An answer to Elamb's question, and scroll down, I've done some backposting on Oslo

Elamb asked me: Sweden is on of the few places I've considered moving to. How is the racial climate? How do they feel about black people? I heard that there is actual FREEDOM there... is that true?

Now, keep in mind that this is only a semester's worth of impressions, and I'm generalizing, which automatically means that for someone I am wrong, but I'll go out on a limb and write some of my impressions up here.

The Racial Climate is interesting, from what I've heard and read about. Remember, this is only one person's observations though.

Sweden is of two minds. You have the political mind, which embraces multiculturalism and works hard toward helping immigrants get used to Sweden. The majority of people are a different matter. Until recently, (within the last 60 years) Sweden has been racially and ethnically homogeneous. Oh, you have some immigration and people adopting, but for the most part, Sweden has been blonde people. However, that has been changing, and it creates tension in the cities between "Racial Swedes," "Ethnic Swedes" and "Immigrants." Often in schools, children who are Swedish Citizens, but don't have Swedish names or look Swedish, will be asked where they come from. There is a political party that has been gaining headway in Sweden that calls for a stop or severe restrictions to Immigration. Swedes for the first time are having to deal with the fact that their country is becoming Multicultural, and they are struggling. Not so much as places like, France for instance, but still.

As for Freedom, Sweden has a very different view of it than America, which was quite a surprise to me. While in America Freedom is thought of as the ability to do what you want as long as you don't break laws, in Sweden Freedom is more thought of as the Government enabling you to not have the disadvantages that would prevent you from having your freedom. Two very different views.

I've heard Swedes complain that Sweden isn't very free- the prices are really high for everything, housing in cities is a nightmare, and taxes are high. But, that's because wages are generally high in Sweden, housing is kept down and affordable by the government, and the government provides a host of benefits that Americans can't even conceptualize (free meals in schools? Monthly pensions for children? Free medical care for all children until their 18? Paid sick leave after the first day? The list goes on...)

Keep in mind also that Sweden's government also takes a very active role in the family... insuring that parents aren't messing up their children too much. Sex ed is mandatory and really explicit from a very early age- so if you believe that third graders shouldn't know the ins and outs of sex, sorry. Children are encouraged by schools to think independently from their parents. This upsets some very religious people who feel these things should be left up to the family.

From an American point of view it sometimes unnerves me how involved the government is in people's lives. So, I didn't really answer your question Elamb, but I hope I provided some insight. If you would like to know more, I just took a public policy course on Sweden,a dn I know where you can get some really interesting, informative information.


Now that you've read all this serious stuff, scroll down and read about my adventures in Oslo!