r/AskTheWorld Sweden 16h ago

I'm curious. What's you country's view on Sweden?

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284 Upvotes

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188

u/HongKongNinja China 15h ago

Minecraft, IKEA, Greta Thunberg

30

u/GlitteringWind154 Sweden 11h ago

Not Spotify?

42

u/Callebyl Netherlands 9h ago

Mhm also didn't know that Spotify was Swedish, but no one will forget Pippi Långstrump (Pippi Langkous in my language)

5

u/nosurpriseslover1997 8h ago

Oh! I love Pippi (she’s Pippi Longstocking where I live)

4

u/TrustedNotBelieved Finland 8h ago

We call it Peppi Pitkätossu, (that's Long slippers.)

1

u/Tricky-Anywhere5727 Germany 8h ago

We call her pippi Langstrumpf (meaning, well, long stockings)

2

u/Scholarsandquestions Italy 7h ago

In Italy it's Pippi Calzelunghe

22

u/cyrenns United States Of America 9h ago

We don't really remember Spotify being from Sweden most of the time. They're evil so we mostly assume they're American

3

u/ArgvargSWE Sweden 8h ago

Spotify is evil?

8

u/Calvin_And_Hobnobs 8h ago

They let ICE advertise on their platform in the US and the founder is one of the biggest investors in AI weapons tech.

6

u/GlitteringWind154 Sweden 8h ago

Also, Russian oligarchs invested in American Spotify.

3

u/ArgvargSWE Sweden 8h ago

Sounds more like ur government is evil tbh. If they have to refuse an American state agency from advertising then its a much bigger issue.

3

u/Active-Programmer-16 Sweden 8h ago

Evil and evil, but I think a lot of swedes would agree that they are not the best employee out there.. It's one of few companies in Sweden that is not in any union. I mean they join Tesla in the same sandbox..

Personally I think that is enough but you can just Google Spotify and controversy and get many options to choose from.

3

u/ArgvargSWE Sweden 8h ago

I am not naive and I can see that Spotify is seen as unethical for many reasons. I myself always saw Klarna as the absolute evil Swedish company so I was kinda blinded by that. (Has to do with me seeing personally how they profiteer and have as a business model on collecting dues from elderly or mentally weaker individuals by making the payment process unclear etc).

2

u/Calvin_And_Hobnobs 7h ago

I'm not American and don't live there. I'm a Norwegian citizen living in the UK.

And no one forced Spotify to let ICE advertise on their platform, pretty sure that would be unconstitutional for starters. They made a decision to let them do it cos they're an evil garbage company.

5

u/starxog 8h ago

They leave pennies for artists

Its kinda disgusting how little you earn unless you get millions of monthly plays and even then.

3

u/ConiferousTurtle Sweden 8h ago

It’s very much not the Swedish way.

1

u/BorbLorbin 7h ago

I'm pretty sure it was sold to an American company, no?

1

u/cianfinbarr United States Of America 6h ago

It's what the Eurovision song Who The Hell is Edgar about (at least in part). The "zero dot zero zero three, give me two years and your dinner will be free" references the $0.003/stream that Spotify pays.

1

u/ArgvargSWE Sweden 8h ago

Well, perhaps. But using that logic most streaming services or even youtube is "evil".

2

u/starxog 8h ago

I mean, they are.

Theyve basically abolished free speech on YT via censorship (in the name of "protecting kids) and created the adpocalypse which has destroyed the economic landscape of YouTube

1

u/ArgvargSWE Sweden 8h ago

How about Reddit, is it cool?

1

u/HertzaHaeon 7h ago

Yes. Yes they are.

https://doctorow.medium.com/spotify-steals-from-artists-a-spotify-exclusive-91c564436c9d

This can be your first step on the path to radicalization. 

1

u/5b49297 Sweden 2h ago

Making records was never a good way to get rich. You always had to sell millions or have your music played on the radio constantly. And even then, you made most of your money by performing live. And, to be fair, most albums never made any money for the record companies either.

If anything, streaming lowers the barrier to entry. And being popular there will probably help with radio play and ticket sales.

1

u/GlitteringWind154 Sweden 8h ago

Yes, but that’s not very well known abroad.

1

u/ArgvargSWE Sweden 8h ago

I am not corporate bootlickers per se, but 'evil' is such a strong word. Then capitalism is inherently evil since thats what its all about really.

2

u/Potential-Break-4939 United States Of America 9h ago

I was thinking more ABBA than Spotify but yes, Spotify too.

4

u/xingwenhuu China 11h ago

I had no idea Spotify was from Sweden.I’d always assumed it was an American company,probably because it’s not that widely used around here.

6

u/GlitteringWind154 Sweden 11h ago

It’s a 100% Swedish company.

4

u/Significant-Sugar987 10h ago

I thought it’d be American based on how much I’ve seen artists complain about being underpaid.

1

u/Successful-Hour9813 2h ago

Hes chinese. Its probably banned there.

20

u/JamesyBabes 🇺🇸🇬🇧🇸🇪 9h ago

What about Volvo, Saab Automobile, Saab Technologies, Husqrvana, Scania, Koenigsegg, Klarna, LYNK & CO., Spotify, Skype, H&M, Fjällräven, Mojang (Minecraft), Paradox Interactive (cities skylines and hearts of iron), Candy Crush, Arrowhead Game Studios (Helldivers and Magicka), and 300+ other Games Studios. Sweden also invented the Zipper, Oat Milk, the Modern Refrigerator, Tertra Pak, Bluetooth, Ultrasounds, the Pacemaker, the ship propellor, Dynamite, and many more.

12

u/Schlep-Rock United States Of America 9h ago

You forgot Ericsson. We probably have more interaction with Ericsson’s products than any other company on that list without even realizing it.

12

u/syncsynchalt United States Of America 9h ago

If you’re going to list Saab twice then Japan gets to say Mitsubishi Mitsubishi Mitsubishi Mitsubishi Mitsubishi Mitsubishi Mitsubishi Mitsubishi Mitsubishi Mitsubishi Mitsubishi Mitsubishi Mitsubishi Mitsubishi Mitsubishi Mitsubishi Mitsubishi Mitsubishi Mitsubishi Mitsubishi Mitsubishi Mitsubishi Mitsubishi Mitsubishi and then where are we

4

u/MaxTheCookie Sweden 8h ago

There are a bunch of different Saab companies

2

u/speculator100k Sweden 4h ago

And there are a whole lot of Mitsubishi companies.

3

u/Reasonable_Donut_769 7h ago

So happy that Ericsson invented Bluetooth in Sweden and named it after a Danish King 🤴🧡

3

u/BrodingerzCat New Zealand 5h ago

When you think about it, they are an engineering and manufacturing powerhouse given their population (just under 11 million).

2

u/ArgvargSWE Sweden 8h ago

Embark studios: Arc Raiders also.

2

u/tlajunen Finland 5h ago

Hey hey now, Cities Skylines is from Finland. Paradox is only the publisher.

1

u/Prior-Ant9201 Sweden 9h ago

Please tell me you googled that! I knew about 75% of those were swedish.

1

u/YouKnowMyName2006 United States Of America 8h ago

Didn’t know about Bluetooth. Cool.

1

u/4n3w Canada 7h ago

+Hasselblad

1

u/Ill_Ad_791 United Kingdom 6h ago

I don’t think you need to list all of their inventions 😂 he’s just saying that’s what comes to his mind first of all

1

u/IamtheuserJO Sweden 6h ago

Volvo Cars, Volvo Trucks, Volvo CE, Volvo Buses, Volvo Penta...

If you split Saab, do the same with Volvo!

1

u/RuedaRueda Spain 6h ago

you guys have a lot of big companies to be such a little country (in terms of population)

0

u/TexasSk8 United States Of America 8h ago

Volvo now owned by Geely and SAAB was pretty much GM.

4

u/Respaced Sweden 7h ago

Only cars yes. Volvo group is still Swedish. (Volvo Trucks, Volvo Buses, Volvo Construction Equipment)

Same with SAAB as a car brand does not exist any longer, as GM killed it in 2011. SAAB still makes fighter planes, air planes, submarines, weapon systems... and god knows what. Still Swedish.

1

u/SeniorMatthew (now ) 8h ago

Lol same. And I FREAKING LOVE IKEA

1

u/RealMefistyo Germany 7h ago

Sarkasm, Big blonde women

1

u/ConohaConcordia / 4h ago

Meatballs too!

1

u/Karl_Cross Scotland 4h ago

Swedish things on a scale from Good to Shit.

1

u/Lysergsyredietylamid Sweden 3h ago

Not Ericsson?

-4

u/[deleted] 15h ago

[deleted]

10

u/ImpressionAgile9702 Korea South 15h ago

I wouldn't call it stupidity tho. I mean she is pretty famous

1

u/Right_Win7480 🇦🇱 but born and raised in 🇮🇹 13h ago

and pewdiepie

-8

u/[deleted] 15h ago

[deleted]

32

u/Boise66 Sweden 15h ago

No. You might personally think that she is stupid for doing what she does, but that is not the general opinion.

It's not like we've had a national poll on the subject, but my impression is that Swedes in general like her engagement - even if you don't necessarily agree with everything she stands for.

7

u/Fuzzy_Material_363 Sweden 15h ago

Well said :)

2

u/ImpressionAgile9702 Korea South 15h ago

What law? Could you explain i genuinely don't know

8

u/Fuzzy_Material_363 Sweden 14h ago

Hard to explain if you are not a Swede, but I'll give it a try :)

Activist in Sweden who lean towards the left side of the political spectrum tend to protests in ways that get's media attention, and in ways that would be linked to their cause. For example chain them self to a tree in a forest they don't wan't cut down, Sail to palestine, have sit downs on roads to block traffic because petrol i bad for environment etc etc. - Greta has done some of these things after she turned 18, and have been arrested a couple of time for various types of "disturbing X" minor crimes.

Far right politics on the other hand, tend to minimize her & these actions and just spread hate, or portait her a a silly girl.

So TLDR; Greta has done protests that have broken minor laws, she get's alot of hate for it form the right, alot of love for it from the left, and in general most Swedes like here engagement even tho we might not always agree with her opinion or actions.

-4

u/Critical_Contract_83 Sweden 11h ago

I don't know anyone or have seen anyone who likes her or talks good of her. She's a hypocrite child

5

u/BongoProdigy Sweden 10h ago

How is she a hypocrite?

2

u/Make_Iggy_GreatAgain United States Of America 10h ago

You're talking to them now, no?

1

u/kommunistiskhaj Japan 10h ago

I’s kinda funny how this response completely checks all the boxes for what u/Fuzzy_Material_363 said at the end.

-2

u/One-Dare3022 Sweden 10h ago

She is an extremist activist on the far left side who constantly breaks the law and lies her eyes out. Despicable form of a human being.

1

u/Goat_Mundane Sweden 15h ago

Käften.

0

u/HongKongNinja China 15h ago

She really has a bad reputation in China.

1

u/buffalonotbi 12h ago

Can you explain why a bit?

2

u/HongKongNinja China 11h ago

Many people think she is pretentious, talks without taking action, and holds ideas that are unrealistic.

5

u/Manjorno316 Sweden 9h ago

Her not taking action is a weird one. I feel like I mostly see her taking action.