Unintended Consequences of Modern Value Shifts

The world has changed significantly in this millennium. What used to be considered normal, even self-evident, is today not always even acceptable.

A startling example of this change appeared in Finland when two schoolboys got into a fierce fight, throwing punches and kicks at each other. A teacher tried to break it up by ordering them to stop, but to no avail.

So the teacher finally grabbed one of the boys and lifted him out of the situation. The hitting and kicking stopped, and no one was seriously injured.

But then something completely unexpected happened. One of the parents filed charges against the teacher, claiming that milder methods could have been used. What those methods might have been—given that the teacher had already ordered the boys verbally to stop—has never been explained publicly.

In any case, at the parents’ initiative, a legal process began that lasted a full year and a half before the prosecutor decided that the teacher’s actions would not be taken to court. It is clear that this time was extremely difficult for the teacher.

We can only guess how such a case will affect teachers’ willingness to intervene in schoolyard fights—not in a positive direction, surely. And for that reason it must be said that, as a consequence of the case I have described, school life likely became a little less safe than it once was.

For my part, I see this case as yet another indication that the value shifts of the 21st century—BLM, DEI, Woke culture, intersectional feminism, and so forth—do not make the world a better place. Instead, they seem to be leading to a decline in care for one another, double standards, less openness, and increasing social polarization in all kinds of ways, despite the fact that the stated aim was the exact opposite.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Has Modern Education Strayed Too Far — and Is It Time to Change Course?
Library Scrubs Queer Creator’s Character from Moomin Exhibit
Why Finnish Youth Are Abandoning the Green Party

Demonstration Demonstrated the Selfishness of the Demonstrators

A World Rally Championship event is currently taking place in Jyväskylä, Finland. In connection with this, the Finnish branch of Extinction Rebellion, known as Elokapina, organized a protest without prior notice—in other words, an illegal demonstration—intended to disrupt the event. While the incident caused little actual disturbance to the rally itself, it demonstrated how little these identity politics-driven activists care about the law or other people.

This phenomenon is far from new. In fact, it has become an almost permanent feature of major sporting events (example). And it’s likely only a matter of time before the situation escalates to the point where the highlight of someone’s career—perhaps even the culmination of a lifetime dedicated to sport—is ruined.

That’s why it’s important that the activists who protested in Jyväskylä are brought to court, and that the full extent of penalties allowed by law be applied, to make clear that their actions are not acceptable. At the same time, lawmakers in Finland and elsewhere should revise legislation so that the threshold for disrupting major sporting events is raised as high as possible.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Finnish Branch of Extinction Rebellion Faces Possible Ban
Eco-Fascist Blackmail: Threats of Sabotage Loom Over the World Ski Championships
Criminal Attack Against Finnish Democracy

It’s Time to Teach Putin: The Age of Empire Is Over

Finland's Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen does not have high expectations for the peace negotiations taking place in Istanbul, Turkey, on Thursday. Her view does not even depend on whether Russia's dictator, Vladimir Putin, attends or not.

Valtonen stated that Putin’s presence would make little difference. This is because, according to her, Putin has demonstrated through his actions that he merely wants to continue subjugating Ukraine and will not agree to any solution that Ukraine could accept in the long term.

Her statement reflects a realism grounded in facts. And for that reason, Western countries — both in Europe and North America — and especially the administration of Donald Trump, should take her view as the starting point when considering a resolution to the war in Ukraine.

This point was also emphasized by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who announced that he would travel to Turkey regardless — but made it clear that Trump must understand Putin is the true obstacle to peace in Ukraine.

According to Zelensky, Trump must, above all, accept that Putin lies, while Ukraine is doing its part to pursue peace and has no intention of delaying the process. He also noted that if Putin fails to appear, it would serve as definitive proof that he has no intention of ending the war.

The significance of the Istanbul meeting remains to be seen. But it underscores the urgent need for EU countries to finally ramp up arms production to meet the demands of today’s geopolitical reality — and, through that, provide Ukraine’s military with sufficient support to first force the Russian army onto the defensive and ultimately drive them back, militarily defeated, to Russian soil.

In other words, the time has come for EU decision-makers to show Putin that the era of imperialism is over — even for Russia.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Warnings from Jussi Halla-aho and Igor Girkin About Europe's Near Future
When the War Comes Home to Moscow
Putin Faces a Heavy Price for His Hesitation

Can Trump Resist the Kremlin’s Lure?

According to a recent report in The Moscow Times, Russia is attempting to entice U.S. President Donald Trump into an agreement that would reorganize the spheres of influence between the great powers. In other words, a return to the post-World War II era, when Europe was divided by the Iron Curtain into two parts—one of which was controlled by Moscow’s brutal communist regime, even through military interventions if necessary.

Such an objective, of course, cannot be acceptable to any sane Western leader. And that’s why every person in the free world must believe and hope that Donald Trump is exactly that.

However, according to The Moscow Times, the Kremlin does not share this view. It is exploring what kind of “carrots” might persuade the U.S. President to agree to the division of Europe. The list includes bilateral agreements on rare earth metals and Russian support for the U.S. in the Iran negotiations.

Donald Trump is also being tempted with personal benefits, such as the opportunity to build a Trump Tower in Moscow—something he has dreamed of since the 1980s. Of course, I understand how that might appeal to the president, even if accepting such a proposal would strongly reek of corruption—sacrificing democratic Europe for personal gain and vanity.

That is precisely why I believe the coming months will be exciting to follow in terms of the relationship between Trump and the Kremlin. Hopefully, we’ll see the Kremlin’s ambitions dashed against the solid reason of a sane U.S. president—one who proves he is not the kind of rascal the Kremlin takes him for.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Good luck to Chancellor Friedrich Merz!
The Free World Needs America’s Leadership Now
Has President Trump Lost His Grip on Reality?

Putin's understanding and the battle between the gods

A Russian colleague has commented on the war in Ukraine. According to him, "We have defended Israel against Iranian missiles – why not Ukraine as well... We must not be paralyzed by the thought that we are provoking Putin. If he wants to do something against the West, he will do it anyway. He doesn't need provocation, as he has already decided to deliver a decisive blow to the West. We must stop him by force, just as the Soviet Union was stopped. It is the only language he understands."

I hope the professor's message is understood in the West, especially in Germany, France, the UK, and the USA, and that action is taken accordingly. This means ensuring that Ukraine's victory is not hindered by the availability of weapons.

This is especially crucial now, as Ukraine has finally made legislative changes that should gradually address their chronic manpower shortage. Meanwhile, Russia is increasingly relying on countries like China, North Korea, and Iran for its own armament.

* * *

Speaking of Iran, it was great to read the news that the president and foreign minister of the tyranny governed by the mullahs have died after the helicopter they were traveling in crashed near the Azerbaijan border, in a place near an Israeli base.

The cause of the helicopter crash seems to be bad weather. If that's the case, we humans should thank all the possible gods of climate and weather for the bad weather that brought down that specific helicopter.

In particular, it seems the Jewish god had a hand in this, arranging for the people of Israel to receive compensation for the almost empty strike that Iran launched against the country some time ago. Right now, it appears that Yahweh is a more powerful deity than Allah.

Fortunately, it seems that the helicopter crash does not appear to have involved any human-conducted military special operation—at least based on the news flow—but rather it was solely a contest of power between the gods. This way, even the Iranian mullahs can easily accept the loss of their high leaders as a punishment from a righteous god.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Religious authority and the Iran strike on Israel
Duck emphasizing the urgency of the new border law
The procrastination of Western countries is paid for with the blood of soldiers