ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author describes the subject of Finlandization became the focus of a heated controversy inside Finland in 1978 and of polemics which still continue. He discusses some sympathy the difficult dilemma facing contemporary Finland—to combine neutrality with a special relationship vis-à-vis the Soviet Union and the price that has to be paid for the preservation of freedom inside Finland. The term "Finlandization" has been offensive to most Finns and it is difficult not to sympathize with them. There is always an element of distortion when a geographical term is used to describe a political phenomenon and a good case can perhaps be made to eliminate it from our vocabulary. The real significance is, of course, in Finland's role as a model. Finlandization is not something to be deplored but actually offers a model for other countries that must live with the Soviet Union.
