These clips concerning the phenomena of the Swedish economy are educative and worth watching, even if they do not provide any miracle cure for its American or European counterparts:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwIrlE0dax4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7z7qmgLiUdw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scBCqUmI-ic&feature=related
What steps is Sweden taking to solve the multiculturalism problem. I saw a clip of Jesse Jackson saying that Sweden is destined to become multicultural. It appears as if even the Swedes don’t want to be Vikings.
Yet more boasting from an almost irrelevant country called Sweden.
Now you may not value personal disposable income, but that's a personal problem.
Regarding the Danes, within the last 200 years well over half of them emigrated to America. Regarding the Swedes, within that same period well over half of them emigrated to America. Regarding the Finns, within that same period probably 90% of them emigrated to America or any other place they could escape to. Fortunately for them they have some really hot women or the Russians would have found it necessary to import more Pomars to repopulate the place.
So, why am I bringing up "the last 200 years" ~ lots of stuff goes on in 200 years anywhere. But rarely does the formerly RICHEST EMPIRE ON EARTH ~ the Swedish Empire ~ with all the wealthiest people on the planet ~ just wither away and disappear.
America 200 years ago was, for all practical purposes, a Third World Hell Hole with fairly democratic government at the local level and something more like a kleptocracy at the top. My goodness, half the country had SLAVERY!
Today, we got the big bucks and the big ammo, and Scandinavia is #10, but it's still on the way back up!
Obviously using a long term point of view gives the advantage to America, but it also reminds us of the fact you can be up, and you can be down, and in the end no one has all the really pat answers to that.
Regarding homogeneity ~ we ain't got none, don't want none, couldn't force us on it without some serious killin' in fact.
I don't see that in the long term homogeneity is an advantage or a disadvantage. Besides, Scandinavia is really not homogenous. First off you still got 11 Sa'ami tribes ~ they know who they are even if you don't ~ and come the next ice age (which could start this winter for all anyone knows) their marginal advantage in the cold could well lay Europe as a whole open to a quick Sa'ami takeover!
Finland appears homgenous ~ but the Swedish speaking minority know who they are and when they emigrated to America they set up their own synod. Same with the Finns. They set up their own synod. And the Sa'ami? The greater number escaped to America (or were brought here as slaves by the Swedes) early enough (mid-1600s) that they were able to retain much of their pre-Christian culture (see Santa Claus, et al.)
Norway is not homogenous ~ they are simply nuts. Cops without guns? Bizarre!~ And Sweden? They only imagine they recreated Scania in the Swedish image ~ there are ill feelings lurking just below a deceptively peaceful surface ~
To the degree Sweden found a secret to building wealth, they figured out that if you tax the rich at high enough level they will move everything abroad! That taxes are lower now is no guarantee they will be in the future.
How can there be a thread with references to ‘German’ and ‘Viking’ w’out a link to Techno Viking?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYKH5S93hT0
Cue the kittens...
Swedes and Norwegians are pretty much bipolar brothers.
Swedes require all houses in a particular village are painted the same color.
Norwegians allow for variation in what color you paint your house.
Both are gentile, friendly and accommodating people.
Their only trouble is that that they have no strong beliefs in “anything” but rather in “everything”,
They would rather party and be polite but they never never stand on principal except that “anything rules”.
They make great employees because they are not expected to work hard or have “Definite” opinions on anything.
But they are great people to have as friends and to spend a pleasant evening with.
The potato mash finally got to you tonight, huh?