Raised voices, patriotism and God bless you all

Yesterday I saw the Republican convention on TV. I didn’t know what I had been expecting, however, I was still chocked by what I saw. The speakers urged the crowd to stand up, and they almost screamed out their pride of the wonderful nation of America. Finishing off with a “God Bless”, and they left the stage. The difference between a Swedish political speech and an American couldn’t be greater.

In Sweden, the political leaders are very controlled and pragmatic. They strengthen their arguments with statistics and nuanced perspectives. Raising your voice or losing control is illegitimate, only showing lack of professionalism or concrete arguments.

As one speaker at the convention was finished, the commentators were quick to scrutinize every detail of the politician’s moves and quotes. It felt almost like a sport event – and it was fun! (Compare that with the political debates in Sweden which requires large amounts of caffeine to get through…)

The purpose with the American conventions is not to give a controlled and pragmatic impression. The leaders want to gather support and stir the crowd. The people attending the conventions will probably be the volunteer workers or donors later in the campaign, and the parties need these for the more and more long and expensive campaigns.

In America, politics equals emotions. Is this good or bad? It can definitely engage people and make them take standpoints even though they are not particularly interested in politics. But it can also remove focus from what is really important, the politics itself. The risk is that the emotions take over the pragmatism which is necessary for long-term political decisions. Craving support and donations, the political leaders of today in America get more and more vulnerable to populism. 

Why some are religious and some aren't

A great difference I’ve noticed between America and Sweden is regarding religion and the practicing of belief. Religion is important to many Americans, and it is not uncommon to pray before dinner or go to church on a regular basis. In Sweden many see themselves as Christians, however, they do not practice their religion actively apart from the normal Christian traditions. (Which initial cause is often forgotten)

As I spoke with my host mother, she couldn’t believe that you could be a part of church without truly believing in your religion or practicing it actively. How come the religious traditions are so much stronger in America in comparison with the similarly modern Sweden?

There are many answers. The first may be connected to the history of the country of dreams: America was founded by pilgrims who fled religious suppression. What united the pilgrims was the search for refuge and free practice of religion. Thereby, as they settled, religion continued to be an important uniting factor in the society.

It is also a question of traditions and culture; if you are raised secular, you will probably continue raising your own children in the same way. If you prayed before dinner when you were a child, you most probably will try to keep those traditions alive. This explains the continual importance of the initially uniting religious practices of the early pilgrims in America.  

Another factor is the size of the two countries. America is huge in comparison to the small and safe country in the north. The American daily life is more confusing, you have more options, more people – more everything. This can cause confusion or a feeling of not being safe. Religion can answer the spiritual questions which science can’t, and in the large and young country of America, the spiritual questions may be of a larger amount than in Sweden.