Hussein Al-Taee, an Islamic militant and a member of the Social Democratic Party of Finland

Next Sunday, Finland will hold parliamentary elections, and one of the candidates for the Social Democratic Party is Hussein Al-Taee. He has an immigration background and is known for his work in Nobel laureate Martti Ahtisaari's peace mediation company. 

However, it has been revealed that Al-Taee sympathizes with militant Islam and dictatorships, and has been suspected of having connections to the intelligence service of Iraq. He may also have had a task to interfere with Finnish policy and help members of Shia militia immigrate into Finland through the international asylum system. Additionally, Al-Taee has written antisemitic texts, but he apologized for his mistakes after they became public.

Despite these concerning revelations, Al-Taee was still accepted as a candidate for the Social Democratic Party in the elections. Furthermore, he published a video in Arabic where he suggests that immigrants are taken from their parents by force.

In other words, Al-Taee is spreading the same kind of disinformation in Finland that is used in Sweden to hinder the integration of immigrants from the Islamic world into their new home. Furthermore, he has made it clear that his positive views on militant Islam have not changed.

Therefore, as the people of Finland, we must question whether the Social Democrats should continue to support Mr. Al-Taee. They should admit that they made a mistake by nominating him as a candidate for Parliament and discourage voters from supporting him. If they do not take action before the elections, they should cancel his party membership immediately after the election, regardless of the outcome.

We must also consider whether allowing Al-Taee to remain a member of the Social Democratic Party obstructs Finnish immigration policy and endangers the country's security. If so, the party leaders and the entire organization may be unworthy of the trust of the Finnish people.

The original blog post in Finnish:
SDP:n on erotettava Hussein Al-Taee

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Ayatollahs in Iran demonstrated their ridiculousness
Sweden already in trouble - Finland following
Riots in Sweden: what next?

Will China ally with Russia against Ukraine?

After the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping in Russia, people around the world have been pondering what the consequences will be. One manifestation of this is when US President Joe Biden stated during his visit to Canada that China has not yet delivered weapons to Russia. 

It remains to be seen whether this will happen at a later stage. However, it is most likely that Xi's administration will not take such a risk. Instead, it seeks to benefit from Russia by exporting Chinese products there to replace Western counterparts and importing underpriced Russian raw materials to China as their export to Western countries has collapsed.

I base my view on the fact that China would not gain much advantage by supporting the soon-to-be ousted dictator Vladimir Putin and exacerbating its strained relations with the West over the Taiwan issue. On the contrary, such an action could prove to be very costly for China. Moreover, the current Chinese leadership is not accustomed to taking significant risks in any matter, as demonstrated by its excessive caution in lifting coronavirus restrictions.

However, this does not mean that China could not act differently from what I imagine, as the failed coronavirus policy has shown that Xi's administration has made mistakes before. Therefore, Western countries should be prepared also for that possibility.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
China is betting on scientific excellence
The main consequence of Putin´s attack to Ukraine
Could China take advantage on the weakness of Putin´s Russia?

Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin is quickly losing her national credibility

Formerly admired by the world, the Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin is quickly losing her national credibility in politics. One significant step in this was her unfounded promise to donate Finnish fighter jets, which will be decommissioned in 2026, to Ukrainians.

It was surprising that the Prime Minister returned to the issue earlier this week and got retired Major General Pekka Toveri to comment on the matter. According to him, "sometimes it would be better to admit a mistake and learn from it rather than getting oneself deeper into the mud". He also confirmed the earlier mention by the Commander of the Finnish Defense Forces that the current fighter jets will be used until the end of their life before they are replaced.

Another strange thing that has been seen in the ongoing April parliamentary election debates is that the Prime Minister has started shouting at her competitors (an example) in a way that is not usually seen in the rather restrained Finnish politics.

Such behavior does not inspire any trust in ordinary people in Finland, let alone in the case of a prime minister seeking to continue in the country's leadership. Therefore, it is quite easy to predict that Sanna Marin does not have a very good future in our country's politics - and that after the elections, she will do everything in her power to get a well-paying position in the EU. Perhaps her undoubtedly considerable beauty will help in that.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Did the Finnish Prime Minister promise Hornet fighter jets to Ukraine?¨
Reducing taxes, enhancing export and paying the governmental debt
The beautiful PM of Finland has driven herself into a trouble

What seemed to be impossible just two years ago is going to happen in very near future

Turkey´s president Recep Tayyip Erdogan told to Sauli Niinistö - president of Finland - that Turkey will start the ratification process that leads to Finland´s membership in NATO. That is excellent news to Finns, who tried to get along with the Russians after World War II by accommodating them in every possible way, hoping that this would prevent the great power to direct aggression towards Finland.

As this strategy proved to be wrong, at the latest when Russia attacked Ukraine, the NATO application received strong support from almost the entire Finnish population. And therefore the leading Finnish politicians have been commonly acknowledged for their action in the process.

President Niinistö described how the process with Turkey proceeded. First, president of the Republic, Sauli Niinistö together with the Minister for Foreign Affairs began their state visit by laying a wreath at the grave of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder and first president of the Republic of Turkey.

Then the President of Turkey received the President of the Republic of Finland with proper hospitality. When Niinistö greeted Turkish soldiers, the response echoed in unison like a company to their commander. 

The presidents, walking along the blue carpet under umbrellas, were barely protected from the rain. However, Turkish President was in such a jovial mood that it did not take long for Erdogan to become concerned about the Finnish photographer's wet shoes. As the ceremony began with a slight delay, it seemed as if a rainbow had been drawn behind the rain clouds.

Provided that Turkey will do as promised by their president, there is still one obstacle left. That is Hungary, who remains the only NATO-country that has not started the ratification process of the Finnish application.

That may, however, change soon, as at the same time as Erdogan gave his promise, the ruling Fidesz party announced that the Hungarian parliament is scheduled to vote on the ratification of Finland's NATO membership on March 27. According to the leader of its parliamentary group, the party's parliamentary group unanimously supports Finland's NATO membership.

All of this means that something that seemed to be impossible just two years ago is going to happen in very near future. And my homeland can finally lean on the Western world that shares the same democratic values in protecting its security. 

That will be of utmost importance to me, as it marks the moment when we Finns can finally relax and put an end to the worries over the security risks posed by our eastern neighbor for centuries.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:

Erdogan wants fighter jets, and uses Finland and Sweden to get them
Finland after the Russian war in Ukraine
Why Finland will apply for a membership in NATO

Did the Finnish Prime Minister promise Hornet fighter jets to Ukraine?

The national TV-channel of Finland showed in their main news today Prime Minister Sanna Marin (SDP) speaking to the press, saying, "I was a bit surprised by the strong reaction it got here in certain circles at home. Perhaps this shows that elections are always around the corner. Other parties have taken some liberties, for example, putting words in my mouth that I have never said."

Of course, it is possible that someone has put words in Marin's mouth, and I will not comment on that. However, in this situation, it is important to repeat exactly what she said in Ukraine. Therefore, I will copy the central content of Marin's statement from a newspaper's article where it was published word for word.

Firstly, the Prime Minister said that "we know the schedule for our future fighter jets, how we will get them to Finland, and yes, I think we can also have a discussion about the Hornets, whether it would be possible to transfer them to Ukraine." Additionally, she stated that "Finland is in an interesting position precisely because we have made the decision on a new acquisition, and we have existing equipment and can, of course, evaluate the use of that equipment".

Based on those comments, dear reader, you can draw your own conclusions on how Marin's words are meant to be understood, and how they have been interpreted by the listeners.

In my opinion, with those words, Marin clearly and unambiguously informed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the Ukrainian people that Finland is in a position to both transfer Hornet fighter jets and is considering doing so - she even emphasized this twice.

And I can't possibly believe that Zelensky, nor his people awaiting aid, could have interpreted our Prime Minister's words in any other way. Nor do I believe that Marin intended them to be interpreted differently than how I have written.

We can only speculate on the reasons for Marin's statement. Perhaps she acted in good faith and genuinely wanted to transfer Finnish fighter planes to a people in dire straits. And perhaps she wanted to initiate a discussion on the matter domestically.

Or perhaps she has become fond of the immense admiration she has received worldwide for repeatedly taking a strong stance in support of Ukraine during the ongoing war. And maybe she thought that her interview in the midst of the war would generate more of the same - who among us hasn't enjoyed those moments in life when we have basked in someone else's expressed admiration.

The third option could be that Sanna Marin acted as the leader of the Social Democratic Party and believed that the strong support of Finns for the Ukrainian people could help her party win the elections in early April, if she promised that Finland would help where larger Western countries have hesitated. And thereby she could even get a second term as the country's most influential politician, that is, as the Prime Minister.

The situation becomes tragically comical by the fact that we don't really have anything to offer Ukraine. The Finnish Hornets will be used up in the Finnish Air Force and therefore wouldn't be of much use in Ukraine's fight against the Russians.

Former commander of the Finnish Defense Forces, General Jarmo Lindberg, tweeted about this, stating that "any retired aircraft has very few years left if everything goes according to plan. In addition, the spare parts inventory is of course being depleted, as there will be no need for parts in the future. Permission must be obtained from the USA for further use, but there is no remaining lifespan."

Unfortunately, I have to admit that while Marin gained great popularity with her internationally noticed appearance and convincing performances during the pandemic, her later period as the destroyer of national wealth and party princess has eroded my perception of her ability as Prime Minister. And this recent fighter jet opening certainly doesn't help - and I say this without any sugarcoating.

The original blogpost in Finnish: Sanasta Sannaa ja sarvesta miestä

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
A gift from the free world to Ukraine
Independence day of Finland now and 83 years ago
Finland after the Russian war in Ukraine
 

Why are boreal forest fires on the rise everywhere but in Finland?

A research article published in Science showed that carbon dioxide emissions from fires in boreal forests have been increasing during this century, reaching a new high in 2021. Although boreal fires typically account for only one tenth of global carbon dioxide emissions from all wildfires, in 2021 they produced nearly one quarter of the total emissions.

The reason for this increase was the rare concurrence of water deficits in North America and Eurasia. This problem is exacerbated by the fact that increasing numbers of extreme weather events contribute to global warming, making it even more challenging to mitigate the effects of global change.

It is interesting to compare Finland and Sweden, two neighboring countries that are highly similar in many ways. Both countries experience relatively low levels of forest fire activity compared to other countries, but there is still a notable difference. In Sweden, 3 000 to 4 000 fires burn approximately 2 000 to 5 000 hectares annually. In contrast, Finland has a considerably lower average number of forest fires, around 1 000 per year, with each fire covering an average burnt area of only 0.5 hectares.

So, why do we see this difference? 

There are three main reasons for Finland's success in managing forest fires. Firstly, the country experiences weaker winds, which slows down the spread of fires in burning forests.

Secondly, Finnish society is well-equipped to recognize forest fires, thanks to the presence of volunteer fire brigades with superior local knowledge compared to municipal firefighters. This enables faster site location and response times.

Thirdly, the abundance of forest roads in Finnish forests allows firefighters to quickly reach burning sites. Despite being narrow, these roads are effective in slowing down the spread of fires by creating breaks in the continuous forest cover.

Given that forest fires pose a continuous risk to the global climate, other nations could benefit from adopting Finnish practices and techniques to manage such disasters.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Fair policy will build a strong Union
A new justification is needed for environmental activists
Historical context of forest fires in Kalajoki (Written in Finnish, but readable in English using Google Translate)

Estonias voted for economic liberalism

In Finland, parliamentary elections will be held in less than a month. "Our little brother" Estonia, on the other hand, was quicker and held its own elections last weekend.

The results provided an interesting point of comparison for us Finns. The largest party for the upcoming term was in fact the current Prime Minister's Reform Party, which will now hold 37 seats in the 101-seat parliament.

The position of the second-largest party went to the EKRE party, which received 17 seats. And the third place was achieved by the local Center Party with 16 members of parliament, following a huge loss of 10 seats. 

Thus, the three largest parties hold a total of 70 seats, and will dominate the politics of our southern neighbor in the future together with a party called Estonia 200, which achieved 14 seats. In addition, members of parliament were elected from the Social Democrats (9 seats) and the Isamaa Party (8 seats).

Since Estonian parties may not be familiar to everyone, it should be noted briefly here that the Reform Party represents market liberal center-right, EKRE is a national conservative right-wing party, and the Center Party is a center-left social liberal populist party.

Estonia 200 is an economic and social liberal party, and the Social Democrats, as their name suggests, are a moderate left-wing party. Meanwhile, the Isamaa Party is a center-right party that led the country after Estonia's second independence.

As my respected reader may have already noticed, Estonian politics are completely different from Finnish or other Western European politics. The country's far-left did not receive a single seat in parliament, nor did the Environmental Party. 

Instead, economic liberalism in particular has a very strong position. And it is even possible that the next Government of Estonia will be composed of only Parties with liberal views on economics.

These differences compared to economically stagnant Western Europe are likely due to the fact that Estonians still remember their experiences of totalitarian rule, which ended only a few decades ago. Also, the economic liberal policies of the new era of independence have led to an explosive increase in their standard of living, resulting in the economic prosperity of the country's citizens surpassing that of e.g. Finns even during my lifetime - and there is not willingness to stagnate the positive development of the economy by unnecessary regulations.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Elections in Finland enlight journalistic views
Global warming - searching for the guiltiness
Reducing taxes, enhancing export and paying the governmental debt

Incapable of learning but capable of genocide

Russian troops are suffering from huge losses in Ukraine. One of the battles, where Ukraine has made great success is that of Vuhledar, where up to 130 tanks or other vehicles has been destroyed. That should not be possible, if the Russian army was at highly professional level in its skills.

A Finnish lieutenant colonel stated that the Russians have not learned anything since the early days of the war. And during those days another Finnish colonel already noted that Russian tactic in Ukraine was so poor, that if someone in a Finnish officer education would have suggested something similar in an exam, he would have been discarded. 

The observation does not promise much for the future of Vladimir Putin´s army in Ukraine. If they are not able to learn from their mistakes, the only standing result of the war "beneficial" to his regime will be reduction of the number of minority people in the Russia. 

That is because Putin has preferentially forced them to join his troops. And therefore he should be tried in the future court-martial, in addition to everything else, for ethnic cleansing. Assuming, of course, that he doesn't lose his life before that.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Is the moral of Russians collapsing
Alexander Dugin calls for Putin´s murder
Military specialist: Russian plan in Ukraine was incredibly poor