Racism or self-preservation instinct?

A young Algerian man who disobeyed a police order was killed by a bullet fired by a French police officer. As a result, violent riots broke out.

Regarding this matter, I have nothing else to say except that it would never occur to me to disobey a police order, even though I personally have no fear of being shot by the Finnish police if I were to disobey their commands. I cannot comment on the French police.

But let's return to the news article from the Finnish Broadcasting Company Yle that reported on this incident. It quotes the news agency Reuters, stating that "the incident has brought to the surface a long-standing debate about police violence and structural racism in France." The latter may be due to the fact that, according to Reuters, "since 2017, the majority of victims in such shooting cases have been black or of Arab descent."

Certainly, based on this information, the case can and should be investigated as a manifestation of racism. However, at the same time, it should be asked whether black or Arab individuals being shot is a result of their own behavior. Do they challenge police orders or engage in violence against the police more frequently than other population groups?

I do not know about France, but I wrote the following a couple of years ago: "African Americans account for 55.9 percent of all homicides in the USA. Whites account for 41.1 percent. As for the victims, 54.7 percent are black and 42.3 percent are white. These numbers can be compared, for example, to the proportion of African Americans in the entire U.S. population, which is about 13 percent."

If black or Arab individuals in France engage in violent crime to the same extent as African Americans, then the police's racially biased trigger-happiness may not be the underlying reason for them being caught in police gunfire; rather, it may be purely a matter of the police's self-preservation instinct.

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

History of Finland IX: Enlightended dictator initiated economic growth

This is the ninth part of a blog series where I go through the significant stages of Finnish history. In the eighth post, I described how Finland's transition to a Grand Duchy of Russia led to the domination of bureaucrats who shared common interests with the Tsar, resulting in a halt in the country's economic development, a bleak future for young people from poor backgrounds, and an unprecedented increase in crime.

This changed during the Crimean War, in a pivotal moment, with the death of the old Tsar Nicholas I and the rise of the new enlightened autocrat, Emperor Alexander II. At the same time, Russia began to move towards a new economic system, namely a liberal market economy.

In Finland, this was reflected in the fact that the Senate was now dominated by individuals who were supportive of reforms, such as Johan Vilhelm Snellman, while the old mercantilists had to go. The new Tsar also appointed a liberal Baltic German as the Governor-General.

Under Snellman's influence, Finland began to build a railway network, which reduced the significance of waterways and brought increasingly larger areas into the sphere of economic progress. At the same time, the country's dependence on the old estates and their owners, who enjoyed various privileges and monopolies, diminished, which allowed for economic development to be furthered by a growing number of urban bourgeoisie and rural farmers. This also strengthened Finland's connection to Russia.

The convening of the Assembly of the Estates - after a long hiatus - in 1863 led to the creation of liberal legislation that allowed for free economic activity but bound the administration and the judiciary to the law. This led to the separation of political and economic power, and eventually in 1879, economic freedom was implemented, laying the foundation for the modern Finnish society.

As a result, large steam-powered sawmills were established in Finland's port cities and the value of sawn timber increased along the logging routes throughout Finland. The economic opportunities also attracted foreign entrepreneurs to Finland. Thus, Finland began its path towards becoming a forestry industry giant, and this was supported by the creation of a school reform.

At the same time, the use of child labor decreased, and gradually, rural-to-urban migration gained momentum because people had better opportunities to make a living in the cities. At the same time, the country's prosperity began its transition towards the southernmost parts of autonomous Finland - before that, the wealthiest region of the country had been Southern Ostrobothnia located in the western part of the country.

Finland also underwent a municipal reform, which was initiated because the central government wanted to transfer social, economic, and educational burdens to be organized by the rural population. The money saved from this was used to improve the prerequisites for industrialization in the country. As a result, in addition to the entrepreneurs getting richer, a new social group - the liberated industrial working class - emerged.

At the same time, the entire society was reformed. A police force was created, the Assembly of the Estates were institutionalized, private law was established, and criminal punishments were mitigated, based on the idea of turning prisoners into good citizens. All in all, Finland's future at this stage looked downright brilliant.

The original blog post in Finnish: 
Valistunut itsevaltias käynnisti talouskasvun 

All the blog posts in this series:
History of Finland I: How did Finland become culturally part of the West?
History of Finland II: From a hinterland of the Union into a modern state
History of Finland III: The legal and economic weakening of the position of the people
History of Finland IV: The bleakest time in Finnish history
History of Finland V: The pursuit of economic profit saved the country
History of Finland VI: Age of freedom and utility
History of Finland VII: The dictator of the era of Enlightenment promoted capitalist economy
History of Finland VIII: Joining of Finland to Russia led to an increase in crime
History of Finland IX: Enlightended dictator initiated economic growth
History of Finland X: The birth of Finnish identity
History of Finland XI: Finnish democracy and gender equality for women
History of Finland XII: Bloody civil war
History of Finland XIII: The far-right's rebellion
History of Finland XIV: The end of the first Finnish Republic
History of Finland XV: Paasikivi-Kekkonen doctrine
History of Finland XVI: Through rise and fall to a new kind of future

Putin´s Russia got mad about the Finnish chairman of the Parliament

Jussi Halla-aho of the Finns party was elected as the Chairman of the Finnish Parliament, after which he delivered a speech emphasizing the importance of respecting others.

Halla-aho reminded the Members of Parliament of their right and duty to bring to the parliamentary debate the values, opinions, and perspectives that the people have elected them to represent and promote. He also advised his colleagues that "adhering to the truth can be understood, for example, as not intentionally misinterpreting the statements of those who hold different opinions or constructing caricatures out of them. Besides justice, truth, and the constitution, representatives are not bound by any other directives."

Furthermore, he emphasized civilized manners by stating that "a discussion that respects differing opinions and values, including one's own, can bring us closer to common understandings. But if such understandings cannot be reached, ultimately the majority decides. This is how democracy works, and this is good."

Naturally, the Chairman's views may be considered self-evident, but it is excellent that they are articulated aloud. This is how a civilized state operates.

Unfortunately, Putin's Russia cannot be considered as such. And to make it clear to everyone, the state-owned news agency Ria Novosti reported that "Deputy Jussi Halla-aho, who called for the murder of Russian soldiers, was elected the new speaker of the Finnish Parliament. He is known for his anti-Russian statements and actions". 

The reason was that after the cowardly Russian attack to Ukraine Halla-aho donated to the Armed Forces of Ukraine an artillery shell with an inscription "For the freedom of Finland". He justified this by stating, "the war is initiated and perpetuated by Russia. The war will end only when enough Russian soldiers have been killed, making it politically or militarily impossible for the rulers of Russia to continue the war. Therefore, killing Russian soldiers is a good thing, and Ukrainians should be assisted in killing them."

By the way, Halla-aho speaks fluent Russian and Ukrainian. That's why he has no problem in understanding the deepest nature of both nations.

Previous thoughts on the same topic: 
Finnish Winter war showed the way to help Ukraine
Political rats and useful idiots
Twitter account of an remarkable politician was locked

The program of the new Finland´s Government is ready, and ministers are being selected

The new Finnish Government has a program in place, although the appointment of ministers is still pending. Nonetheless, it was genuinely intriguing to read about the selection criteria employed by the leaders of Government's two largest parties: Petteri Orpo of the National Coalition Party and Riikka Purra of the Finns Party.

Petteri Orpo selects ministers based on general and substantive expertise, as well as considering general political experience, gender equality, and regional distribution. He explicitly mentioned that he does not have any specific favorites (team members) within his own party.

On the other hand, Riikka Purra emphasizes the overall and substantive expertise of her ministers. She explicitly stated that gender equality is not a central criterion for her, although a balanced composition is desired also in the Finns Party's ministerial team.

It remains to be seen how these principles will be reflected in the final ministerial appointments. However, it is already clear that Orpo will become the Prime Minister and Purra will serve as the Minister of Finance. The success of the government largely depends on the success of their collaboration.

The goal of this collaboration is to respond to the message conveyed by the voters in the recent parliamentary elections to the country's leadership. That is: Finland's economy must be revived, with a focus on promoting growth and reducing debt. Additionally, the internal security, which has been disrupted due to the immigration policies of previous governments, needs to be restored. 

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
The people long for strict economic policy
Reducing taxes, enhancing export and paying the governmental debt
The Center and the National Coalition Party are willing to donate our tax money to the EU

History of Finland VIII: Joining of Finland to Russia led to an increase in crime

This is the eighth part of a blog post series where I go through the most significant phases of Finnish history. In the seventh post, I described how King Gustav III's coup continued to strengthen the position of peasants and urban bourgeoisie, thereby increasing their economic activities.

But then a new major turning point in our country's history came. It turned out that Finland's administration was transferred from Sweden to Russia, and the kings were replaced by grand dukes. The first of them was Tsar Alexander I.

At least according to my history education during school, this was said to have happened by elevating autonomous Finland to a nation among nations. In reality, however, the power used in Finland was transferred to the highest officials who shared common interests with the Tsar and further to the nobility, officials, rural businessmen, and urban bourgeoisie, who merged into a Swedish-speaking entity.

During the era of the emerging bureaucracy, the liberalization of the Finnish economy came to a halt, and the economic inequality among people increased. The wealthier population, including the peasant landowners, became richer, while the rapidly growing population became poorer. This was due to the fact that the business sector was not liberalized, and therefore the economy did not grow much. As a result, there were not enough jobs for the growing population.

In Finland, this led to a situation where previously salaried farmhands were reduced to seasonal laborers, whose recruitment principle was to choose the applicant who was willing to accept the lowest wage. As a result, the general standard of living of the people quickly declined.

As living conditions deteriorated, the marginalized and dissatisfied responded with crime, which quickly began to grow, reaching an exceptionally high degree of organization. An example of this was a group terrorizing the area of Nurmijärvi, Uusimaa, and Southern Häme, which included the great-uncle of a noted writer Aleksis Kivi.

This group started their criminal career in 1820, at first with petty thefts and later expanding their operations to include robbery and murder. Eventually, Finland's first organized criminal gang was brought to justice by as many as 700 Cossacks and soldiers - and even after that, they organized a prison uprising.

Another well-known example is the "puukkojunkkarit" (knife-fighters) of Southern Ostrobothnia, whose story may be familiar to some readers. The roots of this group also lay in the lack of future prospects for young men.

As the Finnish economy faltered under the power of bureaucratic administration, and more and more people turned to a life of crime, a growing portion of the population ended up in prison. The numbers were so large that overcrowding in prisons had to be alleviated by even sending people to serve their sentences in Siberia.

Overall, it can be said that Finland's annexation to Russia was initially a step backwards for the country, while our old motherland Sweden continued its positive development, which may explain a significant part of our western neighbor's substantially stronger economy even today.

The original blog post in Finnish:
Suomen liittäminen Venäjään johti rikollisuuden nousuun

All the blog posts in this series:
History of Finland I: How did Finland become culturally part of the West?
History of Finland II: From a hinterland of the Union into a modern state
History of Finland III: The legal and economic weakening of the position of the people
History of Finland IV: The bleakest time in Finnish history
History of Finland V: The pursuit of economic profit saved the country
History of Finland VI: Age of freedom and utility
History of Finland VII: The dictator of the era of Enlightenment promoted capitalist economy
History of Finland VIII: Joining of Finland to Russia led to an increase in crime
History of Finland IX: Enlightended dictator initiated economic growth
History of Finland X: The birth of Finnish identity
History of Finland XI: Finnish democracy and gender equality for women
History of Finland XII: Bloody civil war
History of Finland XIII: The far-right's rebellion
History of Finland XIV: The end of the first Finnish Republic
History of Finland XV: Paasikivi-Kekkonen doctrine
History of Finland XVI: Through rise and fall to a new kind of future

A Finnish military professor predicted the possibilities of Ukraine's counterattack

The ongoing counterattack by Ukrainian forces is captivating to observe, especially when a military professor from the National Defence University of Finland provided insight into its potential outcomes.

According to the professor, if Ukraine manages to disrupt Russia's logistics along the shores of the Sea of Azov, it could mark a significant turning point for the future of the war. However, before achieving this, Ukraine must break through Russia's initial defensive line and obstruct their supply routes.

The coastal road of the Sea of Azov holds immense importance as a crucial supply route for Russia. If Ukraine can successfully push Russian forces out of their defensive positions, secure the area, and advance towards Tokmak, Melitopol, and Mariupol, they will create a strategic region that puts pressure on Russia's logistics and supply.

Once the initial defense lines are breached, it is expected that the Ukrainians will reinforce with a significantly stronger force. If the plan succeeds, it can have far-reaching effects and present entirely new possibilities for the future progression of the war. This success would enable Ukraine to prepare for addressing the western front and the situation in Crimea.

The professor has previously predicted that the gradual breach of defense lines, coupled with the ensuing battle and advancement, will likely lead to substantial casualties and equipment losses for both sides. The battle will be intense and highly destructive. Nonetheless, Ukraine has made its decision and is prepared for the challenges ahead.

Inspired by the professor's comments, I have decided to closely monitor the developments between the current front and Mariupol. I extend my heartfelt wishes for success to the courageous Ukrainian soldiers in their endeavors to reclaim their land and push the enemy forces out.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto aligned Indonesia on the wrong side of world history
Does the attack by Russian rebels pose a problem for Ukraine?
Will China ally with Russia against Ukraine?

The European Parliament should bring down the von der Leyen Commission

Christine Schneider, a member of the largest group in the European Parliament, the EPP, has reportedly claimed that the European Commission, particularly the Commissioner for the Environment, Frans Timmermans, had acted flagrantly beyond their powers in pushing for the adoption of their proposed restoration regulation. This was because the Department of Environment had sent a lobbying document listing means of influence for individuals and companies to persuade MEPs to vote in favor of the proposed regulation.

According to Schneider, the Commission had realized that their proposal was not receiving favorable support, so "they sought to influence Members of Parliament" through lobbyists. And, of course, this is not in line with the division of powers among EU institutions.

Among these institutions, the European Council, informally known as the EU summit, is formally the highest. It consists of the heads of state or government of the European Union (EU) member states and the President of the Commission. Its task is to provide the necessary impetus for the development of the EU and define general political guidelines. It is the highest political body of the EU and meets four times a year to outline key political directions and develop actions.

The Council of the European Union represents the governments of the member states and is the EU's main decision-making body. It legislates together with the Parliament, approves the budget in collaboration with the Parliament, is primarily responsible for the Union's foreign and security policy, and convenes in ten different configurations depending on the matter at hand.

Each meeting is attended by one minister from each member country, depending on the topic being discussed. However, in voting, ministers from different member states have different numbers of votes at their disposal, with larger states having more votes and smaller states having fewer votes.

The Commission, in turn, consists of around 30 commissioners who are selected after the EU elections and must be approved by the Parliament. One commissioner is chosen from each member state, and their task is to represent the interests of the entire Union.

For this purpose, the Commission has the power of initiative and implementation in the Union. It monitors the use of funds, ensures compliance with EU laws, and keeps the entire Union running with the help of commissioners and officials. Member states select their own commissioners, whose term lasts for five years, and decisions are made through majority voting.

Then there is the European Parliament, which theoretically represents EU citizens and is elected every 5 years through elections. Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) work as part of European political parties and, together with the Council of Ministers, legislate.

However, the Parliament does not have the power of initiative, but it has the power to dismiss the Commission.

In this sense, the Timmermans´ actions highlighted by Schneider are indeed highly undemocratic and contrary to the power structures of the EU. Therefore, I believe that in this situation, the European Parliament should act decisively and not only reject the preliminary proposal but also bring down the entire Commission, which has proven to be rotten under Ursula von der Leyen's leadership.

This measure would restore the division of powers within the EU's agreed-upon framework and, at the same time, increase citizens' trust in the Union as a whole.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Daniel Freund demanded a ban to Viktor Orbán 
The European Commission appears unreliable as a decision-maker to the Finns
Fair policy will build a strong Union

History of Finland VII: The dictator of the era of Enlightenment promoted capitalist economy

This is the seventh part of a blog post series where I go through the most significant periods in the history of Finland. In the sixth post, I described how the military state of the Swedish kingdom, which had fallen into a shortage of men and an economic crisis, led to liberal economic reforms that resulted in a long-term growth trend in the state's economy and the standard of living of its people.

During this period, the state was characterized by a democracy of Estates, where lower-class people had more power than ever since the Middle Ages. However, Sweden faced an unexpected turn when King Gustav III, who had adopted the ideas of the Enlightenment, seized power in 1772 with the support of the officer corps, France, and the high aristocracy.

However, the coup d'état did not stop the growth of wealth among the lower classes and the resulting increase in political influence. Therefore, the king faced difficulties with the lower nobility, clergy, and peasants.

To solve this, Gustav III resorted to an ancient method by initiating a war of aggression first against Russia and later against Denmark. The latter resulted in a clear victory, which gave Gustav the momentum to push a new constitution through.

As a result, the king's support base changed from the nobility to the bourgeoisie and the peasants. This was because although the king gained a lot of power, the imposition of new taxes was still subject to the approval of the Assembly of the Estates, and the lower two estates also had the opportunity to influence it.

At the same time, the people's, i.e. the peasants', ownership of their land was strengthened, and even the children of the Crown's tenant farmers were able to become legal inheritors of their farms, which increased the purchasing of inherited estates. This way, the people became even more committed to their land and, as their ownership rights were reinforced, also to promoting their own economy. The entire kingdom benefited from this economic activity.

The legal system also progressed with the establishment of the Supreme Court, the banning of torture, and the mitigation of sentences. The development of the justice system, along with the crucial economic reform of allowing factory privileges for ordinary people, promoted the capitalist economic system and created unprecedented prosperity in the kingdom.

On the other hand, the growth of new tax-exempt noble lands was completely prohibited. The abolishment of the Council of State, a symbol of the old rulers' defeat, was another change, although the highest positions were still reserved for the nobility. However, they too were required to have education for their duties.

At this stage, Sweden's rule in Finland also ended when Russia took control of the eastern part of the state as a side-show of the Napoleonic Wars. However, this did not change the fact that Finland was rapidly moving towards a society based on competence and economic activity, where the significance of birth and special privileges was disappearing.

The original blog post in Finnish: Valistusajan diktaattori edisti kapitalistista taloutta

All the blog posts in this series:
History of Finland I: How did Finland become culturally part of the West?
History of Finland II: From a hinterland of the Union into a modern state
History of Finland III: The legal and economic weakening of the position of the people
History of Finland IV: The bleakest time in Finnish history
History of Finland V: The pursuit of economic profit saved the country
History of Finland VI: Age of freedom and utility
History of Finland VII: The dictator of the era of Enlightenment promoted capitalist economy
History of Finland VIII: Joining of Finland to Russia led to an increase in crime
History of Finland IX: Enlightended dictator initiated economic growth
History of Finland X: The birth of Finnish identity
History of Finland XI: Finnish democracy and gender equality for women
History of Finland XII: Bloody civil war
History of Finland XIII: The far-right's rebellion
History of Finland XIV: The end of the first Finnish Republic
History of Finland XV: Paasikivi-Kekkonen doctrine
History of Finland XVI: Through rise and fall to a new kind of future

Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto aligned Indonesia on the wrong side of world history

Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto has put forth a substantive proposition for a ceasefire at the current positions. He emphasized the importance of reaching a decision regarding the establishment of a demilitarized zone in the areas affected by the ongoing armed conflict. Additionally, Subianto proposed the deployment of United Nations peacekeepers in these regions.

The proposal practically means supporting Putin's Russia, which attacked Ukraine. This indicates that Indonesian leaders fail to grasp the fact that they are aligning themselves on the wrong side of world history. Supporting an aggressive aggressor essentially undermines the foundation of a world where international agreements hold value and those who violate them are held accountable for their actions.

In doing so, Indonesia also marginalizes itself from the intellectual and economic progress of the world, which results in a lower quality of life for its citizens than what would otherwise be possible. However, it is true that the choice is ultimately for the Indonesian people to make, and external parties who adhere to international rules cannot interfere with it. But they also do not have to favor the disruptor.

Therefore, it is important that as many countries as possible express their clear opposition to Subianto's proposal, highlighting that it does not generate sympathy among their own populations towards Indonesia.

The timing of the proposal is likely not a coincidence. It was presented at a time when Putin's army has weakened and is destined to lose the war. The timing may also have been influenced by President Zelensky's statement that Ukraine is ready for a counterattack, which could be launched at any moment.

In this situation, it is desirable that the offensive is launched successfully, causing panic among the Russian occupiers. If that happens, the liberation of the country may not come at an exorbitant cost to the Ukrainians, even though they are prepared to pay any price for it.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Does the attack by Russian rebels pose a problem for Ukraine?
Will China ally with Russia against Ukraine?
Incapable of learning but capable of genocide

Record low temperature in northern Finland

This spring has been relatively warm in Finland, as expected considering the commonly known predictions of a warming climate.

However, it is worth noting that last night in Kilpisjärvi, located in the northernmost region, the temperature reached a record low for the month of June at -7.7 degrees Celsius. This temperature was 0.7 degrees lower than the previous record set in 1962

It's important to note that this observation does not imply that climate change has been canceled. Instead, it perhaps indicates that the extent of warming is not yet very significant. One possible explanation could be that global temperatures have decreased since 2016, as indicated by satellite data.

The satellite data also aligns with measurements of the arctic sea extent, which currently show a considerable increase compared to the same time in 2012, 2016, and many other years. This hiatus has been attributed to the prolonged La Niña period and the absence of El Niño since 2016.

However, it appears that the long-awaited El Niño may be starting, which makes it extremely interesting to see whether the temperature records from the last decade will be surpassed both globally and locally in the Arctic region. Could it even be possible that next year's summer will set a new temperature record in Kilpisjärvi? 

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Arctic sea ice contradicts with the climatic model predictions, but is that changing now?
Availability of coffee in a warming world
Advice to participants of the COP27 climate implementation summit