I might be wrong

..or I might be right?

I think that something is not right in the society, but I might be wrong, because they say Sweden is one of the most equal countries in the world and because of that, we feel better here than more unequal ones. But what I can see, this is not what we are witness to right now. I might be wrong, but it seems as the equality gap is growing, it's harder to get a job, people take jobs they do not want, more dirty, less paid jobs, we can see more angry immigrants and youth, more competitions.. and more fashion change. But I might be wrong, because a lot of people likes their jobs too.

What we do right now is to higher the amount of "medelsvensson"-the number of people in the main group, so as in income, housing, social relationships, traveling, leisure, etc, but stretch the line longer to the extreme ends. In the same time, we just put the problems somewhere else when we buy all those "cheap, for all" things from other countries (doesn't mean, very cheap things, but affordable). And it is the buying which is the problem. Never have I felt that people buy so much as now. When people, wish I like, say that it doesn't matter if we buy it now or later, it is so cheap anyway.

So it seems as people are working too hard, to get those money (even if not everyone does) to buy a lot of things (cloths, shoes, bags, interior, magazines, books, "coffee to go" and lunch). And I can see that it seems to be "good" to say that you are so busy in your work (because it comes more frequently nowadays); "I can't meet you, I have sooooooo much to do", "I'm soooooo tired, I worked the whole weekend and now it's a new (working) week". I do not say that we should not work, but questioning the way we are doing it. As slaves under some structures (if run a company; things has to have a low price, or it can't be sold) or "slave" under someone else's company and structures. We give those structures and companies our time and energy just because we want to have some extra money to buy more things with (?).

We put the children in institutions, like school, daycare, the older in elder care and the physically or mentally handicapped in disabled service, because we have to work.. If we do the work ourselves without those institutions and without a salary, it's "kind of cute"- but what are you do for a living? (money)? Meaning also that you are a bit lazy. Or if you fell your own trees, clean your own windows or stairs (if you own a residential building), it means that you can't afford a company to do it.

Society wants this to happen, because then it gives more work opportunities, more jobs! And that means more salaries so we can buy some extra things for our money. I do not want to say that it is not good with more job opportunities, and that we should go around home all of us and do things like taking care of kids, elder and our siblings who have troubles, but I mean that we should have some time to do this too and gardening, do art work, play music, cook, do sports.. It's not that things that can't be measured in money is nothing worth.. it is the opposite.

If we could see that other things are important than just money (we have enough to feed ourselves anyway), we could have some time to do other things than just work. Things that none can explain to us, things like a kid needs to do with it's parents. Just some time, doing nothing..

In a short period, three young persons was murdered in Gothenburg, all three in parts of town which are segregated from the rest. A larger amount of murders are connected to a larger amount of inequality. So is this a sign; in this category of age, and in those areas. Just a speculation.. What is going on?

What I think is needed now, in Sweden and everywhere, is another development direction. This crazy society with it's rat race for money and status can't go around forever. We need to calm down, see life from it's right side and reevaluate the whole system. Competition for latest products, fashion and status are (now) something that everyone should to not be old fashion or a "outsider" or seen from a youth eyes "a fucking freak", "nerd" and so on.. but it can't go along forever because..

• Cheap things are in the long run, bad for both environment (hits back sometime..) and for the wallet (again, how much do we slave)
• Fashion means that we show that we have time to actively search for clothes and have afford to change often, leaving a world with crap. (Is this sexy, glamorous or hip??)

People need to rest after hard work or do need to feel that they do things that are appreciated (meaning; work less and do other things too or work a lot but be happy in the same time)

This is the same argumentation as earlier posts asking if we would like to have a country based prosperity or one owned from companies. Meaning in some ears a more equal society or a a society with more job opportunities. Sweden have had for some years both systems and after last vote, it will just grow stronger. People are falling in the gap, and people feel that they do not have time.. But I might be wrong. The system should cover most people still but has nothing to do with environment and meaningful jobs to do..
 I would like to say it like Herman Daly when he answering the question if we can grow us to an environmentally sustainable world, with "My question to you then would be—After you grow your way to an environmentally sustainable world, then what?" Read full article here at Growth is Madness.

I do not think that this is the way to "go back in time", we do not need to live in villages again and be farmers all of us. I think we can live in the time we live in even if we consume less, think more and appreciate life more. This is a more clever and tricky way of running a society than one based on a "free market" (crazy market). And what all people should do then, when they do not work as maniacs on working place they do not like, well, I don't think that is a problem. Actually if we need a more realistic world to live in, we need more time to understand, and to actively take action for the ideas we share with each other. See more about ecological modernization (a marked for environmental friendly goods) compared to the idea of ecocities.

Here is a little film before the project "Exploring equality" when two young men took their bikes from UK to the "more equal" country Sweden. The project is now finished and everything is in a very positive manner, and I just wonder if I might be wrong with how I interpret Sweden now compared to some years ago (material in those graphs). See more about the project, interviews and result at their website here.