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(Sweden) Social Democrat support 'lowest since election': poll
www.thelocal.se ^ | 02/21/2009 | The Local

Posted on 02/21/2009 1:15:03 PM PST by WesternCulture

The times they are a-changing.

However, in some parts of the world, the winds are blowin' in quite a different direction than they are in the US. At least in terms of political support for Conservatism vs Socialism they are (no offense, as a Scandinavian I sure don't mean any malice towards America!).

Scandinavia (and Finland) still is more PC, Liberal and Socialist than America, but people are beginning to wake up.

The article:

"The opposition Social Democrats are now at their lowest level of voter support since the 2006 general election, according to a new poll.

"The gap is not impregnable," according to Novus analyst Arne Modig.

Mona Sahlin's Social Democrats gained 36.7 percent of those surveyed, which is the party's lowest result since the election in September 2006. The 2.1 point decline is not however statistically significant.

The tripartite opposition maintains a 7.4 percentage point lead over the Alliance government however.

"The survey shows a clear swing in opinion. The opposition retains a clear lead but the gap is not impregnable as I see it," said Arne Modig to the news program TV 4 Nyheterna, which commissioned the poll.

The Christian Democrats claimed only 3.4 percent support in the poll, below the four percent threshold required to claims seats in parliament.

The far-right Sweden Democrats have the support of 4.1 percent of the electorate according to the new poll.

Novus interviewed 2,000 Swedes between February 3rd and 16th. Voters were asked which party they lean towards supporting and which party they consider to be the least bad alternative."


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: conservatism; polls; scandinavia; socialdemocrats; socialism; sweden
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1 posted on 02/21/2009 1:15:05 PM PST by WesternCulture
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To: WesternCulture
I'm not sure that in 30 years or so we'll talk of small goverment-Scandinavia and big-government, Socialist USA, but while the Nordic countries (Finland, Sweden, Iceland, Norway and Denmark), the world's 9th largest economy if viewed as one, today is moving towards Capitalism and Conservatism, USA is embracing the very ideas that the Nordic countries abandoned 20 years ago.

Something I view as a good measurement of the level of political sanity and awareness among people here in my Sweden is the attitude towards the connection between the economic development and government policies.

All of the Nordic countries (Scandinavia + Finland) are extremely open economies and a major slowdown in global economic growth is bound to affect the economy of Scandinavia. The economy of Norway is more dependent on crude oil prices though, for obvious reasons, even if much of the powerful Norwegian economy has little to do with oil.

Anyhow, the last time Sweden had a government dominated by the Conservatives (Moderaterna), there were hordes of ignorant Swedes who blamed the government for the national recession at that time. Today, most Swedes seem very aware that Sweden is extremely vulnerable because it is so dependent on exports.

The only way Sweden can survive in today's world is by providing a healthy business climate for Capitalist success stories like IKEA, Ericsson, Volvo, Electrolux, SAAB etc.

The Conservatives hold the keys to such a future, the Social Democrats don't.

2 posted on 02/21/2009 1:15:41 PM PST by WesternCulture
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To: WesternCulture

Hopefully, they’ve seen the bottom of the abyss and are ready for something new.


3 posted on 02/21/2009 1:17:41 PM PST by dr_who
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To: dr_who

“Hopefully, they’ve seen the bottom of the abyss and are ready for something new.”

- Take it from a Swede, Socialism doesn’t work (especially not in an advanced society like USA, Germany, Japan or Sweden).

If there is a future, it looks very Capitalist for all of us..


4 posted on 02/21/2009 1:21:01 PM PST by WesternCulture
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To: WesternCulture

What will happen here is the socialist parasites will drain the cash of the Capitalists so low they won’t be able to fund their stupid programs. We Capitalists are becoming too anemic to supply the socialists with unlimited tax money. They have killed the Golden Goose. A liberal with no money is pathetic, but dangerous.


5 posted on 02/21/2009 1:21:34 PM PST by screaminsunshine (f)
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To: WesternCulture

I’d move to a free and conservative Sweden this week if it existed.


6 posted on 02/21/2009 1:29:00 PM PST by Woebama
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To: WesternCulture

But aren’t the Swedish conservative government flooding Sweeden with as many third world immigrants as they can import?


7 posted on 02/21/2009 1:30:30 PM PST by GOPGuide
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To: screaminsunshine
“What will happen here is the socialist parasites will drain the cash of the Capitalists so low they won’t be able to fund their stupid programs. We Capitalists are becoming too anemic to supply the socialists with unlimited tax money. They have killed the Golden Goose. A liberal with no money is pathetic, but dangerous.”

- I'm afraid you're right.

But on the other hand, Capitalism and awareness of economic issues has a very strong tradition in America.

Socialism definitely is un-American, I guess most Americans would agree.

Around the world, most of us will experience some meager years in the near future, but together we will overcome this global recession even if many Americans and others hope too much from Obama (his policies are in many ways highly questionable to say the least).

Over here in Old Europe, we've experienced the up and downs of economic development for ages and things far worse than recessions, like WWI, WW2, The Black Death etc. Today it still is a rather good place to live despite stupid politicians and Islamists.

Best of regards from Scandinavia to America!

8 posted on 02/21/2009 1:31:45 PM PST by WesternCulture
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To: Woebama

“I’d move to a free and conservative Sweden this week if it existed.”

- I don’t claim such a Sweden exists, what I’m saying is that it’s evident Sweden and the other Nordic countries have been moving in that direction for the last twenty years or so.


9 posted on 02/21/2009 1:34:03 PM PST by WesternCulture
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To: WesternCulture

The world needs somewhere that is free, desperately.


10 posted on 02/21/2009 1:38:01 PM PST by Woebama
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To: GOPGuide
“But aren’t the Swedish conservative government flooding Sweeden with as many third world immigrants as they can import?”

- True, but so far this hasn't slowed the economy down.

As a nationalist and a freedom lover, I'm quite naturally opposed to this development. Sweden could survive as a Capitalist economy if even more moderate, well educated, Iraqis and Irans etc arrived here.

However, Swedish ethnicity and culture, the Swedish identity as such will vanish if this development escalates.

The worst threat to Europe is the constant import of fanatical Muslims from Somalia and such places. They will never be able of contributing to Western Civilisation in any way whatsoever and they are unlikely to become Christians like many of their Eritrean neighbors.

11 posted on 02/21/2009 1:40:36 PM PST by WesternCulture
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To: WesternCulture
Sweden has my best wishes. It's time for you guys to knock some heads, so to speak.

Let me know when you've done it, 'till then, I'll listen to ABBA and polish my Swedish Mauser.

12 posted on 02/21/2009 1:41:04 PM PST by Navy Patriot (Welcome to the Obama-Democrat Depression.)
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To: WesternCulture

And Aloha to you too.


13 posted on 02/21/2009 1:45:36 PM PST by screaminsunshine (f)
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To: WesternCulture

I mean Mahalo. That is TX in Hawaii. At least we have the liberals surrounded.


14 posted on 02/21/2009 1:47:20 PM PST by screaminsunshine (f)
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To: WesternCulture

I look at it another way. Just as the Obammy has been extremely good for the gun industry—he will be even better for the conservatives. I can see him loosing many seats to conservatives in the 2010 elections and beyond.

Also, I can see a possibility that he won’t remain in office until 2010—I think he’s also making the dims furious—at least all of them but the most liberal ones.


15 posted on 02/21/2009 1:48:16 PM PST by basil ( It's time to eliminate all "Gun Free Zones")
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To: WesternCulture

Yeah, but the Scandanavians had the sort of people who could make socialism sort-of work. The USA lacks that - we have lots more wannbe freeloaders.


16 posted on 02/21/2009 1:48:51 PM PST by Little Ray (Do we have a Plan B?)
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To: WesternCulture

Well that would just be lovely - I have nothing but good wishes for the Scandinavians. I just hope we recover from our coming lesson from The Gods of the Copybook Headings in as good shape as Scandinavia is.


17 posted on 02/21/2009 1:51:59 PM PST by Little Ray (Do we have a Plan B?)
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To: Navy Patriot
“Sweden has my best wishes. It's time for you guys to knock some heads, so to speak.

Let me know when you've done it, ‘till then, I'll listen to ABBA and polish my Swedish Mauser.”

- ABBA and Mausers sound like an unconventional combination.

I heard somewhere that US troops placed speakers around in some parts of the outskirts of Bagdad and played the song “I feel Good” by James Brown as they marched into the Iraqi capital in the first Gulf war in the 1990’s.

Perhaps Swedish police should adopt a similar procedure and invade Rosengård, Malmö (the worst Muslim ghetto in Scandinavia) to the tunes of music like “The winner takes it all” and “Waterloo” upon entering this area.

Revealing clip about Rosengård by Fox News (even if the reporters confuse some unemployment statistics of Rosengård - 23 000 inhabitants with the figures for all of Malmö - a city of 650 000 inh. all suburbs included). The introduction is in Swedish, then the Fox News documentary follows:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diw5SneythM&feature=related

18 posted on 02/21/2009 1:59:08 PM PST by WesternCulture
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To: WesternCulture

>Socialism definitely is un-American, I guess most Americans would agree.<

That may have been true at one time but there are too many Americans who would want and vote for a handout. The outcome of the last elections proves my point. As we rapidly march to an economic disaster there are still plenty of people who think that Obama is following the right path.


19 posted on 02/21/2009 2:02:11 PM PST by 353FMG (Trust in Glock.)
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To: WesternCulture

Not unconventional, just good things that come from Sweden, like Ingrid Bergman, and Greta Garbo.


20 posted on 02/21/2009 2:13:05 PM PST by Navy Patriot (Welcome to the Obama-Democrat Depression.)
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