Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Am I wrong to wish that a Muslim living in Denmark would become a Dane?
Am I wrong to wish the US would speak only English, rather than Norwegian or
Spanish as well? Am I wrong to lament districts of London that have a disdain for
all things British? Immigrants energize a land—but they do it best (as is the story
of the US) when their vision is a healthy melting pot. Melt, immigrants… treasure
your heritage while embracing your adopted homelands. But it's more than just an
“immigrant issue.” Europeans (like Americans) fearful of encroachment, change,
and differing hues of skin need to show tolerance, outreach, and understanding.
From what I've seen, with these attitudes, it works better for all involved.
Other countries have struggled to become more social-istic…and failed. So how do
the Danes pull it off? I think their success relates to their acceptance of their social con-
tract. Any society needs to subscribe to a social contract—basically, what you agree to
give up in order to live together peacefully. Densely populated Europe generally embraces
Rousseau's social contract: In order to get along well, everyone will contribute a little
more than their share and give up a little more than their share. Then, together, we'll all
be fine.
The Danes—who take this mindset to the extreme—are particularly conscientious
about not exploiting loopholes. They are keenly aware of the so-called “free rider prob-
lem”: If you knew you could get away with it, would you do something to get more than
your fair share? The Danes recognize that if everyone did this, their system would col-
lapse. Therefore, they don't. It seems to me that the Danes make choices considering what
would happen to their society (not just to themselves) if everyone cheated on this, sued
someone for that, freeloaded here, or ignored that rule there.
In contrast, the United States subscribes to John Locke's version of the social contract:
a “don't fence me in” ideal of rugged individualism, where you can do anything you like
as long as you don't hurt your neighbor. Just keep the government off our backs. In some
ways, this suits us: As we have always had more elbow room, we can get away with our
independent spirit. Thanks to our wide-open spaces, determination to be self-sufficient,
and relative population sparsity, it's easier—and arguably less disruptive—for us to ignore
the free rider problem.
If I had to identify one major character flaw of Americans, it might be our inability to
appreciate the free rider problem. Many Americans practically consider it their birthright
to make money they didn't really earn, enjoy the fruits of our society while cheating on
their taxes, drive a gas-guzzler just because they can afford it, take up two parking spots so
no one will bump their precious car, and generally jigger the system if they can get away
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