The ugly face of Sweden
Sir: The article about Sweden by Andrew Brown (3 October), while shocking, did not surprise me in the least. The Swedes have pioneered all manner of ghastly innovations, from sidelights that cannot be switched off to compulsory seatbelts to 100 per cent income tax. The interesting question is this: is there a provable link between their being so appalling and their not having par ticipated in any war since 1709?
Personally I think there is such a link, and a direct one. After being insulated from violence for too long, homo sapiens becomes quite simply insufferable. You get women's lib, social services, compulsory seat-belts, pension funds, pornography. I think the most salutary single measure we could adopt would be the reintroduction of duelling as a lawful practice. This would revitalise vast areas of our society. Even keeping strictly to the matter in hand, if the child-stealers of Sweden actually had each to answer personally for what they are doing to any person aggrieved, can it be imagined that such effrontery would continue?
G.F.G. Watson Tara,
Woodland Rise, Wildernesse, Sevenoaks, Kent
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