My Blog

With the election day approaching, one issue that comes up and is debated to exhaustion is that of the Swedish model. From left to right of the political spectrum, different definitions and approaches are thrown around, always confusingly.

But exactly what is the Swedish model, and where is it heading? Rarely have I see an article that echoes so perfectly my personal experience as well as some disappointment with things Swedish as this one written by Johan Norberg on the Sumer 2006 issue of The National Interest. And as if it wasn’t enough, The Economist just came up with a very even article on the subject, entitled The Swedish model: Admire the best, forget the rest.

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I’ve been in this country for over seven years now. I was apologetic for the government from the very start and whenever I was called to vote, I voted their way. True, there were always things to be critical about, and I know few as critical about everything as me. But in the whole, I was satisfied.

Pan to this last year events. By now I’ve witnessed first hand on how easy it to defraud the state and, consequently, those who work hard and pay their taxes. In this country, as long as you are wiling to lie here and there, you are set up for life. There are no bounds and checks within the system. You can pretend you are studying while staying at home and procrastinating, that you will still receive all the perks that come with the territory. You can have houses and stock outside this country and still qualify for thousands of crowns of monthly benefits. You can live with a partner in your house and still qualify for help with your rent as if you were single. Even in my original country this would be called a scandal. Here it is called living la vida loca.

Now, you would think that these people would keep a low profile wouldn’t you? Wrong. That demands shame. But shame is the first casualty of inebriation as soon as you find out that here, in Sweden, you can get away with mostly anything. And if you dare to point it out you are insulted and even threatened.

But you know what is the greatest insult of all when one works hard, sometimes for more than twelve hours a day like I did just last week? It is when one of these persons turns to you and tells you that while we are appreciated for working a lot, you would even be more appreciated if you didn’t work as much. If there is a tale that reflects what is in the head of so many people on this country, this one is it.

Before, stories like these were not uncommon. We would hear about them from many different sources. They were part of the local folklore. But one thing is ear say, the other is witnessing it ourselves. And because of it, this time, I am vouching for change.

And what does vouching for change mean? In my view, it means to revolutionize the status quo.

• Stop using the public sector as a reward for loyalty in election time. It destroys productivity and breeds incompetence. The public sector is fat enough as it is, thank you very much.
• Rain down on benefit cheaters. By creating a culture of cheating you are hurting everybody in the long run and failing the people that are this country’s engine of success.
• A government can’t be held hostage to fringe parties with lunatic ideas on the path to take, specially when history showed many times over that they are a recipe for disaster.
• Bet on creating new jobs instead of keeping unemployed happily unemployed and making it even better to stay home and not move a finger.
• Help those who really need help. Invest money on tracking and helping the faceless and voiceless on our society.
• We need a real meritocracy, not a free for all merry’go’round that rewards incompetence, laziness and cheating.
• Give us some respect.