Was Sweden a necessary blot?

It decided to take the road less travelled - should we be glad it did? 

The Swedish response to the coronavirus has been described as a Rorschach ink blot in a piece in The Times today. 

The notion, which refers to a psychology test in which patients’ attitudes are inferred from the way they interpret a blob on a page, seems to have become commonplace in the Scandinavian nation of late.  

In 2018 the National Review dubbed the country 'The Rorschach Nation' in relation to political perceptions that it is both progressive and conservative, depending on who is looking. 

It has resurfaced recently as advocates and opponents of stringent lockdowns in other countries turn their heads to the north to see how the lone nation fared. 

Data out of Stockholm, Noah Rothman wrote in Commentary, became either a "sign that the country has succeeded in balancing the preservation of both life and liberty, or absolute confirmation that the nation is awash in death due to its selfish and hidebound leadership".

In more conservative media outlets, data which was presented as evidence of abject failure in mainstream venues was hailed as proof of concept. 

It was ambiguous enough to allow for a vast array of plausible interpretations, and so the model has become proof of concept for ideologies on both sides of the divide. 

That phenomenon may well shift following announcements that the Swedish prime minister has ordered a public inquiry into his government’s handling of the crisis and may well change tack. However, the unique approach could well have been a necessary one. 

As Rothman concludes, there have been no good options during this period, only less bad ones. 

"Sweden presents a valuable counterpoint to the example set by most Western policymakers", we should be thankful for that.