Re: I thought you might be interested..._shahara_March 13 2006, 19:06:13 UTC
I guess what I notice is not so much a class gap as an ideological gap. (In fact, it is considered rude to show that you are of a higher or richer class, to some extent. It's believed that everyone should be of about equal in class and you don't show it off if you do have more because it may make others feel lesser.) Even though Sweden is considered a individualistic society, they seem to be more community oriented than is my experience in the U.S. We have an idea in the U.S. that if for some reason you're homeless or poor, that it's somehow your own fault and that's not always the case. (It seems to me to be a way of rationalizing capitalism and class difference.) Did I mention that everyone in Sweden has the right to higher education. Not just high school but college too... and they get paid to go to school. And have the right to leave a job for up to 3 years and have that job waiting for them when they finish their degree. A home, an education, and health care are all basic rights in Sweden. People take care of each other and, in return, are assured of being taken care of if they need it. It just seems so basically human and, yet, it's not something that we do as much in the U.S. That makes me sad.
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