Is this bullshit? A couple of fringe politicians looking for headlines? Or something with a little more meat behind it? Can any of our Swedish Dopers shed more light on this?
I know this is almost a GQ question, but I figured this was the best forum, as I’m looking for at least as much opinion as fact?
And you thought there was violence against women before?
Hehe.
Kars:
:rolleyes:
I just went and read the article in Swedish. Here if you’re interested.
It’s just the left party (the most extreme party in Sweden’s parliament - perhaps along with the Green Party (Miljopartiet)) who have suggested that there should be some sort of enquiry into how much male violence towards women costs (presumably how much it costs the women it affects or women in general). Then, Gudrun Schyman (former leader of the left party, now deputy) goes on to say that perhaps there should be an extra tax levied on all men to compensate for this cost. This proposal has not been approved by the feminist group within the left party yet though - and certainly not by the party or any othe rparty in general.
The proposal will never get through parliament (just my take on the matter, of course). Perhaps they will actually do some sort of enquiry/investigation on the costs.
If you’re interested the argument for the tax is that it is no different from taxation to level social classes (through progressive taxes) than to tax men more due to the collective violence that men are the cause of which women pay highly for. THey pay for this through, for example, a fear of going for a run in the park.
This proposal is ridiculous. It is just the sort of headline grabbing stuff that occasionally comes from Gudrun Schyman and the left party (and which other parties are , of course, also guilty of from time to time) where they make it sound like women are terribly oppresed in this Taliban nation of ours that we like to think is reasonably equal and progressive.
I’m not in Sweden at the moment, so I really don’t know how big of an impact this proposal had. I’m sure it was front page stuff for the tabloids. After all, it does make a good headline.
The sponsor has … an interesting history
More Gudrun
And those women who are found guilty of domestic violence towards men? Do they have to pay? Do men who are victims of domestic violence get a rebate? :rolleyes:
Would this be a pole tax? 
Like Low Key said this is just a proposal from one particular politician of a minor party. This particular politician is known for publicity stunts like this and it has gotten worse since she was forced to resign as party leader. The chance of it becoming reality is close to zero.
It has gotten quite a lot of attention in the tabloids, most of it being people who criticize it for being unrealistic and stupid as well as a couple of feminists who think collective punshment is a great idea.
Isn’t she (the loonie leftist pol) the same one who proposed outlawing urinals, and forcing men to sit down to pee?
Urinal ban cite
(one of many. Google search is left as an exercise to the interested)
Yes. FAR more ludicrous than “taxation to level social classes”. :rolleyes:
Comments:
I suppose it has to be progressive tax…by the inch (or centimeter in Sweden)…wouldn’t want to overtax the “short”. :rolleyes:
Wouldn’t taxing men to cover the cost of abuse make the practice of abuse arguably “legal”? I haven’t heard of other criminal behavior being taxed, but instead, fined and jail time if applicable.:dubious:
As for the urinal issue (cite provided by vunderbob)…I have personally witnessed a woman use a men’s urinal in a public men’s restroom amongst other men and boys (I was 9 at the time), and she even told me (I was at the next urinal) that she “couldn’t hold it any longer and the women’s bathroom was an extraordinary long line”. So, I know women can be equal out of necessity.
Well there are at least some women in the world that are catching up in the equality of gender ignorance. Chauvinist Pigs and FemiNazis…what a beautiful combination.