Folks,

Jens:

The closest thing to Utopia I've ever found is this thread started by the missing SNAFU and set up during the 'Flame Wars' just before the release of Rowan's code as a 'Flame-Free' zone. All who have posted here for nearly 8 years have honored SNAFU's wishes for a friendly society of like minded flyers and thus it has remained so to this day.

The Scandinavian countries as a whole seem to have gained a good reputation here, justified or not, for a high standard of living and a somewhat laissez-fair and liberal leaning attitude toward individual freedoms. In my mind this has never been a particularly bad thing.

There have been well meaning Utopian 'experiments' in every country. However, as you point out, so far, a true Utopia has continued to elude us. IMHO this failure of the societal model is mostly due to failing to take into account the true nature of man and our own intrinsic selfishness and short comings. You and me excluded, as we have no short comings....

There must be rules in any reasonable society that protect the weak and promote the general welfare. Otherwise, in time, chaos rules and the society, no matter how well-meaning, may give in to pressures from within and without and sink into total anarchy.

My friend, I was hoping that I had missed something and that Christiana had somehow managed to survive so long by the stronger will and high aspirations of its inhabitants, not merely due to the fact that it has become such a large tourist attraction. Sigh. What are we coming to? Even the world famous Little Mermaid was once attacked, as I seem to remember.

As I learned in my 35 years in the advertising trade, we must deal with the perception and not always the reality. We all have developed perceptions of other people and other countries that may or may not be valid. Many times it is the government of other countries and their actions that we form our opinions around and not the people themselves. The best way to really learn about a country, the only true way, is to get to know the people of that country first hand.

To that end, let me say that I appreciate more than I can express, the opportunity afforded to me by a benevolent SimHQ to meet and communicate with so many individuals from other countries around the world. I am forming new opinions and reinforcing old ones.

For instance, I now know, due to my long and happy association with Old Dux, that all Britons live in castles, they are every one an avid bird watcher, they all play the guitar professionally and they tend to drink their Pourrit & Sypp Mild Bitter by the bucket! Ain't the Internet great?!