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One of them wondered how such a murderous regime could have such popular support.
Why doesn’t anybody say anything, for God's sake?
What fresh Hell of a place is this?
I finally answered that we might very well have a unique thing here.
We have the only totalitarian state without the usual “strong leader”. A fascistic democracy; bravo Sweden! Groupthink takes care of all the oppression. I could tell about the “Law of Jante”, satirist Aksel Sandemose’s famous “rules” that Scandinavian societies obey:
“Thou shalt not think that you are something special!” --- goes §1, and the rest of them are just as humiliating and belittling. Everything is forbidden, everything that might make you stand out also makes you an outcast.
I also suggested looking on Sweden like a bucketful of crabs:
The concept of “Crab Mentality” stems from the fact that you may safely keep all the crabs that you can catch in a bucket, and they’ll stay there. For every time that one of them makes a dash for freedom, the others will invariably pull it down back to the others. And soon they all become dinner! How much for equality.
Yet, if we weren’t dying in the Corona Bucket there would be something else. It disturbs me to no end that people react to Sweden now. But well, why earlier? If you’re a square on 9-5, Sweden coddles you 24/7 with welfare and unbelievable benefits. But try to make a living on unsolicited culture or other outside stuff! --- and you lose all this and all security. So unlike those who play it safe, I am very used to the thought of a country that’s wholly indifferent to your death.
(Sudden loss of welfare might actually happen to anyone with a bit of bad luck, but it’s one of those things that “happens to others” until you’re there and realise what a caring country this really is. And then it’s too late.)
This can’t be true, said one of our Spanish friends. How can a culture become like this?
“We avoid conflict”, they say, “we like the silence...” --- such trite answers won’t do. For now I had to explain how we still can remain so silent and passive even in matters of life and death.
It’s impossible, so let us try!
So, how did this mortally apathic mentality come about? I believe that it’s a real “vicious circle”, that kind of f.u.b.a.r. situation where things get worse because they get worse: The government, which slithers and sneaks away from all kinds of responsibility, is after all chosen from the people. They don’t have different genes, they’re Swedes too. So --- how did people become like this? What have we suffered from these slithery overlords so that we had to become like them, and vice versa ad infinitum? And happily, I’m not only a fretting, bitterly fuming dissident but also a humble BA of History, so that one I could answer.
Once upon a time there was a wild species known as Vikings. They were quite good tradesmen and their swift ships went everywhere from Constantinople to Iceland. But at times they also liked looting, burning houses, capturing thralls and listening to the sweet sound of heads flying freely. So to this cold country of hot people they sent Christian preachers to tame them. And during the rest of the Middle Ages they went berserk at home instead, which was an improvement, but not quite enough.
Enter Early Modern Times and King Gustav I. He brought the Reformation and the beginning of a system that would be refined --- I would say sharpened --- endlessly over the years. The church was soon but a tool for the Power. And what power!
Every aspect of your life was controlled from cradle to grave:
Where you lived, every time you moved (if allowed to), income, status (general, legal, and juridical), health, mental abilities and education i.e. how well you knew your catechesis (you had to, or else you weren’t allowed to get married) if you came to church on Sundays (strictly mandatory) suitability for conscription, or anything at all
--- in short, thanks to notorious clergymen there were papers on everyone and everything, and if you’re Swedish and into genealogy you’re in a very happy position. My family has been traced back to 1750 or so, and those who did it weren’t any professionals either. I suppose that with my training I could go further back to the 1600’s when they begun to record all this systematically.
It goes without saying that such an inquisitive rule also made the most out of its prisoners, imposing social control strict as a straightjacket. (We were thus also experts at cramming cannon fodder out of the people, far beyond what Sweden’s enemies thought were possible. Surprise on them.) So now you can guess: How does a people become after four hundred years of this?
I make a short little break in my story for now it’s c. 1880, and quite a few people quite didn’t cope anymore. And on the other side of the vast Atlantic, there was a wonderful land known as America, and for whatever hardships it might offer, it Was Not Sweden. Sweden lost more than population in numbers. For every remaining instinct of liberty, independence, everything intelligent and thus everything that gives a soul the wish and the reason to be reliable went away with them. The effects were soon to be seen.
Why a few of my ancestors went back to Sweden again (how could you?) while their cousins stayed is a long story, but I blame them for growing up as the most un-Swedish Swede there is.
So, we’re there! In 1920-30 the “Social Democrats” inherited a heavily regulated country of meek, slow-minded and tamed citizens. They never do revolutions. They are bred not to bark loudly. But therefore, just therefore, they’re sure to bite anybody else who might. --- And so the baton was passed on. The successors, the capitalists of the 1990’s, never cared to do anything about this (why would they? Human robots are practical) and here the modern Swede stands in all her spineless glory.
(In paranthesis: Space doesn't allow me to go fully into the economical side of our servitude. But for instance --- there's no minimum wage in Sweden. (Not to mention Basic Income!) The State prefers you to be addicted to alms instead. So not very much has happened since the State Church and its ecclesial prison guards: Labour unions, a myriad of goverment agencies and Capitalism Almighty all help out in keeping the Swede under constant control; silent and dependent.)
As I write this, scared teachers are being sent out to teach live in schools while being actually forbidden to mask up despite the risks that come with crowds of pupils in enclosed areas (as if young pupils were the cleanliest things even in normal circumstances). And said Mr. Tegnell’s dream of herd immunity obviously lives on, now ushered in through the backdoors of those schools to infect our young. (We’ve done our share with the old already.) The government cheats, it sneaks and it slithers. It will take no actual responsibility for the outcome. And people sneak, cheat and slither too, naturally feeling equally responsible, avoiding Tegnell’s (intentionally) feeble “recommendations” and go on as usual --- just like their ancestors did when priestly watchdogs (and those Swedes that might tell on you) weren’t there. So it goes:
Power wanted a herd instead of adult, independent individuals.
They got rid of Vikings.
But now they’ll have to herd cats.
I'd rather end there. As I write this, I am listening to sweeter tones from the past: Corelli’s Twelve Trio Sonatas (Op.1) the boquet of a dozen beautiful pieces dedicated to Queen Christina --- that intelligent person who put her precious Swedish crown down so that she could go abroad and be a soul.
The saying goes that someone asked her:
“Your Majesty, why have you surrendered your kingdom?”
The answer came like a flash:
“Because they are Stupid!”
And perhaps the answer it still as simple as that. If not simpler, after all those years.
