Skip to main content

How privatization hobbled Sweden’s response to coronavirus

Sweden’s longtime refusal to impose a general lockdown has seen it portrayed as an alternative “model” for coping with the pandemic. Yet death rates in its care homes have been appalling — and as a scandal that broke last month highlighted, much of the blame lies with the breakup and privatization of the country’s once-mighty public services.
 
by Anton Ösgård
 
Part 1
 
We are all sharing the experience of the pandemic. Or are we? In Sweden, you will see it referred to as “the current predicament” (rådande omständigheter) when prompted to keep a distance in a café, a train station, or a crowded store. This message pretty much sums up how the pandemic is experienced in Sweden by those not personally hit by it — an impersonal suggestion to remember that the rest of the world has stopped.

Readers in places where strict lockdowns have been keeping them indoors for weeks, if not months, might relate better to the situation of elderly Swedes and their relatives, especially in Stockholm. This group seemingly took the burden, sacrificing their lives and freedom for keeping the country open — indeed, so many elderly people have died that Sweden’s death rate per capita was at one point the highest in Europe.

But as the spread of the virus is on the rise again, some speculate it will be less pronounced in Sweden, compared to countries that instituted lockdowns. So the argument goes, many of the most vulnerable have died already, and a larger part of the population could have developed immunity. Yet today, both the spread of the virus and the number of deaths are on the rise in Sweden — not least among the elderly.

Source, links:


[2][3][4][5][6]

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Jeremy Corbyn: Gaza, Nuclear War & Why Movements Must Rise Now

Empire Files   Abby Martin sits down with MP Jeremy Corbyn in Bogotá during The Hague Group summit on Gaza. They discuss the limits of electoral politics, the danger of nuclear weapons, the central role of the US and UK in the Gaza genocide, and more.  

How China & Russia help Global South countries defend against US imperialism: Nicaragua explains

Geopolitical Economy Report   China and Russia help formerly colonized countries in the Global South defend their sovereignty amid constant US meddling and aggression, argues Daniel Ortega, President of Nicaragua, a Latin American country that has been invaded and militarily occupied by the USA multiple times. Ben Norton reports on the history of the Sandinista Revolution, and the struggle against Western imperialism.  

GAME OVER, Trump: Putin, China & BRICS Just CRUSHED US Dollar

Danny Haiphong   Donald Trump's war on BRICS is backfiring as the Russia & China-led Global South moves to dump the US dollar and build a new order independent of its dictates. Journalist and geopolitical analyst Ben Norton breaks it all down.    Related: Trump's tariffs: A unique opportunity for BRICS and the Global South to fully escape from dollar tyranny

X of the day

In just over 5 hours, more than 80,000 people have signed up to help build a new kind of political party. We believe in democracy — and the establishment are running scared. We’re offering people something very precious: hope. Sign up at https://t.co/0bhBHhWvVa . pic.twitter.com/12Rkg6pEMr — Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) July 24, 2025

Rule by the rich: Western governments are oligarchies, not democracies

Geopolitical Economy Report   Western governments claim to be models of democracy, and demonize their geopolitical adversaries as "authoritarian", but empirical evidence shows that the USA and European countries are oligarchies dominated by economic elites and large corporations. Billionaire Donald Trump is the perfect symbol of this, but he's by no means the only one. Ben Norton explains. 

X of the day

Palestinian statehood is not a bargaining chip. It is not a threat. It is an inalienable right of the Palestinian people. Our demands on this shameful government remain the same: end all arms sales to Israel, impose widespread sanctions, and stop the genocide, now. — Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) July 29, 2025

New Corbyn Party Could Already TIE With Labour - Bombshell Poll

Owen Jones  

Israel's DARK SECRET Genocide Economy EXPOSED

Double Down News   The REAL Reason US Sanctioned UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese.