Why Scandinavians have a hard time understanding the US.

Namish Gali
Sep 6, 2018 · 2 min read

A few days ago, I got to meet a Scandinavian woman in my dorm’s floor meeting. And, while she is in no way representative of all Scandinavians, my encounter with her gave me some perspective.

She was blunt.

Very blunt.

The drinking age — possibly America’s strangest law

When our RA was asking us what we thought about the Alcohol policies video, she said this:

“It was informative, but why do we need to know how to drink alcohol safely if we’re not allowed to drink until we’re 21?”

To that, my RA responded:

“Well, because the school isn’t stupid, they know that some teens will drink anyways, so we at least want you to be safe while doing so.”

The difference in attitude was apparent.

In the US, we put up with this nonsense. We know damn well that a lot of college kids will just drive up to Canada to get a drink.

We know that alcohol will sneak into freshman dorms one way or the other.

We know what happens in practice is far different than what our legislature suggests.

We know, yet somehow our solutions are so complicated.


Then, as we were discussing what to do if one of your friends was in a life or death situation and needed to go to the hospital she interjected with this:

Also, for that hospital nearby, don’t listen to the black man at the entrance telling you to go the long way around. There’s an easier way to get inside.

In the US, describing someone using race is a taboo, in some places more than others.

I’m sure her intentions were as pure as can be. But some folks may not take kindly to that.

The tension around the room was apparent.


Scandinavians don’t understand our weird drinking laws and out attitudes towards it.

They don’t understand racial tensions and the social taboos surrounding them.

They not understand our government or the firm socio-political divide between out parties.

They don’t understand because they haven’t lived through it.

And, maybe they’re better off for it.

In part, I think that homogeneity has a part to play. The US has so many different cultures, and strained relationships between them. Sweden, for instance, not so much.

Perhaps we should take a hint from them; fix our culture, break the tensions, repair our laws.

Perhaps it’s time for different groups in the US to set aside their differences and agree on some things.

Perhaps we need some unity.

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