The cover of Om krisen eller kriget kommer catches my eye. It’s the latest edition of Sweden’s civil defence brochure. In case of crisis or war is the English title. We received our copy in the post a few days ago and it’s been lying around in the kitchen, yellowly, ever since. Spara brochyren, it commands, Save this brochure. And so we do, but we haven’t found a good place to keep it quite yet.
Translating crisis
My translator-self speculates about that title, the balance of the words krisen eller kriget. In Swedish the two, two syllable words balance one another, alliterate (also with the following word, kommer), and differ only by two letters.
The official English title isn’t as satisfactory. In case of crisis or war. The translator has gone for an alliteration – case and crisis – but I think it would be better to translate it as If war or crisis comes. To me, the rhythm of the one syllable of war followed by the two syllables of crisis feels more appropriate. And then comes is closer to the original Swedish and still gives the alliteration.
It also feels more urgent. The phrase in case of bothers me. It relates to an emergency, to be sure. Think of those signs over fire axes held in glass fronted cases: In case of emergency, break glass. But it seems a bit petty next to words like crisis and war. If war comes seems more urgent than In case of war…
You could say this speculation itself is petty in relation to the subject matter, but I’m sure someone has thought about it. Somebody should have thought about it! I don’t believe the English version of the brochure was translated by AI. That would have give something closer to If the crisis or the war comes, which is the literal translation but is laughable.
The brochure, the attention
Distributed to every household in Sweden, Om krisen eller kriget kommer is packed with information about what to do in the event of a major crisis or a war. The siren warning signals and what they mean. How to protect yourself in the event of an attack from the air. What best to do in the event of a terrorist attack, or if you are threatened by a flood, or a wildfire. What to store in your larder and what to pack in your emergency rucksack. Things to learn or practice in advance, like basic first aid, how to perform CPR, how to stop bleeding.
I was going to confine myself to writing about the choices the translator made, putting the original Swedish of the brochure into English. But I got sidetracked by the press attention the brochure has attracted. The internationally press attention.
I saw some of the same reactions from 2018, when the previous edition (the orange one) came out.
(I wonder where we kept that?)
This time there seem to be fewer of the “Sweden is being ridiculously alarmist” reactions. Three years of Putin’s war in our neighbourhood makes Sweden’s original brochure look prescient.
I thought I might write you a general analysis of the international reaction, but then I read an article in The Guardian by Martin Gelin, and found myself focused on that.
Unity, solidarity and the common good
Martin Gelin is a Swedish journalist who usually writes for the national daily newspaper Dagens Nyheter (DN). DN is one of the better oberoende liberal (independent liberal) papers. In his Guardian article, Gelin laments the growth of individualism in Sweden over the last 40-odd years. In Sweden we’ve been told to prepare for war. But will 21st century citizens still rally for the common good? That feels a bit rich coming from a newspaper and a political perspective that has actively promoted individualism over social solidarity in Sweden for the last 40+ years.
You got what you wanted and now you don’t like it?
Gelin writes that, in Sweden, … the idea of personal sacrifice for a common purpose has fallen out of favour. And Swedish citizens may no longer be particularly interested in unity or solidarity, qualities and mindsets that are called for, he argues, to successfully resist the threat of war or crisis.
He’s right about the importance of unity and solidarity in the face of war and crisis. I’m less sure about his pessimism.
The Highway Code
Individualism does not preclude unity or solidarity when there is a real and present danger. When people can see it is in their individual interests to work together for their common good. And in a war or in the face of an immediate catastrophe people (even Swedes) tend to pull together.
I’m thinking – stick with me here – of the Highway Code.
There are roughly 7.25 million cars registered in Sweden today and car ownership maps onto concepts of individualism. People drive cars for a whole lot of reasons, but a sense of personal freedom is definitely one factor. (Look at some car ads and tell me they don’t promote the idea of personal freedom.)
Yet there were only 229 traffic fatalities in Sweden in 2023. Compare that to the 801 killed in traffic accidents in 1984. Forty years ago there were fewer cars on the roads but people were, supposedly, more concerned for one another. I make that a 70% reduction in the number of fatalities in the last 40 years.
Sure, there’s been a good deal of work put into improving the roads, improving the safety of cars, improving the education of drivers. Still, I would argue that people today are more aware of the real and present danger in driving a car on the roads in Sweden. Consequently they are more prepared to act responsibly and with thought for their fellow drivers than they were 40 years ago. That’s solidarity combined with individualism, I think.
Driving to war
OK, war is not the same as driving a car and we haven’t had nearly the same practice in helping one another in the event of war as we have had following the highway code, but I just don’t see Swedish society collapsing in the face of a crisis because of widespread individualism.
It may depend on the efforts and reach of hackers, psy-warriors, trolls and social media barons, but it seems to me even those … let’s call them types … are not yet in a position to seriously fray social solidarity.
I hope not, anyway.
In case of crisis or war tells me … until the end of the year you turn 70, you are part of Sweden’s total defence and required to serve in the event of war or the threat of war. I’m 66 now, so I don’t imagine they are going to be putting a gun into my hands. I would have difficulties with that, and not just morally.
I have fired a shotgun, but not successfully. (The only thing injured was my shoulder. I developed a dramatic bruise.) I wouldn’t know what to do with a real weapon.
However, make me an Air Raid Precautions warden like my grandfather in Manchester in World War 2, or let me help out in a medical unit. I’m your man!
So … that was not the blog post I set out to write, but it’s the one you got!
Links
- Illustrations are taken from the English and the Swedish PDF versions of In case of war or crisis. You can download the English version here: https://www.msb.se/en/
- Martin Gelin’s article in The Guardian is here: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/nov/25/sweden-prepare-war-citizens-booklet-crisis
- Statistics about car ownership in Sweden: https://www.car.info/en-se/stats?from=2023-12&to=2024-11&vd=4.8.18.19.20&tcb=registered&tcs=registered&tcf=registered
- Statistics about road traffic injuries in Sweden: https://www.trafa.se/en/road-traffic/road-traffic-injuries
