Sick of state worshippers

That's it. I'm laying a complaint. Hearing about Sweden is definitely bad for my health and I want a ban on the word - NOW.

Here are three references in the last couple of days alone.

1 Some countries, such as Sweden, had put a total ban on all advertising during children's television viewing times, while other countries had placed restrictions on the promotion of unhealthy foods.

2 ....Joan Durrant, a child clinical psychologist from the University of Manitoba, .... cited the example of Sweden, which removed the criminal defence in 1957 - nearly 50 years ago - and followed that up in 1978 with an explicit statement in the Civil Code to say children should not be hit.

So far 17 countries - including the Pitcairn Islands (infamous for a massive historic abuse case, which ended in the conviction of six men last year) - have followed Sweden's lead in explicitly banning physical discipline in their civil codes.

3 Sweden hopes to end its oil dependency within 15 years according to a new government initiative.

With oil prices fluctuating and the resource dwindling, the Scandinavian country plans to develop a range of bio fuels so that, according to government minister Mona Sahlin; 'No driver should need to use only gasoline' by 2020.

So has the Swedish state delivered nirvana?

Newsweek investigates; "An increasing number of Swedes do not recognize the socialist paradise-cum-economic wunderkind of Guardian headlines. The model is showing "visible cracks," says Klas Eklund, the Stockholm-based chief economist of SEB bank. Among them: the lack of incentive to work, resulting in a real unemployment rate roughly three times the official 6.3 percent; the failure to foster entrepreneurship (Swedes are the Europeans least likely to consider starting businesses), and the "total inability to handle the integration of immigrants," who face an unemployment rate one third higher than native Swedes. The disparity is among the widest in Europe."

Counting the hidden unemployed, including those on disability, paid leaves or "perpetual students" at tuition-free universities, more than 20 percent of the working-age population is out of work, according to some estimates.

However, Newsweek concludes, "Right now the Swedish model, for all its shortcomings and no matter how heavily questioned at home, looks about as good as it gets."

Aaaah. Definitely ban the mere mention of this place. It reminds me too much of New Zealand