and neo-liberalist (not to be confused with what americans call liberalism)
Please explain the differences.
"I spent some time North of Stockholm.
and neo-liberalist (not to be confused with what americans call liberalism)
Please explain the differences."
Hope you enjoyed Stockholm (by the way I live in Göteborg/Gothenburg, second largest city in Sweden - love Stockholm all the same!)
In Sweden and most of Europe, "Neoliberalism" ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neoliberalism )designates a political school of thought that teaches a free trade, small government, laissez faire ideology ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laissez_faire%2C_laissez_passer ).
This ideology is very different from what most americans call "liberalism". The most striking difference is that in America, "liberalism" is a political force seeking to strengthen the role of the government in relation to the individual whereas in Europe, the word "NEOliberal" has the opposite meaning.
I don't believe in weak governments.
What I wish for my country is a strong (but not necessarily a big) government in the sense that Sweden - which is a collectivist culture in many ways and will remain so - will develop into a society where schools, universities, authorities, companies and individuals do their uttermost in developing our country to a shining example of Scandinavian and European capability through innovation, national endeavor and business performance.
We're already more than halfway and the recent choice of the swedish electorate (for a Conservative lead alliance) gives a clear signal to the rest of Europe.
Socialism has lost the Battle of Europe!