We, The Infected

Just curious what the conversion rate would have been roughly in 1981 to U.S. dollars. Oskar said a real Rubik's cube was too expensive so he bought a copy. Also, how much in American money was he being paid to deliver the ads? thanks!

cx1138 wrote:Just curious what the conversion rate would have been roughly in 1981 to U.S. dollars. Oskar said a real Rubik's cube was too expensive so he bought a copy. Also, how much in American money was he being paid to deliver the ads? thanks!

According to this calculator, in November 1981 SEK 100 was equal to USD 17.9876

Oskar made SEK 70 - 80 per week, i.e. USD 12.5913 - 14.3901

Thanks, that gives me a better understanding of how Oskar is financially.

cx1138 wrote:Thanks, that gives me a better understanding of how Oskar is financially.

Knowing the comparative value of the currencies doesn't give an idea of the buying power of Oskar's money unless you know the cost of living in 1980's Sweden.
I think, compared to the US, Oskar's money wouldn't buy as much as the equivalent US dollars would in the US in the 80's.

Ash wrote:Knowing the comparative value of the currencies doesn't give an idea of the buying power of Oskar's money unless you know the cost of living in 1980's Sweden.
I think, compared to the US, Oskar's money wouldn't buy as much as the equivalent US dollars would in the US in the 80's.

That depends on what goods you compare. A major factor involved is the Swedish taxes (VAT), 25% on most goods sold in shops, while it is zero in at least some places in the USA. So, compared to the US, Oskar's purchasing power would be reduced by roughly 20%.

When compare two currencies I'd compare them to hamburger. How much you pay for a Big Mac could give you better idea of cost of living.

metoo wrote:

Ash wrote:Knowing the comparative value of the currencies doesn't give an idea of the buying power of Oskar's money unless you know the cost of living in 1980's Sweden.
I think, compared to the US, Oskar's money wouldn't buy as much as the equivalent US dollars would in the US in the 80's.

That depends on what goods you compare. A major factor involved is the Swedish taxes (VAT), 25% on most goods sold in shops, while it is zero in at least some places in the USA. So, compared to the US, Oskar's purchasing power would be reduced by roughly 20%.

Are goods cheaper in Sweden than the U.S.? I mean basic things like soda, chips and candy. When we went to Italy before they switched to the Euro dollar I saw most food items and other things were cheaper than in Florida. A bottle of coke was much cheaper and I'm guessing it was imported.

If the cost of goods in Europe was cheaper in 80's than in the U.S. wouldn't Oskar pay less for things? It's hard to say unless someone grew up in Sweden in the 80's and know the exchange rate and how much things were sold for in the U.S.

cx1138 wrote:Are goods cheaper in Sweden than the U.S.? I mean basic things like soda, chips and candy. When we went to Italy before they switched to the Euro dollar I saw most food items and other things were cheaper than in Florida. A bottle of coke was much cheaper and I'm guessing it was imported.

If the cost of goods in Europe was cheaper in 80's than in the U.S. wouldn't Oskar pay less for things? It's hard to say unless someone grew up in Sweden in the 80's and know the exchange rate and how much things were sold for in the U.S.

I live in Sweden, and have done so for all my life (50+ years). However, I've not lived in the USA, so I have no means of direct comparison. But taxes are lower in the USA than in Sweden, and the lowest salaries are lower, too. This would mean that some goods and services are - and has been - substantially cheaper in the USA than in Sweden; junk food would be one of those.

Like I said before, because of the VAT, the purchasing power of Oskar would likely be 80% of a US kid's, given the same amount of money as per the exchange rate at the time. In other words, Oskar would pay more for the same goods or services, than a US kid. The prices in Sweden were higher.

In a slightly larger context, attempting to understand Oskar's family's economic situation, I am curious what can be inferred from where he and his mother are living. I believe - but do not know - that the novel purposefully paints a starker view of Blackeberg than how life there would have been in 1981. Yet, can anything be said about the general economic nature of what it meant to have lived there (in that time period) as opposed to the alternatives? I know nothing about Stockholm and surrounding cities, towns and suburbs. For example of what I am wondering about: Was Blackeberg, or even Oskar's street, on par with the surrounding neighborhoods and towns? And from that can any surmise be made about how well Oskar and his mother were living? For example, would it seem likely that the two of them were living modest, comfortable lives? [if this has been discussed earlier, whack me with a link.]

gkmoberg1 wrote: Yet, can anything be said about the general economic nature of what it meant to have lived there (in that time period) as opposed to the alternatives? I know nothing about Stockholm and surrounding cities, towns and suburbs.

The setting and time-frame are fairly crux to the story. These are not accidental. I can't say much more at the risk of having my post deleted, again . But anyone who is interested should research the politics and social circumstances of Sweden at the time the story is set. Suffice to say it was a time of considerable upheaval and uncertainty. In itself, the notion of ''Swedish identity'' was for the first time in a couple of decades, being challenged by external circumstances. So, at least, for me, it is a metaphor of adolescence. A melting-pot. A loss of innocence. The precise setting co-incides with the S-363 incident. The ultimate Volta point being the assassination of Olaf Palme.

Many places undergo changes over decades. The Road To Hell is paved with good intentions. I'm sure Blackeberg was a town planners dream. Lacke seems to be the one who picks up on the architectural dissonance. Blackeberg is an invented community. It is fertile ground for storytelling. Like other overspill communities, in cinema, it provides rich pickings. Stevenage in the UK in 'Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush', Thamesmead in 'A Clockwork Orange', Cergy-Pontoise in 'Naissance de Pieuvres'. So-called idyllic places that never were designed with the needs of young people in mind. Home from home. Where drugs, glue-sniffing, violence, are rife. And young people (like Oskar in LTROI) need to invent their own realities, just to survive till the next day.