Squeaky clean Sweden
I don't expect that many of you follow Swedish politics. At least, those of you who have a life.So here is a quick update: Since the new government took power 2 weeks ago, 2 ministers have resigned their positions because of embarrassing and damning activities in their past.
This is the point where I started getting interested. Ministers resigning? "Wow", I thought, "finally we get some real dirt on the underbelly of Swedish politics."
What are the despicable deeds that forced two ministers to resign and is coming close to bringing down the government?
1) The minister of culture didn't pay her TV license - a couple of hundred bucks
2) Both ministers paid foreign nannys without withholding tax. Again, a couple of thousand bucks, maximum.
So, two Swedish ministers have lost their jobs and disappeared over a couple of thousand dollars, no criminal activity and all within 10 days.
Meanwhile in Canada, the $250 000 000 sponsorship scandal brought down one single minister - Alfonso Gagliano - who, incidentally, has been reported to have strong ties to the Mafia.
The billion dollar cost overruns of the gun registry have had no consequences at all, other than being a minor factor in the Liberal party losing the last election.
At first I was inclined to regard this Swedish situation as something of a joke. But now I am inclined to think of it as a sign of a profoundly decent society. If such relatively minor acts have such dramatic consequences, one can't help but feel that this is a nation in which serious corruption is not only unthinkable, but impossible. That is the kind of place I wouldn't mind calling home.
posted by Jeff @ 11:17 PM
3 Comments:
Let me tell you something my dear!
History of all nations has been carved by criminal activities and corruption. There is no evidence that there is a single nation where people can claim that justice and honesty had been respected troughout centuries. I would like to believe, whatsoever, the possibility of such behaviour where integrity has still its value...
The most incredible thing with the sponsorship scandal and so on here in Canada is the fact that we end up knowing it. This, my friend, confort me way more that a nation who claim that their biggest lacks of integrity are some minor "politically incorrect" behaviour by some minister. (By the way, what for god sake would you hire a foreign nanny when you are living in Sweden??? Am I missing some details here!!!)
Well I certainly agree that it is a breath of fresh air that politicians be held to a high standard. But nobody is perfect and probably shouldn't be sacked for something that the average person does all the time. Unless they lied about it. In which case they should be done for.
It isn't remarkable that we found out about the recent "Liberal" issues in Canada. There have been new scandals every year since confederation. It's just that we let the bastards stick around and stick it to the tax payer over and over no matter what the party.
Charles, I have to agree with you on the last point: With so many hottie blonde Swedish girls around, hiring a foreign nanny is simply unacceptable.
I can't agree with the rest though. I think that with a free press we do get to hear the majority of really dirty stuff, eventually. I just don't buy the idea that major criminal activity is routinely hidden from the public. No bureaucracy is competent enough to successfully implement such a conspiracy.
The point I am making is that in Sweden a minor indiscretion leads to major political consequences. That fits with what I see here culturally. People are very equality-minded and intolerant of people who screw the system.
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