German Democracy at Work: The People’s Will Prevails

The German state elections have attracted an exceptional amount of attention because they are bringing about a historic change, with the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party pushing the long-standing party of power, the Christian Democrats (CDU), into the ranks of the minor parties.

We got a preview of this a couple of weeks ago, and more is coming this weekend in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The main source of dissatisfaction is Germany’s immigration policy, which is transforming the entire society in a radical way.

In addition to immigration policy, many other things are changing in Germany because the AfD also has other policy positions that differ from those of the CDU and the Social Democrats, with whom it has shared power. Examples include the party’s policies on the euro, Russia, and climate change, all of which differ from the views of the political establishment in Berlin and also from those of most other European leaders.

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As a result, coverage of the AfD’s success in the Finnish media has at times resembled disaster reporting (example, another). At the same time, it has been forgotten that the German political transformation is about nothing more and nothing less than a democracy functioning exemplary well, in which change follows from the political elite pursuing policies against the will of the people. In other words, from allowing the mass migration of people from developing countries that has radically transformed German society.

At the same time, the political transformation in Germany’s states demonstrates the beauty of democracy because it forces a reluctant elite to accept the will of the people. This would not be possible in pseudo-democracies such as Russia or China, but in Germany, popular government appears to be working.

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That is why we Finns—and our media as well—should also praise and celebrate the functioning of German democracy. At the same time, we should encourage Finns to use the power granted to us by the Constitution.

According to it, “state power in Finland belongs to the people.” And we will have the opportunity to exercise that power next time on April 18 next year.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Lessons from the Abdul Ballout Case
The Forgotten Empire That Shaped Modern Europe
Shock in Berlin: AfD Surges, Merz Stumbles

Truth and Myth About Christmas

This morning, the rush of Christmas preparations is already almost over, and around midday Finnish people go to listen to the Declaration of Christmas Peace, which dates back to the Middle Ages. Later in the evening, at the festive table, the Christmas Gospel is read, telling how the child Jesus was born to Mary, who had become pregnant as a virgin and who, together with her betrothed Joseph, had gone to Bethlehem to be registered for taxation.

This story, familiar to all Westerners, is a rather beautiful narrative. In addition, for many people it is associated with such childhood memories that they wish to revive them even if their worldview is not theistic. If anything, this shows how extremely important traditions are to people.

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As most of you—my esteemed readers—are probably aware, many Christmas traditions are much older than Christianity. One of their sources is the Roman festival of Saturnalia, which was celebrated for a week around the time of the winter solstice.

The description of Saturnalia given, for example, on Wikipedia sounds very familiar, although there are of course differences beyond the Christian nature of the celebration. During the festival, people gave each other gifts, and there was plenty of festive food, games, and merrymaking. It is also interesting that in the Roman temple considered the center of Saturnalia, the cult statue of Saturn had its feet unbound.

On the other hand, Saturnalia was led by a carnival king chosen for the occasion, and slaves were granted the freedoms of free people. This meant that they were allowed to gamble, become publicly intoxicated, cast aside the cloak of restrained behavior, and even act insolently. The streets, too, were filled with boisterous celebration.

These latter Roman customs do not belong to the Christmases of my generation, but I have noticed that, at least in terms of celebrating, Finland is gradually changing. Not everyone spends Christmas at home anymore; instead, people set off on boisterous holiday trips to the south or the north. And perhaps nightlife, too, is livelier than before even in cities where people’s homes are located.

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The ancient Romans had neither Christmas trees nor Santa Claus. The origin of the former is not known for certain.

According to Estonians, the first public Christmas tree was erected in Tallinn as early as 1441, but Latvian archival sources claim that the Brotherhood of the Blackheads brought the Christmas tree to Riga in 1510. In addition, there is a well-known account according to which the Christmas tree originated in 16th-century Germany, in the area of present-day Strasbourg.

What is certain, however, is that the Christmas tree tradition does not originate from Finland or even from the Nordic countries, since spruce trees began to appear in people’s homes here—initially among the nobility—only in the 19th century. Among the common people, the Christmas tree became widespread only about a hundred years ago.

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Santa Claus, of course, lives on Korvatunturi in Finland (the name translates as “Ear Mountain”), together with Mrs. Claus and his elves. This is so despite the fact that some who have lost their faith in him believe that Santa Claus originated as a kind of successor to the tradition of Saint Nicholas, the Bishop of Myra who lived in the 4th century.

Even more absurd is the idea held by Americans that Santa Claus lives at the North Pole and travels around with flying reindeer—as if they did not know that there are no reindeer living at the North Pole at all. And even if there were, they certainly would not know how to fly.

In Finland, however, there have always also been relatives of Santa Claus: the Nuutti goats and Kekri goats. They are known to have gone from house to house, first drinking the alcoholic beverages offered to them, second distributing gifts to well-behaved children, and as a third option handing out birch twigs to the naughty ones.

Fortunately, in recent years Santa Claus has reduced the first and third of these pastimes and has instead focused more on listening to Christmas songs sung in children’s clear voices and on distributing gifts.

With these words—taken more or less seriously—I wish you, my esteemed readers, a very good and happy Christmas!

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
A Different Kind of Christmas
Christmas gift to the Holy Land
Merry Christmas!

NATO's Northern Europe Headquarters to be Established in Mikkeli, Finland's Former Military Command City

According to recent information, NATO's Northern Europe Command will be established in Mikkeli, Finland. The decision is based on an overall assessment of what is the best location for Finland's defense. No other reasons are involved.

At the same time, Finland sent, according to Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen (National Coalition Party), "a message to Russia that we are a full-fledged member of NATO, and NATO plays a very strong role in Finland's defense." He further stated that "this is not in any way a hostile action or a confrontation, but purely based on Finland's defense arrangements."

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Mikkeli is an important city for Finland with about 50,000 inhabitants. This is because it served as the headquarters of the Finnish Defense Forces during the Winter War, the Continuation War, and the Lapland War. 

In the first of these, the Finnish army repelled the Soviet Union's attack, which was politically supported by Germany, on its own without any allies. Although Britain and France made strong promises of support, it ultimately amounted to little more than a few material deliveries.

In the Continuation War, too, the Soviet Union initiated military actions five days before Finland launched its own offensive as part of Germany's Operation Barbarossa, quickly capturing large areas of East Karelia. In 1944, the Red Army launched a major offensive, which after initial success was halted on the Soviet side of the pre-war border. Peace was subsequently made at the current borders.

Before the end of the World War II, Finland still fought a third war, during which it expelled the German troops stationed in northern Finland. In this war, the Germans retaliated against the Finns by burning practically all homes of the inhabitants in Lapland. As a result, the people of northern Finland still hated the Germans in the 1970s, until the income brought by tourism helped the resentment subside.

After these historical memories, I express the hope that Mikkeli will never again have to lead a war between Finland and Russia, and that NATO's mere presence in Finland will be enough to deter any potential imperialist ambitions of Vladimir Putin and his successors.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Finland Must Avoid Ukraine’s Fate
Rediscovered Relics: The Story Behind Finland's WWII Weapon Caches
Finns Feel Sympathy for Ukrainians Because They Share a Similar Experience

The Stabber Killed Three People in an Extremely Multicultural City

The day's news in Finland (Yle, Ilta-Sanomat, Etelä-Suomen Sanomat) reported on a terrorist attack that took place at the "Festival of Diversity" in the German city of Solingen, where three people were fatally stabbed. Additionally, four other people were injured.

The terrorist was a male, but I couldn’t find any more specific details in the Finnish media. However, there is a claim circulating on social media that the attacker was an "Arab immigrant." Time will tell whether this claim is true or not.

There was also a credible claim on social media that, in the same city of Solingen, an African man attempted to set fire to a restaurant owned by someone of Arab descent at the end of June. However, something went wrong, and the arsonist ended up setting only himself on fire.

The city's population is very diverse, as already in 2020, around 35 percent of the population was non-ethnic Germans. The largest population groups were Italians, Turks, and Syrians, but people from as many as 140 different countries lived in the city. Among children under the age of three, a full 56 percent had a migration background, so it won't be long before ethnic Germans become a minority in the city.

One can only hope that the stabber is caught as soon as possible and receives the deserved punishment for his crime. And that the Germans channel any potential frustration with the new Germans democratically—by voting in the upcoming elections for politicians who know how to solve the immigration problem that has arisen in the country.

Hopefully, for us Finns and other Europeans, this case shows that diversity comes at a price. And therefore, its excessive increase in Finland would also have consequences.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Mass immigration is the greatest concern for EU youth
A caliphate was demanded in Germany
In Germany, immigration policy changes are being planned

Rediscovered Relics: The Story Behind Finland's WWII Weapon Caches

Yesterday, approximately 200 old military rifles were found buried in Finland. They had already decayed beyond use, but they served as a reminder of the post-World War II situation.

In 1944, Finland had succeeded in halting the large-scale Russian offensive and subsequently signed an armistice, after which German soldiers were driven out of the country during the Lapland War, which destroyed the entire northernmost Finnish settlement. Although the peace thus achieved was welcome to the ordinary people, there was a fear that the Russians would continue their military actions and ultimately subjugate the Finns under their own control.

In preparation for this situation, caches were established across the country, where weapons were stored for guerrilla operations. The project was, of course, eventually revealed, and its scale is evidenced by the fact that a total of 1,488 people were convicted in court in connection with it.

However, many officers who led the arms caches fled to the West, including Alpo Marttinen, who had distinguished himself as the right hand man of Hjalmar Siilasvuo in the Battle of Raate Road by destroying a Soviet division, and Lauri Törni, who ultimately died in Vietnam under the name Larry A. Thorne. Both of whom embarked on new military careers in the United States.

The recently discovered military rifles are one of these caches, whose existence sent a strong message to the Russians that the Finns were still ready to defend their homeland. This perhaps influenced the fact that Finland was not annexed by the Soviet Union or subjected to its vassal state, as happened to other Eastern European countries.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Finns Feel Sympathy for Ukrainians Because They Share a Similar Experience
Finnish weapons are being tested against the Russians in Ukraine
History of Finland XIV: The end of the first Finnish Republic

History of Finland XII: Bloody civil war

This is the twelfth part of a blog series where I go through the significant events of Finnish history. In the eleventh entry, I described how Finland became a democracy, ensuring equal political participation for all citizens, as a result of the oppressive measures taken by Russia in the country. 

As such, Finland gained independence in the aftermath of the Russian Revolution. However, led by the Social Democratic Party, then including also communists, the Finnish Civil War began. According to Professor Ylikangas, the war resulted in the deaths of as many as 36 640 people - more than in the similarly-lengthy Winter War, and in proportion to the population, more than in the three-year Continuation War.

As we know, the war was ultimately won by the Whites, led by Mannerheim, although they initially struggled to recruit even in South Ostrobothnia, where the war was being fought against fellow countrymen. This situation changed when Mannerheim managed to disarm 7 500 Russian soldiers with a small group of men in Ostrobothnia. Thereafter, recruitment was marketed with the need to remove the Russians from the country, which solved previous problems. 

The parties of the war were initially quite equal in terms of their skills, but the outcome was decided by the Jäger troops - Finnish young men who were trained and arrived from Germany - and ultimately by the German military unit that arrived in the country. In reality, the latter alone would have been sufficient to achieve the same outcome even if there had been no Jäger troops.

In the white Finland that emerged as the first outcome of the war, power was taken over by the educated classes, civil servants, owners of estates and factories, as well as farmers. On the other hand, the defeated industrial and agricultural workers and the landless inhabitants of sparsely populated areas were marginalized despite their right to vote.

The second significant outcome of the war was the emergence of a strong far-left party (The Finnish Communist Party) in our country. Its success was fueled by the white media, which highlighted the red terror, but remained silent about all the memories of the white post-war atrocities.

Finland was driven into a civil war primarily due to the power vacuum created by the fall of the Russian Tsar. The well-known social injustices - popularized by Väinö Linna and still cherished by the Left today - were more of a driving force for the war rather than the cause.

Two militant organizations, the Red and White Guards, emerged to fill the power vacuum, and their confrontation was ensured when the Senate, dominated by the political right, declared the Civil Guards as the government's armed forces. The Red Guard leadership could not accept this, and they set out on their ill-fated military campaign.

After the war, there was a multi-stage political struggle over the country's political system and the government structure that reflected it. The result was a democratic structure with a very strong executive power, which was entirely different from the other European states that became independent after the World War I.

Thanks to its strong executive power, Finland remained a democracy while other post-World War I democracies drifted towards right-wing dictatorships. This was despite the fact that communists in Finland were forced underground and the far-right sought to take power through extra-legal means.

The original blog post in Finnish:
Verinen sisällissota

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