Scandinavian American. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1945-1958, 1949-10-31
Scandinavians Building New
Kind of Society
BY Marquis Childs

By Marquis Childs
The split the European continent between East
and West is obvious enough But there another division
that becoming apparent with the passage of time
The Scandinavian countries and Great Britain form
what for lack of better term might be called socialist
bloc In contrast to the trend in the rest of Europe they
have continued to evolve in the general direction of the
welfare state And if the recent election in Norway
any indication that what most people in this part of the
world want.
each of these countries and Woodworking gov
enments recruited for the most part from the labor
ment carrying broad degree of economic plan
ming This is partly to counter the postwar initiation But
also and important it is in line with deliberate full
employment policy intended to prevent the and downs
of the business cycle.
This restriction and regulation. 1t cal
culaed tax policy aimed at keeping purchasing power at
high level and profits at a comparatively low level.
The men carrying out this policy, overburdened and
oppressed they tend to look with suspicion and
dsrust those nations that following
less free and course letting prices seek their
level without benefit of controls They particularly
dstrustu of continental nations that to be enjoy
ing flush of prosperity under the banner of free enter
prise.
1t is believed here that this seeming prosperity and this
applies especially Germany and Italy, is uncertain
quantity Free enterprise devastated Europe is consd
cred within the socialist bloc to be at best ersaz product
created for the benefit of America.
This suggests the nature of division in western Europe
continent move and more to the right Out of the
growing distrust come a kind of isoationism
The preoccupation with economic planning and social
management in itself implies isolation You keep your
house good order and if the rest of the world per-
sists behaving foolish and perous way then there
is nothing you do about it. That attitude has strongly
coored the British Labor Party and it is observable in
Scandinavia.
The effort to buttress the economy against all possible
Shocks both from within and without calls for
ing concentration of control Here in Sweden the
ing degree of control has called forth protest
to be, in its intensity and bitterness phenomenon
for this country.
You hear from the middle class the complaint that the
government intends to level everyone down to the
condition. Nothing left after taxes for the small
luxuries that gave variety and color to life And those
same luxuries very expensive.
The ndustrast is bitter about and price control
He complains that under present laws the worker has
incentive to do more than limited amount of work.
Abseneeism rises after payday The businessmen pro-
tests that high rates take much that little
or nothing is left to invest in new enterprise.
Very little has been done to free the trade
among the Scandinavian countries. An army of
toms inspectors the border of each country fill out
forms and levy their charges.
Perhaps the complaint and the protest produce post
phenomenon that will diminish the world moves to-
ward something normal But the loudes COM
planners do appear hope the present
government and replace it with more moderate and
conservative.
Nor do the labor-sociais administrators regard it