The vaunted Nordic model of society and development has been endorsed by none other than Barack Obama. The US president and First Lady welcomed the five Nordic leaders at the White House on Friday in an event that should have been serenaded by the international press had it not been for the US election scene being held hostage by Donald Trump.
Norway, Denmark, Finland, Sweden and Iceland have been lauded by economists for their model of development that has spawned decades of prosperity and helped build an egalitarian society. Largely insulated from unrest and upheavals that have created crosscurrents in other European societies, the Nordic nations have marched from strength to strength towards equitable development and set examples of good governance. Talking about the Scandinavians, Obama said not long ago: “If only everyone could be like the Scandinavians, this would all be easy.”
The Nordic countries have generous social welfare systems, liberal democratic societies, excellent education systems, and near-free healthcare of international standards. Though Iceland was jolted by the economic crisis that brought down banks and scarred its economy, it didn’t take much time for the economy to recover.
In a world riven by violence, communalism, sectarian strife and insurgencies all around, the Nordic nations are looked up to as models for the rest of the world. Not only do they epitomise what in other parts of the world would be considered utopia, their societies are given to extreme forms of freedom. Such forms of free speech and democratic norms are sometimes seen as infringing on the rights of the state and government while giving citizens a free rein. In authoritarian regimes, freedoms are frowned upon and often reined in. What made Obama, a Nobel Peace Laureate, invite the five leaders and heap praise on their countries. Though he didn’t spare Vladimir Putin’s Russia for its indiscretions, most importantly for the annexation of Crimea, Washington’s often tough diplomatic stance was notably absent.
By saying that he believed the world would be more secure and prosperous if the US just had more partners like the Nordic countries, Obama paid tribute to the Scandinavian model of development. But was it only that? The Scandinavian model has been seen as the ideal for decades and even Democratic Republican contender Bernie Sanders has talked about it in campaign speeches.
The approaching end of his term has pitted Obama against vitriolic domestic politics and an international order racked by strife and divisions. His regard for the Nordic system is also a repudiation of the order that the rest of the world follows.
The vaunted Nordic model of society and development has been endorsed by none other than Barack Obama. The US president and First Lady welcomed the five Nordic leaders at the White House on Friday in an event that should have been serenaded by the international press had it not been for the US election scene being held hostage by Donald Trump.
Norway, Denmark, Finland, Sweden and Iceland have been lauded by economists for their model of development that has spawned decades of prosperity and helped build an egalitarian society. Largely insulated from unrest and upheavals that have created crosscurrents in other European societies, the Nordic nations have marched from strength to strength towards equitable development and set examples of good governance. Talking about the Scandinavians, Obama said not long ago: “If only everyone could be like the Scandinavians, this would all be easy.”
The Nordic countries have generous social welfare systems, liberal democratic societies, excellent education systems, and near-free healthcare of international standards. Though Iceland was jolted by the economic crisis that brought down banks and scarred its economy, it didn’t take much time for the economy to recover.
In a world riven by violence, communalism, sectarian strife and insurgencies all around, the Nordic nations are looked up to as models for the rest of the world. Not only do they epitomise what in other parts of the world would be considered utopia, their societies are given to extreme forms of freedom. Such forms of free speech and democratic norms are sometimes seen as infringing on the rights of the state and government while giving citizens a free rein. In authoritarian regimes, freedoms are frowned upon and often reined in. What made Obama, a Nobel Peace Laureate, invite the five leaders and heap praise on their countries. Though he didn’t spare Vladimir Putin’s Russia for its indiscretions, most importantly for the annexation of Crimea, Washington’s often tough diplomatic stance was notably absent.
By saying that he believed the world would be more secure and prosperous if the US just had more partners like the Nordic countries, Obama paid tribute to the Scandinavian model of development. But was it only that? The Scandinavian model has been seen as the ideal for decades and even Democratic Republican contender Bernie Sanders has talked about it in campaign speeches.
The approaching end of his term has pitted Obama against vitriolic domestic politics and an international order racked by strife and divisions. His regard for the Nordic system is also a repudiation of the order that the rest of the world follows.
