Brief Notes on the Emerging Witch-Hunt of 'the Unvaxxed'--for 'anti-social' behaviour, i.e., non-compliance to get 'jabbed' with vaxxes that don't prevent (re-) infection, spread, and transmission
Despite the romanticized image of the Scandihoovians as rugged Vikings and upholders of the Danelaw, etc., I know a number of ex-pats from the region (Swedes, Norwegians and Finns) who ran screaming from their powerfully *conformist* societies. They all like to remind anyone who will listen that the northern nations of Europe embraced the Utopian ideals of "socialism" long before the rest of the "west" were fully infiltrated.
Had a strange thought a few days back, staring up at the sky : what if McCarthy was actually on-point...? Shudder.
As long-term expats (in by now three countries, four if my spouse's stay elsewhere is factored in), I can very well relate to your comment. I suspect that these sentiments are virtually the same in many 'western' countries. Experiences abroad changes how people perceive what's going on in their home countries, even though the point about 'Nordic perception bias' is very well taken and I fully agree with it.
As to the McCarthy issue: that may be true or not, but his was a very different time--many people still cared about these issues. These days, I fear, most people care more about wireless internet access than, say, individual freedoms and the like. My personal take on this is that it doesn't matter whether or not McCarthy was correct or not, but that civic sentiments, historical knowledge, and indvidual self-respect (and responsibility) have declined to such an extent that it's hard to miss the over-arching sense of (perceived) self-victimisation due to, in my opinion, abdication of one's responsibility coupled with an expectation that 'someone' will take care of anyone's problems. The notion of self-responsibility barely registers these days.
Despite the romanticized image of the Scandihoovians as rugged Vikings and upholders of the Danelaw, etc., I know a number of ex-pats from the region (Swedes, Norwegians and Finns) who ran screaming from their powerfully *conformist* societies. They all like to remind anyone who will listen that the northern nations of Europe embraced the Utopian ideals of "socialism" long before the rest of the "west" were fully infiltrated.
Had a strange thought a few days back, staring up at the sky : what if McCarthy was actually on-point...? Shudder.
Hi Doug (if I may),
thanks for the comment.
As long-term expats (in by now three countries, four if my spouse's stay elsewhere is factored in), I can very well relate to your comment. I suspect that these sentiments are virtually the same in many 'western' countries. Experiences abroad changes how people perceive what's going on in their home countries, even though the point about 'Nordic perception bias' is very well taken and I fully agree with it.
As to the McCarthy issue: that may be true or not, but his was a very different time--many people still cared about these issues. These days, I fear, most people care more about wireless internet access than, say, individual freedoms and the like. My personal take on this is that it doesn't matter whether or not McCarthy was correct or not, but that civic sentiments, historical knowledge, and indvidual self-respect (and responsibility) have declined to such an extent that it's hard to miss the over-arching sense of (perceived) self-victimisation due to, in my opinion, abdication of one's responsibility coupled with an expectation that 'someone' will take care of anyone's problems. The notion of self-responsibility barely registers these days.