You won't tell on me, will you?

[Svenskaflicka]

I'm gonna skip a meeting tomorrow. I just don't feel like going.

In order for you to understand what I'm taking about, a little background info may be in place:

I'm unemployed. I haven't had a job for over a year. When this happens, Big Brother (the Swedish state) steps in and gives you something to do. Not a job, mind you, but "something to do".

I'm in computer class. It's great, I'm learning a few new computer programs I didn't know before, and I'm learning how to disemble a computer, and later on, I'll learn how to install different operative systems on a computer.

Now, the problem is, that Big Brother likes to abuse the citizens. Big Brother wants them to work for free. Like they did 1000 years ago. This is called "internship". Now, the people in power have created rules and laws that make it legal for them to force people into slavery. It's not illegal. A person who hasn't been able to find a job, must accept whatever internship the state throws at him/her, and then work just as hard as someone who makes 16.000:- SEK/month, even though the internship-person won't get ANYTHING for this job. He/she will get to keep the social money, that's it. Refusing to accept an internship will result in you not even getting the social money that you have helped collected through your taxes.

I have been told to seek an internship at an Internet Café. I've been to 2 interviews so far, and tomorrow they're holding an information meeting for all who's interested. I haven't got the internship yet, they haven't decided if they want me or someone else, but they want me to waste 3 hours of my time, when I could be learning formulas and short commandos in Excel, simply because they want to explain what this whole project (it's a community financed project, not a real company) is all about.

I don't give a damned about what it's about. I don't even want the eff-ing internship. I'm against internships! If I'm gonna do a decent job, then give me a decent salary, for fuck's sake!

So I'm gonna skip the meeting tomorrow, and attend my computer class instead. If I read the chapters in my workbook fast enough, I might have some time over to write a few more applications for a REAL job. That's my only hope out of this mess I'm in.

 

[pop_54]

Yeppers

fair play to you love, sod big Brother, they try that crap over here as well, make unemployed do all manner of crap for free.

Is there a problem in Sweden at the moment with unemployment rising as elsewhere in Europe?

We seem to be OK over here at the moment though.

Ever thought of applying for a job elswhere in Europe? Nosy git aint I.

Keep you chin up dear, all will be well in the end

 

[Quasimodem]

I just love how politicians use statistics.

Every politician proclaims how many hundred/thousand/million of new jobs they have created, and yet, if you check, unemployment is up.

Usually that means if anybody gets work, they claim it was their doing. If anybody loses a job, that’s the fault of the economy.

The economy works the same way. If it’s up, they did it. If it’s down, either it was the fault of their opponent, or the global economy.

 

[Lovepotion69]

I had written a nice long reply and then Lit logs me out just when I post it! Grrrrrrr.

Svenska, at least they got you something to do. I can't even get a bloody internship (and I WANT ONE). As I live at home I can afford doing it for free, but all the papers I call say "We're sorry, we only take on students for internships. Also we can't take you on for free as it's illegal and it'd give us a bad reputation."

I've almost managed to nag my way to a short internship at least at a local paper. The Editor thinks I should get paid, but I have to sweet talk the owner to get paid. If I manage that, then I can stay on longer, otherwise only for a month if I don't get paid. Oh well, a month is cool with me. At least I get something to do, a reference, some experience and I need something on my CV by now. It just doesn't look good to not have had a job since December (the move back to Sweden didn't help).

 

[MathGirl]

Originally posted by Svenskaflicka I could be learning formulas and short commandos

Hiya, Svenska,
I'm concerned about what you're going to do with those "short commandos." Are you going to pull down their little camoflage trousers and commit unspeakable acts? I hope so.
MG

 

[ffreak]

So what would they do if you got sick on the way to the meeting?

 

[Svenskaflicka]

Re: Yeppers

fair play to you love, sod big Brother, they try that crap over here as well, make unemployed do all manner of crap for free.

Is there a problem in Sweden at the moment with unemployment rising as elsewhere in Europe?

We seem to be OK over here at the moment though.

Ever thought of applying for a job elswhere in Europe? Nosy git aint I.

Keep you chin up dear, all will be well in the end

Unemployment is rising as fast as social rights are getting erased.

The election for or against Sweden joining the EMU is in about 2 weeks. Last time, it was about Sweden joining EU or not. We said yes, and ever since, the economy as gone down, and the unemployment and the prizes have gone up.
If we join the EMU, I'll seek political asyl in the US.

 

[Svenskaflicka]

Re: Re: You won't tell on me, will you?

Hiya, Svenska,
I'm concerned about what you're going to do with those "short commandos." Are you going to pull down their little camoflage trousers and commit unspeakable acts? I hope so.
MG

No, MG, dear. I would only do that to long commandos. I wouldn't want to vaste my time committing unspeakable acts with small things.

Svenskaflicka
Liking 'em BIG

 

[Svenskaflicka]

Svenska, at least they got you something to do. I can't even get a bloody internship (and I WANT ONE).

69, dearest, no offense, but that's the kind of attitude that I don't agree with. They're not doing me a favour by giving me an internship. They're doing themselves a favour by a)getting me out of the unemployment statistics, and b)getting free labour.

If they really wanted to help me out, they'd hire me, and pay me a decent salary. The whole internship thing is just a way of using people. A legal way of owning slave workers!

The whole garbage about me getting contacts and increasing my network and getting experience, etc, isn't enough compensation for all the effort I put in at a work place. If I work as hard as an employee, then I deserve the same pay!

A job isn't a privilege, it's a right!

 

[BlueDaisy]

Re: Re: Yeppers

Unemployment is rising as fast as social rights are getting erased.

The election for or against Sweden joining the EMU is in about 2 weeks. Last time, it was about Sweden joining EU or not. We said yes, and ever since, the economy as gone down, and the unemployment and the prizes have gone up.
If we join the EMU, I'll seek political asyl in the US.

Ok....I know what EU is, but what is EMU?

I'm sorry about your problem. Sounds really sucky.

 

[Guest]

Re: Re: Yeppers

If we join the EMU, I'll seek political asyl in the US.

Flicka-mou, I will sponsor you. We could quilt together.

luv luv luv, Perdita

 

[Guest]

Re: Re: Re: Yeppers

 

[Svenskaflicka]

European Monetary Union.

What it means is that the European Central Bank will have a group of hotshots down in Brussels deciding over us, setting the interest rate of our loans, etc. They are chosen for a period of 30 years, and CANNOT BE REPLACED NOR INFLUENCED BY THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE, and, to top it all off, the people have no legal right to look into their work to see what they're actually doing. Those papers are classified.

Officially, however, these things are never mentioned. All we're told by the politicians is that "Sweden has to grab the chance to influence Europe" (which was what they said before the election regarding EU, as well, and so far, we haven't had ANY influence over the Big Boys, England and Germany), "Sweden musn't isolate itself" (like the EMU-countries are in fact doing, by building up a wall around Europe), and "We have to stimulate the economy to save the welfare" (I've been to 3 EMU-countries in the past year, and I can tell you how they stimulated their economy: they raised the prizes with 60%. )
All we're told is that we're going to vote about switching from Krona to Euro, but nothing is said about the fact that when Germany couldn't reach the high goal that the EMU had set up for them regarding their yearly budget, they had to pay a fine of $180 000 to the EMU, which naturally didn't help up their economy very much, so in order to save money, they cut down on health care and schools...

Hubby lives in the US. I'm considering moving in with him.

 

[Guest]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Yeppers

 

[ffreak]

Whoa, hold the presses!

'Hubby' is in the U.S.???

What's he doing here if you are over there? I certainly wouldn't let you out of my reach, you delicious thing, you.

If you want to get over here there are plenty of people who will help (me for instance).

 

[ffreak]

Here's a question about European politics: isn't there any kind of underlying worry about a 'united' Europe controlled by Germany and maybe Britain? How far off is that from the imperialistic dream? And how will sovereignty be maintained down road?

Yep, get yurself over here darlin.

 

[TheEarl]

European Monetary Union.

What it means is that the European Central Bank will have a group of hotshots down in Brussels deciding over us, setting the interest rate of our loans, etc. They are chosen for a period of 30 years, and CANNOT BE REPLACED NOR INFLUENCED BY THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE, and, to top it all off, the people have no legal right to look into their work to see what they're actually doing. Those papers are classified.

Officially, however, these things are never mentioned. All we're told by the politicians is that "Sweden has to grab the chance to influence Europe" (which was what they said before the election regarding EU, as well, and so far, we haven't had ANY influence over the Big Boys, England and Germany), "Sweden musn't isolate itself" (like the EMU-countries are in fact doing, by building up a wall around Europe), and "We have to stimulate the economy to save the welfare" (I've been to 3 EMU-countries in the past year, and I can tell you how they stimulated their economy: they raised the prizes with 60%. )
All we're told is that we're going to vote about switching from Krona to Euro, but nothing is said about the fact that when Germany couldn't reach the high goal that the EMU had set up for them regarding their yearly budget, they had to pay a fine of $180 000 to the EMU, which naturally didn't help up their economy very much, so in order to save money, they cut down on health care and schools...

Hubby lives in the US. I'm considering moving in with him.

Hurrah for Svenska! Another Euro-sceptic!

I'm completely against the Euro and I thoroughly hope that Sweden rejects it. Apart from the fact that I'm proud of the pound, joining the EMU would require synchronising our tax and subsidy patterns with continental Europe. This would lead to a necessary synchronisation of the economies. Germany and France are in recession, while England is in a boom. Joining the EMU would require us to synchronise our taxes with Germany and France, resulting in a completely unsuitable manipulation of the economic levers. France and Germany would come out oftheir recessions, but we'd be completely screwed.

We keep getting told that we must take advantage of this opportunity and that we don't want to get left behind and isolate ourselves. Investment in England will fall if we don't get in on the Euro now! Teflon Tony's Labour government are very pro-Euro, despite 68% of Englishmen saying 'No' and their pleas sound very similar to those of the Swedish government.

The thing that worries me is the complete loss of control. If we join the EMU, then we lose control of our economy. From there it's just a small step to political union. Why does England want to give up its own sovreignty? The chances are that any European government would be dominated by the Germans and French, so instead of being one of the most important nations on the Earth, England would be reduced to being a vassal state of a European super-state.

Teflon Tony is so convinced that the Euro is the way to go that he blinds himself to the obvious drawbacks which negate the miniscule gain possible from joining.

The Earl

PS. Sorry to hijack your thread Svenska

 

[TheEarl]

Going back to the original plot of the thread

I'm sorry to disagree with Svenska, but I'm all in favour of internships. There are a hell of a lot of people who scrounge off the state in England and that money could be far better spent on doctors, nurses, policemen, teachers, etc. If people can't find a job and are making no real effort to find a job, then find them one and make them work for their benefit money.

Not maligning Svenska at all here, as I know she's not thta kind of person, but people in general are lazy and mean and if you offer them a free ride, then a lot of them will take it.

The Earl

 

[KillerMuffin]

An interesting thought, Earl. Svenska, and people like her, should be punished because of the laziness and sponging-off-ness of certain societal derelicts that they neither know nor emulate.

 

[TheEarl]

An interesting thought, Earl. Svenska, and people like her, should be punished because of the laziness and sponging-off-ness of certain societal derelicts that they neither know nor emulate.

Or alternatively I, and people like me, should be punished so that the societal derelicts can sit around on their arses and collect cheques for doing nothing.

I have nothing against my National Insurance being used to support people who are out of work. I dislike the idea of it being used to support people who are too lazy to work and am thoroughly in favour of measure that discourage people from sponging off the system. My £4.60 an hour will help put me through university. I have no wish to have part of it taken away to help put somebody through daytime television.

I would favour a system in England where internships are compulsory for people who have been out of work for a certain period, but can be waived by people who can show that they are making an effort to look for work.

The Earl

 

[BlueDaisy]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Yeppers

extinct flightless bird...kinda like a cross between a kiwi and an ostrich.
or more locally (for me) Eastern Michigan University.



funny....i thought someone was receiving welfare...maybe not.


rhino

*groan* I just knew the emu jokes would happen. *shaking head*

 

[BlueDaisy]

European Monetary Union.

What it means is that the European Central Bank will have a group of hotshots down in Brussels deciding over us, setting the interest rate of our loans, etc. They are chosen for a period of 30 years, and CANNOT BE REPLACED NOR INFLUENCED BY THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE, and, to top it all off, the people have no legal right to look into their work to see what they're actually doing. Those papers are classified.

Officially, however, these things are never mentioned. All we're told by the politicians is that "Sweden has to grab the chance to influence Europe" (which was what they said before the election regarding EU, as well, and so far, we haven't had ANY influence over the Big Boys, England and Germany), "Sweden musn't isolate itself" (like the EMU-countries are in fact doing, by building up a wall around Europe), and "We have to stimulate the economy to save the welfare" (I've been to 3 EMU-countries in the past year, and I can tell you how they stimulated their economy: they raised the prizes with 60%. )
All we're told is that we're going to vote about switching from Krona to Euro, but nothing is said about the fact that when Germany couldn't reach the high goal that the EMU had set up for them regarding their yearly budget, they had to pay a fine of $180 000 to the EMU, which naturally didn't help up their economy very much, so in order to save money, they cut down on health care and schools...

Hubby lives in the US. I'm considering moving in with him.

Damn. Sounds like a really messed up situation. You really do need to move over here, gal. Get away from all that crap. Come over here to our unsocialized crap. lol

 

[Guest]

 

[Quasimodem]

In 1992, by UN rating, Canada lead the list as the best country to live in according to a number of factors including the social net, public medical care, and education.

Since then, Canada has followed The Earl's kind of theories, clawing back payments for social support, excess medical facilities, and overpriced education.

Eleven years later, Canada now ranks number eight. The main reason for the downgrade, is because of child poverty.

You know, those lazy five-year-olds who only want to eat, sleep, and play, instead of going out and getting a job to help their single-parent homes (usually moms) afford some of the elegancies of life. Like nutritious food.

Canada - especially Ontario - once had a Health Program that was the envy of the world. That has been clawed back to where they have started bruting about the term "two-tiered health plan.” That is where everybody is eligible for dangerously ineffective health care, and good health care is reserved only for those with enough money to pay for it.

We had known of this form of health insurance before, only then it was called the "American” health plan.

The latest twist in our overcrowded school system, is that the present Ontario Government is trying to pass into law a regulation which would make it illegal for teachers to strike, except between the end of the closing of the spring term and the beginning of the fall term.

Who wins? Political supporters. Who loses? The average citizen, but especially their children!

 

[Guest]

working is NOT punishment, if you are receiving something ...... it's payment in services for payment in funds.

Rhinedude, that read a bit Puritanical to me. I think a good amount of work is punishment, particularly all those jobs that are close to minimum wage or harm one's health. It's the American way to punish people for being poor. That's what welfare is really about.

calming down and leaving...

Perdita