Stockholm syndrome

While organisations such as QAnon are doing a cracking job of seeding cultural dislocation, Sweden has hit upon a much more efficient way of disrupting social cohesion.

- Jane Clifton

It decided to decree a cultural canon - a top 50 of its national treasures - and invited citizens to nominate individuals, entities and achievements to be arbitrated by an august panel. Disaster: meet your optimal recipe.

First problem: Abba didn't qualify. Just shy of half a century's domination of every global cultural outlet from Broadway and Hollywood to karaoke and shower-singing, the pop supergroup missed out because it was deemed... too young.

The cultural-canon exercise was inaugurated by a previous government and mired in political squabbling from the get-go. It was further constrained by what was intended as tactful cutoff point of 50 years to avoid the risk of including anything that might date badly or fall into ignominy. Abba just missed the cut, whereas Ikea’s original head office qualified.

Also included were Pippi Longstocking, ball bearings, the Nobel Prize, paternity leave and freedom of the press.