Sweden

[WTF11]

I think you'll find Spaldy was being ironic about the Swedes dying by the truckload, they're not.

Just over 3k deaths and looks like over the peak of new cases, with no lockdown, no school closures, no destroying the commercial structures that will employ people when Covid is just a memory, just common sense and rational thought, something we used to have, but no more.

[Jezleeds]

Just over 3k deaths and looks like over the peak of new cases, with no lockdown, no school closures, no destroying the commercial structures that will employ people when Covid is just a memory, just common sense and rational thought, something we used to have, but no more.

I've spent a lot of time in Sweden (was there in February just before our lockdown) and have been learning the language for 4 years with a view to moving/retiring there possibly, and i have to say that it is a completely different kettle of fish (quite literally at times) to the UK.

Firstly, there are no massive intensely populated cities - Stockholm is sparsely populated in the centre, and the outskirts have planned suburbs and relatively well spaced apartments even in the 'poor' areas.

Secondly the country beyond the big towns is huge and very thinly populated - villages are isolated and many people live well off the beaten track.

Thirdly it's a country culturally very different to ours - people do, on the whole, exactly as they're told, right down to the tiniest detail - they stop at pedestrian crossings when you can see for a mile either way that nothing is coming, because the light is on red. If you walk across, people give you dirty looks for breaking social responsibility. So when they were asked to mostly self-isolate but socially distance when 'out', they did exactly that. And they did it early enough before the first wave came to Scandinavia.

Fourth - they have far far less inward travel apart from other Scandi countries - as a country there is an isolation from the rest of the world, partly due to geography but also due to lack of 'pull' - i have no idea why - it's one of the most beautiful and fantastic places on earth. I always say if Stockholm was where Paris is, nobody would go to Paris.

Fifth - the Swedish health system is geared up to its population, and just doesn't get overwhelmed. It's hugely well funded, by high taxes which people are happy to pay, on the whole, and copes with winter conditions and resulting diseases for 6 months of the year. It has much greater capacity, so our lockdown was about protecting the NHS, whereas they didn't need to worry about that side of things.

Anyway, just a bit of context - they have got it right for them, probably - not to say it would've worked for us though - in the centre of Leicester near where i work there are hundreds of kids from the local estate playing football on the park each day unchallenged - unsurprisingly the estate is statistically the worst area of Leicester for people with the virus and deaths. Parenting is terrible, and social responsibility is almost zero - you just wouldn't get that anywhere in Sweden as people, even in poor estates, follow rules and take collective responsibility, because they see the benefits they get on a daily basis by doing so, to live in such a great place.

[spaldy]

Oz, probably should have identified my sarcasm. Getting a little twisted in these strange times.

Jez, thanks for the insight. Interesting reading.

will be interesting to see what happens with the immigration they have done the last decade or so. I don't think most of those will follow any societal norm that appears to be in place now.

[Rev72]

I've spent a lot of time in Sweden (was there in February just before our lockdown) and have been learning the language for 4 years with a view to moving/retiring there possibly, and i have to say that it is a completely different kettle of fish (quite literally at times) to the UK.

Firstly, there are no massive intensely populated cities - Stockholm is sparsely populated in the centre, and the outskirts have planned suburbs and relatively well spaced apartments even in the 'poor' areas.

Secondly the country beyond the big towns is huge and very thinly populated - villages are isolated and many people live well off the beaten track.

Thirdly it's a country culturally very different to ours - people do, on the whole, exactly as they're told, right down to the tiniest detail - they stop at pedestrian crossings when you can see for a mile either way that nothing is coming, because the light is on red. If you walk across, people give you dirty looks for breaking social responsibility. So when they were asked to mostly self-isolate but socially distance when 'out', they did exactly that. And they did it early enough before the first wave came to Scandinavia.

Fourth - they have far far less inward travel apart from other Scandi countries - as a country there is an isolation from the rest of the world, partly due to geography but also due to lack of 'pull' - i have no idea why - it's one of the most beautiful and fantastic places on earth. I always say if Stockholm was where Paris is, nobody would go to Paris.

Fifth - the Swedish health system is geared up to its population, and just doesn't get overwhelmed. It's hugely well funded, by high taxes which people are happy to pay, on the whole, and copes with winter conditions and resulting diseases for 6 months of the year. It has much greater capacity, so our lockdown was about protecting the NHS, whereas they didn't need to worry about that side of things.

Anyway, just a bit of context - they have got it right for them, probably - not to say it would've worked for us though - in the centre of Leicester near where i work there are hundreds of kids from the local estate playing football on the park each day unchallenged - unsurprisingly the estate is statistically the worst area of Leicester for people with the virus and deaths. Parenting is terrible, and social responsibility is almost zero - you just wouldn't get that anywhere in Sweden as people, even in poor estates, follow rules and take collective responsibility, because they see the benefits they get on a daily basis by doing so, to live in such a great place.

Sounds like a lovely place to retire to Jez.

You forgot to the add the 'Sixth' - women are fit as feck

[ozleeds]

Sounds like a lovely place to retire to Jez.

You forgot to the add the 'Sixth' - women are fit as feck

And blonde so it means you have a chance, Rev

[Jezleeds]

Sounds like a lovely place to retire to Jez.

You forgot to the add the 'Sixth' - women are fit as feck

The reputation is 100% true as well. Trouble is the blokes all look like Brad Pitt at 25.