The Danish state did much worse things than this in the last century: not only as regards the treatment of the Greenlanders, but also as regards eugenics in the service of social engineering.
These stories are slow to be discussed here because they are taboo, and also because Danes are taught in school that a highly developed welfare state is by definition progressive and therefore virtuous. But most Western countries have ghastly episodes hiding in the closet - especially with regard to eugenics, disability, unmarried pregnancies, and racial policies. I don't think Denmark deserves extra castigation for illiberalism and official racism just because of the idiotic books people publish about Danish happiness and hygge. The Danes can't really be blamed for those.
Yes. And slow to be recognised at home. But they’ll get there.
My impression is that the eugenics thing happened in virtually all European countries never the 2WW. And Greenlander policies are a remnant of that, yes. But it’s a mistake to think that the Danish state is liberal. Quite the contrary, still.
Henry, This story is true, and it's bad, and it's not uncommon, still, as you cite. A better source for that than the New York Times is this from the Council on Foreign Relations: https://www.cfr.org/blog/women-week-denmark-issues-apology-greenland-over-forced-sterilization .
The Danish state did much worse things than this in the last century: not only as regards the treatment of the Greenlanders, but also as regards eugenics in the service of social engineering.
https://nordics.info/show/artikel/eugenics-in-the-nordic-countries
These stories are slow to be discussed here because they are taboo, and also because Danes are taught in school that a highly developed welfare state is by definition progressive and therefore virtuous. But most Western countries have ghastly episodes hiding in the closet - especially with regard to eugenics, disability, unmarried pregnancies, and racial policies. I don't think Denmark deserves extra castigation for illiberalism and official racism just because of the idiotic books people publish about Danish happiness and hygge. The Danes can't really be blamed for those.
Thanks for link will read. Just appalling.
Yes. And slow to be recognised at home. But they’ll get there.
My impression is that the eugenics thing happened in virtually all European countries never the 2WW. And Greenlander policies are a remnant of that, yes. But it’s a mistake to think that the Danish state is liberal. Quite the contrary, still.