jens lekman and jante law

inevitable morrissey comparisons. lars lekman.
huge tears stream out of my eyes, for little sister, and all the innocence i lost this year, when the sweetness of swedish sugar pop, is about all i can recommend.
postcard to nina: jars lekman

jens lekman's waiting for kirsten i first heard at london h&m.
i realized how homesick i was for jante lagom, the law of equality. getting homesick for a different kind of social justice.
and this special subtle sweetness.
silence.
the line about biting his tongue was such a ridiculous parody of all the depths of silence in sweden.
IN Gothenberg we dont have VIP lines.
waiting for kirsten song at sky bar los angeles

saw gothenberg ballet last night. so homesick for most things swedish, minus the nazis.
if i made really strong coffee and ate ginger cookies might i not feel so homesick?
i regret the perils of amerkanakia: extremes of grandeur or despair: torn down without health care, jobless, hungry, withering.
but so nice: americans are so nice: when they are not killing you.
if only sweden knew how we suffer.  would one day we have safety, equality, shelter, education, and free speech enshrined in law?

there are great aspects to the rule of lagom (moderation).

There are ten different rules in the law as defined by Sandemose, all expressive of variations on a single theme and are usually referred to as a homogeneous unit: Don't think you're anyone special or that you're better than us.

The ten rules state:

1. Don't think you're anything special.
2. Don't think you're as good as us.
3. Don't think you're smarter than us.
4. Don't convince yourself that you're better than us.
5. Don't think you know more than us.
6. Don't think you are more important than us.
7. Don't think you are good at anything.
8. Don't laugh at us.
9. Don't think anyone cares about you.
10. Don't think you can teach us anything.

An eleventh rule recognized in the novel is:

11. Don't think that there aren't a few things we know about you.

In the book, the Janters who transgress this unwritten 'law' are regarded with suspicion and some hostility, as it goes against communal desire in the town to preserve harmony, social stability and uniformity.

These 11 principles or commandments form the "Jante's Shield" of the Scandinavian people.

and a constitutional:

Article 1
(1) All public power in Sweden proceeds from the people.
(2) Swedish democracy is founded on freedom of opinion and on universal and equal suffrage.  It shall be realized through a representative and parliamentary polity and through local self-government.
(3) Public power shall be exercised under the law.

Article 2
(1) Public power shall be exercised with respect for the equal worth of all and for the freedom and dignity of the individual.
(2) The personal, economic and cultural welfare of the individual shall be fundamental aims of public activity.  In particular, it shall be incumbent upon the public administration to secure the right to work, housing and education, and to promote social care and social security and a good living environment.
(3) The public administration shall promote the ideals of democracy as guidelines in all sectors of society.  The public administration shall guarantee equal rights to men and women and protect the private and family lives of the individual.
(4) Opportunities should be promoted for ethnic, linguistic and religious minorities to preserve and develop a cultural and social life of their own.