Aiempia ajatuksia samasta aihepiiristä:
Activism Without Truth
Greta Thunberg in Search of a Greater Thrill
The demands of the vandals
As long as a society has a true freedom of speech it cannot be completely rotten. However, all totally rotten societies are lacking the true freedom of speech.
At the London opera, one performer decided to stage a protest. It involved bringing a Palestinian flag onto the stage and holding it up for the audience to see.
This demonstration had no impact whatsoever on the situation of Palestinians in their homeland, nor did it bring peace between Jews and Arabs in Palestine. It also did not undo the reasons why the Israeli army — in its search for Hamas terrorists — has extensively destroyed buildings in Gaza.
Instead, the performer in question demonstrated a lack of respect for his employer, the art form he practices, and his audience. Nevertheless, it is quite possible that he found satisfaction in getting his moment in the spotlight — at the opera, in London, in Britain, and in the global media. And even in this blog.
Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Finnish Branch of Extinction Rebellion Faces Possible Ban
In Finland, the Enemy Is Clear – and Now the Truth Is Emerging for the Palestinians Too
Does Germany’s Ban on Arabic-Language Posters Signal a CDU/CSU-AfD Coalition?
The European Union has decided to support Ukraine in its defensive struggle against Vladimir Putin’s Russian imperialism through the following measures:
- The use of the Nord Stream gas pipelines will be prohibited.
- The price cap on Russian oil will be lowered from $60 to approximately $47 per barrel.
- Sanctions will be imposed on 105 additional vessels linked to Russia’s shadow fleet, which have been used to circumvent existing sanctions.
- The exclusion of Russian banks from the international SWIFT payment system will be expanded into a full trade embargo.
- An additional 22 Russian banks will be included in the trade embargo.
- Trade bans targeting entities in third countries will continue if they are found to be assisting Russia in evading sanctions.
- The EU proposes sanctions against the Russian Direct Investment Fund, its partners, and its investment targets.
- The EU is proposing new export bans to Russia worth over €2.5 billion. These bans would target machinery, metals, plastics, and chemicals used in industry.
- The export of dual-use goods to Russia will be prohibited. This includes items that could also be used for manufacturing weapons.
- The EU has identified 22 new Russian or international companies that have supported Russia’s war economy.
This package is a good step, and hopefully it will lead to the gradual collapse of Russia’s war economy. However, what is needed right now is also more concrete military assistance for the Ukrainian army, so that the front-line situation turns in favor of the Ukrainians instead of the Russians constantly having the upper hand.
The United States – at least according to President Donald Trump – is already delivering a new military aid package to Ukraine. Therefore, now is also the right time for EU countries to do their part, so that the shift in the balance of power between the warring parties will be as significant as possible.
Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Ukraine’s Former Foreign Minister Warns Against Another 1939
Warnings from Jussi Halla-aho and Igor Girkin About Europe's Near Future
Supercell’s Ban: The Sanction That Hit Russians the Hardest
The French National Asylum Court has issued an important precedent-setting decision, stating that a Palestinian from Gaza must be granted asylum. This is based on the court's opinion that the military operations carried out by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip are now sufficiently severe to be considered a form of persecution.
This sets a legal precedent according to which every Palestinian from Gaza — from infants to Hamas terrorists — is entitled to settle in France. And thereafter, under the Schengen Agreement, they would be able to move freely throughout the EU.
It remains to be seen, however, how many Palestinians will take advantage of this newly opened opportunity and seek to move from Gaza to France — and how many will actually succeed in doing so.
From Israel's perspective, the possibility is extremely tempting, because if moving to France becomes popular, it could be a way to empty the Gaza Strip and repurpose it for use by its own population. On the other hand, this very possibility might limit the willingness of Palestinians to leave the area.
Previous thoughts on the same topic:
When Demands Become Damage
Gambling Addiction and the Shadowy Instigator
Western Countries Have Neither a Reason Nor a Need to Accept Asylum Seekers from Syria or Gaza
Politically left-wing Palestine activists seem to have an exceptionally poor grasp of facts. The latest example of this came yesterday, when Palestine Action Finland defaced the office of the Norwegian-Finnish ammunition and weapons manufacturer Nammo with red paint, claiming that the company had participated in Israel’s actions in Gaza by supplying weapons and ammunition to its army.
In reality, Nammo has not supplied weapons or ammunition to the Israeli army since it began its operations in Gaza to root out Hamas terrorists. The Nammo products currently in Israel originated from the United States, to which they were sold in 2008. About 15 years later, they made their way from the U.S. to Israel.
This raises the question: what should we think of people who resort to acts of terror without even bothering to check whether their so-called justifications are true? Not to mention that through their actions, these activists effectively showed support for the very terrorist act that started the war.
Likewise, this group of people seems unaware—or fails to grasp the significance—of the fact that Western countries have supported the Palestinians with massive sums of money over the years, much of which has been used to support terrorist activities, such as the construction of an extensive tunnel network in Gaza. For that reason, they cannot be considered blameless in the current suffering of the region’s inhabitants.
Previous thoughts on the same topic:
UN Security Council Resolution Draft Risks Encouraging Terrorism
Why Hamas Is Unwilling to Give Up Its Weapons
Palestinians: acknowledging facts is the beginning of wisdom!
The immigration issue in Finland became a normal political process when the government programme of Petteri Orpo's (NCP) cabinet was agreed upon — or at the latest, when those decisions started being implemented into legislation.
In Spain, by contrast, power is held by a socialist government that pays no attention to the problems of immigration. Instead, it is planning to grant residence and work permits to a large number of migrants who have entered the country illegally. In other words, the government led by Pedro Sánchez has decided to ignore the elephant in the room.
Naturally, this failure to address the problems has led to a backlash. A serious sign of this was seen in the municipality of Torre-Pacheco, where a 68-year-old man was attacked by three North African men.
This prompted frustrated Spaniards to take matters into their own hands and engage in outright illegal actions — namely, physically attacking immigrants. Reportedly, no one has died in these incidents, but five people have been injured.
It remains to be seen what the consequences of this unrest will be, as those who have taken justice into their own hands — described as far-right individuals — are to be arrested and prosecuted. All this is taking place in a municipality where as much as one third of the population has an immigrant background.
* * *
The developments I described above should prompt reflection all across Europe. In particular, it would be worthwhile to compare the immigration policies of Spain and Finland. And to examine what they have led to — and what they are likely to lead to in the coming years.
For my part, I believe — in the spirit of former president Paasikivi — that the recognition of facts is the beginning of wisdom. But how on earth can this simple truth be understood by Sánchez's government? Or by the Finnish green-left?
Previous thoughts on the same topic:
The Left Wants to Grill a Swedish Minister Over His Son’s Past – What’s Really Behind It?
EU Citizens Don’t Want More Migrants – But How Can the Flow of Asylum Seekers Be Slowed?
EU Commission Should Take Migration and Related Crime Seriously
Today, climate change is a scientific dogma—questioning it is no longer seen as acceptable. But this wasn’t always the case. According to a recent American study, the effect of carbon dioxide on the atmosphere’s ability to retain heat wasn’t understood until the mid-19th century.
At the same time, the use of fossil fuels began rapidly increasing atmospheric CO₂ levels, but it would still take a long time before the phenomenon even became a subject of scientific concern—let alone the broad societal issue it is today, influencing a vast range of topics.
The study in question explored when climate change could have been detected if 19th-century scientists had access to today’s climate models and observational networks. To do this, the researchers assumed that by the year 1860, it would have been possible to make precise measurements of atmospheric temperature changes. They then determined when a human-caused climate signal would have become detectable.
According to the report, significant cooling of the middle to upper stratosphere—primarily caused by rising levels of CO₂ from human activity—would have been clearly detectable by around 1885. That’s during the height of European imperialism, and well before the invention of gasoline-powered cars.
These findings could have been made based on the favorable signal-to-noise ratio in the mid- to upper stratosphere, where the human-induced cooling is strong and displays distinct patterns that differ clearly from natural variability.
The researchers noted that atmospheric measurement capabilities in 1860 were far from global; high-quality stratospheric temperature measurements would have only existed for mid-latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere. Nevertheless, human-caused stratospheric cooling still would have been detectable by 1894—nearly a decade before the Wright brothers’ first flight.
Previous thoughts on the same topic:
National Identity in Stone: Finland’s Ancient Crust Meets Canada’s Hadean Record
Why Did the Cause of Pierce’s Disease in Grapevines Spread to Europe Only in 2013?
Availability of coffee in a warming world
A former fighter who served with the Russian-aligned Wagner Group in Ukraine has appeared in Finland as an asylum seeker. He has previously participated in Russian war propaganda but has recently harshly criticized Russia for its treatment of its own soldiers and for lying to their families.
The man could, of course, be a genuine asylum seeker—or alternatively, a Russian agent. This is a matter Finnish authorities will undoubtedly investigate. At this stage, however, the most interesting aspect is what he has revealed about Putin's army.
The soldier, who has now arrived in Finland, published a video last February in which he denounced the Russian military leadership and accused it of mistreating Russian soldiers. He also threatened to track down those responsible.
In June, the man released another video in which he accused Russian commanders of being traitors who "leave soldiers to rot in the fields." At the time of this video’s release, he was already in Finland. On the other hand, he has continued publishing Wagner propaganda until quite recently.
In Finland, any possible involvement by the Russian soldier in war crimes will be investigated, and if necessary, he will be prosecuted. For that, the judiciary will need information about his actions in Ukraine, so cooperation with the local authorities there is essential.
At the same time, it is clear that he will not be extradited to the warring Ukrainians for prosecution; rather, he will be investigated specifically in Finland. For now, however, he is not suspected of committing war crimes.
It remains to be seen what will happen to the Russian soldier next, but his appearance in Finland may signal a decline in the fighting morale of Russian troops. And that would not be to the benefit of Vladimir Putin or his administration, but – in contrast – good news for the Ukrainian army.
Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Suicide and Sudden Death in Russia – What's Really Going On?
Russians in Finland Include Both Putin’s Supporters and Loyal Citizens
Russian Aircraft Violated Finnish Airspace – But What’s the Point?
Now that Finland has withdrawn from the Ottawa Treaty banning anti-personnel landmines, it is time to take practical action. This means starting Finnish production of anti-personnel mines for both domestic use and for Ukraine.
The reason for this is, of course, the military threat posed by Russia—something that can no longer be ignored since Putin’s “special operation” initiated the attempt to conquer Ukraine. This is true even though the Russians have been unable to bring the operation to completion; instead, it has become more like a Moloch’s maw, fed with the lives of Russian soldiers.
The Finnish arms industry is currently doing quite well in general. A sign of this was, for example, the clear growth in both turnover and operating profit for the defense equipment manufacturer Patria in the January–June period.
Turnover increased by around 12 percent and operating profit by as much as 35 percent. In addition, the company’s order backlog showed a modest increase. In the future, most of the growth is expected to come from the armored vehicle sector, but the company has also recently invested—based on lessons from the war in Ukraine—particularly in drone technology.
It remains to be seen whether the Finnish defense industry is experiencing a renaissance now that the country is a member of the Western defense alliance NATO and has the best preparedness in Europe to take advantage of a networked economy—something that will be a key factor in high-innovation sectors like defense in the coming years.
Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Finland Decides to Withdraw from the Ottawa Treaty — But What Business Is It of Guterres?
The Poor Can't Afford to Buy Second-best
Finland Boosts Military Self-Sufficiency and Support for Ukraine
A strange epidemic seems to be spreading within Russia’s Ministry of Transport. First, it was reported that Transport Minister Roman Starovoit, who had been dismissed from his post, had committed suicide. Soon after, it was announced that another official from the same ministry, Aleksei Korneichuk, had died suddenly in the middle of a meeting.
This raises the question of whether there is something behind these events that the Putin administration does not want to reveal. And if there is, could it be related in some way to the prolonged war in Ukraine, which continues to strain Russia’s economy and population?
Unfortunately, it is highly unlikely that we will ever get an answer to this question. However, that does not mean these cases don’t strongly point to the growing troubles faced by Putin’s administration.
Previous thoughts on the same topic:
The Price of a Dictator’s Stupidity and Megalomania
Putin Faces a Heavy Price for His Hesitation
Number of Predators is Increasing in Russia
I begin this blog post with a look back 111 years. At that time, on June 28, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife Sophie were assassinated in Sarajevo, Bosnia, which was then part of Austria-Hungary.
The reason behind the assassination was that the Bosnian Serbs wanted to join Serbia and pursued this aim through political murder. As a result, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia on July 28, 1914.
Serbia soon gained Russia as an ally, while Austria-Hungary was supported by Germany. In an effort to avoid a two-front war, Germany attacked France through Belgium. This, in turn, led to Britain entering the conflict — and thus the First World War began. Around 16 million people lost their lives in that war.
* * *
In his recent column, retired Major General Harri Ohra-aho warned Finns about the smoldering powder keg of the Balkans. According to him, Bosnia and Herzegovina is teetering on the brink of a deep crisis, with the actions of the President of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik — the leader of the federation’s Serbian entity — at the core of the issue, as he pushes for Serbian independence.
Under Dodik’s leadership, Republika Srpska has passed laws that prevent federal authorities from operating within its territory. In addition, his administration has demanded a separate constitution for the Serbs — a step toward splitting Bosnia and Herzegovina into two separate states.
Behind this lies the strong support of Serbia itself and, lurking behind Serbia, that of Russia. Unfortunately, Hungary — an EU member state — and its president Viktor Orbán have also joined in, sending special forces to conduct joint exercises with the Serbs. In other words, this is part of Vladimir Putin’s broader strategy to shift Western Europe’s attention from Ukraine to the Balkans.
For now, however, the situation remains calm, and most Bosniaks, Croats, and Serbs hope for stability and envision their future in the EU. Even within Republika Srpska, Dodik does not enjoy unanimous support. But as we well know, people’s opinions can be easily influenced by the right kind of propaganda.
* * *
For us Finns, the matter is significant in several ways. First, every military-political victory for Putin increases the risk that Russia might test the military readiness of a NATO border country through a suitably crafted special operation. Perhaps not on Finland’s border specifically, but quite possibly somewhere in our neighborhood.
Second, Bosnia and Herzegovina has served as one of the routes for humanitarian migration, and if it falls into chaos, it could lead to an increase in the number of people arriving in the EU. This, in turn, could further destabilize the internal situation in the EU countries most affected by such flows — such as Germany, France, the Netherlands, or Sweden.
For these reasons, Ohra-aho ended his column with the following hope: "Europe must therefore act wisely but decisively. Words must be followed by actions: more support for constructive forces in Bosnia, a clear message against separatism, and concrete steps toward NATO and EU integration. Stability does not arise by itself, and in the Balkans its value is often only recognized once it has already been lost."
Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Russians in Finland Include Both Putin’s Supporters and Loyal Citizens
Ukraine’s Justified Exit From the Ottawa Convention
NATO Sounds the Alarm on Illegal Immigration
The terrorist organization Hamas is ready to begin negotiations on implementing a proposed 60-day ceasefire. It accepts the main points of the agreement but seeks some minor additions to the deal.
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad organization has also announced its support for the ceasefire plan in Gaza but demands guarantees that the negotiation process will indeed lead to a permanent ceasefire. At the same time, it wants to ensure that Israel will not resume military operations in Gaza after the hostages held by Hamas have been released.
The Israeli leadership, which has accepted the original text of the ceasefire proposal drafted by Qatar and the United States, is currently considering how to respond to the terrorists’ suggestions. U.S. President Donald Trump, for his part, has previously told the Palestinian organizations that they will not be getting a better deal.
It thus remains to be seen whether Gaza's exceptionally bloody war is finally coming to an end, or whether it will continue after the currently debated two-month truce concludes. However, the Islamic Jihad’s precondition for a permanent ceasefire may in itself prevent the ceasefire from materializing at all, as Israel is unlikely to commit to permanently halting its military actions in Gaza before terms for lasting peace have been agreed upon.
Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Some University of Helsinki Employees Demand End to Collaboration With Israeli Universities
UN Security Council Resolution Draft Risks Encouraging Terrorism
Gambling Addiction and the Shadowy Instigator
I wrote yesterday about the mass stabbing that took place in Tampere, in which a Finnish man injured four people. Over the course of today, more information about the case has come to light, prompting reflection on the fairness of the Finnish justice system.
The Finnish Broadcasting Company (Yle) has reported that the man arrested for the crime has previously been convicted of multiple violent offenses. He was charged with attempted manslaughter for an incident in June 2023, in which he stabbed a sleeping acquaintance in the stomach.
However, in January 2024, he was only convicted of aggravated assault, assault against another man, illegal threats, two cases of property damage, and obstruction of an official. According to the verdict, he was supposed to serve a total of two and a half years in prison.
Last month, the stabber also received another six-month prison sentence for assaulting a victim in the fall of 2021. In that case, he had repeatedly struck the victim in the head, strangled them, and beaten them in the upper body with a metal pipe. At the time, he was on probation. He was sentenced to only six months in prison, as his previous conviction for aggravated assault was considered a mitigating factor.
In addition, the man was sentenced to three years in prison for three robberies committed in 2020, when he was 18 years old.
In light of all this, we must ask how the justice system intends to respond to the man's actions from yesterday when the case eventually goes to court. Will he again be granted sentence reductions and be allowed to endanger others’ safety after serving only a short prison term?
Or will the court finally recognize that this is a person who, with near certainty, will sooner or later end up killing one of his victims, and who therefore must be kept behind closed doors for the rest of his life? And if it doesn’t, is it prepared to take responsibility for the death of an innocent person?
Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Multiple Stabbings Reported in Tampere, Finland
The Stabber Killed Three People in an Extremely Multicultural City
Why Were Violent Protests Acceptable for George Floyd but Not for the UK Child Murders?
The European Parliament has affirmed the self-evident truth that Finland has the right to close its eastern border with Russia. This occurred because a representative of the pro-Russian Freedom Alliance party living in Finland—and, judging by the name, a Russian national—Alexey Bulavtsev, had appealed for the borders to remain open.
Naturally, this was an unnecessary bureaucratic twist, since Finland would have kept the border closed in any case—regardless of the EU Parliament’s decision. This is because it is the country’s legitimate right to defend itself against a military threat.
Nevertheless, the case is significant, as it demonstrates that there are individuals of Russian background in Finland who aspire to positions of power in society and who act on behalf of Vladimir Putin against the Finnish people. This is, of course, not beneficial for Finnish-Russians, many of whom are descendants of émigrés who fled to Finland during the Russian Revolution, or individuals who have escaped the current Russian regime and are well integrated into Finnish society.
Therefore, it is to be hoped that Bulavtsev’s actions will not be generalized to all people of Russian descent living in Finland, but that they too will be evaluated as individuals and as members of society. At the same time, care must be taken to ensure that Russian immigration does not, now or in the future, form a fifth column in Finland, should Russia, for any reason, challenge the country’s independence.
Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Expert Statement Highlights Russian Hybrid Threat Over Migration Across the Mediterranean
Human Rights Judge Pauliine Koskelo Questions Asylum Interpretation That Ignores the Threat of Hybrid Warfare
A Finnish MP Resigned After Straining Finland-Russia Relations