That's not something to lionize though. Pretty sad all around. There's no great wisdom there, just a leftist coping method employed by the father, similar to what a religious person would do.
Besides, I don't think you need to be particularly leftist or religious to cope this way. These ideas of forgiveness and rehabilitation permeate Norwegian (even Nordic) society, and are mostly secular these days. In fact, quite a few Norwegians will tell you that they consider harsh punishments «gamaltestamentleg», i.e. only fit for reactionaries who look to the Old Testament for prescriptions on how to handle things.
I don't think it matters if the father was left, right or center. Whatever the basis, he made a decision that will ultimately benefit society (which is the main goal, right?). Whatever the political stance, we are a society. Meaning the basic idea, which is that everyone contributes so that the whole benefits, should be of utmost importance.