Swedes Don't Understand the United States at All

The Swedes have a society that I envy in a number of ways.

A social safety net, a policy of making contraception to teens 15 and above, and the latest case, the requirement that, "Sex education should form part of the curriculum for all adults attending Swedish for Immigrants (SFI) classes," according to an official report given to the Minister for Health and Social Affairs.

This is a good policy. The idea of teaching people who may have come from very sexually repressive societies things like human sexuality, that clitoridectomy is wrong, and that homosexuality isn't wrong, that women have the right to refuse sex to their husbands, contraception, etc.

Here is the part that had me spewing at my screen, though:

Milton said he thought it would be unnecessary for people from functioning democracies to sit through classes on sex education. He added however that finding a practical solution did not fall under his remit.

"Clearly people from the UK, US or Canada, for example, know these things already. But it can be sorted out on a case by case basis. It's something that can be worked out locally," he said.

While I cannot speak to the sexuality and sexual mores of either the Canadians or British, notwithstanding the, "no sex please, we're British," jokes, I find the idea that the United States, with the highest incidence of teen pregnancy, partner murder, etc. is somehow sexually enlightened as a society to be completely unsupported by reality.

Just ask Briston Palin.

Were US sexual mores more honest, and less punitive, we would be a far better place to live.