While Sweden was an early contender in using the Net for politics in the late 90s, the Swedish Netroots is a relatively recent phenomenon. And like the states, the left side of the blogosphere seems to be kicking more butt in Sweden than the right. One likely reason is that in Sweden, like the US, the right-wing has long had its own echo chamber, while the left did not. 13 of the nation's newspapers lean left, while 59 lean right. The Swedish left-wing blogosphere fills a very real need, and is already having some early, and significant, successes. The latest, and possibly most interesting, success of the Swedish Netroots (they use the same term as us, "Netroots") took place just two days ago. A young Swedish woman named Emilie wrote a blog post about her mother losing her health insurance. In Sweden, there's a national health plan that covers you if you lose your job due to failing health. While Emilie's mom has been certified unable to work by her doctors, the national health service didn't believe her, and just cut off her insurance. Emily wrote that she and her mother are now considering selling their home in order to be able to afford her mom's ongoing health care.Up until now, Emily's blog didn't get a lot of traffic. She'd only written three posts in September, four in August, and seven in July. But this post was different. Within a few hours, it started to travel around the Web, and within a day, it had already been shared over 20,000 times on Facebook. By last night, only a day after Emily wrote her post, the national evening news in Sweden had Emily and her mother as their top story (see video upper left). By the next morning, it was a front page story in the largest national paper, is now hitting the radio and the wire services, and is the subject of a Facebook page and a viral video poking fun at the Prime Minister. The media then tried to ask the Prime Minister about the story, and he reportedly fled in order to avoid giving an answer.
The latest, and possibly most interesting, success of the Swedish Netroots (they use the same term as us, "Netroots") took place just two days ago. A young Swedish woman named Emilie wrote a blog post about her mother losing her health insurance. In Sweden, there's a national health plan that covers you if you lose your job due to failing health. While Emilie's mom has been certified unable to work by her doctors, the national health service didn't believe her, and just cut off her insurance. Emily wrote that she and her mother are now considering selling their home in order to be able to afford her mom's ongoing health care.
Up until now, Emily's blog didn't get a lot of traffic. She'd only written three posts in September, four in August, and seven in July. But this post was different. Within a few hours, it started to travel around the Web, and within a day, it had already been shared over 20,000 times on Facebook. By last night, only a day after Emily wrote her post, the national evening news in Sweden had Emily and her mother as their top story (see video upper left). By the next morning, it was a front page story in the largest national paper, is now hitting the radio and the wire services, and is the subject of a Facebook page and a viral video poking fun at the Prime Minister. The media then tried to ask the Prime Minister about the story, and he reportedly fled in order to avoid giving an answer.
She was denied sick-pension even though all her doctors confirm she will never be able to work again. Her illness insurance has run out. (The insurance which was paying her living expenses. Health insurance does not exist in Sweden, health care is universal.) So, if she does not go find a job she will have to sell her apartment in order to qualify for social support for living expenses. Her health care will continue to be paid for, regardless. I.e. she does not have to sell the apartment to pay for health care, but in order to get money to live on as she cannot work, since she has been denied early retirement for her illness.
But the Red-greens might still win. It looks unlikely to me, but nothing is decided 'til election day. Peak oil is not an energy crisis. It is a liquid fuel crisis.
Anyway ...
The Local is reporting:
The latest surveys indicate that 10-20 percent of the 7.1 million strong Swedish electorate have not yet made their choice, corresponding to as many as 1.4 million people.
If these are true Undecideds you can toss previous polling. The winners will be the ones with the GOTV operation that brings their people to the polls and the best 72 hour communication package.
Since Sweden isn't the US state of Mississippi the other part of a standard US election: voting fraud, polling place voting challenges, throwing ballot boxes into the river, & all the other 'fun stuff' we do 'round hyah' won't be happening. More's the pity. ;-)
I wouldn't overvalue undecideds -- I have seen too many elections when those losing in the polls put their hopes there, but then when election came undecideds broke roughly in the same ratio as decideds. (Plus, I hazard to guesss that most undecideds are undecided between parties within the blocks.) *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
I agree the larger the number of Undecideds the closer this group with track with the overall population.
a viral video poking fun at the Prime Minister.
...is real fun (and, apart from the subtitles, in English):
*Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
You can't be me, I'm taken
- Jake If you only spend 20 minutes of the rest of your life on economics, go spend them here.
If I'm reading "Försäkringskassan" correctly the correct translation into US terms would be "Social Security Administration."
As with any other country, Sweden separates temporary sickness benefits from long term disability. The mother has run through her sickness benefits and has been refused by Försäkringskassan administrators to be put on disability until they sell the apartment.
(Correction requested!!!)
