Mal Fletcher comments on the US presidential primaries

It is preposterous to imagine, though, that Americans would be content to surrender to their government and its bureaucracies the level of independence that Scandinavians do to theirs.

Everything about the pioneer, success-loving, aspirational nation that is the USA seems opposed to a cultural mentality which insists that all must remain in their place, that nobody should be lauded as more successful than his or her fellows.

Could America learn from Denmark? Yes, it could - especially in such areas as government-funded healthcare, aged care and improved conditions in prisons.

However, to imply, as Mr. Sanders appears to do, that Denmark and its neighbours are nations largely free of fundamental human problems such as racism and intolerance of minorities is wide of the mark.

Though an obviously very experienced and erudite man, he also seems to forget that the world does not look to socially democratic Denmark for its global policing.

That job falls to a country driven by innovative, capitalistic principles, which thankfully are often tempered - to a degree anyway - by religious, humanitarian and ethical principles.

America is far from perfect. Americans know it, the world knows it. And this election cycle reinforces that fact.

It is still, however, arguably the world's greatest experiment in democracy. We can but hope that in this election cycle the experiment does not become too experimental to maintain America's dignity and the world's respect.