One of the last times I visited family in Stockholm from NYC, we counted how much I make, how much i pay in taxes as a single person, and it turns out that i bring in way less money at the end of the day then someone doing my job in Stockholm. I pay way more taxes, get way less back of it in social services... My salary looks good on paper, but especially in NYC, its just chump change.
That's really interesting! It seems like people in the tech industry do earn quite a bit more than in Sweden - but I think it depends a lot on what you need when it comes to apartment, car, insurance, medical etc.
That's so cool! I really hope that I've given you a fair view of the country then - and I also hope that we'll have some snow so you get a proper Christmassy vibe :D
I would also add: Public transit, Environmentalism, Right to roam and the access to amazing nature everywhere you go (even in cities that blend in with nature) Homelessness and drug problems, personal safety and crime (Sweden has some bad areas and have seen increases in crime - but it’s not comparable to the U.S. at all where you actually fear for your life in some places - I also read that if Malmö was a U.S. state, it would be by far the safest in terms of murder and crime per capita) People taking health seriously with exercise and diet, beautiful architecture and city planning that’s less focused on the car, and lastly is quality of the food due to US food having so much chemicals and added sh*t to it - while in Sweden/EU most of the ingredients used in America are banned and instead more natural ingredients are used instead, which seriously helps public health and keeping all types of diseases and obesity down.
All of those are excellent points, and I would definitely have changed my list if I made it today instead! Taken out some of the more frivolous topics I chose, and added some of these - and maybe switched around things a bit. Oh well, hindsight is always 20/20!
I have never been in the US, but many times in Sweden - It looks like Sweden does many things better, to get me traveled so often to this beautiful country. Greetings from Germany.😊
Haha, I think the close proximity and similar culture might have something to do with it as well, but I'll happily accept your line of thinking either way :D
Germany, Sweden and America have a lot in common as societies. If you disapprove of drinking on sundays, you'd be better off in Sweden than anywhere else on this planet.
Thank you for a thoughtful and considerate approach to your topics. Based on my experience as an immigrant to Sweden from the US, I agree with you about this list.
Thank you! It feels really good to hear that I wasn't too...antagonistic when compiling this list. I am a bit biased in Sweden's direction after all ^_^
You definitely nailed it. There was a documentary a few years back in which a well-know journalist took a good look at healthcare, school and the juridical system (police) in Sweden. She started by stating that we, the citizens of Sweden have a contract with the national and local governments. We all, in solidarity, pay taxes that pays for infrastructure, healthcare, schools, police, firefighters etc, even if we don’t access or use any of these institutions. However the moment we are in need of any help from the society, we expect to get that help, without delay and without any obstacles and of course for free. What surprises me most is the US democrazy, where one vote isn’t ONE vote everywhere and where a president candidate can more than 50% of the public votes, but still the opponent may win due the electoral college system. And as always, a good video but you must have been traveling back and forth a billion times to make it.
That's a good description about how we see it! Sweden is a very trusting country - trusting in its government and its setup in general. Which of course means that it's also vulnerable to people who want to exploit that... And yeah I'm not really a fan of the electoral college thingie they've got going there. Especially with all the Gerrymandering too. Haha, I wish I could travel often to the US, but alas - limited vacation days and limited money. I do the most I can with it though.
I do like the concept of Fika! Although I hope you know that 'white gunk' is on the cinnamon rolls they sell AT Ikea here! Thank you for the videos. I enjoy them a lot. Best wishes from my cold little corner of Montana!
Noooo! How can IKEA sell their soul like that?! But thanks a lot either way, and hope that Montana is lovely in autumn. Because Sweden isn't with all the rain now!
I’m a US citizen that has been to several countries. Each time I return home from a trip, I’m thankful to be back and even more appreciative of my home country. But when I went to Sweden, I thought “wow I would love to live here”. I agree with some of your points on this video.. though I am one of the very fortunate Americans that has a remote job with a high salary and excellent paid time off (definitely an outlier). So I’m lucky enough that I’m able to spend several weeks a year exploring Sweden :)
A great (and fair) video. I could go on and on, but I'm glad you hit on nudity being bad, but how we're okay with violence. Hell, many of our horror movies kill off naked people in grisly, "creative" ways. We're really weird in that regard...
Haha I agree! But we all have a bit of weirdness going on in our countries. There's plenty of people who look at Sweden in wide-eyed confusion too of course ^_^
I had the misfortune to live in America for a year about 35 years ago and I absolutely hated almost every minute. I couldn't wait to get back to Europe. I found the concept of "the land of the free" to be somewhat of a misnomer. Sweden on the other hand, I absolutely love. In fact...(sorry , Milo) Denmark too. Maybe it's because there are more similarities to Scotland? Right to roam, free education (including university), and our laws are different from the rest of the UK. We have a more egalitarian society too.
Scotland does feel like it should belong to Scandinavia at times. There are so many similarities in the mentality, and the nature as well come to think of it. If Scotland ever decides to become independent it can elope to us instead! :D
I have often thought we'd be better off with a Northern version of the EU. As for Scots, most of us have a large percentage of Norse genes! On some of the islands the Norse genetic marker is over 60% with "Scottish" family traceable for over 500 years.
If only I could disagree at some level, so that this wouldn't be a boring comment... What friends of mine really despise about the US is what they call 'hamburger-style sightseeing' what means that you can get everywhere by car and everything is adapted to host vast number of cars. Still, I believe the US has a lot to offer and being born there definitely helps adapting to such reality. Or maybe we're a little bit spoiled in EU. Greetings from PL, Miro! Have a nice week :)
I think the US sees themselves as spoiled, because they can get everywhere by car and see everything by car etc :D But yeah, I like a lot about America - just as I like a lot about most countries over here too. It's all positives and negatives in the end. Cheers and have a great one you too!
As an American, I totally agree with your list. Just for the record, there are lots of us who hate guns and violence - though we seem to be outnumbered.
I'm sure that most people are just people, no matter what country they live in - they're nice and want everyone to live in peace. It's just a set of pretty loud people that take up a lot of space in the debate. Or at least I hope that that's the case!
The cold and dark is NOT the worst of it. The rain is. You expect nice snow, but get a horrid frankensteinish combination of rain and snow. I hate snöblandat regn and slask.
Haha, wait, were people naked in a public pool? Or private? I hope private, because it's definitely frowned upon to expose yourself to random people :D
Great video -- you bring up some fantastic points about us in the USA! After visiting Sweden several times for work, I have really grown to admire many things about your country. I greatly appreciate your mass transit system (Arlanda Express, SJ, and SL), riktig kanelbulle på fika, how clean everything is, how good your still water tastes, and cashless practically everywhere. Det tog mig nästan två år att lära mig svenska, men jag gillar att kunna kommunicera med lokalbefolkningen, försöka smälta in när jag är där och framför allt att läsa skyltar. Jag känner mig också trygg när jag är i Stockholm. Du har rätt om vår dåliga vapenkultur och splittrade politiska frågor här i USA. Som amerikan och texan är det ibland pinsamt att behöva förklara för mina svenska vänner och kollegor några av de konstigare sakerna här. Jag uppskattar verkligen dina videor och den hjälpsamma inblicken i svensk kultur för en amerikan som jag!
Din svenska är verkligen jättebra! Tack så mycket - och jag är glad att höra att du tycker bra om Sverige. Men USA har förstås massor av fantastiskt bra saker också! Alla länder har för- och nackdelar trots allt.
@@ThreeStarVagabond Jag uppskattar ditt komplement! Jag håller helt med dig. Jag önskar att vi hade socialiserad sjukvård, för det är en av de största månatliga utgifterna förutom fastighetsskatter och vägtullar. Min fru och jag ser fram emot dina nya videor varje vecka.
I wish countries that care about tipping would give tippers back their tip and tell them that it's not necessary. I hate that Americans push their tipping culture onto other countries. As an American, I hate being forced to tip, especially if they have their hands out waiting for you to give them a tip. If you don't tip, you'll either be treated badly if you ever go back or your meal will come out late or your order was 'accidentally' misheard.
Great views of USA. Great comparison. I'd like to add, that Swedish taxes are not so high as others are saying. If you are getting salary up to 50k SEK, it means that your tax will be around 30-33% in total. In US, depending on state you'll have the same amount deducted from your salary. As example in California you'll be taxed totally up to 30% with all social security things. And still you will pay for the health insurance from your netto income. Even if employer is paying most part of it. And for sure for each doctor appointment you'll be charged for 20-30%, depending on your plan. You'll have to get a student loan or count to your parents to get to have some college degree. On the other hand I have to say that in most EU countries Taxes are pretty similar, I mean by total amount of taxes. Sometimes it says like that you're just paying 15%, but still, add medical insurance, unemployment, pension, etc and you'll get the same 30% as you have in Swede in most cases. Yes, there are just a few cases when you're paying 55%, but it's an exception mostly than usual salaries and life. In US you will also have 40% taxes if your salary is high.
@ThreeStarVagabond don't believe what everyone comments most just say from hearsay or what my friends tell me this, etc. Take it from an American that has lived both sides. Also, one thing with Americans they like to embellish without any fact or merit behind their statements unlike the swedes
@@Joe-eg7ml Oh, no worries - I won't take anything as fact, but it's interesting input that might lead me to look for new angles. So I appreciate both hearsay and cold hard facts - but I do try to check it in either case ^_^
My jaw dropped when you forgot to put the Right to Roam at the top of the list! As for taxes, in Canada they pay a lot less in taxes and yet manage to uphold a social security network in a large, sparesly populated, country. I think we may have a lot to learn from the Canadians about using the taxpayer's money efficiently.
You are SO right! I completely forgot about that - and I don't really know how I managed to overlook it! But yeah, Canada does do a lot of good things right. And who has ever something bad to say about Canada?
I have lived both in Goteborg and PNW region. I prefer America because the cost is much lower, taxes are much lower(i have more freedom the way I spend my money before the govt takes it) , you can only make so much in Sweden, food is much better and variety especially, like the free parking/bathroom, some stores are open 24hrs, etc. America has also given me the opportunity to obtain investment properties in which that I can also obtain property in Sweden and live there(which is plan to do) 😊 I have dual citizenship via wife.
That's almost like the best of both worlds! But yeah, there are upsides to living in the US - especially if you're well off. Sweden is more about "making everyting lagom" instead...
@ThreeStarVagabond lagom varies between people. When my swede bro in law came to the usa to visit us, he always had to watch his finances. He couldn't even enjoy his trip over usa because he always had to watch his finances(even tho he could afford it) even tho I provided him with lodging and transportation....imo that's no way to live. I think sverige would make a perfect place to retire, but to live and make money it is not the best.
@@Joe-eg7ml I think it's hard to earn money in Sweden just from working 9-5, but it's pretty easy to e.g start a company here, and take a minimal salary but save the profit in the company to pay it out as dividents. It's not too bad that way. And once you do get a bit of money there are some pretty good investment options like ISK - plus that the cost of living (aside from apartments) can be pretty cheap. So it's not a horrible place to invest in. But it might require some more effort.
In Canada there is same kind of system for the prices. That is just so idiotic for European perspective. In Finland we have price quarantee that if the product costs more than price tag says, they have to sell it with that price.
I agree with you, we get taxed to death and don’t really get many benefits from it. Some states have property tax on your vehicle, the amount depends on the value of it, for example we own a 2015 Toyota Avalon and last years tax was nearly two hundred dollars that’s just bullshit. Don’t even get me started on Democracy cause that were not, people need to look up the meaning behind democracy. Shootings are a different story, I have my arguments and others have there’s with no real good answers but defunding the Police is not it. Another great video, stay safe till next time.
Yeah I don't really have the answers to things I see as a problem either - I'm just observing and noting things really! But thanks, and have an awesome one you too!
I was expecting - Good public transport. I am sure that living in the north in the High Coast 500km from Stockholm and having to travel to Arlanda often would be a pain in the B if Sweden had the US transport. There are people without driving licences and are doing completely fine here in Sweden... can you do that in the US... I don't think so 🤷♀
Oh wow, I totally forgot about that! You're absolutely correct - especially for inter-city traffic. I found public transport in California perfectly fine within the cities to be honest, but yeah... Getting anywhere in the US without a car is a bit of a mess.
The U.S. doesn't include the tax in pricing at stores because, theoretically, it makes the buyer aware of how much state and local government are taking in taxes, helping them have a voice about what they're willing to pay or to argue for better services if the cost is seen as too much.
Actually, on the receipt you see how much of the price is sales tax, so it is not that you do not get the information - but what is on the price tag is what you pay.
@@TheThunander No it's not. The stores all show e.g "$3.99" and then they add some weird tax on top of that. When you get the receipt it's after you've paid - so the price is absolutely not obvious before you pay. Ridiculous system and completely backwards.
Just got back from Denmark, Norway and Sweden on an interrail trip, just loved it, Scandinavians seem to be such sensible and caring people, I was very impressed. Went to the US years ago a few times, never again, I have never visited a country so full of BS.
That's even harsher critique for the US than what I came up with! But thanks, and I'm happy that you had a good time up here in the north! Traveling by train is a great idea, since you see so much of the nature along the way. Cheers!
I'm confident that the average swedish household has a higher net worth than the average American household. According to all my research over the past five years. But if im wrong, feel free to let me know.
If I'm just guessing I'd say that the median purchasing power could be higher in Sweden, but the average is probably lower - since the US has such huge wage gaps. Even compared to Sweden, which is also pretty bad in that regard.
One thing I have noticed about most Americans is that is they can't take any criticism of their country without becoming immediately defensive. I have no idea why that is, because there's plenty there that could be improved, not least their patently cruel health system. Perhaps it's the result of being told you are better than everyone else from your school days into adulthood.
I think you're right - many people over there probably get "indoctrinated" into thinking that the US has no faults early on. It's a bit of a pity really, since it's a country that does so much good. It could strive for even greater greatness if some Americans were more accepting to discuss its flaws, I think.
American here of Swedish descent! I agree with most of what you say. I think Americans are in general stupidly full of pride because the vast majority of our ancestors left somewhere else so they wouldn't starve to death...or to escape some sort of persecution...or because they were dumped here by England as some sort of criminal...or they came against their will on a slave ship...you get the idea. I believe we feel like we've made the best of it in just a few hundred years!!! Like, look at us-we were the unwanted/poor/starving/enslaved folks and "the kids are alright". My state didn't become a state until 1912!!! We are far from perfect. FAR from perfect over here! But we're trying...and we are a very very diverse country as far as ethnicity goes... for good and bad. I get the feeling y'all over there are just getting a taste of what that means with the immigration issues you have been dealing with. That's our baseline. I was in Bastad last summer meeting my relatives and I kept saying...."this place is SO beautiful-why in the world would anyone leave?". I must have said this like 4 times that day and they kept saying..."because you would have starved to death. Period. End of story!". So, there's that! I will be in Sweden again next summer-bringing some friends with me for a 2 week road trip. It is a beautiful place that I want to share with them. I'm very proud of my Swedish heritage!
That's a good explanation for the American way of thinking, I'd say. And well, both Sweden and the US was wildly different all those years ago so I guess that it's hard to get into the mindsets of why people did what they did. Starvation is a pretty good reason to leave though! Either way, I'm happy about the positives of Sweden these days - and America as well!
@@ThreeStarVagabond By the way...I love your videos and find them very entertaining, educational and helpful! My state is Arizona-we are proud of the Grand Canyon and encourage everyone to come see it! (Ya, Phoenix is about as polar opposite as Bastad as you can get eh?.
With regards to the shootings in the US. Almost 60% are suicides. And a significant amount beyond that are urban gang related. Urban areas would rather defund and demonize our police and release violent criminals than punish criminals and fund law enforcement. None of these cities have conservative politicians governing them. And when you're talking about cities with 10-40% of the total population of Sweden, that's a recipe for disaster. But I don't think the right to bear arms is to blame. It's mostly a point of political argument on the left to blame the gun and the 2nd amendment while calling the hand that pulled the trigger a victim of some social injustice.
It's a bit like the old cliche "guns don't kill people". Sweden also has a lot of weapons, and (at least until recently) we didn't have much of a gun culture despite that. But given how things are developing with shootings in Sweden these last years, we're taking a bit too much inspiration from over there it seems. If we had more people it probably would have escalated even quicker.
I lived in Sweden. Any comparison with it and the U.S. is necessarily flawed. Sweden has about one fourth the population of California and is roughly the same size geographically. The US is a huge and immensely diverse country on every level, so much harder to unify and manage, naturally.
To be fair, some countries just automatically makes for an unfair comparison. China, the US, Russia - some places are too enormous and varied. But it's still fun to poke fun at it like this!
Immigration crisis. I would say the gang issue is a bigger problem. Yes, most gang members have immigration backgrounds, but it's still a gang problem. 30 years ago, Sweden had an MC gang problem with a war going on, just as today. But no one blamed all that drive a motorbike. So why blame all immigrants for the gang war today. I would say most immigrants try to integrate and adapt. Get education and a job. Sweden is really bad to integrate and help them get into the society.
Personally, I'd say that we have a mixed back of immigrants who want to integrate, some who don't really feel like it, and some people in between. People are just people, after all - with different ambitions and ideas for what they want. But yeah, the gang situation is really a bigger concern for me too.
@@ThreeStarVagabond only a small percentage wants to assimilate with swedish society, the violent migrants want to be catered to their Muslim ways, yes im talking about the gangs who act all entitled
Taxes are a good thong, but in sweden we pay up to 66 percent marginal tax rates. And it starts very low, for example Im a systems architect and I pay 66 percent mareginal tax rate. Its insane. No one should be forced to pay that much. The system is too uneffecient
We'll get some tax breaks in 2025 at least. But yeah, I feel the same way at times. A high salary is pretty meaningless once you get past a certain limit. But I still think that the positives outweigh the negatives, at least in my view.
@@ThreeStarVagabond I dont know if it does. For example I need to have a private insurance ontop of my expensive public healthcare to ensure proper healthcare. But US is not the best model to look at. There are European countries we can look to instead.
Agreed! We could certainly do better in that regard. And I've been lucky to not have to think too much about my health (yet) but I've definitely heard others who have serious issues with Swedish healthcare.
@@ThreeStarVagabond High taxes and generous social benefits stifle entrepreneurship, which is the reason the whole of the EU GDP is behind the USA despite a much larger population, Nothing wrong with that on the surface as putting people first. However, if the day came we could not rely on the USA for help with defence we could ( most EU countries ) be in the crap as our defence spending would be lacking .
I wonder if things will be changing now though. There seems to be a trend towards different economy politics, more military spending etc. Maybe we can reach some reasonable middle ground in the end.
@etrigueros 0 seconds ago Good morning from the other hemisphere. The US should not be a democracy, but a republic. The difference resides that in a republic, people are ruled by a charter/constitution regardless of what the majority wants.
Now... I may be talking out of my ass, but isn't a republic considered a form of democracy, since people vote for their representatives? I guess the electoral system in the US is even more complex than in many other countries though.
@@ThreeStarVagabond Yes, you are right, it is a form of democracy. However, the essence is that concepts such as "Vox Populi Vox Dei " are not as fast as in Europe. For example, controversial legislature takes longer to be applicable because constitutional governments processes may take forever. One single person can say "no" and if the constitution supports it, all other 100 k people's opinion's won't count. This can give you a "false" perception that the democracy doesn't work or that it's less effective than others.
Well.. It's not like Sweden doesn't have similar problems. Just now there's a politician who's been doing horribly corrupt stuff, and now she's been removed from her position. But it took forever, and she's still getting millions etc etc. That's someone no one (I think) in Sweden would ever have voted for, but she got into her position anyway because of the party she was in. And so on. So... Democracy is a bit flawed in all countries, regretfully.
Yes! That's something that actually makes USA better than the rest. Democracy is majority wins, so its mob rule, mob mentality. Our Constitutional Republic protects our rights no matter what the majority say. Every individual and their voice matters.
Only 10 things?? 😂😂 Thats really low numbers. And by the way, we have tipping at resturants and bars. My son works at a resturant and he gets tip money every month besides the regular salory.
@@ThreeStarVagabond I live in Västervik and in the summer months it is hard to get a table at any place here unless you pre book. Maby its because all tourists coming here the tip is good aswell 🤔😎
@@DrMcKay66 Haha that would make sense! Even though I'd expect that in Stockholm too in that case. I have heard others say that there's plenty of tipping in Stockholm too though... So it might depend a bit
Regarding Swedish healthcare, I had a serious skininfection some years ago. The Hospital of Linköping refused to aid stating that they "do not deal with skininfections of this type", directing me to some expensive off-the-shelf products that didn't work in spite of repeated use (hell I even abused these off the shelf products, taking double doses in hope that it might give *some* kind of effect - all with no effect). I ended up having to find a private laser practitioner on my own (I didnt even know laser was an option until I found some websites suggesting it online - my "doctor" never even mentioned laser being an option), who charged equivalent of 700 USD for the first treatment and equivalent of 120 USD for the second treatment. For laughs & giggles I looked up what the same treatment would have costed me in the US - From what I remember it would have costed me about the same in some clinic in LA. First treatment only took 10 to 20 minutes, second took way less and I needed no further checkups. According to some scientific articles I found online, the off the shelf products I were recommended were expected to require repeated use with a relatively low success rate (again based on the articles I found it seems that I likely wouldn't have been cured no matter how long I used these products, they would have just kept draining 100s of USD each month all for nothing).
I think that's the biggest problem people have with Swedish healthcare - doctors often try to avoid having to do "serious" work, unless it's obviously needed. Not avoid per se, but it's like there's less incentive for them to actually care, since it's all public healthcare. So, many people end up having to argue with doctors to get proper treatment. In the end result is that private healthcare is needed - well, then the whole point of the Swedish system is lost quite a bit.
Hey Miro, It has been a while I wrote a comment on your channel. Forgive me about that. But you can not compare USA with any nation in the world :D You know the rights. Rule No 1 : USA is the best country in the world. Rule No 2 : You can not change Rule No 1. :D Joking aside I think USA is struggling right now. People start to fleeing other countries due to political uncertanity and economic drawbacks in the US. Because there is no strong social security like European countries. But I think US economy is still better than many countries today. I am not sure but Sweden looks like struggling with political uncertanity and recession. Nowadays, Sweden is repelling many immigirants even international expats. I can obviosly understand WHY? But there is political clash on both sides which is why I stopped thinking to come Sweden even as a tourist. Thanks to Migrationsverket you will be doomed to wait a queue :D I do not blame them please don't get me wrong :D I hope I will return to comment your channel more to write comments. As always , Have a great day! :)
It's a pleasure to have you around :D And yeah I guess that the US is struggling in some ways, and Sweden is struggling in other ways. Is there any country that's doing well these days? Sometimes it seems like everyone is having a bad time! I'm a bit torn about Sweden's policies right now. It feels like they're trying to correct mistakes that were made 10-15 years ago, but they might be targeting the wrong things. They're making it difficult for everyone right now. Still, I hope that we'll get better times soon - both with immigration and economy and everything else. Thanks for writing, and thanks for checking out my little rants :D Cheers, and hope you're having an awesome week!
@@ThreeStarVagabond Yes, You are certainly right about every country have their own problems but the video title about Sweden and USA thats why I wrote about them. I am glad to see you are still making many great videos. Sadly, I missed many of them. :(
America is the best in the world, but Sweden... IS BETTER! Says it in the Intro... I suppose that wasn't intentional/was sarcasm. After 30 years in Sweden I will say it's an extremely nice country. ... for Swedes. If you're not born and bred Swedish or in a fellow Scandinavian country, you WILL struggle. The struggle is one you can't explain to a swede either because it permeates everything, and to Swedes it's like breathing. It's the social culture which makes it hard for outsiders. The reason I decided to leave Sweden at 50 years of age and start from scratch is the Scandinavian "Law of Jante" and the silence culture. Law of Jante boils down to an arrogance culture that permeates Scandinavian societies and if you are only the least bit different* (be it in an actually good way, or a bad way in the context you find yourself) that difference will be frowned upon: you WILL be judged, you WILL be looked down upon for being different and for not knowing since birth how to behave, how to think, what opinion to have about any topic. Your difference will be measured against an unintentional view that what ever you have to offer, the way they have done it since forever, is better, and you should already know that! It shouldn't need explaining! Which leads to the keystone of this problem: Silence culture. Add to this the silence culture from Scandinavia and Finland and you're pretty much in a constant struggle to move on in (especially) work-life, because hardly anybody will openly tell you their opinion or help you out with openly telling you what's going on. If you don't already know, you're seen as weird, worst case you're seen as dumb, even if what you have to offer makes sense - if it's differing from expectations and prevailing routines, Swedes quickly frown upon you for introducing something they are not used to. In general they see only the way they do things and that's how everybody is supposed to do it because it's the only way that works (to and for them!). Nobody will correct you unless it's too late, because Scandinavians are too afraid of confrontation. They don't see a deep discussion about differing opinions as a productive, positive thing but as an argument, a struggle, and from experience I can tell you, when someone finally tells you their deepest opinion, you're already beyond saving in their eyes, they already see you as a problem and you're in trouble, your relationship with that person is already effed... Not even this video is safe from the Law of Jante, it's right there. Yes there is some self reflection, but, as sarcastically admitted, it's biased. And that bias is at its core what it is about. To actually point out something that doesn't work right or to want to change something hits massive resistance from your surroundings and you'll be shoved off into a dark corner and left there to freeze if you dare stick your head up too high. If you want to change anything, do it the Swedish way, or else... So yeah, not dealing with that anymore, over and over and over again and it has just sucked life energy right out of me, especially after 15 years as a boss. What ever life I'm having in the new place, however hard I'm going to struggle from now on, at least I'm rid of that! * And god forbid if you wear the difference on your skin, then you don't even need to open your mouth to be judged. Sweden has a comparatively strong and positive system in place to help immigrants and to try to include them in the workforce, but in general it all falls flat and fails when Swedes themselves actually have to invest work and effort to help immigrants. The public attitude towards immigrants is at its core extremely negative throughout Sweden (it's like with wind turbines, they are very good, but never put them where I can see them from my yard!) and you see it in immigrant Swedish language classes where native teacher after native teacher don't deem immigrants smart enough to even do the simplest tasks, where a simple explanation is too much to ask, disparaging opinions towards immigrant coworkers and bosses towards immigrant workers, even IF they went through the entire education system and got to where they are on merit. I've seen it over and over again where the first person considered for sacking was an immigrant, because they were seen as "too much effort, too different" to bother with i.e. "jobbig" whereas I struggled to keep them in because they brought diversity of ideas and different ways of dealing with things. But what they brought more than anyone was an extremely high work ethic! They did more and worked harder than most Swedes at the workplace, they hardly every complained or questioned decisions (which Swedes love to do because they extremely entitled, even at the work place) and which brought a good flow into the workplace. And again and again I heard coworkers speak negatively about those people, because they disturbed the fika culture and half arsed Swedish way of committing to your job and showing some real effort. I know that culture is never going to change. If you want to know more about how this works, put some hours into international business culture and how Swedes are perceived by other European nations, and you'll see much of what I've been talking here.
Thank you so much for your explanation about Law of Jante. I always wonder about that. It seems like a good thing from away but when you are inside the system it is not good as seems. If I understand correctly.
It's really interesting to hear this perspective - thanks a lot for writing this comment! To be honest, I've often found myself outside of the norm in Sweden as well - and I still do. I don't really fit in with most groups and most ways of thinking. That said, there are ways to find your own place, even in conformative Sweden. When it comes to work for example, I've always looked for more flexible jobs that allow me to show off my skills, while not having to rely on group decisions. I find other work cultures difficult in other ways: the hierarchy of places like the UK and US, for example, and the need for office politics all the time. And on that note, I don't think that there's any country that has an objectively good or bad way of doing things (even if this video is presenting things very black or white). In my view, it's about what culture fits what person, and while I like Sweden I think there are tons of good things about other countries too. This video is intended to be a bit hyperbolic I'm afraid. Anyway, thank you very much for your insight and experiences!
@@ThreeStarVagabond Thanks for your response! Every country has it's bad sides, I'm not trying to claim Sweden is particulary bad, but for where I am from originally, Sweden is very difficult long term unless you are happy with social solitude. Yeah I got the tone of your video.
Very true. There's likely a reason we have so much moving around between the Nordic countries, but much less with the rest of Europe - the Nordic mindset is very...quiet. And difficult to break through.
@@doguskoyuncu5177can I ask , law of jante is for everyone Scandinavians natives or only for immigrants? If jante is only for natives it's means thay want to tell us thay are better than outsiders, but if jante is for everyone than jante law is good ( everyone is equal ) I don't understand jante is may be for Scandinavia and thay want to tell rest of EU that thay are better???
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One of the last times I visited family in Stockholm from NYC, we counted how much I make, how much i pay in taxes as a single person, and it turns out that i bring in way less money at the end of the day then someone doing my job in Stockholm. I pay way more taxes, get way less back of it in social services... My salary looks good on paper, but especially in NYC, its just chump change.
That's really interesting! It seems like people in the tech industry do earn quite a bit more than in Sweden - but I think it depends a lot on what you need when it comes to apartment, car, insurance, medical etc.
This is so true lol
I will be visiting Sweden this Christmas cos of your videos
That's so cool! I really hope that I've given you a fair view of the country then - and I also hope that we'll have some snow so you get a proper Christmassy vibe :D
@@ThreeStarVagabond yeah you have, I really appreciate the efforts you put in the your videos🙏
Ohno not Sweden in the winter, unless you're in the northern half.
Unless you like depression
@@Potatwielder really? Why so?
@@PotatwielderIf there is snow and sunshine it could be beautiful.
I would also add:
Public transit, Environmentalism, Right to roam and the access to amazing nature everywhere you go (even in cities that blend in with nature)
Homelessness and drug problems, personal safety and crime (Sweden has some bad areas and have seen increases in crime - but it’s not comparable to the U.S. at all where you actually fear for your life in some places - I also read that if Malmö was a U.S. state, it would be by far the safest in terms of murder and crime per capita)
People taking health seriously with exercise and diet, beautiful architecture and city planning that’s less focused on the car, and lastly is quality of the food due to US food having so much chemicals and added sh*t to it - while in Sweden/EU most of the ingredients used in America are banned and instead more natural ingredients are used instead, which seriously helps public health and keeping all types of diseases and obesity down.
All of those are excellent points, and I would definitely have changed my list if I made it today instead! Taken out some of the more frivolous topics I chose, and added some of these - and maybe switched around things a bit. Oh well, hindsight is always 20/20!
I have never been in the US, but many times in Sweden - It looks like Sweden does many things better, to get me traveled so often to this beautiful country. Greetings from Germany.😊
Haha, I think the close proximity and similar culture might have something to do with it as well, but I'll happily accept your line of thinking either way :D
Germany, Sweden and America have a lot in common as societies. If you disapprove of drinking on sundays, you'd be better off in Sweden than anywhere else on this planet.
The right to roam is missing in this list imo
You are absolutely correct! Damn, I wish I could have amended the list now. That should have been in there!
Thank you for a thoughtful and considerate approach to your topics. Based on my experience as an immigrant to Sweden from the US, I agree with you about this list.
Thank you! It feels really good to hear that I wasn't too...antagonistic when compiling this list. I am a bit biased in Sweden's direction after all ^_^
Great list! And oh boy, fika is definitely one thing I wish we had here in the US. Best cinnamon and kardamon buns I ever had.
Happy to hear that you enjoyed them! And yeah, I really like the whole "fika feeling" up here in Scandinavia.
You definitely nailed it.
There was a documentary a few years back in which a well-know journalist took a good look at healthcare, school and the juridical system (police) in Sweden. She started by stating that we, the citizens of Sweden have a contract with the national and local governments. We all, in solidarity, pay taxes that pays for infrastructure, healthcare, schools, police, firefighters etc, even if we don’t access or use any of these institutions. However the moment we are in need of any help from the society, we expect to get that help, without delay and without any obstacles and of course for free.
What surprises me most is the US democrazy, where one vote isn’t ONE vote everywhere and where a president candidate can more than 50% of the public votes, but still the opponent may win due the electoral college system.
And as always, a good video but you must have been traveling back and forth a billion times to make it.
That's a good description about how we see it! Sweden is a very trusting country - trusting in its government and its setup in general. Which of course means that it's also vulnerable to people who want to exploit that...
And yeah I'm not really a fan of the electoral college thingie they've got going there. Especially with all the Gerrymandering too.
Haha, I wish I could travel often to the US, but alas - limited vacation days and limited money. I do the most I can with it though.
I do like the concept of Fika! Although I hope you know that 'white gunk' is on the cinnamon rolls they sell AT Ikea here!
Thank you for the videos. I enjoy them a lot. Best wishes from my cold little corner of Montana!
Noooo! How can IKEA sell their soul like that?! But thanks a lot either way, and hope that Montana is lovely in autumn. Because Sweden isn't with all the rain now!
I’d rather be in Sweden than anywhere else… and luckily, I’m only 2.5 hrs away by plane.
That's pretty close! Close enough to experience the lovely summer - and not be here in winter ;D
I’m a US citizen that has been to several countries. Each time I return home from a trip, I’m thankful to be back and even more appreciative of my home country. But when I went to Sweden, I thought “wow I would love to live here”. I agree with some of your points on this video.. though I am one of the very fortunate Americans that has a remote job with a high salary and excellent paid time off (definitely an outlier). So I’m lucky enough that I’m able to spend several weeks a year exploring Sweden :)
That sounds like the best of both worlds then! Good for you, and happy to hear that you enjoy Sweden as well :D Cheers!
@@ThreeStarVagabond thank you! It’s a beautiful country with wonderful people. I can’t wait to go back. Cheers!
A great (and fair) video. I could go on and on, but I'm glad you hit on nudity being bad, but how we're okay with violence. Hell, many of our horror movies kill off naked people in grisly, "creative" ways. We're really weird in that regard...
Haha I agree! But we all have a bit of weirdness going on in our countries. There's plenty of people who look at Sweden in wide-eyed confusion too of course ^_^
Such a beautiful thumbnail. Knugen vs. The Statue of Slobberty xD
Knugen represents! :D
I had the misfortune to live in America for a year about 35 years ago and I absolutely hated almost every minute. I couldn't wait to get back to Europe. I found the concept of "the land of the free" to be somewhat of a misnomer.
Sweden on the other hand, I absolutely love. In fact...(sorry , Milo) Denmark too. Maybe it's because there are more similarities to Scotland? Right to roam, free education (including university), and our laws are different from the rest of the UK. We have a more egalitarian society too.
Scotland does feel like it should belong to Scandinavia at times. There are so many similarities in the mentality, and the nature as well come to think of it. If Scotland ever decides to become independent it can elope to us instead! :D
I have often thought we'd be better off with a Northern version of the EU.
As for Scots, most of us have a large percentage of Norse genes! On some of the islands the Norse genetic marker is over 60% with "Scottish" family traceable for over 500 years.
I completely agree with you Miro 😊😊😊
Thank you! :D Haha I don't think I was too unreasonable
@@ThreeStarVagabond nope not at all you have made all valid points!
Appreciate it! ^_^
If only I could disagree at some level, so that this wouldn't be a boring comment...
What friends of mine really despise about the US is what they call 'hamburger-style sightseeing' what means that you can get everywhere by car and everything is adapted to host vast number of cars.
Still, I believe the US has a lot to offer and being born there definitely helps adapting to such reality.
Or maybe we're a little bit spoiled in EU.
Greetings from PL, Miro! Have a nice week :)
I think the US sees themselves as spoiled, because they can get everywhere by car and see everything by car etc :D But yeah, I like a lot about America - just as I like a lot about most countries over here too. It's all positives and negatives in the end. Cheers and have a great one you too!
As an American, I totally agree with your list. Just for the record, there are lots of us who hate guns and violence - though we seem to be outnumbered.
I'm sure that most people are just people, no matter what country they live in - they're nice and want everyone to live in peace. It's just a set of pretty loud people that take up a lot of space in the debate. Or at least I hope that that's the case!
All going well I hope to visit Sweden at Christmas :)
I hope Sweden will be snowy and Christmassy then :D And that you'll see some awesome Christmas markets!
@@ThreeStarVagabond Thank you :) I hope so, though it'll be nice regardless I'm sure.
Oh I'm sure! A bit cold and dark maybe, but definitely lovely despite that :D
The cold and dark is NOT the worst of it. The rain is. You expect nice snow, but get a horrid frankensteinish combination of rain and snow. I hate snöblandat regn and slask.
I laughed at nudity! The first time I visited Sweden with my Swedish fiancé I was not expecting so many naked people! (We went to a pool) 😂
Haha, wait, were people naked in a public pool? Or private? I hope private, because it's definitely frowned upon to expose yourself to random people :D
@@ThreeStarVagabond Oh! Haha, sorry for the confusion! It was the changing room. No curtains on showers, no private places to change.
Great video -- you bring up some fantastic points about us in the USA! After visiting Sweden several times for work, I have really grown to admire many things about your country. I greatly appreciate your mass transit system (Arlanda Express, SJ, and SL), riktig kanelbulle på fika, how clean everything is, how good your still water tastes, and cashless practically everywhere.
Det tog mig nästan två år att lära mig svenska, men jag gillar att kunna kommunicera med lokalbefolkningen, försöka smälta in när jag är där och framför allt att läsa skyltar.
Jag känner mig också trygg när jag är i Stockholm. Du har rätt om vår dåliga vapenkultur och splittrade politiska frågor här i USA. Som amerikan och texan är det ibland pinsamt att behöva förklara för mina svenska vänner och kollegor några av de konstigare sakerna här.
Jag uppskattar verkligen dina videor och den hjälpsamma inblicken i svensk kultur för en amerikan som jag!
Din svenska är verkligen jättebra! Tack så mycket - och jag är glad att höra att du tycker bra om Sverige. Men USA har förstås massor av fantastiskt bra saker också! Alla länder har för- och nackdelar trots allt.
@@ThreeStarVagabond Jag uppskattar ditt komplement!
Jag håller helt med dig. Jag önskar att vi hade socialiserad sjukvård, för det är en av de största månatliga utgifterna förutom fastighetsskatter och vägtullar.
Min fru och jag ser fram emot dina nya videor varje vecka.
Now people are waiting for 10 things that America can does better than Sweden 😊
Well... I just might be working on a video like that :D
I wish countries that care about tipping would give tippers back their tip and tell them that it's not necessary. I hate that Americans push their tipping culture onto other countries. As an American, I hate being forced to tip, especially if they have their hands out waiting for you to give them a tip. If you don't tip, you'll either be treated badly if you ever go back or your meal will come out late or your order was 'accidentally' misheard.
I find it really confusing as well to know when to tip and not, and how much - it's really a big bother.
Great views of USA. Great comparison. I'd like to add, that Swedish taxes are not so high as others are saying. If you are getting salary up to 50k SEK, it means that your tax will be around 30-33% in total. In US, depending on state you'll have the same amount deducted from your salary. As example in California you'll be taxed totally up to 30% with all social security things. And still you will pay for the health insurance from your netto income. Even if employer is paying most part of it. And for sure for each doctor appointment you'll be charged for 20-30%, depending on your plan. You'll have to get a student loan or count to your parents to get to have some college degree. On the other hand I have to say that in most EU countries Taxes are pretty similar, I mean by total amount of taxes. Sometimes it says like that you're just paying 15%, but still, add medical insurance, unemployment, pension, etc and you'll get the same 30% as you have in Swede in most cases. Yes, there are just a few cases when you're paying 55%, but it's an exception mostly than usual salaries and life. In US you will also have 40% taxes if your salary is high.
That's really good to know! I'm not very knowledgeable about the US tax system really - so this is some excellent information.
@@ThreeStarVagabond Me neither, but I just know some facts from my US friends.
@ThreeStarVagabond don't believe what everyone comments most just say from hearsay or what my friends tell me this, etc. Take it from an American that has lived both sides. Also, one thing with Americans they like to embellish without any fact or merit behind their statements unlike the swedes
@@Joe-eg7ml Oh, no worries - I won't take anything as fact, but it's interesting input that might lead me to look for new angles. So I appreciate both hearsay and cold hard facts - but I do try to check it in either case ^_^
I feel u were very soft on the Us
My jaw dropped when you forgot to put the Right to Roam at the top of the list!
As for taxes, in Canada they pay a lot less in taxes and yet manage to uphold a social security network in a large, sparesly populated, country. I think we may have a lot to learn from the Canadians about using the taxpayer's money efficiently.
You are SO right! I completely forgot about that - and I don't really know how I managed to overlook it! But yeah, Canada does do a lot of good things right. And who has ever something bad to say about Canada?
I have lived both in Goteborg and PNW region. I prefer America because the cost is much lower, taxes are much lower(i have more freedom the way I spend my money before the govt takes it) , you can only make so much in Sweden, food is much better and variety especially, like the free parking/bathroom, some stores are open 24hrs, etc. America has also given me the opportunity to obtain investment properties in which that I can also obtain property in Sweden and live there(which is plan to do) 😊 I have dual citizenship via wife.
That's almost like the best of both worlds! But yeah, there are upsides to living in the US - especially if you're well off. Sweden is more about "making everyting lagom" instead...
@ThreeStarVagabond lagom varies between people. When my swede bro in law came to the usa to visit us, he always had to watch his finances. He couldn't even enjoy his trip over usa because he always had to watch his finances(even tho he could afford it) even tho I provided him with lodging and transportation....imo that's no way to live. I think sverige would make a perfect place to retire, but to live and make money it is not the best.
@@Joe-eg7ml I think it's hard to earn money in Sweden just from working 9-5, but it's pretty easy to e.g start a company here, and take a minimal salary but save the profit in the company to pay it out as dividents. It's not too bad that way. And once you do get a bit of money there are some pretty good investment options like ISK - plus that the cost of living (aside from apartments) can be pretty cheap. So it's not a horrible place to invest in. But it might require some more effort.
In Canada there is same kind of system for the prices. That is just so idiotic for European perspective. In Finland we have price quarantee that if the product costs more than price tag says, they have to sell it with that price.
Totally agree about that! I've heard the arguments for the weird sticker situation - but I just don't buy it personally
Nr 11.. cleaner streets.. in the opinion of US travelers.. im not sure all swedes think our streets are clean enough!
At least in Stockholm people complain about the filthy streets we have in some places. There's even litter in the streets sometimes! ^_^
I agree with you, we get taxed to death and don’t really get many benefits from it. Some states have property tax on your vehicle, the amount depends on the value of it, for example we own a 2015 Toyota Avalon and last years tax was nearly two hundred dollars that’s just bullshit. Don’t even get me started on Democracy cause that were not, people need to look up the meaning behind democracy. Shootings are a different story, I have my arguments and others have there’s with no real good answers but defunding the Police is not it. Another great video, stay safe till next time.
Yeah I don't really have the answers to things I see as a problem either - I'm just observing and noting things really! But thanks, and have an awesome one you too!
I was expecting - Good public transport. I am sure that living in the north in the High Coast 500km from Stockholm and having to travel to Arlanda often would be a pain in the B if Sweden had the US transport. There are people without driving licences and are doing completely fine here in Sweden... can you do that in the US... I don't think so 🤷♀
Oh wow, I totally forgot about that! You're absolutely correct - especially for inter-city traffic. I found public transport in California perfectly fine within the cities to be honest, but yeah... Getting anywhere in the US without a car is a bit of a mess.
The U.S. doesn't include the tax in pricing at stores because, theoretically, it makes the buyer aware of how much state and local government are taking in taxes, helping them have a voice about what they're willing to pay or to argue for better services if the cost is seen as too much.
That's fair enough! I think we'll just have to agree to disagree about how useful and/or successful that really is :D
@@ThreeStarVagabond Oh, it's NOT effective 😅. I agree that prices marked should be final prices. 👍
@@AndrewKendall71 Oh sorry! I was just a bit confused :D
Actually, on the receipt you see how much of the price is sales tax, so it is not that you do not get the information - but what is on the price tag is what you pay.
@@TheThunander No it's not. The stores all show e.g "$3.99" and then they add some weird tax on top of that. When you get the receipt it's after you've paid - so the price is absolutely not obvious before you pay. Ridiculous system and completely backwards.
As an American in Sweden, you literally do everything better lol
Haha, I'm way too biased so I won't say anything more...but I think you're completely correct ;D
Just got back from Denmark, Norway and Sweden on an interrail trip, just loved it, Scandinavians seem to be such sensible and caring people, I was very impressed. Went to the US years ago a few times, never again, I have never visited a country so full of BS.
That's even harsher critique for the US than what I came up with! But thanks, and I'm happy that you had a good time up here in the north! Traveling by train is a great idea, since you see so much of the nature along the way. Cheers!
This video should last 15 second. What does Sweden better than US... everything. The end 😂
Haha! That's too mean, even for me! :D
I'm confident that the average swedish household has a higher net worth than the average American household. According to all my research over the past five years. But if im wrong, feel free to let me know.
If I'm just guessing I'd say that the median purchasing power could be higher in Sweden, but the average is probably lower - since the US has such huge wage gaps. Even compared to Sweden, which is also pretty bad in that regard.
One thing I have noticed about most Americans is that is they can't take any criticism of their country without becoming immediately defensive.
I have no idea why that is, because there's plenty there that could be improved, not least their patently cruel health system.
Perhaps it's the result of being told you are better than everyone else from your school days into adulthood.
I think you're right - many people over there probably get "indoctrinated" into thinking that the US has no faults early on. It's a bit of a pity really, since it's a country that does so much good. It could strive for even greater greatness if some Americans were more accepting to discuss its flaws, I think.
@@SpaceDwarf55 oh I’m American and and Swedish and i criticize my country all the time!
Haha, that's why I made sure to just say "many" :D
American here of Swedish descent! I agree with most of what you say. I think Americans are in general stupidly full of pride because the vast majority of our ancestors left somewhere else so they wouldn't starve to death...or to escape some sort of persecution...or because they were dumped here by England as some sort of criminal...or they came against their will on a slave ship...you get the idea. I believe we feel like we've made the best of it in just a few hundred years!!! Like, look at us-we were the unwanted/poor/starving/enslaved folks and "the kids are alright". My state didn't become a state until 1912!!! We are far from perfect. FAR from perfect over here! But we're trying...and we are a very very diverse country as far as ethnicity goes... for good and bad. I get the feeling y'all over there are just getting a taste of what that means with the immigration issues you have been dealing with. That's our baseline.
I was in Bastad last summer meeting my relatives and I kept saying...."this place is SO beautiful-why in the world would anyone leave?". I must have said this like 4 times that day and they kept saying..."because you would have starved to death. Period. End of story!". So, there's that!
I will be in Sweden again next summer-bringing some friends with me for a 2 week road trip. It is a beautiful place that I want to share with them. I'm very proud of my Swedish heritage!
That's a good explanation for the American way of thinking, I'd say. And well, both Sweden and the US was wildly different all those years ago so I guess that it's hard to get into the mindsets of why people did what they did. Starvation is a pretty good reason to leave though! Either way, I'm happy about the positives of Sweden these days - and America as well!
@@ThreeStarVagabond By the way...I love your videos and find them very entertaining, educational and helpful! My state is Arizona-we are proud of the Grand Canyon and encourage everyone to come see it! (Ya, Phoenix is about as polar opposite as Bastad as you can get eh?.
The only problem in Sweden is the damn ads
I'm not sure exactly which ads you mean, but I agree either way! Damn those ads!
@@ThreeStarVagabond I get ads all the time it won't leave me alone even in real life
With regards to the shootings in the US. Almost 60% are suicides. And a significant amount beyond that are urban gang related. Urban areas would rather defund and demonize our police and release violent criminals than punish criminals and fund law enforcement. None of these cities have conservative politicians governing them. And when you're talking about cities with 10-40% of the total population of Sweden, that's a recipe for disaster. But I don't think the right to bear arms is to blame. It's mostly a point of political argument on the left to blame the gun and the 2nd amendment while calling the hand that pulled the trigger a victim of some social injustice.
It's a bit like the old cliche "guns don't kill people". Sweden also has a lot of weapons, and (at least until recently) we didn't have much of a gun culture despite that. But given how things are developing with shootings in Sweden these last years, we're taking a bit too much inspiration from over there it seems. If we had more people it probably would have escalated even quicker.
I lived in Sweden. Any comparison with it and the U.S. is necessarily flawed. Sweden has about one fourth the population of California and is roughly the same size geographically. The US is a huge and immensely diverse country on every level, so much harder to unify and manage, naturally.
To be fair, some countries just automatically makes for an unfair comparison. China, the US, Russia - some places are too enormous and varied. But it's still fun to poke fun at it like this!
15 plus years ago I would have agreed with you but the migrants crisis is the only reason I don't agree 💯👍
Immigration crisis. I would say the gang issue is a bigger problem.
Yes, most gang members have immigration backgrounds, but it's still a gang problem.
30 years ago, Sweden had an MC gang problem with a war going on, just as today. But no one blamed all that drive a motorbike. So why blame all immigrants for the gang war today.
I would say most immigrants try to integrate and adapt. Get education and a job. Sweden is really bad to integrate and help them get into the society.
Personally, I'd say that we have a mixed back of immigrants who want to integrate, some who don't really feel like it, and some people in between. People are just people, after all - with different ambitions and ideas for what they want. But yeah, the gang situation is really a bigger concern for me too.
@@ThreeStarVagabond only a small percentage wants to assimilate with swedish society, the violent migrants want to be catered to their Muslim ways, yes im talking about the gangs who act all entitled
Taxes are a good thong, but in sweden we pay up to 66 percent marginal tax rates. And it starts very low, for example Im a systems architect and I pay 66 percent mareginal tax rate. Its insane. No one should be forced to pay that much. The system is too uneffecient
We'll get some tax breaks in 2025 at least. But yeah, I feel the same way at times. A high salary is pretty meaningless once you get past a certain limit. But I still think that the positives outweigh the negatives, at least in my view.
@@ThreeStarVagabond I dont know if it does. For example I need to have a private insurance ontop of my expensive public healthcare to ensure proper healthcare. But US is not the best model to look at. There are European countries we can look to instead.
Agreed! We could certainly do better in that regard. And I've been lucky to not have to think too much about my health (yet) but I've definitely heard others who have serious issues with Swedish healthcare.
@@ThreeStarVagabond High taxes and generous social benefits stifle entrepreneurship, which is the reason the whole of the EU GDP is behind the USA despite a much larger population, Nothing wrong with that on the surface as putting people first.
However, if the day came we could not rely on the USA for help with defence we could ( most EU countries ) be in the crap as our defence spending would be lacking .
I wonder if things will be changing now though. There seems to be a trend towards different economy politics, more military spending etc. Maybe we can reach some reasonable middle ground in the end.
@etrigueros
0 seconds ago
Good morning from the other hemisphere. The US should not be a democracy, but a republic. The difference resides that in a republic, people are ruled by a charter/constitution regardless of what the majority wants.
Now... I may be talking out of my ass, but isn't a republic considered a form of democracy, since people vote for their representatives? I guess the electoral system in the US is even more complex than in many other countries though.
@@ThreeStarVagabond Yes, you are right, it is a form of democracy. However, the essence is that concepts such as "Vox Populi Vox Dei " are not as fast as in Europe. For example, controversial legislature takes longer to be applicable because constitutional governments processes may take forever. One single person can say "no" and if the constitution supports it, all other 100 k people's opinion's won't count. This can give you a "false" perception that the democracy doesn't work or that it's less effective than others.
Well.. It's not like Sweden doesn't have similar problems. Just now there's a politician who's been doing horribly corrupt stuff, and now she's been removed from her position. But it took forever, and she's still getting millions etc etc. That's someone no one (I think) in Sweden would ever have voted for, but she got into her position anyway because of the party she was in. And so on. So... Democracy is a bit flawed in all countries, regretfully.
@@ThreeStarVagabond You could't have said it better. I love you Miro, in a good and respectful way! :)
Yes! That's something that actually makes USA better than the rest. Democracy is majority wins, so its mob rule, mob mentality. Our Constitutional Republic protects our rights no matter what the majority say. Every individual and their voice matters.
Only 10 things?? 😂😂 Thats really low numbers. And by the way, we have tipping at resturants and bars. My son works at a resturant and he gets tip money every month besides the regular salory.
Fair enough! I guess things really are changing with the tipping culture - maybe I shouldn't push so hard about that point.
@@ThreeStarVagabond Its been like this for many,many years. Atleast where i live in Sweden.
I think it's mostly about which social groups one hangs out in. Me and my broke ass losers rarely tip, or something! ;)
@@ThreeStarVagabond I live in Västervik and in the summer months it is hard to get a table at any place here unless you pre book. Maby its because all tourists coming here the tip is good aswell 🤔😎
@@DrMcKay66 Haha that would make sense! Even though I'd expect that in Stockholm too in that case. I have heard others say that there's plenty of tipping in Stockholm too though... So it might depend a bit
I spy järnpojken!
Of course! I take every opportunity to include the little bugger :D
Regarding Swedish healthcare, I had a serious skininfection some years ago. The Hospital of Linköping refused to aid stating that they "do not deal with skininfections of this type", directing me to some expensive off-the-shelf products that didn't work in spite of repeated use (hell I even abused these off the shelf products, taking double doses in hope that it might give *some* kind of effect - all with no effect).
I ended up having to find a private laser practitioner on my own (I didnt even know laser was an option until I found some websites suggesting it online - my "doctor" never even mentioned laser being an option), who charged equivalent of 700 USD for the first treatment and equivalent of 120 USD for the second treatment. For laughs & giggles I looked up what the same treatment would have costed me in the US - From what I remember it would have costed me about the same in some clinic in LA.
First treatment only took 10 to 20 minutes, second took way less and I needed no further checkups. According to some scientific articles I found online, the off the shelf products I were recommended were expected to require repeated use with a relatively low success rate (again based on the articles I found it seems that I likely wouldn't have been cured no matter how long I used these products, they would have just kept draining 100s of USD each month all for nothing).
I think that's the biggest problem people have with Swedish healthcare - doctors often try to avoid having to do "serious" work, unless it's obviously needed. Not avoid per se, but it's like there's less incentive for them to actually care, since it's all public healthcare. So, many people end up having to argue with doctors to get proper treatment. In the end result is that private healthcare is needed - well, then the whole point of the Swedish system is lost quite a bit.
Hey Miro, It has been a while I wrote a comment on your channel. Forgive me about that. But you can not compare USA with any nation in the world :D You know the rights. Rule No 1 : USA is the best country in the world. Rule No 2 : You can not change Rule No 1. :D Joking aside I think USA is struggling right now. People start to fleeing other countries due to political uncertanity and economic drawbacks in the US. Because there is no strong social security like European countries. But I think US economy is still better than many countries today. I am not sure but Sweden looks like struggling with political uncertanity and recession. Nowadays, Sweden is repelling many immigirants even international expats. I can obviosly understand WHY? But there is political clash on both sides which is why I stopped thinking to come Sweden even as a tourist. Thanks to Migrationsverket you will be doomed to wait a queue :D I do not blame them please don't get me wrong :D I hope I will return to comment your channel more to write comments. As always , Have a great day! :)
It's a pleasure to have you around :D And yeah I guess that the US is struggling in some ways, and Sweden is struggling in other ways. Is there any country that's doing well these days? Sometimes it seems like everyone is having a bad time!
I'm a bit torn about Sweden's policies right now. It feels like they're trying to correct mistakes that were made 10-15 years ago, but they might be targeting the wrong things. They're making it difficult for everyone right now. Still, I hope that we'll get better times soon - both with immigration and economy and everything else.
Thanks for writing, and thanks for checking out my little rants :D Cheers, and hope you're having an awesome week!
@@ThreeStarVagabond Yes, You are certainly right about every country have their own problems but the video title about Sweden and USA thats why I wrote about them.
I am glad to see you are still making many great videos. Sadly, I missed many of them. :(
Don't worry, I'll try to make some more new good ones (if I can) ^_^ Thanks for checking them out when you can!
Only 10 you sure you check it all out? And this guy he is from here so knows nothing
I am still worried about your nose.
This was old footage! I promise!
@@ThreeStarVagabond Ok, don't forget to always take care about your health.
Solkräm på näsan!
Det var inspelat för ett bra tag sen! Snoken har läkt sen dess, och jag har lärt mig en läxa! ^^
@@ThreeStarVagabond :)
America is the best in the world, but Sweden... IS BETTER! Says it in the Intro... I suppose that wasn't intentional/was sarcasm. After 30 years in Sweden I will say it's an extremely nice country.
... for Swedes. If you're not born and bred Swedish or in a fellow Scandinavian country, you WILL struggle. The struggle is one you can't explain to a swede either because it permeates everything, and to Swedes it's like breathing. It's the social culture which makes it hard for outsiders. The reason I decided to leave Sweden at 50 years of age and start from scratch is the Scandinavian "Law of Jante" and the silence culture. Law of Jante boils down to an arrogance culture that permeates Scandinavian societies and if you are only the least bit different* (be it in an actually good way, or a bad way in the context you find yourself) that difference will be frowned upon: you WILL be judged, you WILL be looked down upon for being different and for not knowing since birth how to behave, how to think, what opinion to have about any topic. Your difference will be measured against an unintentional view that what ever you have to offer, the way they have done it since forever, is better, and you should already know that! It shouldn't need explaining! Which leads to the keystone of this problem: Silence culture.
Add to this the silence culture from Scandinavia and Finland and you're pretty much in a constant struggle to move on in (especially) work-life, because hardly anybody will openly tell you their opinion or help you out with openly telling you what's going on. If you don't already know, you're seen as weird, worst case you're seen as dumb, even if what you have to offer makes sense - if it's differing from expectations and prevailing routines, Swedes quickly frown upon you for introducing something they are not used to. In general they see only the way they do things and that's how everybody is supposed to do it because it's the only way that works (to and for them!). Nobody will correct you unless it's too late, because Scandinavians are too afraid of confrontation. They don't see a deep discussion about differing opinions as a productive, positive thing but as an argument, a struggle, and from experience I can tell you, when someone finally tells you their deepest opinion, you're already beyond saving in their eyes, they already see you as a problem and you're in trouble, your relationship with that person is already effed...
Not even this video is safe from the Law of Jante, it's right there. Yes there is some self reflection, but, as sarcastically admitted, it's biased. And that bias is at its core what it is about. To actually point out something that doesn't work right or to want to change something hits massive resistance from your surroundings and you'll be shoved off into a dark corner and left there to freeze if you dare stick your head up too high. If you want to change anything, do it the Swedish way, or else...
So yeah, not dealing with that anymore, over and over and over again and it has just sucked life energy right out of me, especially after 15 years as a boss. What ever life I'm having in the new place, however hard I'm going to struggle from now on, at least I'm rid of that!
* And god forbid if you wear the difference on your skin, then you don't even need to open your mouth to be judged. Sweden has a comparatively strong and positive system in place to help immigrants and to try to include them in the workforce, but in general it all falls flat and fails when Swedes themselves actually have to invest work and effort to help immigrants. The public attitude towards immigrants is at its core extremely negative throughout Sweden (it's like with wind turbines, they are very good, but never put them where I can see them from my yard!) and you see it in immigrant Swedish language classes where native teacher after native teacher don't deem immigrants smart enough to even do the simplest tasks, where a simple explanation is too much to ask, disparaging opinions towards immigrant coworkers and bosses towards immigrant workers, even IF they went through the entire education system and got to where they are on merit. I've seen it over and over again where the first person considered for sacking was an immigrant, because they were seen as "too much effort, too different" to bother with i.e. "jobbig" whereas I struggled to keep them in because they brought diversity of ideas and different ways of dealing with things. But what they brought more than anyone was an extremely high work ethic! They did more and worked harder than most Swedes at the workplace, they hardly every complained or questioned decisions (which Swedes love to do because they extremely entitled, even at the work place) and which brought a good flow into the workplace. And again and again I heard coworkers speak negatively about those people, because they disturbed the fika culture and half arsed Swedish way of committing to your job and showing some real effort.
I know that culture is never going to change. If you want to know more about how this works, put some hours into international business culture and how Swedes are perceived by other European nations, and you'll see much of what I've been talking here.
Thank you so much for your explanation about Law of Jante. I always wonder about that. It seems like a good thing from away but when you are inside the system it is not good as seems. If I understand correctly.
It's really interesting to hear this perspective - thanks a lot for writing this comment! To be honest, I've often found myself outside of the norm in Sweden as well - and I still do. I don't really fit in with most groups and most ways of thinking.
That said, there are ways to find your own place, even in conformative Sweden. When it comes to work for example, I've always looked for more flexible jobs that allow me to show off my skills, while not having to rely on group decisions. I find other work cultures difficult in other ways: the hierarchy of places like the UK and US, for example, and the need for office politics all the time.
And on that note, I don't think that there's any country that has an objectively good or bad way of doing things (even if this video is presenting things very black or white). In my view, it's about what culture fits what person, and while I like Sweden I think there are tons of good things about other countries too. This video is intended to be a bit hyperbolic I'm afraid.
Anyway, thank you very much for your insight and experiences!
@@ThreeStarVagabond Thanks for your response! Every country has it's bad sides, I'm not trying to claim Sweden is particulary bad, but for where I am from originally, Sweden is very difficult long term unless you are happy with social solitude. Yeah I got the tone of your video.
Very true. There's likely a reason we have so much moving around between the Nordic countries, but much less with the rest of Europe - the Nordic mindset is very...quiet. And difficult to break through.
@@doguskoyuncu5177can I ask , law of jante is for everyone Scandinavians natives or only for immigrants?
If jante is only for natives it's means thay want to tell us thay are better than outsiders, but if jante is for everyone than jante law is good ( everyone is equal ) I don't understand jante is may be for Scandinavia and thay want to tell rest of EU that thay are better???