Trip to Sweden
This June, I was able to travel to Sweden with my family. I had never been to Northern Europe, and I had an amazing time discovering this new place.
Living in the United States, I am not accustomed to the extensive history of a country like Sweden. I was able to learn just a little bit about it through going to museums and talking to Swedish family friends.
Overall, I greatly admired Sweden and I saw many things there that I wished could be more common in America. The more research I did, however, I realized more and more that Sweden and America are fundamentally different. The history of each country dictates the mindset of the people, and I do not believe they could be governed the same way. The nature of a historically homogenous people in contrast to the mix of people of all backgrounds contributes greatly to popular opinions.
I often idolize smaller, more perfect-seeming countries like Sweden and wonder why the U.S. is not more like them, but now I realize that these two cannot be compared. Too often I theorize that other governments' policies (such as Australia's gun laws) would yield the same results when applied to the U.S., but more and more it has become apparent that the situation of each county is unique.
However, while countries may need to be governed in different ways, they are not independent of each other. Everything a country does has an impact on the outside world, whether direct or indirect.
While in Sweden, I stayed for a few nights with my family friends who are Swedish-American. They put the Swedish flag up outside their house on our way to a Midsommar celebration, but they decided it would be better only to have the American flag up once we got back home. While it was highly unlikely that any Swede walking by would actually vandalize their house or the flag while we were out, it was evident that they were torn as to whether or not to be proud about their American citizenship.
The decisions our government makes do not happen in a bubble. Each and every publicized action of the Trump administration becomes a facet of our foreign policy. Even though Trump hasn't done anything to directly affect Sweden, the reputation of America goes a long way. Beyond the fact that it's very uncomfortable to go abroad and be associated with this government, I think foreign impressions of America are an important asset or detriment to all Americans. They have a huge impact on many now-international industries, like business, media, and many more.
We are a new kind of "city upon a hill." We have branded ourselves internationally as the ideal country and the place that everyone wants to be. Everything our government does, whether it is tax cuts or affairs, influences the world in a way that I never fully understood.
Living in the United States, I am not accustomed to the extensive history of a country like Sweden. I was able to learn just a little bit about it through going to museums and talking to Swedish family friends.
Overall, I greatly admired Sweden and I saw many things there that I wished could be more common in America. The more research I did, however, I realized more and more that Sweden and America are fundamentally different. The history of each country dictates the mindset of the people, and I do not believe they could be governed the same way. The nature of a historically homogenous people in contrast to the mix of people of all backgrounds contributes greatly to popular opinions.
I often idolize smaller, more perfect-seeming countries like Sweden and wonder why the U.S. is not more like them, but now I realize that these two cannot be compared. Too often I theorize that other governments' policies (such as Australia's gun laws) would yield the same results when applied to the U.S., but more and more it has become apparent that the situation of each county is unique.
However, while countries may need to be governed in different ways, they are not independent of each other. Everything a country does has an impact on the outside world, whether direct or indirect.
While in Sweden, I stayed for a few nights with my family friends who are Swedish-American. They put the Swedish flag up outside their house on our way to a Midsommar celebration, but they decided it would be better only to have the American flag up once we got back home. While it was highly unlikely that any Swede walking by would actually vandalize their house or the flag while we were out, it was evident that they were torn as to whether or not to be proud about their American citizenship.
The decisions our government makes do not happen in a bubble. Each and every publicized action of the Trump administration becomes a facet of our foreign policy. Even though Trump hasn't done anything to directly affect Sweden, the reputation of America goes a long way. Beyond the fact that it's very uncomfortable to go abroad and be associated with this government, I think foreign impressions of America are an important asset or detriment to all Americans. They have a huge impact on many now-international industries, like business, media, and many more.
We are a new kind of "city upon a hill." We have branded ourselves internationally as the ideal country and the place that everyone wants to be. Everything our government does, whether it is tax cuts or affairs, influences the world in a way that I never fully understood.
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