RealClear Radio Hour: Scandinavian Bliss or Myth?

With democratic socialism gaining traction amongst the American electorate, this week’s guests separate fact from fiction in Scandinavian utopia.

My first guest is Michael Booth, author of The Almost Nearly Perfect People: Behind the Myth of the Scandinavian Utopia. Booth explains Danish and Swedish cultural traditions—from Jante Law prizing the collective to lagom celebrating moderation. Booth, a British expat and long-term resident of Denmark, believes the renowned happiness of Scandinavians has become both a source of ethnic pride and a self-fulfilling prophecy based on low expectations, equality, and social conformity. 

Up second is Anders Vistisen, the youngest Member of European Parliament and a member of the Danish People’s Party. He argues that overweening bureaucracy threatens the survival of the European project. Vistisen shares how this affects incentives and economic growth in Denmark, which is ranked as having one of the best climates to start a small business yet is deemed one of the worst countries to grow a business due to stifling overregulation. 

You can hear the discussion by listening to the full show as-aired on iTunes, or you can check out the podcasts hosted on YouTube and SoundCloud. Make sure to check back next week for another episode of RealClear Radio Hour.

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