Our country was voted the happiest nation in the world... but we think it's bull**** - here's why
Strolling through the windswept grey streets of Helsinki, there's one fact every Finn seems to know off by heart – their country is rated the happiest place on earth.
At least that's what the authors of the UN-sponsored World Happiness Report from the University of Oxford decided (for the eighth year in a row).
But most of the Finnish people quizzed by MailOnline haven't the faintest idea how they managed to be crowned champions of the cheerfulness charts.
After all, they may be glowing inside, but perhaps because their country is plunged into darkness and sub-zero temperatures half the year, they do tend to look a bit of a miserable bunch.
That's certainly true of the hundreds of people standing in line for hours outside a foodbank in Helsinki's city centre, with the queue extending around a city block and out of sight.
It's also no stranger to street crime.
Economically, Finland has much higher unemployment than the UK and for those in work, while their average gross pay is higher than in Britain, they actually take home considerably less, because they're taxed roughly twice as heavily.
Arguably, they get more back from their taxes, with free healthcare and education, including university tuition. But the provision of services varies widely depending where in the sparsely-populated country you actually live.
Despite being a nation of just 5.6millon people, Finland's area is 40 per cent larger than the UK, with a third of its landmass inside the Arctic Circle.
Its unemployment rate at 9 per cent, is double that of Britain and at the start of this year, the Finnish government embarked on swingeing cuts to its welfare state, bringing in means-testing for many benefits which Finns previously took for granted.
Kela, the social insurance institute, has stopped paying housing allowance for many households previously receiving an average of 230 Euros a month, though pensioners are exempt.
Unemployment benefits are also being cut and parental allowances will not rise with inflation.
At the Hursti foodbank in central Helsinki founded by her great-grandfather in 1916, Sini Hursti, 40, has seen the effects of poverty in this supposed paradise.
'When I look at the people, sometimes as many as 2,000 of them queuing outside our foodbank in the morning, I cannot agree that Finland is the happiest country on earth,' she told MailOnline.
'People are struggling to manage, and they just cannot make ends meet. Everyone is very aware of what is happening in Ukraine and I'm scared that we could be next – we're right next door to them.
'The people we see here, there are some alcoholics and drug-users, but they're not the majority, it's just people who are struggling financially and families who don't have enough to make ends meet.
'There is a welfare state here, but they are taking more away in taxes and cutting benefits, so people are in a difficult position.'
In the street outside the Hursti's building, Alexander, 63, an unemployed tailor who didn't want to give his surname, was among those patiently waiting in line.
Shivering slightly, with his eyes streaming from the chill of the morning, his reaction to the Happiness Index was pithy: 'It's bulls***, I'm sorry to say.
'Our government are like the Muppet show and they're cutting everything. For a long time our economic prosperity was linked with Nokia, but when it collapsed, the whole country went downhill.
'I lived in Italy for a few years and I noticed there that the family structure is very strong and relatives gather round to help when someone is in trouble, but in Finland we tend to be more solitary and that support network isn't always there.
'The foodbank is a big help for me and I go to this one and others around the city to get enough to eat.'
A few hundred metres away, homeless drug user Daniel Schrack, 30, was hanging around outside Sörnäinen Metro Station in what is nicknamed by residents 'Amphetamine Square'.
For years, it has been a favourite place for drug dealers and users, despite frequent complaints and police raids.
Daniel was not impressed by the Oxford/UN survey.
'I think Finland is far from the happiest place on earth,' he said.
'Many people don't have somewhere to live and everything costs a lot. I was on a housing list for eight years and was never given a place to live.
In 'Amphetamine Square', we watched as police arrested two young men for suspected drugs offences. One was white with a Mohican hairstyle and the other black wearing a hooded jacket.
Both were thoroughly searched for knives or needles before being put in the back of a police van.
The incident was a regular occurrence according to one local we spoke to.
'The police pick people up all the time,' he said. 'But no matter how many arrests they make, the people keep coming back here.'
Heading down from Sörnäinen Metro Station, Helsinki's legalised red-light district is essentially one street, Vaasankatu, lined with a few sleazy bars and strip-joints, but it's a far cry from the fleshpots of Amsterdam, as we walked along an old man swigging from a bottle of brandy slumped against a wall..
Some parts of the city, especially underpasses, have been the target of graffiti artists, and at some sites the city authorities have allowed the spray painters' work to remain, in the hope they won't spread their activities elsewhere, with mixed results.
Further east in Kontula, the high concentration of migrants over the years has changed the mix of shops with kebab restaurants and shisha bars predominating.
Kontula has generally been considered one of the most notorious suburbs in East Helsinki due to violence, gangs and drug dealing. A few years ago, youths ran a drugs trade near the shopping area alongside the Metro station, according to local reports.
Drug use appears to be a problem all over the city. Even in Helsinki's main railway station, the cubicles are fitted with disposal bins for needles.
The social housing surrounding the shopping area looks less forbidding than many inner city estates in Britain, with wide walkways and fir trees separating the blocks, which are usually not much higher than five or six storeys.
After the happiness survey was released, Finland's President Alexander Stubb suggested another reason to be cheerful was the country's '2.2 million saunas'.
Almost 90 per cent of Finns bathe in a sauna at least once a week - an activity that's considered good for both physical and mental health.
But not everyone is so convinced.
Responding to his message, behaviour analyst and body language expert Saara Huhtassari wrote: 'The claim that Finland is the world's happiest country falls short, overlooking low salaries, high taxes, conflict threats, a failing education system, hidden corruption and the burden of socialism.'
Another said: 'Agreed. These happiness polling outcomes are meaningless.'
For many years Finland had one of the world's highest suicide rates. While the number of deaths has halved over the last three decades, suicide rates remain slightly higher than the EU average.
A culture of heavy drinking was linked to the crisis but alcohol consumption has declined since 2007 although it remains relatively high compared with other European countries.
Part of the reduction is probably down to the government's strict controls on the sale of alcohol, which is only available in specialist 'Alko' stores, which close at 9pm on weekdays, 6pm on Saturdays and all day on Sunday.
Bangladeshi-born taxi driver Bahadur, who is studying for a masters in business at the local university, said: 'Lots of shops are struggling to stay in business – the town is dying. I'm afraid the truth is that we need those Russians!'
Mother-of-one Milla Vitikainen, 33, a beautician, joked that there were many places in the world she would like to live other than Finland, such as Bali or Costa Rica.
'But seriously, there are a lot of things to be said for living in Finland that we take for granted like free healthcare and education. We do pay high taxes and at the same time, the government is trying to cut benefits for various people, so things could change.'
Traffic engineer Niko Suokko, 28, agreed, up to a point: 'Everyone is always talking about the happiness index and wondering why Finns don't look happy on the outside, especially when the weather is grey and horrible. It's warm today, by our standards, you know. [6C]
'I think the index isn't measuring happiness, but the possibility of it.
'So if the government is taking care of the people, and public transport is working, and you have the chance to get a job, family and education.
Taking all those into account, you have a great chance for happiness, but it's your responsibility to take the chance. '
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Ihmisoikeusjärjestö Amnesty on useasti puuttunut Suomen toimeentulotukeen ja tässä uusin päivitys:
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Nyt kun Suomi tuli puheeksi niin satuin törmäämän seuraavaan salaliittoteoriaan jonka mukaan jotkut ihmiset eivät usko Suomen edes olevan olemassa. Tosin esim. Mexicossa monet kun kysyivät mistä maasta olen kotoisin ja kun sanoin, että Suomesta monet nauroivat ja sanoivat, ettei ole koskaan kuulletkaan mistään Suomesta. Mistään onnellisesta maasta ei todellakaan voi sanoa olevan kyseessä, vaikka salaliittoteoriassa siihen viitataan:
https://theweek.com/strangest-conspiracy-theories
Strangest conspiracy theories: from JFK to 'hollow earth'
Whether you're a true believer or a sceptic, the most famous – and strangest – conspiracy theories still retain a fascination
Finland doesn't exist
"Finland" is actually part of the Baltic Sea and people who claim to live there are really from eastern Sweden, western Russia or northern Estonia, according to a theory born on Reddit in 2016. What began as a joke quickly gained traction online, spawning numerous subreddits and websites explaining why Russia and Japan made up the fictional country in 1918.
"The notion goes that the two nations created Finland so that Japan could fish the sea that truly exists there without any environmental complaints or repercussions," said Vice. "The fish that are caught are then shipped via the Trans-Siberian railway (the real reason it was built by the way) from the Eastern Russian coast to Japan under the disguise of Nokia products."
But surely other countries would have cottoned on to this by now? Yes, they have, according to theorists, but they've agreed to keep it a secret and allow "Finland" to serve as a model for a better world. "No real country could so consistently place first in education, healthcare, gender equality, literacy rates, national stability, the least corrupt government in the world, freedom of the press," reads the theory. "It's a concept for countries and people to aspire to."
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Koko Suomen salaliittoteorian syy seuraava:
Does Finland Exist? Many Don't Think So
https://theculturetrip.com/europe/finland/articles/does-finland-exist-many-dont-think-so
Is Finland real? Most people wouldn’t give this question a second thought, but there are a number of conspiracy theorists who believe Finland does not exist. How can it be that so many think an entire country is an elaborate hoax?
Since the dawn of the internet, conspiracy theories have circulated around the globe – whether it’s people debating whether the earth is flat, or Neil Armstrong’s moon landing was faked. One particularly strange theory is that the country of Finland doesn’t really exist, that it has been invented by Japan and the former Soviet Union. Eye rolls all round, right? But what is the reasoning behind this bizarre theory?
The theory
In the Cold War era, around the mid-20th century, Japan and the Soviet Union supposedly shared a secret about a stretch of the Baltic Sea between the Soviet Union and Sweden; the two nations collectively spread the idea that there was a landmass known as Finland on this stretch of ocean, to keep the good fishing spots to themselves. The Japanese were free to fish as much as they liked here without worrying about international laws, as long as they gave their fair share to Russia.
Reasonings and arguments
As insane as it sounds, conspiracy theorists have come up with a significant amount of evidence to back up the idea that Finland does not exist. Historically, Finland hasn’t been the most visited country on the planet, so few can say they have seen it for themselves.
The theorists go on to claim that the Trans-Siberian Railway was built to transport the catch from the Baltic Sea to Japan under the guise of Nokia hardware, which explains why Japan is the biggest importer of Nokia products despite the fact very few Japanese people use them. Even the name Finland proves the theory, they say, as it comes from “the fin of a fish” – ignoring the fact that in Finnish, the country is called Suomi. Another claim is that social democrats are using Finland as an idealised model for how a liberal social democracy should be.
But what about the 5.5m people of Finland who live here, and the thousands who emigrate or visit? The conspirators have an answer for that, too. They say the Finnish people, while believing they live in Finland, are actually residing in small towns throughout Sweden, Estonia and Russia, in remote forested areas. This is where people travelling to Finland are actually flown to.
Where does the theory come from?
Most sources say the first appearance of the conspiracy was in a Reddit post in 2015 by an anonymous user going under the username Raregans. In a thread discussing weird things taught by parents, he posted an elaborate story about how his parents told him the theory in all seriousness. The post went viral and spread around other social media sites such as Tumblr and 4chan.
Despite its meme status, the Finland theory is still mostly played only for satirical purposes, and has even brought more attention to an often overlooked nation. The Finland conspiracy subreddit is filled with posts praising Finland and its accomplishments.
Yet there remains a small group of people who buy into the theory. It can be difficult to tell the difference between people online being sarcastic and those who are being serious. The user who posted the original theory says he doesn’t believe it himself, and that his parents burst out laughing when he brought it up again.
He has reportedly received many angry messages from Finns, one even offering to fly him out to Finland to prove the country exists. Yet he also claims to be proud of creating the viral sensation, as it has taught him a lot about Finnish people and their culture, and given him a new-found respect for the country.
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Erään naisen kokemukset suomesta:
Sairaanhoitaja Veera eli perheineen unelma-arkea Australiassa, mutta palasi silti Suomeen – kotimaassa perhe kauhistui arkisista asioista
Veera Laiho ei tarvinnut Australiassa talvivaatteita ja sairaanhoitajan palkka riitti mukavaan elämään. Mikä siis sai perheen palaamaan Suomeen?
Millaista on myydä koko omaisuus ja muuttaa toiselle puolelle maailmaa lapsiperheenä vain muutamassa kuukaudessa?
Sen tietää Veera Laiho, joka etsi miehensä kanssa omistusasuntoa Australian Gold Coastilta vielä viime helmikuussa, kunnes he muuttivatkin ensimmäistä kertaa perheenä Suomeen kevään lopussa.
Kulttuurierot näkyivät eniten päiväkodissa
Sopeutumista Suomeen auttoi Veeran mukaan se, että työt, päiväkoti ja asunto löytyivät nopeasti. Kulttuurishokilta he eivät kuitenkaan välttyneet.
– Australiassa kaikki ovat ystävällisiä ja huomioivat muut. Suomalaiset ovat puolestaan aika juroja, kylmiä ja omissa maailmoissaan. Isoin shokki oli Siennan päiväkoti, mistä ei kuulunut juuri kuulumisia eikä häntä otettu aamulla syliin vastaan kuten Ausseissa, Veera kertoo.
Juteltuaan tilanteesta suomalaisessa äitiryhmässä Veera tajusi, että päiväkodeissa voi olla paljonkin eroja. He päättivät vaihtaa päiväkotia useasta syystä, ja päätös osoittautui hyväksi.
– Olin ihan järkyttynyt suomalaisesta päiväkodista sen ensimmäisen perusteella, mutta onneksi vaihtamalla parani. Sienna nauttii päiväkodin luontorektistä. Ausseissa he olivat lähinnä sisällä.
Mitä ihmisten sosiaalisuuteen tulee, Veeralla on vielä paljon toiveita.
– Eipä kukaan täällä tule auttamaan, kun yritän selvitä kaupassa kyynärsauvojen, ostoskassien ja lapsen kanssa. Ymmärrän, että se ei ole suomalaisille niin luontaista ja kyllä tuntemattomien kova kyseleminen pitkästytti joskus Australiassa, mutta ennemmin valitsisin yliystävällisen kuin välinpitämättömän käytöksen.
– Australiassa mentiin samoilla vaatteilla ympäri vuoden. Talvella päällä oli korkeintaan pitkähihainen eikä sukkia laitettu kuin työkenkiin. Ulos lähdettiin yleensä ilman kenkiä, joten Siennalla kesti tottua niihin. Suomessa uloslähtöön voi mennä helposti puoli tuntia.
Myös lastenvaatteisiin kuluva raha on kauhistuttanut Australian paluumuuttajaa. Hän kiittää sen osalta kirpputoreja, mitä Australiassa ei juuri ollut.
Veera kaipaa Australiasta myös tuplasti parempaa sairaanhoitajan palkkaansa.
– Oli ihanaa, kun pystyin tekemään nelipäiväistä työviikkoa. Vapaapäivänä kävimme aina rannoilla ja leikkipuistoissa, Veera haikailee.
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