Dark lands: the grim truth behind the 'Scandinavian miracle'

[Perspicuo]

Dark lands: the grim truth behind the 'Scandinavian miracle'
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/27/scandinavian-miracle-brutal-truth-denmark-norway-sweden

Television in Denmark is rubbish, Finnish men like a drink – and Sweden is not exactly a model of democracy. Why, asks one expert, does everybody think the Nordic region is a utopia?

Take the Danes, for instance. True, they claim to be the happiest people in the world, but why no mention of the fact they are second only to Iceland when it comes to consuming anti- depressants? And Sweden? If, as a headline in this paper once claimed, it is "the most successful society the world has ever seen", why aren't more of you dreaming of "a little place" in Umeå?

Actually, I have lived in Denmark – on and off – for about a decade, because my wife's work is here (and she's Danish). Life here is pretty comfortable, more so for indigenous families than for immigrants or ambitious go-getters (Google "Jantelov" for more on this), but as with all the Nordic nations, it remains largely free of armed conflict, extreme poverty, natural disasters and Jeremy Kyle.

So let's remove those rose-tinted ski goggles and take a closer look at the objects of our infatuation…

Very interesting.

Not so dark lands: When inaccuracies meet sensationalism
http://cphpost.dk/news/not-so-dark-lands-when-inaccuracies-meet-sensationalism.8510.html

Recent Guardian piece on Denmark and the other Nordic countries created a stir, but was it accurate?

Even more interesting.

 

[dystopian]

The original article's author sounds like a British Bill O'Reilly trying desperately to be funny and failing; it's kind of hard to take him particularly serious, even when in the follow-up he unconvincingly tries to play it off as a not entirely serious article (I suspect there's some resentment at work, the type that often afflicts expats to any country/region for a period). The responses to it here: http://www.theguardian.com/world/20...miracle-denmark-finland-iceland-norway-sweden are much more interesting; although they strike me as being more representative of the job descriptions of the people responding than anything relating to nationality.

 

[crispy]

Shouldnt "according to the OECD they also work fewer hours per year than most of the rest of the world." actually contradict his point? I mean, since when is working alot a measure of a good society? Make me wonder what the hell is going on in his head...

And boring TV? Who the hell cares? You can download all you want on the internet, and where else in the world would you have a quiz show consisting only of experts guessing (right) about obscure artists sculptures? Actually in my humble opinion, we have some of the most diverse and interesting TV...

Didnt know about the amount of antidepressants we use, but im pretty sure the author looked for the worst case conlusions he could find to sell his book

 

[untermensche]

When I have to wade through commentary about television I know I am wasting my time.

As humans we should all be looking to improve everything around us.

Anybody who thinks they live in the best possible world is a fool.

 

[Togo]

anti-depressant consumption goes with latitude. It's linked to vitamin D deficiency and thus sunlight. I'm not inclined to see that as a function of their economy.

 

[ZiprHead]

anti-depressant consumption goes with latitude. It's linked to vitamin D deficiency and thus sunlight. I'm not inclined to see that as a function of their economy.

I was thinking the same thing.

 

[Axulus]

Dark lands: the grim truth behind the 'Scandinavian miracle'
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/27/scandinavian-miracle-brutal-truth-denmark-norway-sweden



Very interesting.

Not so dark lands: When inaccuracies meet sensationalism
http://cphpost.dk/news/not-so-dark-lands-when-inaccuracies-meet-sensationalism.8510.html

Recent Guardian piece on Denmark and the other Nordic countries created a stir, but was it accurate?

Even more interesting.

Did the author for a moment consider that having the most people on antidepressents could in fact be a contributing factor to being the happiest country? That a greater proportion of depression sufferers are willing to seek treatment. Having a healthy attitude toward the mental illness of depression and being willing to seek medical help when one suffers from it is a good factor to have on your society.

Having a lot of untreated depression is something to be ashamed of, not to brag about.

 

[EricK]

Dark lands: the grim truth behind the 'Scandinavian miracle'
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/27/scandinavian-miracle-brutal-truth-denmark-norway-sweden



Very interesting.

Not so dark lands: When inaccuracies meet sensationalism
http://cphpost.dk/news/not-so-dark-lands-when-inaccuracies-meet-sensationalism.8510.html



Even more interesting.

Did the author for a moment consider that having the most people on antidepressants could in fact be a contributing factor to being the happiest country? That a greater proportion of depression sufferers are willing to seek treatment. Having a healthy attitude toward the mental illness of depression and being willing to seek medical help when one suffers from it is a good factor to have on your society.

Having a lot of untreated depression is something to be ashamed of, not to brag about.

That's a very good point. I would further add that the author is implying that depression is a reaction to the situation people find themselves in, rather than an endogenous condition. An all too common belief, but one at odds with reality.

 

[Canard DuJour]

Dark lands: the grim truth behind the 'Scandinavian miracle'
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/27/scandinavian-miracle-brutal-truth-denmark-norway-sweden



Very interesting.

Not so dark lands: When inaccuracies meet sensationalism
http://cphpost.dk/news/not-so-dark-lands-when-inaccuracies-meet-sensationalism.8510.html



Even more interesting.

Did the author for a moment consider that having the most people on antidepressents could in fact be a contributing factor to being the happiest country? That a greater proportion of depression sufferers are willing to seek treatment. Having a healthy attitude toward the mental illness of depression and being willing to seek medical help when one suffers from it is a good factor to have on your society.

Having a lot of untreated depression is something to be ashamed of, not to brag about.

Yeah but that still leaves the grim truths of Danish TV and Finnish guys liking a drink..

​

and Sweden being not exactly a model of democracy, though it pretty much is.

 

[TV and credit cards]

I think the first author was merely conveying that all that glitters is not gold. People become infactuated with other people and places they've yet to experience. How many times have you though a particular person in your office seemed like they had it all together. Then within the first ten minutes of talking to them, you're thinking, wow, this is one messed up individual? Same with a place you want to, but have yet to visit. It looked better in the pictures, eh?

The second author was merely saying, hey, we're normal. We've got our problems to. May not be the same as your problems but aren't we all jacked up in our own special way?