By Munir Varraich, Sweden
The year 2015 has come to a close with so many of the beastly memories buried in its bosom.
Mankind is stepping into the New Year with so much Hope. That Hope, among many other factors, is also linked to the USA’s Presidential Elections and what policies, both internal and international, are formulated and implemented in the world by the next US President. Will those be for the benefit of the minority rich or will those be to uplift humankind as a whole inthis Global Village? It is time to pause and reflect.
Almost a century ago, in 1914, mankind’s thought process entered a phase of turmoil. The Old World Order was rejected by Human Nature. The New World Order was in the making. The resistance by the old order plunged mankind into the “Great War”, Nazism and Fascism, culminating in another World War; at the end of which mankind ushered in a new phase of a “divided world” between two emerging super powers – USA and USSR – representing the two extremes of “individualism” and “collectivism”.
In that “chaos” there was a region in the north of this planet earth – Sweden – which opted not to be swept away by the two waves, one originating in the West and the other in the East, and instead, it offered mankind a “Middle Way” which came to be known as “Scandinavian Socialism”. It was a concept of a state based on the secular principle of “beneficence” and “mercy” towards all living and non-living things in the state’s geographical boundaries, human beings included. That type of state came to be referred to as the “Universal Social Welfare State”. As for the international policies of Sweden, those were based on “neutrality”. That “Middle Way” brought out the best in the “human being” and made Sweden the best “Social Welfare State” in the world. Interestingly there was no religion dictating the affairs of the state but only the “essence” of all religions which is acceptable by Human Nature.
Returning to the upcoming elections of the United States of America, it is encouraging to observe that the Democratic Party’s Presidential candidates are at least considering the “Swedish Model” and the “Middle Way” in their debates.
Read further: The Middle Way – Sweden (TMT)
Categories: America, Americas, Europe, Europe and Australia, Sweden, The Muslim Times, USA
With the influx of a million plus refugees / migrants / immigrants it is time to ‘re-think’ the whole welfare system as well. Better than just paying ‘social security’ would be to make it easier for all (new immigrants as well as ‘old citizens’) to open their own businesses and small enterprises. Work and entrepreneurship should be encouraged. The newcomers should get all help they can not to receive free benefits but to earn their own living in any legal ways they can. Let’s be flexible!