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5/6/1970 - Swedish Youth -- What’s to Complain About in Utopia? by Barbara W. Bright

NOT FOR PUBLICATION INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS BWB Im Rosental Swedish Youth What Bonn Complain About Utopia West Germany May Mr Richard H Nolte Institute Current World Affairs Fifth Avenue New York N Y lOO17 Dear Mr Nolte I gathered material report months paragraphs which I planned begin newsletter about exciting drive Bonn across snowy highways Denmark Germany crunching through Baltic ferry plunging through snowstorm forced Swedes highway dated birds twittering fresh delicate green budding willow outside window In meantime I notebooks papers along New York there I getting reacquainted friends despite intentions I chance write about Sweden While pondering impressions interim I accept journalistic truth those objective reporters believe practice traditional style writing opposed editorialized personalized style reportage objective within confines personal experiences knowledge Rereading Susan Sontag A Letter Sweden July issue Ramparts I found Swedes critical ciliatory reserved suspicious perfect tolerant society Her impressions admits local specialized But Miss Sontag describes liberal society radical agrees I there friend recent account picturing Sweden increasingly polarized ideologically divided This reporter I Sweden talked different people brought different criteria analysis conversation He wrote Swedish press dominated radical pervasive militancy nation institutions I found Social Democratic press reformist reMolutionary youth beginning discuss participatory democracy school university student governments which brief fling radicalism swung conservatism students neither volatile radical I Germany England United States Admittedly every Swede I opposed U S position Vietnam should Indochina takes radical BWB My first conversation partner Sweden dinner party given Swedish diplomat friend young foreign office trainees assured relatively speaking Sweden reputation social economic paradise The eight million Swedes highest standard living highest industrial Eur One every automobile Swedish families weekend house country families The suicide thousand population lower West Germany ustria divorce marriages compared U S people France United States consume alcohol capita people Sweden Swedes fought against Napoleon Although percent economy owned privately socialistic economy Sweden nonsense social welfare program broad demands percent other nation gross national income A family income kronen about percent income Citizens O00 kronen month about quarter taxes receive percent state financed social benefits health insurance education pensions family allowances But fresh faced young diplomat agreed utopia drawbacks There really excited about cheerfully Our universities never shape French students protested about university reform through changes You sustain revolutionary attitude government gives sometimes there first reforms Others around table agreed students universities quiet topic changed wildcat strike under Kiruna north Stockholm miles within Arctic Circle diplomatic voices their placid confidence The Kiruna miners latest toughest group Swedish workers demonstrate their dissatis faction traditional union negotiated contract Kiruna meant particular trouble governing Social Dem ocratic party since unions support party party represents state state Kiruna mines Labor management terms their negotisting voices actually workers protested weren represented Surprisingly nation where isbor management relations harmonious decades Kiruna strike produced ground swell supoort among Swedish population A survey Sveriges Radio showed percent Swedes backed strikers donations totaling nearly million dollars miners support their wildcat rebellion Such enthusiasm union government action seems indicate resurgence against impotence Swedes their relations Father State BWB During I Stockholm Kiruna strike conversation topic students Stock University particularly after early meeting student council which liberal minority maneuvered students conservative ruled governing council voting kronen about student O00 kronen miners This hottest event university since students occupied student union building protest against UKAS university reform Sven Nylander lanky blond economy student The proposal solidarity financial support wildcat strikers conservative majority flustered forth meeting council rules clearly state nothing controversial cussed after midnight The conservatives proposed motion complained Eva Christina CederlSf chairman student council The decision slippery fashion It quite clear would another there But council decision stood That afternoon I talked Anders Wijkman chairman O00 strong conservative students FrbundsordfSrande Fria Moderata StudentFSrbundet interesting tongue I think percent students disagree lethods strikers Kiruna averred angrily Most people country disagree strikes principle When I reminded strikes legal method protest backtracked Oh strikes I And decision council according rules I think overturned Wijkman nattily dressed handsome young would running election Riksdag parliament liveliest intense among young people I Sweden Other Swedes I talked subdued curiously dispassionate I feeling later never gotten nitty gritty They dispassionate ecause conserve their energy climate friend offered explanation The endless winter shapes their outlook Perhaps climate engenders national trait reserved suspicious nature Miss Sontag mentioned perhaps young Swedes their support North Vietnam beginning rouse themselves study internal problems worth getting excited about One first young Swedes I interviewed Per Garthon sociology student chairman O00 member Liberal Radical Youth Folkpartiets Ungdomsfrbund young struck almost disinterested woman foreign office BWB press department described exciting young Swede today another acquaintance called dangerous He there problems below surface welfare socisty wiening between those govern those governe distribution foreign backward attitudes toward prison reform mental health shabby handling behind groups narcotics addicts alcoholics paloled criminals Most young people start looking until national temperament became politically aware through opposition Vietnam Tar government subcommittee presented proposal university reform which would revamp universities along American lines units prerequisites fixed course combinations restricted admission stricter standards rapid results Students protested UKAS reform would decrease study motivation student democracy freedom choice increased conformism Stockholm University students occupied student union building night Olof Palme Minister Education successor Tage Erlander Prime Minister rushed middle night Because heavy student opposition posal modified given PUKAS Palme UKAS There little opposition PUKAS reform among nation O00 university students socialist student Stockholm feels university instruction still right PUKAS UKAS speeded student turnover further educating people The university should students opportunity question learn facts The Swedes making progress elementary grades The latest Swedish compulsory comprehensive school reform grades through encompasses ideas forward German education reformers focusing student individual cooperating instead competition based instruction abolishing grading certain classes internationalized instruction avoiding biased national Western European perspectives emphasSds social expectations sexes other words sexual equality taught early Although student movement silent moment Garthon other parts Swedish society begun react against authoritarian structures Mentioning Kiruna strikes believed workers decided initiative themselves because Social Democrs government which supposed repre labor power closer management The trade unions close management understand workers could demonstrate against trade unions workers government Garthon Liberal Youth Sweden adopt worker management system similar Yugoslavia without state ownership We BWB Bolennart Andersson Bosse Sund above Left Per Garthon BWB employees percent factory councils trade unions decentralization They system where workers represented workers functionaries A trend toward yourself government exists community level Garthon formation community groups pressure authorities local planning reforms child centers traffic regulations changing certain blocks streets pedestrian malls indicative average Swede mounting dissatisfaction government above Sure right doesn difference daily The authoritarian structure eutrenched Social Democrats power really thought acDieving economic equality The government making incomes equal trend there Despite lavish cradle grave welfare system Garthon complains great remain between social welfare majority people below system A working youth students intellectuals become concerned about these forgotten groups Garthon ample belongs organization called KRUM which attempting liberalize penal codes Garthon fellow students Lund invite paroled prisoners halfway house attempt these people circles valued human beings KRUM abolish prisons these prisons walls TV cameras watching inmates Garthon disgustedly educate public crime induced failures society Young people vanguard pollution fighters Sweden where environment control broadly discussed measures taken banning DDT months before became popular topic U S Since longer issue among Swedish youth education granted milieu problems foreground explained sandy haired smoking Bosse Sundling political science student Gothenburg international secretary SSU Sveriges Socialdemokratiska Ungdomsfrbund Social Democratic Youth organization members Young people influence direct contact government question SSU groups local investigations factory pollution findings Interior Ministry Now waiting factories install needed filters Reform guidelines elementary schools include statement about instruction environment protection which pupils learn about natural resources biological relations nature making youngsters actively participate caring nature helping destruction BWB Just include about which usually comes among Swedes prudish Americans broach subject Gart Sundling later concurred really things country sexual liberalization Five years there intense debate about tabus For while leveled People We haven eradicated problem sexual hangups people sexually happy three years Gathon generation He proudly survey which asked experienced sexual intercourse Most But question about initiative which impressed Garthon those experienced percentage girls answered first That means there almost complete equality Ernst Lind State Youth Council Statens Ungdomsrd organization which coordinates cooperation youth questions among youth organizations country offered interesting explanation Sweden sexual freedom It developed years through migration farmers cities Among farmers north after dance natural stayed overnight The distances great nobody If pregnant married there nothing immoral about marital sexual relations When these country people moved brought their morals Gradually accepted Young Swedes Europeans student Perhaps because their involvement continental Europe perhaps because their faring tradition Swedes large interest foreign developing countries interest shown words material gifts Among industrialized nations Sweden earmarks relatively little national income foreign about million kronen ughly million government plans percent national income million kronen Liberal conservative majority Social Democratic youth favor channeling government gifts national liberation ments Cuba South Africa Latin America Vietnam Garthon speaks asking parliament Swedish weapons blacks South Africa Sundling Social Democratic youth organization draws We foreign humanitarian lding schools buying books medicines But Bolennart Andersson secretary general National Council Swedish Youth Sveriges Ungdomsorganisationers Landsrd organization representing million young people holds which question weapons liberation movements least considered Why The powers supported Biafra Nigeria BWB The verbal emphasis charity abroad while shrugging problems urbanization humanizing trends advanced industrial society leads outsider wonder Swedish sympathy underdog particularly warmer climate externalizing frustrations After several winter night maybe pleasant think about helping brother Latin America Africa local Andersson believes Swedish youth separated remainder society there generation Sweden other nations He recommended Swedish called Harry Munter which understanding between youth expressed Certainly traditional tolerance obligated older Swedes indignation might evident elsewhere hippie styles young people Ernst Lind probably years older Andersson commented however parents disquieted education their children today They their children youth group things differently think things should In philosophic resigned added But these problems existed before Christ Socrates A journalistic observer Swedish youth feels generation evident politics Per Garthon concurs We Liberal Party youth usually attack government party usually attacks right Observers youth youth themselves agree political consciousness remarkable change Swedish youth recent years Ula Magnusson perky radish coiffed reporter Sverig Radio covers education youth moment swing toward servatism student circles university school levels A couple years radical students about thonght unpolitical recalled When I university attention politics Now nothing unpolitical expected opinions The conservatives profited A winning slogan recent student council candidate Stockholm University Know Devil Keep Out Left The generation uptight continued I think Social Democrsts partly responsible through their recent campaigns social awareness But I think results percent Swedish people support Kiruna strikers quite government expected The trend among young people toward conservatism pected Several students Stockholm University example approve Prime Minister Olof Palme He socialist Eva CederlSf We changes there better getting going street demonstrations We educating students going The labor market situation BWB today Wijkman conservative complained government doesn democratic methods Riksdag They opposition consider proposal They building power state where influence human being equated influence Social Democratic party They building society machines human beings Wijkman favors welfare state nonetheless accused Social Democrats failing something other materialistic goals Peter Mathis medical student University Stockholm earnest socialist received early Marxist education Clart international leftist organization meetings early sixties would probably disagree Wijkman alternatives mplaints about Social Democratic system Proud their success leading Vietnam movement Sweden FLN Front Liberation Nationale South Vietnam groups which member trying initiate public debate evils monopoly pitalism Sweden The FLN effort directed against Social Democratic government Mathis The imperialists students first groups years Sweden interests people struggle against state This certainly influenced young workers Kiruna initiative shown Unlike German leftists scattershot approach tested against Vietnam War university reforms against emergency judicial reforms against NATO broader conscientious objection avoid military service Swedish FLN groups began concentrating Vietnam issue tinued demonstrations discussion groups pamphlets until Swedish government adopted their position When Johnson troops Vietnam protests front U S Embassy spring summer We started print pamphlets distribute Vietnam Bulletin The Swedish police demonstrators while difficulty gather forces because police violence But distributing propaganda material starting discussion groups homes streets which fully legal increased knowledge about Vietnam Sweden The FLN groups fully isolated recalled Mathis From Communist Party Social Democrats right there taking struggle against U S forces The government talked cease because thought Viet namese people future struggle But small group FLN supporters hundred first uickly We successes Young people joined Newspapers wrote about By youth olitical BWB Anders Wijkman Peter Mathis BWB organizations success afraid initiative So establishment groups joined together campaign national collection Vietnam collect money divide between puppet government FLN South Vietnam The appeal natural catastrophe earthquake They ignored question aggressor victim which pointed pamphlets The establishment forces Mathis joined crush struggle They media support bureaucratic machinery strength still people streets thousand demonstration Stockholm separate propa ganda teams twenty towns The FLN supporters continued posters illegally money advertisement paint slogans bridges illegal Communist press angered establishment tactics offered prize finding culprits The FLN refused integrated Now political demands taken other organizations Up million kronen collected million Swedes FLN South Vietnam Fifty thousand copies Vietnam Bulletin circulated local groups towns In percent Swedish people agreed slogan U S Get Out Vietnam Peter Mathis optimistic Sweden social democracy turned socialism The success imperialist groups demands given people correct bureaucracy themselves successes It difficult broad consciousness Swedish radio found percent Swedish people upported Kiruna demands The impressions I gathered there doubt Mathis analysis For thing nation organized theewel small minority youth break establishment infra structure You certainly chsnge society organization changed Bollenart Andersson Which means Sweden certainly continue change terms reform revolution And reform which scheme private ownership doesn support among youth I think Swedish youth approve welfare state criticize parts Per Garthon There criti because prevents socialist state But I think foundation It combines concentration effective production welfare majority What welfare Barbara Bright Received New York May 1970o