Hardtruths about the Scandinavian Miracle

Here’s a great article on the reality of the Scandinavian Miracle. People tend to place their Nordic states’ policies and systems on a pedestal without digging deeper.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/27/scandinavian-miracle-brutal-truth-denmark-norway-sweden

In short, here’s the truth about how it’s like to live there:

Denmark

Thought to have best public services but in reality, trains do not run on time. Oh, if you go need to go to A&E you have to make an appointment
Economic equality is decreasing – the number of people living below the poverty line had doubled
Apparently they dump migrants, elderly, unemployed etc. at the country sides (something like sending your elderly to JB but with cold weather)

Norway

Xenophobic, anti-Islamist
They’re known to be giam kana
Corrupted by their oil money – people are working less, retiring earlier, calling in sick
At risk of full-blown Dutch disease (where a country ironically suffers even with the presence of a valuable resource, e.g. oil) with their current anti-Islamist government

Iceland

It’s uninhabitable

Finland

Gun ownership is high and they have the highest murder rate in western Europe, and high suicide rates
The people drink a lot and they die from it
Nokia is gone so now they mostly sell, wait for it, paper! The invention of the future (not).
Their schools are good? Well they’re good so long as the kids there don’t shoot other kids
The Finnish are reticent and would prefer to be alone
Even REFUGEES complain that it’s boring http://news.yahoo.com/finlands-no-good-disappointed-migrants-turn-back-152042061.html

Sweden

They describe themselves as envious, stiff, industrious, nature loving, quiet, honest, dishonest, xenophobic
They don’t… feel… much (Eg. They try to avoid screaming during childbirth and crying during funerals)
Apparently Swedes prefer to be alone
One party state – described as China of the North (sounds familiar?)
Youth unemployment is higher than the UK’s
Swedish rights on the rise

Also across the board, schools rein in higher achievers for the sake of the less gifted; “elite” is a dirty word. Public displays of success, ambition or wealth are frowned upon.

So is it still the utopia you want to live in?