The European economies (and this now includes Britain, no longer the good odd man out) are regularly berated for their relatively dismal economic performance. But there are exceptions - notably Sweden. To that, however, there came a rapid reply at the recent meeting of the Centre for European Reform: if the Swedish economy was so successful, how come the suicide rate was so high?
That comment took me many years back, to the time when Eisenhower occupied the White House and made the same observation. This caused great diplomatic embarrassment, but provides two very valuable lessons. First, the erroneous use of information is the root of many failures: second, that false ideas persist far longer than they should - because the facts are much less important to their misusers than the propositions which the factual truth allegedly supports.
For a start, there’s no necessary correlation between suicide rates and economic performance. It’s obviously absurd to suggest that, if Sweden’s economy were less successful, suicide rates would be lower - presumably because fewer people would be unhappy. You can’t prove that that unlikely thesis or maintain that suicide is an index of individual happiness. The deaths may equally well result from cultural or genetic causes. An observation in the marketplace or the workplace is only valuable if you can genuinely discover the root cause of what you’ve observed and wish to change.
Politicians are much too busy making points to bother with such proper analysis. Bush & Co had no interest in properly testing the allegation that Saddam Hussein had WMD. Disproving the existence of these vile weapons would have stopped the march to death and destruction, which the White House was determined to initiate. That exemplifies one of the worst faults in management, which is to make the evidence fit the case, rather than develop the case from the evidence - which must be rigorously tested for its accuracy. Sweden, it so happens, does not have a peculiarly high suicide rate!
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Sweden doesn't have a high ...
No, as you say, Sweden doesn't have a high suicide rate and has never had. It's just a little above that of the USA, the country where this myth was created, as mentioned in this article by Eisenhower (although you said he made an observation...Try "made a lie"). So, why bother with all the talk about making an analysis about efficient economy and suicide rates when the talk about the high suicide rate isn't true in the first place?! Frankly, this article was pretty stupid...
Actually, it is exactly true
Actually, it is exactly true that Danish women off themselves at a rate that is more than twice that of American women. The rates are a bit closer if you look at men who commit suicide.
From specific to general and back
Because, Max, we are interested in the general point that the example illustrates. Whereas you are interested in the specific point.