(edit title) Shrinking the state...in Sweden? The new Swedish model Options

[oddsock]

All I want is to be able to buy booze after 3pm on a Saturday and to have the option to pee in a urinal.

[Mo]

Byke,it might be interesting for you to read up on sweden's tax rate during what you describe as a reign of socialism and compare that tax rate to the tax rate in the pre- ... (show full quote)

Byke,it might be interesting for you to read up on sweden's tax rate during what you describe as a reign of socialism and compare that tax rate to the tax rate in the pre-Reagan administration when the top tax rate of USA was 70 %. Meanwhile, sweden had a very lax tax rate and was the 4th largest economy in the world.

Ohh.. Did I ruin your daily "spewing bile over Sweden routine"? ... (hide full quote)

4th largest - pull the other one

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_li...ountries_by_GDP

[Orcade]

"The two decades from 1970 were a period of decline: the country was demoted from being the world’s fourth-richest in 1970.."

Really, wikipedia? Did you read the economist's link that that TS referenced?

[Gamla Hälsingebock]

Can anyone honestly believe that a country with less than 0.1 % of the worlds population could become the fourth richest country in the world while the government of said coun ... (show full quote)

Can anyone honestly believe that a country with less than 0.1 % of the worlds population could become the fourth richest country in the world while the government of said country was "socialist"? Does anyone believe that 100 000's of italians, greeks, spaniards, britons, irish, american etc would go to work in a "socicalist hell" voluntarily? ... (hide full quote)

Yes!...Byke!!!!!!!!!!!

[Orcade]

All I want is to be able to buy booze after 3pm on a Saturday and to have the option to pee in a urinal.

I will be the first to admit that I thoroughly dislike Systembolagets opening hours and the fact that you can't buy proper alcohol in supermarkets, hey, I am a student after all. But do you feel that there is any connection between the control of alcohol and politics?

To show you what I mean, I can tell you that in the Soviet Union, Vodka was free and more or less completely subsidized by the government whereas in conservative America, a more or less complete ban on alcohol was seen as "righteous".

The urinal story sounds utterly ridiculous, who says it's not ok to pee in a urinal?

[Mo]

oh ok - you wrote largest but you meant richest as in per capita GDP

[Orcade]

Post #21
Embarrassing, but yes you are right. I meant to say richest by GDP per capita, not largest economy. I did write richest in Post #15 but I understand that it's hard to understand my reasoning when I am not consistent.

[oddsock]

I will be the first to admit that I thoroughly dislike Systembolagets opening hours and the fact that you can't buy proper alcohol in supermarkets, hey, I am a student aft ... (show full quote)

I will be the first to admit that I thoroughly dislike Systembolagets opening hours and the fact that you can't buy proper alcohol in supermarkets, hey, I am a student after all. But do you feel that there is any connection between the control of alcohol and politics?

To show you what I mean, I can tell you that in the Soviet Union, Vodka was free and more or less completely subsidized by the government whereas in conservative America, a more or less complete ban on alcohol was seen as "righteous". ... (hide full quote)

Prohibition was a long time ago.

Sweden is neither socialist nor capitalist. I can't put my finger on it, but there's a certain respect here for authority that rankles with me. If they see a bouncer at a door, they get their ID out voluntarily without being asked. Isn't that just weird?

The urinal story sounds utterly ridiculous, who says it's not ok to pee in a urinal?

They only have urinals here in nightclubs, stadiums and pubs. All other public buildings (libraries, offices, train stations, universities, gyms, etc.) have unisex stalls with private sinks. No men and women's toilets.

[Orcade]

I guess I can kind of see your point regarding the ID thing,but for me thats just to speed up the process. I am 21 years old and I am sure they will check me for ID when I buy alcohol in Systembolaget anyway so in order to speed up the process I just hand them my ID along with the money, since I know they are definently going to check it anyway. Regarding the unisex bathrooms, I have lived here my entire life and I have never encountered a unisex bathroom with multiple stalls anywhere, unless you are refering to individual bathrooms in certain places not having a sign for woman and man.

Sorry, I cant use the respond function im on my cellphone.

[Orcade]

I should however add regarding the ID issue: I have almost never gotten into a situation where a bouncer needs to see my ID. This is simply because I prefer drinking in bars with friends rather than dancing to obnoxiously loud music in clubs.

The few times I actually have gone to clubs (5-6 times tops), I have gone to clubs on campus where I know the "bouncers" so ID has never been a problem there.

[Yorkshireman]

I will be the first to admit that I thoroughly dislike Systembolagets opening hours and the fact that you can't buy proper alcohol in supermarkets, hey, I am a student aft ... (show full quote)

I will be the first to admit that I thoroughly dislike Systembolagets opening hours and the fact that you can't buy proper alcohol in supermarkets, hey, I am a student after all. But do you feel that there is any connection between the control of alcohol and politics? ... (hide full quote)

Yes there is a link, the System Bolaget is a state owned monopoly that is allowed to continue even under the EU rules with it's primary defence as being grounds of Public Health. However, things might change in the not too distant future ...the new Home Delivery service that is being piloted this year, currently as an experiment to see if public health is effected (ie. does it result in an increase in alcohol consumption) ...if that service is extended to more regions then the argument for concerns over Public Health for retaining the monopoly position for Sales of Alcohol will be significantly dimimnished ...opening the door for other players (eg. Supermarkets etc...)

To show you what I mean, I can tell you that in the Soviet Union, Vodka was free and more or less completely subsidized by the government

You will find that that is changing the main reason Putin gets so many votes from Women is because of his non-alcohol stance, since the average age for men to die in Russia is somewhere between 55->60yrs, mainly due to alcohol related illnesses ...women vote in huge numbers for Putin to do something about alcohol, which He is doing but unfortunately it has a corresponding effect on the black-market where sales are growing by 60% due to tigher controls and increased prices in legally available alcohol (and tobacco).

[mångk]

All I want is to be able to ... have the option to pee in a urinal.

That would be way more impressive if you were a female!

[oddsock]

Women have taken to hanging up signs in my building that says "Please pee sitting down." I tried my best, but from my seat on the floor I couldn't reach the toilet bowl. Har Har.

But no, seriously. First they take away the urinal and then they complain that men pee in the toilet standing up. Well, give the urinals back and the problem is solved.

[Bender B Rodriquez]

They only have urinals here in nightclubs, stadiums and pubs. All other public buildings (libraries, offices, train stations, universities, gyms, etc.) have unisex stalls with ... (show full quote)

They only have urinals here in nightclubs, stadiums and pubs. All other public buildings (libraries, offices, train stations, universities, gyms, etc.) have unisex stalls with private sinks. No men and women's toilets. ... (hide full quote)

It depends entirely on when the place was built and how much space was available. If there is space to have two big rooms (one for each gender) with multiple stalls, then you will usually find a urinal. If there is less space you will find individual unisex bathrooms. Space and capacity are the only motives for building one or the other.

[Orcade]

Oddsock, just because some random woman tells you to pee sitting down doesn't mean you have to do it, this is a free country.