Farewell Welfare? The Promise of "Enough" Versus the Possibility
of "More"
"If present trends continue [in Sweden], today's young people
are likely to end up as tomorrow's parents and grandparents with
their values more-or-less intact, but with the society that
nurtured them in ruins" (Burke). Supported by a general-welfare
system based on egalitarian principles, Swedish citizens are
products of a cooperative environment slanted towards providing
collective solutions to life's problems. This Nordic Model of
society takes a "middle-road" approach, redistributing wealth
and offering cradle-to-grave protection for all. However, does
the possibility of "more" outweigh the promise of "enough" among
Swedish youth?
A significant fall in voter turnout and decreased political
involvement demonstrate a discernible weakening of popular
support by the nation's young people (Sweden). What are the
implications of this silence? There is speculation regarding
whether young Swedes possess sufficient education about the
logic behind the Nordic Model; in the absence of perceived
relevance, they remain uninspired to champion an inherited cause
(Burke).
Some attribute the lethargy to susceptibleness to seductive U.S.
propaganda emphasizing the importance of individual freedom.
While Sweden's heavily endowed public sector promotes such
benefits as gender equality, humane treatment of historically
disadvantaged groups and liberation of human resources, critics
believe the general-welfare system is suffocating and takes
power away from the individual citizen. "Oddly enough,"
maintains Nordic News Network representative Al Burke, "those
who most loudly proclaim the blessings of individualism often
seem to be most eager to turn every soul on earth into a little
American" (Burke).
Young Swedes are valuable resources as they have firsthand
experience as beneficiaries of the system and generally are not
established yet as members of the economic elite, typical
antagonists of general welfare. In addition, they essentially
hold the social responsibility of abandoning, preserving or
adapting the current national identity.
Key considerations include the following: * Does concern for
others necessarily negate importance of self? * How does
guaranteed security over a lifetime compare to possible
unlimited personal gain? * What is the role of the mass media in
the advocacy for social change? * How prevalent is
anti-Americanism among the younger generation of Swedes? What
aspects of American life are appealing? * What is the state of
nationalism? * What are the perceived downfalls of general
welfare?
Sources
Burke, Al. "The Price of Everything." Nordic News Network, 2001.
http://www.nnn.se
Sweden & Swedes.
http://www.sweden.se/templates/SASTopic____2027.asp