5 Things That Surprise Swedes The Most About The US

[@amandalong220]

I don't really understand how it always shocks Europeans that many Americans don't travel abroad/have a passport. To me, the "shock" really does come from a place of privilege (Sweden is located near many other countries and most Swedes get 5+ weeks vacation). It is expensive & often difficult for many Americans to travel overseas, especially when they often only get 2 weeks vacation a year. The US spans the width of a whole continent, with many different landscapes and places to visit-- why not take advantage of that? I know plenty of Swedes who have never traveled outside Europe, is there really that big a difference from Americans not traveling outside the US? Swedes vacationing to Spain in the summer isn't that different from Minnesotans vacationing in Florida.

[@tangfors]

I think it's strange that in the country with the world's largest economy, you usually only have two weeks' holiday? Then I also think that it is also more how curious you are about other cultures and places. even if you can not afford or have time to travel, I find it strange that you are not more curious about other countries, cultures, etc.

[@tangfors]

@Ashleigh P Is it? Europe whit maby 40 different languages, a lot off different countries that all have ther one culture.

[@tangfors]

@Ashleigh P Of course, the USA is more culturally divided than Sweden, it would be strange otherwise the USA is 33 times bigger. But in Sweden, almost 20% of the population are foreign-born. The United States has around 14.5%, so that there would not be as many different cultures due to immigration in Europe is probably not true. Too bad you missed Eastern Europe, I as a Swede like to travel to Eastern Europe partly because you get more for your money, but also because there is so much to see and do there that has not yet become tourist traps.

[@GAshoneybear]

I agree. I also think there tends to be this assumption among non US and Canadians that the US is one culture. No. If I go to New Orleans, their culture, food, dress and music are very different from Atlanta. I stand out in Philly, New York, and LA for the same reasons. There is a LOT of diversity in the US, not only in geography but in people and culture.

[@Mustangmom2k]

@@tangfors Two weeks' vacation is reality for the majority of Americans. On top of that, we don't get to use the whole 2 weeks at once. We usually can only take 1 week at a time, and you can barely drive straight across the US and back in that amount of time. As for curiosity about other countries/cultures, many (if not most) Americans are extremely interested in other countries, especially the country their ancestors emigrated from. Yet that seems to annoy Europeans greatly. I read comments on KZbin such as, "Americans be like 'I'm half Irish or part Swedish' and they talk about how their grandmother spoke German or cooked Russian food or whatever...so annoying." So, if we try to connect with other cultures, we annoy people. If we're not interested, we annoy people. Usually, it's just easier and kinder to explore the world's cultures right here in our own country, although many, many Americans dream of visiting their ancestral country of origin.

[@mstenberg8288]

I spent a year at college in Lincoln (Ne) and one of the most surprising things to me was the abscens of public transport. Sure I had heard about it not working very well but when they told me that there were litteraly no buses from campus to the downtown area after like 3 or 4 on saturdays and none on sundays, that blew my mind as a swede.

[@Telindra]

Det ser lika dant ut i Sverige utanför dom större storstäderna.

[@mstenberg8288]

@@Telindra Kanske stämmer idag, har vuxit upp i en mindre by i Dalarna och även om bussen inte gick superofta fanns det ändå nattbussar på helgerna och så. Men nu var det länge sedan jag åkte buss mer än enkelresor och har fått för mig att det blivit sämre de senaste åren.

[@sheep89]

​@@Telindra Beror på vart man bor. Norra Sverige är en sak. Men jag bor i en liten by med max 500 invånare och har tillgång till både buss och tåg. Dom går ju inte varje kvart som i stan men är ändå helt ok.

[@KaedonVik]

Yes I like to say this as Scandinavia decent that's lived in america for generations so the reason why we dont do that is becuase our economy would go dry in one day but in my state of minnesota where lots of Scandinavia decents are we do have public transportation we put them in key places and also back to where they came from originally

[@Telindra]

@@sheep89 Ja vist är det så, men ärligt talat så är det ovanligt det du beskriver. Enda gången jag haft det på det viset så vart det i Skåne. Går både bussar och tåg långt utanför dom större tätorterna. Annars har det i stort faktiskt varit rent uselt utanför skolbusstider övriga ställen i Sverige som jag bott på.

[@coplins]

What surprised me the most when visiting the US was how creepy the men were. I thought, due to forming my idea of the US from movies mostly, that the US was like Sweden. So when I got there and guy cat-called me and followed me around and stuff like that, I was creeped the hell out. We're not even talking about being dolled up ready to go clubbing or anything. Just dressed in ordinary clothes and no makeup. In Stockholm, I've gotten the occasional wolf-whistle, and many appreciating looks, but never EVER have guys shouted lewd suggestions or followed me around like they did in the US. The only other country I've felt equally unsafe walking around alone in, was Tunisia. But before traveling to Tunisia the tourist company warned us, and nobody warned me about the US. Another thing that surprised me was the lack of pavements. As a Stockholmer, I walk everywhere or take the subway, train, or bus. But I like to walk so that's my goto option. Where I stayed in Tennessee, there were no pavements, not even between the houses. At one place there were two big malls on either side of a four-lane street, but no crossings for pedestrians. If people saw you walking beside the road they sped up and definitely didn't dim their headlights. And don't get me started about all the drive-through fast-food restaurants. They were everywhere! And it's damn near impossible to order a drink without getting ice in it. Oh, and the tap water smells like public bathhouses. I always thought Americans were strange for drinking bottled water at home until the first time I turned on a tap in a US house.

[@marshsundeen]

Ask for light or no ice. Most major cities will have public transit. It might only be a bus, though some cities have light rail. NYC, Washington DC, Baltimore, Chicago all have well established train lines. Charlotte has a growing transit system, but most people are car bound. LA is attached to cars and most of the south are also. Water really depends on where you live. The tap is fine in most cities, but the water tends to be chlorinated.

[@maggiereman]

Which city exactly were you in Tennessee?

[@danyelPitmon]

I’m sorry you had such a bad experience here in the US that’s one reason why I want to get out of this country and move to Sweden but unfortunately not quite able to and it just makes me want to cry

[@PaleMist]

"Another thing that surprised me was the lack of pavements." What do you mean "lack of pavements"??? Our cars/automobiles drive on them everyday; without them, our cars/automobiles would have nowhere to go. Tennessee has plenty of those, every state does.

[@katelebedenko509]

As a Ukrainian, I'm impressed how close you were pointing!:)

[@jayamilapersson4030]

One 6th thing I wonder about is how hard it seems to eat healthy on a tight budget in America.

[@SwedishTourist]

Yeah same! In Sweden it’s actually super easy, there’s no excuse if you really want to eat healthy.

[@annabjork4254]

I'd say it depends where you live. If I were on a right budget rn, I wouldn't have any issues eating healthy (this has happened with temporarily being between jobs). The problem is that I live in an expensive area and I wouldn't be living here if I had a permanently low income. Mostly it comes down to access, geographically; a lot of lower income areas in cities have zero proper grocery stores, just little mini marts that sell minimal amounts of fresh veg, and you have to travel to the suburbs to get to a proper store. If you have a car and can spare the expense, you can do do that. But outside of the bigger cities primarily on the east coast, there is barely enough transit to get you to stores. So it's less about the cost of the food and more about the cost of getting to it.

[@liahk1000]

I dunno, it seems vegetables and basic stuff like rice and potatoes are cheaper in the u.s., isn't it? If eating really plain like that I think you can get away really cheap

[@williamjebril5552]

Its because in the US you have the fast food chains who has 1$ meal offers.

[@SwedishTourist]

@@liahk1000 Hm yeah you’re probably right :) But I guess fast food is so cheap it’s always going to be the cheapest choice

[@phalexxxx]

Insurance is NOT covered by employers. It is subsidized, and employees still have to pay a portion every pay check.

[@jonnyberggren4598]

I been thinkin when I have been in US that many Americans don't seem to know what ever geography is outside their state. And they don't seem any interest of anything outside of that or either less other country's. I'm really wonder if it's a big lack in American education about other countries and whats their about. Besides that many people seems uninterested about other cultures and countries. And many Americans seem to react at our high taxes in Sweden. But at the same time they really like our health care and that dad's can be home with pay with their children and how clean Sweden is and on and on all that is good with Sweden. But the high tax is what pays all that... Can't both eat the cake and have it for keeps..

[@Nona23parsons]

Re geography...I lived in Göteborg 1953-1960...The American confusion Sweden/Switzerland was a common question when I returned to the US...they also had questions that sounded like we experienced having polar bears in the streets!

[@Jonsson474]

I often reply that we usually tame them and use them as protection, as it’s more effective than hand guns or some pathetic little pit bull. Always throws someone off.

[@Nona23parsons]

@@Jonsson474 Good one! Wish I had thought about that response!

[@Nona23parsons]

@Lukas zzstu Sikorski , I lived in Gothenburg, Sweden for 7 years. It was on the coast and there rarely even was a snowfall, never mind ice and polar bears!

[@Zyperior]

@@Nona23parsons It's a fact now: www.expressen.se/gt/mystisk-isbjorn-gackar-goteborg/

[@Zyperior]

@@Nona23parsons Also every summer nowadays you can see this Viking boat sail down Götaälv: sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vidfamne

[@sprinklesandwrinkles]

Is antibiotic resistence a discussion in the US, if it is priscribed so often? It seem to be the main reason why they hesitate to give it here unless its serious.

[@krokodilen31]

Yeah at least thats not a cost issue antibiotics are relatively cheap.

[@FuckGoogle2]

Forget the failing antibiotics, they got prions in the wildlife over there, no way I'd eat deer in the US.

[@dennisbohman3848]

Med tanke på Stefans reaktion så nej. Kan ju tycka att en så beläst snubbe borde veta bättre. *mitt intryck*

[@pernillalindholm5921]

Exactly what I was thinking. This is such an important issue!

[@krokodilen31]

@@pernillalindholm5921 verkligen men i så många länder bryr de sig inte...vet många amerikaner och från andra länder som jag känner som typ bunkrar antibiotika när de åker hem och sen använder så fort de får lite halsont.... Typ som smågodis.... Och att ta hela kurer.... Nä man tar i ett par dar tills det gått över.....man blir bra less då.

[@fishersilver8559]

I'm surprised he didn't mention that Americans don't take off their shoes when they enter their house. The horror!

[@kristofferbeckman9073]

Smart Guy here. Well anyways we all probably wonder if they ever go out to nature, or if it’s just REALLY different.. Well it’s kinda far.. North America to northern Europé, or i suppose that you’re a Swede?

[@erikstenviken2652]

I dont. Is that really a swedish thing? Sometimes I do, sometimes not.

[@theemperor1379]

@@erikstenviken2652 I would presume the whole world takes off their shoes before going into someone's house lol. But of course, Americans have to be different. 🙄

[@theemperor1379]

@@trumbaron Ew no. It's still dirty outside lol.

[@MichellesdesignsEtc]

@@theemperor1379 I'm American and I definitely take my shoes off, even in my own home.Always in any weather lol

[@attesmatte]

Oh guys, about the treatments in the US... I have a female friend in the US that has has a massive growth in her reproductive organs, most likely due to her polycystic fibrosis, and she's in dire need of a hysterectomy (she's 38 years old), and she can't find a doctor that will do the surgery, because they're afraid to get sued in case something goes wrong during the surgery. 🙄 And she HAS INSURANCE!! 🤬 The American health care system is CRAP!!

[@krokodilen31]

Anyone seen "Pimple popper"

[@attesmatte]

@@krokodilen31 Oooh, yes!

[@fishersilver8559]

Did her primary care physician refer her to a specialist (Ob/Gyne) or did she go directly to a specialist?

[@attesmatte]

@@fishersilver8559 Both. She's been jumping through hoops for almost two years now, and nog she looks six months pregnant because the growth is so big. 🤬

[@schoolingdiana9086]

My 26 year old daughter just finally got her radical mastectomy, barely in time before it got entrenched, and 5 years after the first lump. They kept blowing her off because of her age. And that was doctor number 5. I kept encouraging her to get another opinion.

[@erlandgadde7445]

Apart from the things you mentioned, the following things surpised me (or at least I noted them) when I came to America (Been there three times: 1989 as a tourist in the Northeast, one week, and then doing doing research in Atlanta, one month in 1990 and 5 ½ month in 1993.). 1. The cities are very often named after cities in the old world: In 1990 I was going by bus from New York City to Buffalo, and there was an exit at the highway towards Manchester and Palmyra, named afer cities in England and Syria, which looked odd to me. I didn't know before that this was so very common in America. 2. In America all doors have door knobs, whereas they have door handles in most of Europe. 3. The toilet bowls in America are at least half full of water, whereeas in Sweden, there is only water near the bottom. 4. You talked a little about public transport. In Atlanta, there was in 1993 just two Metro lines, one north-south and one east-west. Compare thisd to the Stockholm tunnelbana. Yet, Atlanta is a bigger city than Stockholm.

[@TwistedGamersHQ]

I'm so innocent I thought MJ stood for Michael Jackson

[@Zyperior]

My first thought as well. :)

[@okorochukwunonso2563]

same here..lol

[@sondersonics7534]

Or Michael Jordan

[@Sabrinadoh]

Same 😂🇸🇪

[@dianask8229]

Same here 😅

[@shaunlover74]

US has more than a thousand different health insurances. Not all of them cover everything. Chronic diseases, for example, are hard to get with the cheaper insurances. It's like when your house is on fire, you can't get a fire insurance.

[@marshsundeen]

Most Americans only get 1-2 weeks vacation, with 4-5 weeks being the maximum amount you receive if you have been at a job for so long. If that is the case, traveling to Europe seems to require a long trip. The most we take off is a week at a time. I have been to about 16 states and some of Canada, Mexico and Caribbean Islands. The US is huge.

[@Jonsson474]

There is actually no law in the US regulating vacation. Employers are not required to grant their employees vacation. About 25% of the US population get no paid vacation or holidays. In Sweden, minimum is five weeks where four out of those has to be coherent during the months of summer.

[@henrik5445]

@@Jonsson474 Not true, they dont have to be in the summer months, only if you want to. I never take mine in the summer months.

[@Jonsson474]

@@henrik5445 Yes I expressed myself badly. I meant to say that the employees have the right to four coherent weeks during the summer months. They can of course chose not to.

[@marshsundeen]

@@Jonsson474 you are right that it is not required, but most employees expect at least two weeks. My husband has worked at his job for 17 years. He gets 3 weeks vacation. A bit of that is used around Christmas.

[@lucid484]

I have 8 weeks of paid vacation.... But I've been at my job for 25 years and that is the max my employer gives off.

[@kyrxon277]

The thing about Switzerland is hilarious. One time i was going on vacation for 3 weeks and i told people MULTIPLE times that im going to sweden. The next day (also the same day for a few people) they ask when im leaving to visit Switzerland......... 😂🙄 I gave up and just agreed that im going to Switzerland

[@barbararipani1331]

Everyone asks my Swedish husband if he’s a skier. The SW throws us off I guess

[@kyrxon277]

@@barbararipani1331 I agree actually, that could be a good reason for the confusion

[@possumfriend2335]

Lol yep.

[@sondersonics7534]

@@barbararipani1331 Skiing is pretty big in Sweden too though.

[@SqueamishNerd]

Det finns olika typer av antibiotika, och olika typer av bakterieinfektioner fungerar olika, men de flesta typer av antibiotika behöver tas i flera dagar upp till några veckor pga att bakterierna tillfälligt kan gå i dvala i några dagar upp till några veckor (därför är vissa antibiotikakurer flera veckor långa) och om de är i dvala så dör de inte av antibiotikumet. Bakterierna som utsätts för antibiotika kan börja utveckla antibiotikaresistens, och om de inte dör av antibiotikan så snart som möjligt så kommer de att hinna utveckla resistensen och sprida den till andra bakterier i sin omgivning, till exempel så kan en döende bakterie ha börjat utveckla antibiotikaresistens som den för över till en bakterie som precis vaknat ur en dvala, så att bakterien som utvecklade resistensen inte överlever men bakterien som var i dvala överlever och har nu genetiskt material för antibiotikaresistens som den kan ge till andra bakterier. Därför är det viktigt att ta antibiotika i rätt antal dagar, och därför är det också viktigt att bara ta antibiotika när det faktiskt behövs, för om vi tar det mot infektioner där det inte behövs så finns det risk att vi senare har bakterier som är resistenta mot det antibiotikumet och då kan vi inte använda det antibiotikumet när det faktiskt handlar om en situation där någon kan dö av en bakterieinfektion. Jag tycker att den amerikanska synen (och många andra länders syn) på antibiotika är väldigt nonchalant.

[@kathrynryches6660]

As a Canadian I TOO find the US "healthcare" system to be mind boggling. I cannot get my head around the hospitals valuing money over people.

[@LukasInTaiwan]

As a Swede…. I’m surprised!

[@StefanThyron]

Hahaha nice!!

[@DaMusicBoi]

ok

[@axelsprangare2579]

Taiwan is not a country... SUS!1!!!!11!!!!!😨😨

[@Vacxt]

Om du är svensk… varför var du ett namn med asiatiska bokstäver?

[@jayamilapersson4030]

Even in our channels beyond 1,2,4 that features american programs and do have commersals they usually have fewer but maybe longer breaks. I like watching shows like flip or flop( house renovations), and building houses or find houses for lottery winners.

[@HannahHäggAutisticTransWoman]

It's really good to have good public transportation. It reduces congestion, it's ussaly cheaper to take the public transportation than owning a car and it's often more environmentally friendly than combustion engine cars.

[@karinjohansson7262]

Outside of the biggest cities it is very bad public transportation.

[@user-lv6rn9cf8m]

Also it makes for cities you actually want to be in. Like take a look at a typical American city - it's like 60% roads and parking lots. There are highway intersections bigger than some European cities with 100,000s of inhabitants.

[@bjorneriksson2404]

Some interesting stats regarding drunk driving (from 2019): In the US (compared to Sweden), you're about 5 times as likely to be killed in traffic overall, and it's about 6 times as likely that alcohol or drugs was involved in the fatal accident. It also seems as if driving under the influence of marijuana increases the risk of being involved in a crash by 25%.

[@Nona23parsons]

Re drunk driving...When I lived in Göteborg, my father and mother knew the following...if the police stopped you and you had consumed ANY alcohol, it did not matter if you were the average fellow or a CEO, you went to jail for 2 weeks...no deviations or bail...you went to jail. Is it still that way? A friend of mine in TX lost her 21-year-old daughter to a drunk driver in a pickup...and no, it wasn't a teenage drinker...it was a 45-year-old woman! I wish we had the same penalty that existed in Sweden in the 50's.

[@mikeylejan8849]

I love Sweden and USA but I like the familial structure of USA. it is a perfect balance for me.

[@davisnin]

I've met a lot of Swedes that don't know anything about any states besides New York and California.

[@ToastedCigar]

Yup, there are problems with the healthcare system in the Nordics too. It seems common that if you are not in serious pain, the doctors would rather wait for your health problem to become worse rather than trying to act early and prevent further issues.

[@nancykarsh7928]

Living in the US, I watch PBS for more balanced and in-depth news, as well as more comprehensive range of subject programming over all.

[@jroemling]

Let me clarify that the Swedish Television (SVT) is NOT financed by taxes or ”owned” by the government, but it is financed by a fee that since last year is collected via the tax authorities, but is still a separate fee, not a tax. The difference is that the fee is not part of the government’s budget, meaning the government can’t just take money away from SVT because they don’t like the reporting in the news or they can’t just shut down or take over SVT in an emergency situation like a war. SVT is a public foundation that is completely independent, both from a leadership perspective (the government is not their boss) and from a financial perspective. This is also the reason why they don’t have ads because that way they are independent from private companies as well and programming is not controlled by viewership numbers (to an extend), meaning they can afford to make programs for minorities or culturally valuable programs that have a smaller viewership and would not be commercially viable on a channel that is controlled by ad money.

[@biscake123]

What is really surprising to Swedes is that Americans still write checks I

[@kyrxon277]

Im sure that's the older generation 😂

[@possumfriend2335]

And use cash. 😅

[@Solbrick]

Commercials on tv every ten minutes. KZbin: we can beat that!

[@theemperor1379]

Laughs in Premium*

[@Solbrick]

@@theemperor1379 ENVY!

[@TobijasHBG]

Even in the US you get kind of free healtcare, its just much more of a hustle. Ppl should check it up, there are laws about that.

[@chribjslaha]

I'm waiting on that video where you talk about how the worst thing about Swedish summer is all the "fittmygg". ;)

[@bmwknappen]

When you have had those well controlled 2-3 drinks your behaviour changes and a few more easily get down!

[@sofiaandersson6666]

What dose Americans think abuot antibiotic resistance

[@Pia-lm7qi]

A very important question because it's a serious thing to do something about

[@breraV6260]

I was surprised about how rare manual transmission cars were, no one I talked to could drive a stick shift. In Sweden I know no one (with a license) that can not drive a manual

[@ZeroValenceGaming]

Are any of the Swedish TV channels available on KZbin or online anywhere? I'm interested as a US citizen to learn about current events in Sweden and practicing listening comprehension for learning the language. Stefan, are you planning to get a Swedish drivers license? I'm interested in the process as a foreigner. Maybe good topic for future video. Thanks to both of you for another great video.

[@ZeroValenceGaming]

Is this the correct website for channel 1? www.svt.se/

[@thevermilionwitch]

@@ZeroValenceGaming yes, that's it

[@sprinklesandwrinkles]

This one is better for TV, the other is for news. www.svtplay.se/?kfx=eBncJu9xD

[@ZeroValenceGaming]

@@sprinklesandwrinkles Thank you

[@TelgeProductions]

Late reply but I took my drivers license in May this year, be prepared to pay $2000-$4000 if you are a new driver. I know an American that moved to Sweden and he had to take driving lessons for like $1000 even though he had driven for 20 years.

[@annajohansson7116]

I'm Swedish, and I could not name every state i the US, and I don't know the name of every South American, African, or Asian country, although I probably know more than half of them.

[@ExbotHero]

Most swedes can... You only need to follow a couple of their elections and you are set. The truth is pretty simple. Most Swedes have a huge interest in the rest of the world based on the fact that we understand that whatever happens somewhere else going to affect us in some way down the line. Combine that with the fact that the average middle-aged swede has visited more than ten foreign countries on at least two, three continents (we all have five, six weeks paid vacation, right?!) and you get the picture. The average American on the other hand only has a couple of weeks unpaid?! vacation, if they are lucky and quite frankly, has enough to do just to get by day by day. It's only natural that we have more time to follow what's happening in the world while they don't have the same time or incitement as we do. (Add to that the fact that their news corporations mostly talk about internal matters and whatever affect those matters internationally.) The picture becomes even more clear. They don't have the same passive information sources as we do, right?!

[@Jonsson474]

I believe the level of geographical knowledge is massively higher among swedes than Americans. Generally speaking. Many Americans can’t even point out their own capital on a map.

[@annajohansson7116]

@@Jonsson474 Oh, wow! 😬

[@syntaxerror8955]

Interestingly, you can't name a single oblast of Russia, can you? And this is despite the fact that part of Russia is in Europe, and that's also where most of Russia's population is located. Like the U.S., Russia is at least formally -- or claimed to be -- a federation. Each unit is called an "oblast" (rather than a "state"). No accusation. I'm the same as you.

[@Jonsson474]

@@syntaxerror8955 Not that anyone care about the Russian oblasts but it’s really not that hard. As far as I know they usually have the same name as the major city in the region.

[@johanhalvarsson2148]

About the commercials: I find it very weird to hve commercials that tells you to tell your doctor that you're sick and need this drug. You're the patient, not the specialist. You're probably not even a patient.

[@nancyrafnson4780]

And the lawyer commercials!! They are just terrible!!

[@LG-bs1rs]

@@nancyrafnson4780 hahahah they are really annoying right!!? That’s why everyone is ditching TV channel programs for Streaming services for one thing. I always found that it was weird but if you can get the word out for a drug then idk go for it. The best innovation wins. 🤷🏽‍♂️ AND for the lawyer stuff, I actually really appreciate those Bc people do need them and they are helpful for all the different types of Law.

[@vulc1]

Pharmacies have over the counter drugs, not to mention a huge variety of food supplements. So why not to promote them in a commercial?

[@nancyrafnson4780]

@@vulc1 , it’s prescription drugs we are talking about. Not over the counter drugs like acetaminophen and such.

[@lukasa6374]

About the antibiotics, antibiotic resistance is a growing problem that can reeeally fuck humanity so I think it's good being cautious about prescribing them

[@andvil01]

I haven't been to US, but the tv shown coming here. The resumees after the commercial break? There is a 30 s to 1 min short version of the 5 last minutes before the break. Sometimes w voice over. Do people have goldfish memory or is it just a way to save money. Make their "in between commercial material" last a little longer.

[@liorean]

Actually in Sweden one of the ethical principles of healthcare is that affluence and ability to pay for care is not a valid criterion for prioritising in healthcare. If you don't have money to pay for parts of treatment that are not provided free of charge, or fall below the threshold value, that's and issue you pass onto the the municipal social agency after the fact, but it cannot be allowed to affect whether you get treatment or when you get it.

[@mytube001]

I'm Swedish and I don't have a passport. I've had a couple in the past, but when the last one expired in 2015, I didn't renew it. No need for it at all.

[@SqueamishNerd]

You can come far with just an ID card when living in the EU/Schengen.

[@mytube001]

@@SqueamishNerd Perhaps. In my case it's simply that I don't travel. Hate it.

[@danyelPitmon]

This is getting so annoying I want to move to Sweden so bad I’m finding a lot more things that I really like and I am about ready to cry

[@Pia-lm7qi]

You're welcome :)

[@PennyAfNorberg]

Jag träffade på några schweitzare en gång och frågade om de var tagna som svenskar som vi blir schweitzare och fick svaret: yes but also swaziland

[@Mr.Goufball]

Jag är också svensk. Men jag är en åttondel schweizare.

[@DONTHASSLETHEHOFF]

Hahaha! I mean, Swaziland is a bit of a stretch though 😂

[@fridapersson6284]

@@DONTHASSLETHEHOFF but close in name. If you’ve never had good geography education it is understandable that you could mix up Swaziland & Switzerland

[@swededude1992]

Äsch! Rubbish! Everybody loves a good swedish cheese and everybody loves skiing in the Swedish alps. Sweden also exports our worldfamous clocks! No other clocks beats a swedish clock! To top it all off Sweden has the best banks in the world! From Switzerland they invented these global famous companies: Ikea, H&M, Spotify, Volvo and manny more big names! In Switzerland they hand out the Nobel price from their capital Stockholm! Don't forget a big chunk of south Switzerland, near Italy, used to belong to Denmark, but Switerland took it in manny wars from the danes. ;)

[@DONTHASSLETHEHOFF]

@@fridapersson6284 Yup! Absolutely :)

[@Mejtub]

Minst 5 minuter av det här klippet är Fredrik som säger ordet like.

[@syntaxerror8955]

Like, how do we tell this to Fredrik in, like, a nice way?

[@lindatisue733]

If some one smokes pot, generally they don't beat their kids and get into fights. "Don't understand how booze and tobacco is legal but pot is illegal" a 15 year old Swede that researched cannabis for her science class.

[@annikaerf]

As a swede I agree on all of these things. And I found Stefan's friend very charming and intelligent. I've been over to the states twice, on the first trip I visited 4 states, mostly on the west side, the second trip was to the city New York where I lived for 2 1/2 week. I was then surprised that there are soooo many people in New York that don't speak English. So many spanish speaking citizens, mostly in the serving occupies. They can live their whole lives with tv channels and radio channels, clubs etc in pure Spanish. Another thing I've noticed both times visiting US where that the attitude in coffee shops, restaurants and pubs is that you're expected to just take place in a booth. The window sights are often covered. As a swede and a European that is almost claustrophobic. It is super important to have the ability to sit by a window and also knowing that streets are for people and not only for cars, so you always have something to watch. Eating out and not home, half of the pleasure is to look at people passing on the sidewalks for example. That is why the cosiest and most nice American cities are those with blocks that has a European touch, like in San Francisco, the harbour in Seattle, some places in NY and villages in Wisconsin. If you dare to, dear Stefan, I'd like you to discuss pros and cons on the tipping systems that and the attitudes on it in Sweden compared to the US.

[@sadalien9049]

My theory about why Americans don't know very much about geography is that we're so far away from more than one other country. Quite a few adults have never been outside their state. I've technically been in another country, but I was a baby. (Back then, you didn't need a passport to visit Jamaica from the U.S.)

[@leslievernon9870]

The one about weed hurt 🥲 everything else about Sweden seems awesome lmao

[@tetrisgoat]

Both of these statements are true. It hurts. Rest is amazing.

[@HarmonyGraceElohim]

What about the food? Swedes think that U.S. food is way too sweet and greasy and gross.

[@LG-bs1rs]

With low end foods and goods. These are true lol. But people also eat healthy here. We just have very predatory advertising on things that should not be considered “healthy” and vice versa. I wish our FDA was better like in Europe over health standards tbf.

[@Jonsson474]

American food is in Sweden generally referred to as junk-food. Not that I mind a good burger now and then.

[@kyrxon277]

Sweet and greasy? They must just be eating sweet foods, or dinners that consost of oils at restaurants so that the food is greasy. The normal food is bland and somewhat tasteless imo. Everything in sweden had taste (even swedens mcdonalds was way better than here)

[@84Tacos]

We have a variety for options here... You could possibly find any food you want. You're going to find most sweet and greasy at fast food places.

[@NaJk93]

@@kyrxon277 Sweden has higher standards for meat production and sales. So any American resturaunt chain has better meat in Sweden than in the US.

[@barbararipani1331]

One time I was in a small town and bought some veggies from a street vendor. The next day my sister in law kept asking me, “do you know him?” I said I was talking to him when I bought veggies. But do you know him. Well, I fucking do now, jeez. It’s just a cordial street hi, maybe I’ll get to know the street vendor. I’m sorry but sometimes Sweden seems a little childlike to me. But there’s a lot of nice things too. Like kanal gifflar.

[@elite_rock_god2292]

One thing on the medical "point" or whatever, is that in The US they give out ALOT more medications that are addictive and/or potentialy dangerus and with alot less "control" of how The person takes those medications. Like for example, i recently had a surgery for my shoulder, and after the surgery i got these painkillers that can be very addictive to take, i was to take 2 every Day for 14 days and then Come back for a checkup for how the surgery went, so i got 14 pills, no more no less and I COULD NOT get more of those pills right away, i had 1 week where i got softer harmless painkillers and then i got 1 more week of the addictive ones. That very same medication, that is very addictive, is a common painkiller to get in The US for longer periods of Times, so more People get addicted to some forms of medications then in Sweden. Thats very wierd and wrong to me 🤔😂 I dont remember the name of the medication tho... Something on "C" 😂😬

[@Lewzyd]

On the cannabis topic, most people who do smoke it in Sweden would probably choose it over alcohol 10/10 times. Our drug politics are just 100 years behind.

[@biscake123]

Americans are brought up to think that America is the only free country in the world..............

[@annikaerf]

Yep. I'm afraid that this is somewhat like propaganda. I will take that back. It IS propaganda.

[@fortheloveofnoise]

@@annikaerf U.S. has the propaganda of China, but with more i individual freedoms.

[@KarenPFolk-qq7dx]

The healthcare system in the US is so broken. I know - I am a US citizen who has lived and worked in Norway.

[@erkan297]

that thing with the doctor in sweden happened me. doctor told me ill write u a prescription. 1 week went by and no news. i went back and pay again 200 kr and say "hey u wtf where is the fucking prescription u promised me? im suffering in fucking pain" he was like oh sorry mate i just thought we wait it out and see how it goes. "ill write it out right now" in sweden u have 100% exaggerate and sometimes be agressive to get help. otherwise they tell u to go home and rest and wait and see

[@Fibonacci64]

The first time I went to the US I was surprised how fat people were. Really. Haven't seen that in Sweden. This was way back in the seventies as a kid. Me and my family of course went to restaurants to eat - those portions. Each of our plates could feed a family. Well, not far from it. It's still that way. I've returned many times since then.

[@marshsundeen]

We do not eat all of the food we are given. We take a doggy bag home.

I have not been in America, but a city like New York City have larger hospitals that can have rather large stock of antibiotics and needles to be used, so take pills you can buy and then store and take at home is a cheaper alternative. And you need to take all pills even you feel well, the pills are one treatment and to stop half way is to get just a half dose of what you need in shot.

[@elisabethe8055]

Other things that surprises me, maybee the most, is parental leave. How can you not be able to stay at home with your newborn child more than a few weeks? That is really mind boggling to me. Also, how Americans could be against medicare. There must be something important about that that i am missing. Could you guys talk about that?

[@TuesdaysArt]

Conservatives in the US are very much against "handouts"-if you're struggling, it means you aren't working enough. If you aren't being a cog in the capitalist machine, you're wasting space. It's that Protestant Work Ethic.

[@njorun1829]

The Mj discussion is definitely something we need to have here is Sweden. I don't know exactly where I stand, but use for medical purposes is really a no brainer for me. If it can help someone handle cancer or schizofrenia better then why not, it's not like the medicines doesn't have sideffects either. About SVT being biased or not... I think it really depends on who you ask because people on the left side of the political spectrum tend to think SVT is too right leaning instead so maybe they're actually doing something right (no pun intended). One thing is for sure and that is that they try to bring both sides to the table, quite literally, often inviting representatives of opposing sides to the studio.

[@lindadeters8685]

You do have to remember that all of Europe could easily fit in the US, so if an American has been to several states, it might equate to Europeans traveling in Europe. We can travel 3000 miles and still be in the US. Also traveling from one European country to another is so much easier and cheaper than traveling from the US to Europe.

[@mytube001]

When the text came up on screen I thought "MJ" meant Michael Jackson...

[@ExclusivelyReclusive1]

The thing is that Americans have everything in their country and its so damn big, Just Alaska is a few times bigger than the whole of Sweden. And of course the education i suppose is in majority based on America and not so much about the rest of the world so you don't lear about other countries.

[@lennartandersson75]

But most people in Sweden can point out many countries in the whole world, apart from the fact that they can also place the "most important" states in the USA on a map!

[@Pia-lm7qi]

@@lennartandersson75 Yes and we are much more open minded and curious about other cultures

[@thecrabalien]

Time Stamps?

[@zs3137]

I am Canadian and never tried weeds, all my friends find me strange!!

[@keiths2902]

And even when you have insurance, the copays can be so high you canät even visit the doctor.

[@HappySwedishPancake]

I don't really have an opinion on wether weed is dangerous or not, I do know that some people make really bad decisions when smoking it tho. Also I hate the smell and I really hope it's not gonna become legal here.

[@dwaynethewokjohnson7773]

It cannot kill you. Completely harmless. Legalize! Our drug laws are the harschest im Europe and we have the most drug-related deaths per capita because of that! Canada is showing us the way to go!

[@tofulover672]

That's crazy that Fredrik lived in San Antonio for a bit! I'm from there and I just recently moved to Sweden haha small world

[@swedishguyonyoutube4684]

1:45 As a native Swede who knows a lot of physicians, it's very frustrating to hear this (often repeated) narrative about how you're just generally "covered" in Sweden and how that implies that you don't have to worry about your health care. Does Sweden have single-payer? Yes. Is it supposed to cover your basic needs? Yes. Does it work like that in real life? No. Absolutely not. Basically, in America, your health care plan decides what level of health care you get. In Sweden, your physician along with guidelines that are basically utilitarian not only on the individual level but on the societal level as well decides what level of healthcare you get (i.e. people who are a drain on society's resources don't get the same healthcare as people who are net contributors). There's this idea in Sweden that just because you're not seeing the bill you're not paying it. And just because you aren't told what you're denied you haven't been denied anything. Ask literally any centrist or right-of-center-leaning physician and they'll tell you the same thing I just did above.

[@mconfalonieri]

Even after five years in Sweden, the general attitude towards MJ here still puzzles me.

[@Lewzyd]

People are misinformed and think it's a super dangerous gateway drug that WILL 100% make you use needles eventually if you try it.

[@wildeliseortiz4734]

Se currently own a business (fairly new) and we don’t have medical insurance because it’s crazy expensive!

[@carroisokey488]

vem fan tittar på kanal 1 och 4 i Sverige frivilligt? xD

[@peterwesterlund]

Good viddy, agree with the things mentioned

[@HannahHäggAutisticTransWoman]

In the USA the Healthcare is expensive and insurance doesn't cover everything. Some insurances don't cover pandemics so many get millions in medical bills no matter if they survive or not. Many incurense companies try to opted out to pay no matter what, many insurernce companies don't care about you they care about profits. This why we have single payer health care system in Sweden so people don't die because they couldn't pay.

[@henriccarlsson9052]

To be honest.. I am so happy so few Americans have passports. Imagine the horror..

[@mikael884]

The american you fear do not travel.

[@henriccarlsson9052]

@@mikael884 Oh but they do.

[@mikael884]

@@henriccarlsson9052 No,they do not. They don't even know how to get a passport.

[@henriccarlsson9052]

@@mikael884 So all americans I encounter during my travels in Europe got here without a passport?

[@mikael884]

@@henriccarlsson9052 Not possible. The americans you encounter have passports. They are eligble to uphold passports,and to travel.

[@mirek8223]

I lived noth in the U.S. and Sweden for a few years combined. I think Stefan was polite to his guest, which is understandable, but his guest sometimes was only attacking the US with too general comments but was avoiding issues which could have put Sweden in a bad light. Examples: Stefan mentioned bias in Swedish tv and it was good time to develop that and also investigate in which compared country tv gers funded by state and how it affects freedom of speech ( where U S is much higher in international rankings and Sweden has in my view quite biased left- leaning tv even comparing to more respected radio). Also when the guest talks about lack of insurance, this is characteristic to Texas but not e.g. Minnesota When he talks about Americans not going and not knowing much about abroad, he forgets US centered history lessons n schools, huge size snd relative isolation of continent, lack of paid vacation etc. Also people e g. in Chicago or NYC or even in Houston,TX, are more likely to know about different countries than in e.g. people in non - metropolitan or rural Texas. I was only waiting for him to start mentioning shootings in the U.S. while Sweden, being such a small country in population has become the capital of European shootings in recent years. I am glad he did not mention. My message is not to condemn Sweden, which I appreciate for many things ( e.g. unlike other EU countries , handled the recent pandemic without restricting human rights). But my suggestion to the guest would be : especially if you have a channel about cultures, at least try to be more self - aware and how to improve things on iwn backyard rather than criticizing others in not enough balanced way. And indeed, balance is an important value in Sweden.

[@toyotaavensis2754]

Wish Leif

[@viktor8552]

I heard somewhere (I think VOX made a video about it) that the reason Soccer didn't become as big in the US as the rest of the world is due to TV networks not showing it because they wanted to fit more commercials in, and couldn't go 45 minutes without a commercial.

[@dirgniflesuoh7950]

Curious: How good is the average American when it comes to the geography of Canada and Mexico? The islands in the Mexican Gulf?

[@kyrxon277]

If ur asking if americans can name every state in mexico, the islands, and the couple states or districts canada has, i'm guessing thats very low

[@williamw9135]

well hello there :)

[@hemmper]

Drinking one drop of alcohol and driving is about as taboo in Sweden and Norway as nudity and cursing is on mainstream american TV. A big no no.

[@Henrik46]

Mad respect for acknowledging that CNN is mad biased. Everyone agrees that FOX is biased, even FOX. But somehow Russiagate etc. is "neutral".

[@buckstraw925]

Weed has been culturally acceptable in the US since the mid 70s for younger people. Illegal and there were some people that didn't like it but 70% of people under the age of 35 in the US back then accepted it. That isn't new at all.

[@Leenasims]

Fredrik verkar ha mycket ryckningar i sin högra arm...?

[@livb6945]

The BIG thing that baffles me about the US is how people seem to think owning guns equals freedom

[@lillerik01]

nu är tv4 en reklam kanal och det har den inte varit förut och med det menar jag att det blir reklamavbrott efter 10min och som håller på i 15-20min. förut så var det bara avbrott kl 22:00 för nyheter och väder. jag tror det blev en reklam kanal efter 2010.

[@kristerforsman2448]

Good feature exactly what I expected. Thank you for confirming my prejudices. Poor Americans.

[@fortheloveofnoise]

America wont last much lo ger unless it changes.

[@janeyorke835]

😊

[@lucid484]

The US population is also 35 times the size of Sweden. Not to mention the average American diet and exercise is abysmal. The obesity rate is insane. Not exactly fair to tax health conscience, active people to death to pay for everyone else's medical expenses.

[@nevrynkinori3627]

what is the point of drinking until you are drunk? my drinks should be enjoyable but not hamper my performance or my liver.

[@elisabetholsson9194]

I Approve…..😉😂( Hope that you get the sarcasm) 😍

[@salmoncake3454]

Please. I had to get additional health insurance to visit EU because I had a $30 copay because they won't give me a visa. So dont go to a country to freeload.

[@Tapio86]

Well... Ask a Swede to point out a central African country (most only know the north and south end; Egypt, Morocco, South Africa) or where Washington (state) and Washington (D.C.) are placed on a map. Most people just say "Washington" for both, thusly, not separating them.

[@lennartandersson75]

Ask an American and a Swede where China is located and you will notice a difference!

[@Tapio86]

@@lennartandersson75 Yes, you have a point :) My point is just that Sweden /Switzerland might be just as "unimportant" for others as US states and certain other countries might be for us.

[@oliviamoore3426]

The channel 1 is right leaning, not left leaning. Just cos a channel is against SD doesn’t mean it’s left leaning. I say this as a conservative

[@juaan6359]

lol, channel 1 is NOT right leaning what so so ever.

[@oliviamoore3426]

@@juaan6359 oh yes it is. It’s sure not left leaning in the slightest by any stretch of the imagination.

[@Telindra]

@@oliviamoore3426 if you look into the methodology of the examination on that topic (I think you might be basing your comment on) you'll quickly find it's pretty lackluster overall. Like, you can't draw any real conclusions at all from it. Just too little data, and it doesn't take into consideration the big picture of what is public service media in its entirety. What IS interesting though, is the statistics of public service employees political leanings. It is overwhelmingly left. Like, it is an absurd majority. We're only humans, so being completely separated from ones own personal views is very difficult, if not impossible. But I honestly don't really think the bigger issue lies within that topic, whether channel 1 is left leaning or not. My issue lies with how weak our journalists have become. No one really dares asking the difficult questions anymore, no one dares catching politicians in their lies. It is as if we all agree to forget that this person said a completely different thing 4 months ago on this same topic. They don't push for real answers whenever media trained ppl answers with non-answers. We see more and more tendencies of politicians refusing to agree to interviews unless they've seen the questions beforehand. And that is fucking outrageous. There are still good ones out there, that digs, that aren't afraid to get uncomfortable, and aren't concerned with whether or not they'd be liked for it or not. But they are not many, and when the rest of their colleagues elsewhere just opts for the silent treatment, things gets buried and forgotten within a week. The news is getting more and more like the ultra fast social media consumption tendencies too, which is also worrying in it's own sense.

[@juaan6359]

@@oliviamoore3426 i do guess it depends on what we're talking about. Swedish left & right wing or the universal left, right wing.

[@oliviamoore3426]

@@Telindra this is called the slippery slope fallacy. It’s also a non sequitur fallacySecond what ever the employees may think isn’t correlated to the rules of Swedish television in any way. Do you have citations for your claim?

[@vagnartheviking2534]

grey areas is areas that make problems...

[@PearlPaisley]

Unicorns? Don't they live in a golden field north of the rainbow? 😀 I don't get it?

[@Timtamz]

I think it means "startup companies"

[@syntaxerror8955]

"In business, a unicorn is a privately held startup company valued at over $1 billion."

[@syntaxerror8955]

About the issue of a non-biased news channel between CNN and Fox News -- don't they show ABC News? At least online, it's a good American news channel.

[@bakatstravarenmattsson3418]

"Weed" you don't know what you are smoking, the strength could be anything.

[@Fertho]

While that is true, don't you think that is a result of the illegality? If it was legal it could be sold in stores where quality control and proper information could be conveyed. Just a thought.

[@bakatstravarenmattsson3418]

@@Fertho Well it is legal here and there, i have no idea how the product information is? It would be interesting to know if you could buy a pack of "weed"

[@steveni.228]

I wanna move to Europe to escape the violence in America. I wanna move to a country with more freedom than the US.

[@tindrabeam5922]

För att klara av hemresan från USA med halsfluss så fick jag en antibiotika spruta. Då jag landade i Sverige hade jag bölder över hela kroppen.

[@annikaerf]

Hua! inte kul