Paradise lost.

MODERATE LEFTISTS all over the world have long idealized Scandinavia as a kind of Pink Paradise. The governments of Sweden, Denmark, and Norway, run by sensible socialists (as opposed to the Stalinist variety), have achieved a coordination with their peoples' wills so complete as to have produced a trio of nearly perfect states, in which all of every citizen's needs-spiritual and material -are tended to. Even in such communitarian-inspired utopias, however, reality finally overwhelms fantasy.

It is true that the region's socialist leaders are more "sensible" than their Eastern European counterparts. The Scandinavian countries have generally kept clear of the Soviet Union's political and economic orbit. (When speaking about Scandinavia as a political entity, I do not include Finland-whose culture is distinctly Scandinavian, but whose political history is not.) Though Sweden declared absolute neutrality after World War II, refusing to join either NATO or the European Community, Norway is a NATO country, and Denmark belongs to both NATO and the European Community. And although Scandinavia's socialist parties are as powerful as ever, these countries' economies are not largely nationalized: in fact, nearly 90 per cent of all Scandinavian industry is privately owned. Scandinavian socialists are much too clever to socialize production; they have learned from the Eastern European example that state-run enterprises in a planned economy do not deliver the goods.

Still, there is no mistaking Scandinavia's profound leftism. Since the end of World War II, there has been no left-wing cause anywhere that did not receive Swedish support-and, later on, often Danish and Norwegian support as well. During the Vietnam War, for example, Sweden was a haven for American deserters. And today, I have been informed, the lion's share of material support for camps that SWAPO, the Namibian terrorist organization, maintains in Angola comes from Sweden, Denmark, and Norway.

Of course the highest emanation of Scandinavian leftism is the provider state, which takes care of everybody ftom the cradle to the grave. In order to carry out this costly task, however, such a state must tax its citizens brutally. Some Swedes find themselves with tax obligations that are literally greater than their income. That is why Ingmar Bergman lived for many years in Germany, and why Astrid Lindgren, the renowned author of children's books, also fled. A case like that of an internationally known brain surgeon who was left with an income equal to that of his daughter, a secretary, is not uncommon. Indeed, in recent years a brain drain has set in which has finally forced the Swedish government to make some adjustments in its policies.

But high taxes are only a symptom of Scandinavia's illness. For even as the provider state concentrates on its citizens' material needs, it neglects their deeper, more spiritual needs. The fact that the state attempts to replace Divine Providence has had notable effects on the region's religious life. Only one of every two hundred Stockholmers goes to church. The situation in Norwegian and Danish cities is comparably grim. In Sweden, where there is still a Lutheran State Church, fervent religious belief is typically found only in smaller religious groups, including the Methodists, the Salvation Army, and even the Catholic Church.

I say "even the Catholic Church" because it is only quite recently that that church has been tolerated in Sweden and Norway. Catholics and Jews were not permitted to reside in Sweden until 1878; until 1952, a Swedish Catholic who applied for. a passport had to submit a certificate of good moral conduct from the Lutheran minister in whose parish he lived. (Even the Catholic bishop of Sweden had to comply.) Jesuits were not admitted to Norway until the 1960s, and then a Danish Jesuit was given a visa for 48 hours!

If only true Protestantism were as strong as Catholicism is weak in these countries. But the truth is that, morally and culturally, Scandinavia is a decaying society. Sweden, the world's pioneer in legalizing abortion, is now preparing to legalize incest. In both Sweden and Denmark there is one divorce for every two marriages; in both countries the number of legitimate and illegitimate children is about equal. (The situation is better in Norway.) And Denmark was for a long time a leader in the world pornography market, a fact related to the prevalence of misogyny in Northern Europe.

Aside from the titillation of unwholesome sexual practices, life in Scandinavia is well-regulated and dull. For excitement, Scandinavians turn to alcohol and drugs; or, as a final solution, there is always suicide, which is as frequent in Scandinavia as it is rare in Spain. For suicide is not only a religious problem; it is also often the result of simple boredom-of a lack of challenges and tensions, the natural stuff of human existence.

IN SHORT, what the Scandinavian governments cannot protect their citizens against is their culture's growing sterility. During the nineteenth century, Scandinavia produced such intellectual giants as Kierkegaard, Swedenborg, and Linne, along with more than its share of great artists, In the late twentieth century, the situation has changed. Living standards remain high, but the old moral probity and intellectual strength are disappearing. Italians and Frenchmen do not dream of living in Sweden or Norway, but Swedes and Norwegians dream of living in Italy or France. Scandinavians are learning that living standards are not to be confused with quality of life.