>Johan.Lif at vlt.se wrote:
>
>
>>How long ago was this? I may be wrong, but there seems to be little
>>awareness in this disussion of the political changes Sweden has gone
>>through over the past 20 years. Reading this, you'd think nothing
>>has happened since the 1960s.
>>
>>
>
>
>
Doug Henwood wrote:
>Lots has happened since the 1960s, for sure, but some basic stats for
>the year 2000 (LIS key figures
><http://www.lisproject.org/keyfigures.htm>):
>
>relative poverty rate (household income <50% of median)
>
>Sweden 6.5%
>U.S. 17.0
>
>gini index
>
>Sweden .252
>U.S. .368
>
>In other words, Swedish income distribution remains about the most
>equal in the world, and its poverty rate, near the lowest. The U.S.
>is at the opposite end of the league tables on both measures.
>
>
And the million dollar question is: How do we get the average joe to understand the quality of life is better in Sweden, without sounding like we are preaching to them?