Report from Scandinavia: No one ever uses euros here
In the last 13 days I've visited six different countries and have
been forced to change currencies in each one of them -- paying 10%
commission to money changers each time. Canada, Iceland, Greenland,
Denmark, Norway and Sweden. "Doesn't anyone here take dollars? Doesn't
anyone here take euros?" Apparently not. You either use the local
currency, pull out your debit card or go without.
Back in 1969, fresh out of grad school, I happily toured Europe in
my cowboy boots, bell bottoms, tank top, backpack with a hidden
compartment for LSD and a dog-eared copy of Europe on 5 Dollars a Day. Europe on five dollars a day in 2025? What a joke. Yesterday I spent 300 Norwegian kroner just on breakfast alone.
"What's your point, Jane?" Simply that nobody wants to accept euros
up here in Scandinavia. I might as well be living in Brexit. Why?
Perhaps it's because no one wants to be a member of NATO any more? Nah,
that's not it. All the governments in Europe love Endless War, want to
send even more deadly bombs to Ukra$ne and don't even notice or care
about the cruel and horrific genocide in Gaza.
Maybe it's because people here just don't trust euros?
Speculation on this matter also brings up thoughts regarding the
future of capitalism itself. Modern capitalism is basically a run-away
train with no braking mechanism that is headed straight at you, me and
our sweet little hapless and unaware kids. Yikes!
According to Vijay Prasad, however, China has an excellent braking system actually built in to its government train. "Under
China’s socialist system, capitalists are not permitted to organize
themselves into a class with political power through ownership of media,
financial systems, political parties, or other institutions. They
cannot freely take their profits overseas or invest them wherever they
like."
Jeez Louise. If America had put this kind of braking power in place
after the Great Depression or World War II, we wouldn't be facing World
War 3 or Great Depression 2 right now -- but what do I know.
More travel advice? If you tend to be a lone-wolf wanderer like me,
stay out of hostels! While they are the only shelters that I can
afford and you do meet lots of interesting people in them, but most of
them snore.
Today I leave for Stockholm and, as Google just reminded me, "While Sweden is a member of the European Union, it has not adopted the euro. Consequently, euros and other foreign currencies are generally not accepted in cash transactions. It's advisable to use Swedish kronor for all purchases." Okay.
PS: Last time I took ayahuasca, the Ayahuasca Mother gave me a severe warning. In her most scary Darth Vader voice she said, "Stay off the computer!"
Well. FaceBook, Blogger, YouTube and Google are clearly helping me out
here. I still can't get into any of my accounts with them --
apparently because they still can't believe that I am foolish enough to
go off to Europe. But, hey, this may be my last chance before euros go
bust due to European governments' deranged cheerleading for all these
stupid, de-humanizing, barbaric and endless American "wars".
And after Europe goes bottoms-up financially, perhaps only the lowly kroner will survive.
PPS:
Speaking of money, Nuvision, my hometown credit union, has just put a
hold on my debit card. Seriously. Before going off on this insane
journey, I'd written them, phoned them and also gone there in person.
"I will be going to Canada, Iceland, Greenland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden,
Germany, Luxembourg, Spain and Ireland during July. PLEEZE DO
NOT BLOCK MY CARD!!!! Apparently all those capital letters were wasted
on Nuvision -- and today they blocked my freaking card anyway. Shades
of the Federal Reserve's latest wet dream -- total control over our
wallets via their Central Bank Digital Currency.
Screw the euro, the kroner, the dollar or whatever. I just want my
debit card back! And perhaps world peace. Is that too much to ask?
Resources:
Must-watch analysis of decades of phony neo-con "war" strategy: David Gibbs: The “Good War” Illusion - A History of Proxy Warfare
Alex Kraimer analyses just how much better Chinese weapons are: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJe_YZjUQUo
If chicken feathers could fly in China: Who Says a Chicken Feather Can’t Fly up to Heaven?: The Twenty-Eighth Newsletter (2025)
And the Electronic Intifada always makes me despair of the endless capacity for Man's inhumanity to Man: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCWzluxvoRI
*********************
Stop Wall Street, War Street, Big Pharma and Big Tech from destroying our world. And while you're at it, please buy my books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jane-Stillwater/author/B00IW6O1RM?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true
Please support my channel and "Buy Me a Coffee". I'm currently saving up to go off to some unmentionable country in West Asia. https://www.buymeacoffee.com/janestillwater
