From an outside point of view I know Sweden may seem like a somewhat ideal place to live, good schools and education, health care system and care for the elderly. A decent labour market, equality, a society open, tolerant and void of racism, facism and sexism. Modern and environmentally conscious. Peaceful and neutral.
Sadly that's not really the case these days. It would of course be a very long story to write down and discuss the hows and the whys regarding this development. Complacency being one factor of many.
So whenever there is something worth celebrating, like a politican taking a stand for something true and important, like human rights and women's rights (and obviously animal rights, whenever that happens, to seldom if you ask me. And the animals.) then I'm proud to be a Swede.
Currently I'm über proud of our foreign minister, Margot Wallström. A socialdemocratic politician who has been working in the European parliament for many years until she was asked to be a part of the new Swedish government after last year's election. She skipped the bs and stood up for human and women's rights. Diplomacy and sovereignty is all well and fine, but sometimes one really has to say enough is enough. This is not acceptable.
One can only speculate what would have happened if that had been the case at an much earlier stage in WWII and during other genocide situations after that.
She did. And Sweden finally scrapped a horrific arm's deal with one of the world's worst fundamentalistic states. (Something which Svenska Freds, Swedish Peace and Arbitration society has worked for for a long time.) Where neither human nor women's rights are acknowledged. Finally a Western country stood up for what's right, decent and true. Because neither money nor oil surpass or should surpass those basic rights. But noone said. Until now.
And that's why I'm currently proud of being a citizen of Sweden. A country that actually stood upp for those rights.
Suddenly it happens. The right thing.
Peace.
2 comments:
I am very happy for you. And more than a little jealous. For quite some time now I have felt ashamed at what my country is doing on a number of fronts.
Yes, I am glad to hear you are proud of your country. But, we should all be proud to be citizens...Even if we do not agree with all that our country does, If we take an interest, may be we can change things, in our own way!
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