just this cycle of “consumerism” that keeps manufacturing these luxuries to the masses, and everyone is expected to have them.

Being “poor” in America is living very very rich than other under developed countries.

Dream Addict: Yeah what that study tried to tell us was that “You think that you lead a good life but we have statistics that shows you’re wrong.” I mean even if they mean economical standard of living that’s still a false conclusion…

I can only speak for the average swedish person. 15-20 years ago the average “Svensson” had a standard of living second to none, it was way better than the average american for example. We have lost a lot since that time, but it is still pretty good.

We have health care available that everyone can afford. Even the most advanced (or latest) stuff can be done at the university hospitals. There is a problem with having to wait thought. All university and higher education is free of cost by law.

Infra structure is excellent, or even better than in the US. Flying domestic is fast and pretty cheap. There is a network of high speed (sort of) trains. Well developed broadband, 3rd generation mobile network (and GSM of course) and so on.

If you look in the average swede’s home you’ll find the normal rooms with the normal appliances. Probably a new 32" widescreen, or an old television. Most cannot afford stuff like bigscreen TVs yet in their living room. You’ll find at least one computer. IKEA furniture (but it works :smile: )

You will see a lot of old cars thought. And not many SUVs or trucks among the new cars. Perhaps because the gas costs about $1.20 a litre. That’s the only thing i can think of that is radically different here in terms of standard of living unless my idea of the average american is underestimated. Becasue i havn’t been to the US i’m just comparing to what i’ve seen on TV…

wow, Sweden sounds nice… how are the drug laws?

Is tv and radio censored?

The drug laws are harsh. The cops can search you and force you to pee. They can even shit in a special toilet if they think you have something “on you”. Steve-O did that when he was in Sweden.

The only things that can be censored are violent movies (luckily they never use that right in practise anymore) and racial or sexual hate. A minister got 6 months the other day for badmouthing homosexuals.

Seriously? What did he do, quote from some Bible passages or something? I don’t see how they can give jail time unless he made some kind of threats to people.

Oops i must have mistaken that with something else. The minister ‘only’ got 1 month. It was for a preaching held last July “about whether homosexuality is an urge or if it is evil power’s play with people.”

I don’t think the state wants to censor the bible. They want to censor religious fundamentalists and right extremists. Still it’s extraordinary in a democratic society i think. Maybe i should inform Fox News about it? :grin:

Well, I’ve been to america and lived there during 2 months. I don’t know, I think the swedish living standards are better. Not to brag or anything of that sort, we just seem to be more “luxury” :smile:

One note I want to add is that yesterday I saw on a show that a American that had been in France and got stopped by the police, drugchecked and everything. Then at the end he asked why the police stopped him, he said “Because we can” and all in the show started laughing and complaining.
Well, that’s the deal in Sweden to and I thought that this was normal in the whole world. The police can stand at the side of the road and take you in for nothing, making a check and so on.

Dreammonster: Visst är huggormar sämst?

Yay, somnilogist. :smile:

moppe, we do have the “right to remain silent” and police can’t just take you in without a “probable cause.”

However, just last week. In North Carolina citizens no longer have the right to remain silent. If a cop ask your name, then you must tell him or you are breaking the law. Before, you could tell the cop to “kiss off” if you were not involved with anything criminal. Now, you can be an innocent citizen taking your dog for a walk and a cop has the right to ask you questions, and you must answer.

Some people don’t know what the big deal is about this, and say that it only helped criminals hide. Although, I look at it as losing my right to remain silent … and just another of America’s rights stolen from us. When will Americans stand up and start saying something!!

Sounds like kind of a slippery slope…

Well, the politics in Sweden are fucked up.
So bad that it will never get good. The king just sold his name to a parfume.

Yeah it’s a practical law but i’m not sure if it is justified. Is it legal to do Hitler greetings in public in the US?

Huggormar? Har mest sett överkörda. Jag är sällan i skogen :smile:

Äh, stockholmare. :smile: Blev biten igår, alla på IRC hörde mig gnälla. :smile:

Ajdå gick det bra då? Ska man inte uppsöka läkare?

Bilder? :grin:

Actually, that is not a good thing. :down: I do not agree with the preacher but, free speech is one of our most sacred “rights” which I would not give up for anything.

Interesting, I thought that Sweden was one of the countries with more lenient drug laws. Actually I thought most vices (Drugs, prostitution, gambling etc) were legal.

:down: That’s unbelievable !!!

Generally no. Here the police can not just stop a person and search them for no reason. As DA said, the police must have probable cause and it must be for a very good reason.

Now, if you are driving a car that is a little different. Because of DWI problems the police can pull you over for almost anything. You must produce a drivers licence, proof of insurance, and your registration (proof you own the car). In most cases the police may be able to search your car and your person with the slightest suspicion you may have drugs.

In just about all other cases the police must get a warrant. Lets say the police want to search your house/apartment. They would have to go to a judge and get his permission to do so.

To add what Milod789 touches on:
In North Carolina I’ve been pulled over for speeding or running a stop sign, and cops have asked to search my car. I know I have the right to say “no” and I have excercised those rights. There is little for the cop to do but say “well, that is your right.”
but, even if they think they “smell marijuana” that is enough probable cause to authorize a search.

… and yes, we can give the Hitler sign :tongue:

You must mistake us for The Netherlands. Prostitution is legal for the prostitute but not for the customer! (yes, Sweden must certainly be the #1 stronghold of feminism in the whole world). Gambling is legal but the state keeps a monopoly. This must sound hillarious, but the state’s reason for monopoly is to controll gambling to protect it’s citisens, and people actually seldom critizise it for beeing greedy! Alcohol is also only sold from a state monopoly for the same reason. It’s expensive as hell because of the taxes. No wonder there is private import like crazy along the borders :smile:

The penalties for most crimes are really low. You can get life in prison for murder, but you get pardoned after 15 years. The only one who sat longer than 15 yrs had spied for the Soviets…

I must remember to try it if i ever go there on vacation :tongue:

DreamAddict

Then if the officer searches your car anyway and finds something any evidence the officer finds will likely get thrown out of court.

The problem is that many people are intimidated by the police and unwittingly give “consent” to such searches.

Dream Monster

How does that work. You can sell the service but, it is illegal to buy the service.

We have the same thing here. It is called lotto. The profits from these games go to support education. There are some states where gambling is legal. But, it’s illegal in most states. That is one thing that people from other countries may find confusing about the united states. In many instances laws can vary from state to state.

Alcohol is legal here and can be purchased just about anywhere.

hmm, do you mean that only gambling there is lottery? or is that ‘company’ called "lotto and it includes more games than just lottery? :smile:
Here it’s same like it’s in sweden that there’s only one state’s gambling company wich has casinos, slot machines, sport- gambling, lotterys etc…

And alcohol under 5% can be sold everywhere, but alcohol drinks with higher alcohol % than that can only be sold in this one shop that is owned by state… And i guess it’s same there in sweden too that for example beer can be sold everywhere?

Yeah, alcohol taxes are quite high here too, but gladly now alcohol taxes has been decreased thanks to estonia’s eu membership :happy: (alcohol is so much cheaper in estonia than here so everyone would have gone there to buy it (there’s no limits how much you can bring alcohol from other eu coyntry to other))…

I don’t really know what is legal status of prostitution here… I allways have thought that it’s illegal here, but now when sweden made it illegal, there’s been discussions that it should be made illegal here too, so i guess it’s still legal in a way here… (not that i care about it :happy: )

Yeah, netherlands is the liberal one of nordic coyntries :wink:

well as a Dutch citizen i feel i have to reply here :smile:

yes, prostitution is legal, they even have their own union and have to pay taxes. Prostitution here is considered having your own business. I suspect this is the government discovered how much prostitutes earn and wanted to have some of that.

But there are limitations and specific districts where one can openly be prostitute. Most tourist in amsterdam know where, yes, the famous Red Light District.

On drugs, soft drugs are legal, that is, you may legally buy them and sell them, but you aren’t allowed to have more in your posession than a specific amount. There are coffeeshops where one can smoke pot legally, and generally everywhere you can have it.
So the coffeeshops need to buy weed from suppliers, but it is illegal to grow weed in large amounts; so a lot of ppl do this illegally. Weird laws, i know.

Also alcohol is legal after you’re 16 years of age. (if you want to drive a car you have to be at least 18, go figure). But if you are 12 you can also get away with it buying stuff in the supermarkets. They sell alcohol in the supermarkets here, and not just light stuff, also breezers and stuff like that.

what else? oh yeah gambling; also not illegal. We have casino’s and lotteries and such. The only thing is that there is a law where you have to pay taxes over what you won in lotteries. As far as i know gambling on horses (like in england) is forbidden here.