Wallenberg, Hammerskhold, Paalme

[Jersay]

All three men have two things in common. They were all very moral people, they tried to help or give support to people who were being abused by one way or another by a stronger and more superior people. And finally they were all Swedish, and they died in their beliefs.

So does that mean that Swedish people or at least in these three cases are moral human beings? (Hopefully not trying to be too Blackleaf with this question).

 

[fuflans]

I think you answered your own question when you said that all three were moral people in the second sentence. I somehow doubt that all Swedish people are like these three gentlemen.

 

[Colpy]

There was a Japanese diplomat who issued Japanese visas to hundreds of Jews as the Germans advanced......I believe it was in Latvia. He was ostrasized and in disgrace, his life ruined, even AFTER the war.

Then, of course, there was Schindler......

And the people who hid Anne Frank and her family......

And the guy from the movie Hotel Rwanda.....what was his name?

And hundreds more.......

Like the worst of human nature, the best of human nature is distributed without reference to race or nationality........

 

[Jersay]

Re: RE: Wallenberg, Hammerskhold, Paalme

There was a Japanese diplomat who issued Japanese visas to hundreds of Jews as the Germans advanced......I believe it was in Latvia. He was ostrasized and in disgrace, his life ruined, even AFTER the war.

Then, of course, there was Schindler......

And the people who hid Anne Frank and her family......

And the guy from the movie Hotel Rwanda.....what was his name?

And hundreds more.......

Like the worst of human nature, the best of human nature is distributed without reference to race or nationality........

Rasaibagina or close enough. However, he was protected by the U.N for most of the time.

However, I agree but just wondering if it is more likely in Sweden or they have a mentality there of that since they have not engaged in warfare, direct attacking neighbor stuff for 200 + years.

 

[fuflans]

The country may not as a whole have engaged in warfare, and the government has always had a policy of being neutral, but this hasn't always been true in practise. You should read up on some of the concessions that the Swedish government made to the Germans during WWII and of the massive support that Sweden gave to the Finns when they were fighting the Russians in the same war.

Sweden (like Switzerland) has also traditionally had a large army that helped maintain its neutrality during past conflicts.

Having said all of that, maybe some people in Sweden gloss over these details (and many more) and really do take pride and find inspiration in their country's tradition of official neutrality and perceived do-goodness. Who knows.

I tend to agree with Colpy when he stated that the best of human nature is distributed without reference to race or nationality. The three men may be moral etc., but I'm sure that you could make a similar list of people from any country in the world.