Tariffs or tolerance? Passport or passepartout? Nordic passports are rated among the top in the world regarding visa access. This position was not accomplished through military might or hard power, but through soft power – our values, diplomacy, trust, and community spirit.
The key to happiness lies in the first frame of the passepartout that shapes the image of the Nordic countries – our diversity, inclusion, and equality. The Nordics’ everlasting top-five rating in the World Happiness Index tells the story clearly. It’s transparent as glass. Passports and tariffs aren’t the answer, dear American friends.
Why is the USA so unhappy that it takes arms against a constructed “enemy within” and breaks long-lasting relationships with allies and friends? Why force domestic issues and divisions upon the whole world?
A saying goes: “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.” But who would have thought that in just two months, the US would begin bullying a hero of our times in Ukraine and insulting close allies in Canada and the Kingdom of Denmark? Even though it was by mistake, the White House administration revealed emotional animosity toward Europe.
Why is DEI (diversity, equality, and inclusion) suddenly a battleground among friends of the free world? The image of democracy and freedom touching the glass is suddenly broken, and the second frame that showcases our tolerance – which previously enhanced our visual appeal and created a welcoming place regardless of color, beliefs, or politics – is under attack.
Perhaps the passepartout itself is the issue! The image of democracy and the free world is better described using the word “bricolage” – a magnificent patchwork of all nuances and resources at hand, a force for good. A force that has made Western society prosper economically, socially, and culturally.
Why is a trade war with tariffs – which has no winners besides intolerance – Trump’s obsession? And why are passports and deportation narrowing the beautiful passe-partout of the USA, breaking both the image and the glass?
I recently completed my examination of students in macroeconomics. Perhaps my American friends will listen, just for a moment: GDP is not the holy grail of happiness. Economic growth alone doesn’t guarantee happiness.
What’s lacking in the GDP equation that Trump is so blindly focused on (while still not really understanding that tariffs are essentially a tax on Americans)? The answer is happiness itself.
The World Happiness Index: Beyond GDP
The Nordic countries (which include Greenland, if you didn’t know) consistently rank as the happiest nations in the world. Why is this so? Dear Americans, the answer is not tariffs but rather tax, trust, welfare, and community spirit. We believe in supporting people!
The World Happiness Index supplements GDP by measuring what truly matters to human wellbeing. It evaluates factors such as:
- Income and economic stability
- Social support networks
- Life expectancy and health
- Freedom to make life choices
- Generosity within communities
- Trust in government and institutions
- Absence of corruption
These elements create societies where people feel secure, connected, and valued – precisely what DEI principles aim to foster. When people of all backgrounds feel included and equal, societal trust increases and happiness follows.
Is DEI truly an “enemy within”? Or is this a false premise? The evidence suggests the latter. The principles of diversity, equality, and inclusion form the outer frame of the passepartout that holds the key to national happiness.
I sincerely hope Americans will consider this perspective, so we all can see your magnificent nation happy again and look up to you as an inspiration – shoulder by shoulder. Both in the hard wars, like we did in Afghanistan, Libya and Iraq, but let’s shoulder each other in the fight for democracy and not break the passepartout.
And just for the record; Greenland is not for sale. It’s a part of the Kingdom of Denmark. Let’s not make a conflict but continue the close collaboration and make happiness prosper.
Peter Franklin Würtz is an Assistant Professor, Zealand, and CEO, Norse Theme Parks
