Reply To: How much longer?

[Anonymous]

When people talk of Sweden they neglect to mention that many Swedes voluntarily took precautions. Over a third worked from home, large gatherings were banned and many stayed among their social bubble to avoid risk. It wasn’t a case of people going out shopping and to bars as normal, shouting “screw you coronavirus, we won’t change our ways to let you win” as the tunnel visioned admirers from abroad like to make out.

What’s more, Sweden suffered more deaths than neighbouring Norway, Finland and Denmark who all have more similar population dynamics than we do. All those neighbouring countries locked down and their economic damage was akin to Sweden’s. Some may scoff, but I’d put the response of Denmark, Finland and Norway ahead of Sweden. Fewer deaths and no meaningful difference in the economy. It’s almost as if a direct international comparison between the UK and Sweden is hampered by other things.

Sweden are now implementing local lockdowns and tougher measures, so I don’t know where this idea that Swedes are looking on at us in despair has come from. It seems that they are losing confidence in their more lax approach, which is venerated by others, solely as a means of justifying their own ideology without actually paying attention.

Those right leaning libertarians who venerate Sweden for saving the economy do little to pay attention to the socially democratic schemes training those made redundant for future work, which are aimed to help with the economy during such tough times. When such is suggested, that’s evil socialism.