I guess we are all just S.N.O.B.s?

Very different but yet so alike

So, we are in Charlston, South Carolina, at a restaurant called S.N.O.B. or Slightly North of Broad. This town is one of the “Southern Pearls” I guess you have to say, for it is truly beautiful. And my God, are people nice here! I start thinking about how friendly everyone is and how curious they seem as soon as they hear a different accent or realise for some other reason that you are from “out of town”. It makes me think, and wonder, how come we seem to be seen as so exotic? Are we really that different or are we maybe more similar than we’d like to admit? Maybe we’re just a bit ignorant and naive, all of us?

I mean, this is after all “the greatest of all nations”; the first democracy; the greatest economy; the most powerful army nation; “the land of the free where you can be what you want to be”… And I am not being sarcastic here. In many ways it is a great and extraordinary nation and the more time I spend here – the more I fall in love with it. Beacuse it is true: You can be what you want to be here because success is not a bad thing in this country! It may not be as simple as it sounds and there sure is corruption,  politics, connections… You name it! But is that so different from anywhere else in the world? Is that so different from safe, old, little innocent Sweden?

I don’t think so! In fact, I am quite sure about the opposite: It is all just the same. But the difference in the US is that they do not have “Jante” or “the Swedish jealousy”. It is not something to be ashamed of here, being ambitious, having dreams, hopes and goals. It is encouraged. Making plans and sticking to them until you reach your target and then setting a new, higher goal. That is admired. It is not a bad thing to be successful here! On the contrary, it is good.

And that is what I see us missing back there, in “the old world”. The determination of being someone, achieveing something and looking up to people who have done well for themselves, with respect rather than with envy. To be inspired to do the same thing, rather than jealous, bitter and intimidated by other peoples achievements. I am not naive enough to think that this is true for all and each over here, no more than I believe the opposite of each and all back home, but working for an American company has definitely made me see the complete difference in “company culture” (simply translated to “attitude” and “motivation by and for workers” in this text here) between our proud “Swedish flag ships” and most American MNCs.

And we often look down on Americans back here. We think they are dumb. Ignorant. Superficial. Un-educated. Because they don’t all know the capital of Norway?  Because they are polite and friendly when you go into a restaurant or a shop? Well, I’d like to see how many 6th graders in Sweden can name all “capitals” in each of the 50 states in the US and if the Swedish service trade could reach 50% of the average service level in the states, I’d eat out twice as often as I do!

We also like to talk about their double standards and what hypocrites they are. Sex before marriage is not OK but the American porn industry is no. 1 in the world (or close to at least). European women are lose (remember “the Swedish bikini team”?) for sunbathing top less but in Miami people go to a restaurant wearing a bikini only. They defend the rest of the world against “anti-democratic movements” (in the 80’s it was communism and today it is terrorism) but only if there are oil interests really. And I don’t agree with this! I don’t like it at all because it is prejudice and arrogant. But whatabout us Europeans? Are we not ignorant in a way, sticking to the old ways, trying to still glow in the glory of old achievements? We say they are all brainwashed by CNN and Fox News but what about our own nation? How clever are we when it comes to questioning the propaganda that we are fed (and have been for close to 80 years by the Socialdemocrat government)?

Does our government run the monopoly on alcohol a) to protect the population from alcohol abuse or b) because it is a damned good income source? Does our government have a monopoly on pharmaceuticals for the same reason? And what about the monopoly on gambling? Our politicians have fed us the theories on “Folkhemmet” and social welfare for so long that we have stopped thinking for ourselves. We truly believe that we need to be protected from ourselves by the government and that we are not capable of making sound decisions about our own lives. We still believe that we have the best schools in the world. The best medical care. The best insurance system. Everything that is owned, delivered and controlled by our government has to be good, right? Becuase the government is simply doing it to take care of us, the people, and not because it is good business, right?

When are we going to start to wake up and question or Swedish system? When are we going to stop swollowing anything that the media feeds us and stop believeing everything we read in a newspaper or see on TV? Until we do, we are just as dumb and ignorant as anyone else and we shouldn’t be laughing at anyone at all from our high horses. Not as long as we’ve got amongst the longest queues for specialist medical care in Europe. Not as long as 10% (or whatever horrific number we’re at right now) of 9th graders can’t read or write fluently. Not as long as we do not have the freedom to go out and choose the product and/or service that best fits our needs, at a time, location and price that is optimal for us at least!

So, for God’s sake, stop whingeing! Stop believing that being successful is a “bad”! Stop believing that “private is bad” and “government is good” by default. Start to read the news through somewhat more critical glasses and question cause and effects beyond what the media tells you. And please, stop being such snobs…