Wednesday, 15 May 2002

Defining national objectives

The essence of liberalism, from Martin Woollacott in The Guardian

This thought surely leads in the right direction. National purpose is a grail always a little beyond reach, but countries seek a synthesis balancing key interests and values which works for them, is convincing to their citizens and may well attract foreign admiration, as did, for example, the Swedish model or the German economic miracle. By their nature such achievements are complicated, often a little fraudulent or at least fortuitous in some of their elements and perishable. Europe's story is in part that of the rise and fall of such models, and of their repair, replacement, reinvention.

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