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Momodou
Denmark
11712 Posts |
 Posted - 04 Jun 2011 : 14:34:54
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A surprising result was reached in a study among 1,200 Swedes by World Values Survey reveals that every fifth Swede between 18 and 29 years says that they'd vote for a politician, who offers them money and the number is an incredible 28 percent, if the politician can get a job for them or one in their circle of friends.
Staffan I. Lindberg is a senior associate professor of political science at Gothenburg's university and the man behind the investigation in Sweden. His debate article in Swedish is at:
http://www.dn.se/debatt/demokrati-inte-sa-viktigt-for-dagens-unga-svenskar
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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Momodou
Denmark
11712 Posts |
Posted - 04 Jun 2011 : 16:36:06
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Here is a Google translation of the Swedish text of his debate article published in todays DN:
"Democracy is not so important for today's young Swedes'
Published 2011-06-03
New shattering study: More than one in four young Swedish think it would be "fairly or very good" if Sweden was undemocratic and ruled by a powerful, dictatorial leader.
In the latest World Values Survey Study in Sweden - conducted among 1208 randomly selected citizens - we find that many young Swedes are willing to sell their democratic rights and freedoms. As many as 21 percent of 18-29 year olds would be willing to switch sides with a small amount of money. In this group there is also a belief that democracy does not matter so much. 26 percent think it would be fairly or very good if Sweden was ruled by a strong leader who did not have to worry about democratic elections. This is a threat to the democratic foundations, writes political scientist and research leader Staffan I. Lindberg.
In Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Libya, and most recently Syria, are fighting and dying young generation of voting and democracy. The struggle for democratic rights in our own country is not so far back in time. In Adalen 1931 Swedish military killed five protesters and injured more than shot. The Second World War meant a relief from Mussolini and Hitler for many countries in Europe, but was the beginning of a 45-year-old dictatorship of others. Freedom and justice have never been free.
In the latest World Values Survey-the survey we conducted in Sweden in February to April 2011, we asked for the first time questions about what could be called political corruption. I have been involved in developing these questions to investigate threats to democracy in Africa and other countries.
Among 1208 randomly selected citizens in Sweden, we find that as many as 7 percent would be willing to cast their votes in parliamentary elections on the politicians that "offering a smaller amount of money or other gift." As a comparison, the corresponding figure is 9 percent in Ghana - a country where the scientific literature often says that democracy is undermined by the fact that "only about money".
But in Sweden it is mostly young people in this way is ready to sell their democratic rights and freedoms. As many as 21 percent of 18-29 year olds say they would consider switching party and voting for the person who gives them a small sum of money. This is the generation that had grown into adulthood after the Cold War and the victory of democracy over communism. Only 2.5 percent of those aged 40 or over respond the same. Another illustration: If a parliamentary candidate from another party fixes a job for that person, or someone in his or her neighborhood, is 28 percent of the younger generation ready to give away their vote.
While there is this group of young citizens a belief that it does not make much difference whether they live in a democracy or not. For nearly 23 percent of 18-29 year olds, this is not so important. 26 percent think it would be fairly or very good if Sweden was ruled by a "strong leader who does not need to bother with parliament or elections." The elderly in Sweden that had dictatorships in to life has a very different picture of the value of democracy. For 97 percent of them, it is very important that they live in a democratically governed country.
How can this be? One possibility is the assumption that my 16-year-old daughter moved:
- Everyone talks so much about how well economically for China and how good they have it, and nobody talks about poverty and oppression in the countryside, so they might get the impression that the dictatorship is not so bad.
Maybe. It is important to note that this group of young people are not extremists but from all the political parties' supporters. They have jobs and basic training about the same extent as others and the same degree of confidence in institutions such as church, universities and defense and various types of organizations. They are no more or less willing to be active in various forms of protests and demonstrations.
Exactly what the causes are unknown. But let me speculate on some possibilities.
You may initially wonder what democracy teach the younger generation had to life in primary and secondary education? One of history, mechanical vision of democracy (and market economy) which ignores the normative foundations, probably. One must then ask who has trained teachers today in social studies and history to serve this on democracy. It is only to say that we at the university, especially in political science, which train future teachers of history and social science in this case bears a heavy responsibility.
We also note that this group of young people have significantly less confidence in political parties and politicians and that they read newspapers and see on TV news to a much lesser extent than others. Instead they get their information mainly from twitter and facebook.
Political parties from left to right thus appears also to have failed. The absence of political debate based on clear ideological differences, where the Social Democrats talked about tax breaks and the right wing had room to become Labour Party, perhaps sent the message that the choice between the parties does not matter.
Also, television and newspapers, to inform citizens for democracy to work, seems to have failed to reach these young citizens. How do journalists and editors see their responsibility?
The fact remains. A relatively large group of young citizens in Sweden may be prepared to sell their democratic rights for a small sum of money. Many of them do not think it matters very much whether we have democracy or not. While dictatorships in the Middle East and North Africa crumbles under the pressure of the young people's demands for voting rights, we see disturbing threat to democracy foundations in Sweden.
Staffan I. Lindberg,
research director for the World Values Survey, Sweden,
Researchers at the Quality of Government Institute,
Associate Professor of Political Science University of Gothenburg.
Source: http://www.dn.se/debatt/demokrati-inte-sa-viktigt-for-dagens-unga-svenskar
I hope that someday someone might make a similar research why people sell their votes in the Gambia. |
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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toubab1020
12309 Posts |
Posted - 04 Jun 2011 : 17:47:52
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Sweden as I understand things is a country where you PAY VERY HIGH TAXES and in return the state offers a cradle to the grave contract with you, in other words whatever happens to you or whoever you are the state will totally care for you.
Dictatorships?, don't really work,because total greed develops in even good men when they are given absolute power.
Maybe a survey taken from" A relatively large group of young citizens in Sweden" was the wrong group to survey  |
"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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Edited by - toubab1020 on 04 Jun 2011 17:48:50 |
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toubab1020
12309 Posts |
Posted - 04 Jun 2011 : 18:17:24
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"I hope that someday someone might make a similar research why people sell their votes in the Gambia."
Not in the near future Momodou  |
"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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Edited by - toubab1020 on 04 Jun 2011 18:17:55 |
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Momodou
Denmark
11712 Posts |
Posted - 05 Jun 2011 : 16:16:41
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There is a political science faculity in the University of The Gambia so that could be a possible research project. Just wishful thinking!!  |
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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kobo
United Kingdom
7765 Posts |
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toubab1020
12309 Posts |
Posted - 05 Jun 2011 : 17:41:36
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| Well can't do that then |
"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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Edited by - toubab1020 on 05 Jun 2011 17:42:01 |
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kiwi
Sweden
662 Posts |
Posted - 15 Jun 2011 : 23:03:35
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Good to see Momodou that you still keep an eye on what’s going on in the Swedish society.
The result of the study is a bit depressing but perhaps not surprising. - there is a Swedish saying: You don´t miss the cow before the stall is empty. So let´s try and bring here some tyrant for a trial period of a year, as a remedy. Though Gaddafi, I think, is a bit too much for the calm and sensible Swedes.
To Toubab I would like to say: ”the state will totally care for you.” is a lingering myth that has no relevance in the Swedish society of to day. I don´t think those who work every day for a living would agree with you, neither those who had committed suicide after having been kicked out of the system after a long period of illness.
That was a beautiful view of an ideal society for 60´s - and 70´s but long since dead and buried, like many other ideals of the time.
I am quite sure, had one of the questions in the survey been "Do you think solidarity is important", the answer would have been ”Never heard of it”
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kiwi |
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toubab1020
12309 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jun 2011 : 01:19:20
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Kiwi,thanks for correcting my misconceptions,so Sweden has joined the rest of the world where everything is about money,social Conscience has fled and people have to make their own way the best they can.
(I understand that its very cold in the winter,is that still the case, or has global warming made Sweden Sub Tropical ? ) |
"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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Edited by - toubab1020 on 16 Jun 2011 01:20:49 |
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Momodou
Denmark
11712 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jun 2011 : 08:52:44
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Kiwi, I do follow events in Sweden and have lots of good friends there.
You are right that these kids most probably don't know "Solidarity" and would not know nothing about Olof Palme apart from the fact that he was assassinated. By the way, he was one of my favorite leaders in the world. |
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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kiwi
Sweden
662 Posts |
Posted - 19 Jun 2011 : 14:40:21
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Your conclusion is correct, toubab, but no sub-tropical climate here yet, just the same old good weather from the British Isles – rain. You wood feel at home.
Palme was a brilliant politician and a strong leader and an internationalist with a genuine interest in third world and liberation movements. He was admired by many, despised by some, and born into an upper class family with a wife from Swedish nobles he was seen as a class traitor becoming a social democrat. After 25 years, we still don’t know if he was assassinated by a lone alcoholic or someone else for political reasons.
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kiwi |
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toubab1020
12309 Posts |
Posted - 19 Jun 2011 : 14:53:06
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"After 25 years, we still don’t know if he was assassinated by a lone alcoholic or someone else for political reasons."
Sweden sounds very much like the UK,you may well have read that we have a similar circumstance here,although admittedly not to do with class warfare and not 25 years ago,conspiracy theories abound in the UK as elsewhere in the world,the truth may well never be known.
A bit unfair to expect you to have knowledge of UK Stuff,sorry,there is plenty on the internet but I have chosen wickipedia site as it is probably the most comprehensive, what is fact ,what is fiction,what happened,what did not happen, again, who knows, anyway here is the link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Kelly_%28weapons_expert%29
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"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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Edited by - toubab1020 on 19 Jun 2011 15:01:25 |
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kiwi
Sweden
662 Posts |
Posted - 19 Jun 2011 : 16:03:28
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| All "UK Stuff" is published on Swedish papers too, not that I remeber this case. Thanks for the interesting link, I will read it. |
kiwi |
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