I recently traveled to Finland and Norway and the experience really made it hit home to me how paranoid, narcissistic, and xenophobic the US seems to be.
When I got off the airplane in Helsinki, Finland, I was directed through the terminal to an exit and I kept expecting to see a customs/immigration station that I’d have to go through. But instead, I ended up outside and able to go on my merry way without any kind of check besides scanning my passport when I checked into my flight on the departing side.
The same thing when I landed in Oslo, Norway, where I actually asked someone at an information booth and she smiled with pride as she told me I could just leave the airport.
I saw only one or two police cars in each country, and they were marked brightly so as to be easily seen by those in need of help (as opposed to being in hiding to try to catch people doing wrong).
These peaceful countries are so open and welcoming and treat people with dignity. It was so beautiful, and everyone I encountered offered the same sort of polite kindness to me and to the tourists I saw from all over the world. Drivers slowed down for each other and let pedestrians cross the streets safely. Residents were quick to answer questions or provide help when asked, or to offer it even without needing to be asked. I felt comfortable and safe everywhere.
And then on my trip home, I had to go through several layers of security on both sides of the Atlantic, simply because it was a US-bound flight. And there were extra rules that the crew seemed apologetic and embarrassed to have to say: “Don’t stand by the restrooms”, “Don’t congregate in any part of the plane”.
The US government treats us all like potential criminals instead of adult human beings. This is a problem and it seems to me to be sourced in an ingrained part of US culture that I am still trying to understand but that I believe truly needs repair and healing. Our own police and security and military forces are making us less safe, less welcoming, and less human.
Learning more about my own Finnish and Scandinavian culture and heritage on this, my very first trip to my ancestral lands, was an eye-opener in many ways, and I’m bringing back a lot of lessons from this trip.
Why do you think the US is so prone to make policies based on fears and maintaining control rather than on solving root problems and making things work better for the future and the people?
Why do you think it is that these two countries with fewer security measures than we have are more at peace, more relaxed, more happy, and more safe than we are in the US?