When Free Speech Is Prosecuted: Päivi Räsänen’s Case Explained for Americans

In Finland, a big uproar has arisen over Member of Parliament Päivi Räsänen’s (Christian Democrat) brief visit to the U.S. Congress, where she spoke about the attempts to restrict her freedom of speech. For this reason, it is worth reflecting on what happened in this blog as well. So let us start from the beginning.

It all began when Päivi Räsänen happened to write the words “a disorder of psychosexual development,” by which she meant a person’s sexual orientation toward their own sex. The Finnish prosecution service seized on this, interpreting the words as incitement against a group of people.

However, it is a biological fact that the sexuality of organisms has evolved precisely so that their genes can mix, that is, recombine, in their offspring. For this reason, sexuality is naturally directed toward the opposite sex, although behaviors related to one’s own sex are also common in nature.

In this sense, homosexuality—especially as the primary mode of sexual behavior—is indeed a kind of developmental disorder. However, that does not make a person better or worse than others, nor has Räsänen claimed so.

* * *

I do not know whether what I have written above has been understood in the district court and the court of appeal, but in any case it is right that they acquitted Räsänen of the charges. It seems clear, however, that the prosecutor has not understood the matter any better either before bringing the charges or after the court decisions, but is continuing the process to the Supreme Court while also continuing to violate Räsänen’s freedom of speech.

Thus, Päivi Räsänen and Finland have undoubtedly gained a bad international reputation among people who consider freedom of speech to be an important value. Such people are found especially in the United States, but of course also elsewhere, including Finland.

* * *

The case in question actually resembles a situation in which a woman living in a violent relationship goes public to tell about her husband’s actions, after which his relatives criticize her for sullying the honor of her family and spouse. In this analogy, “violent relationship” = “demands to ban freedom of speech,” “woman” = “Räsänen,” “man” = “the prosecutor,” “relatives” = “the media criticizing Räsänen.”

I do not believe that any reasonable person would think, in the above analogy, that the woman is the one sullying anyone’s honor. Nevertheless, the Finnish journalistic community has no difficulty accusing Räsänen of damaging our country’s reputation when she speaks in the United States about the continued attempts to restrict her freedom of speech.

I can only guess at the reasons for this, but I suspect that it has to do with a wokist worldview that has taken root in our journalistic community, which prevents our journalists from logical thinking, especially when a Christian worldview and a value-liberal worldview are in opposition. This view of mine is supported, among other things, by recent research findings.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Predictions Based on the Opinion Polls in the UK
Jesuit Morality in Crime Reporting on Immigrants
On Freedom, Debate, and the Murder of Charlie Kirk

The original blogpost in Finnish:
Onko Päivi Räsänen Suomen maineen likaaja?

Gender identity and the future of Finnishness

Suomen Uutiset, the news outlet affiliated with the Finns Party, reported that the share of young people in the United States who identify as nonbinary or as something other than heterosexual has fallen significantly since 2023. According to the article, this suggests that the phenomenon is more likely a social one produced by the rise of the woke movement rather than a hereditary tendency.

The conclusion is logical in the sense that nonbinary identity or homosexuality can easily be seen as negative in terms of reproduction and therefore as a phenomenon that would, through natural selection, tend to be weeded out — even though it is, of course, known that genetic factors may also play a role. However, this does not necessarily mean that people who experience themselves as sexually non-conforming do not genuinely feel that they are what they identify as — in other words, it is not primarily about pretending or acting.

* * *

From the standpoint of a nation’s renewal, various gender deviations are naturally detrimental because they often lead to childlessness. That, in turn, is a major problem especially in Europe, where the demographic structure of the native population is rapidly aging, meaning the proportion of the active population is shrinking even as the number of elderly people in need of care first increases and then the population begins to decline.

In Finland, this is clearly visible in Statistics Finland’s report describing the numbers of different age groups since 1900. At that time, only 5.3 percent of the population were aged 65 or older. By 2000, the figure had risen to 15 percent, and by this year it has reached as high as 22.7 percent of the total population.

Conversely, those under 15 years of age made up as much as 35.1 percent of the population in 1900, only 18.1 percent in 2000, and just 15.6 percent this year. Of the latter figure, a significant portion are of non-Finnish or even non-European descent, meaning that the share of Finland’s original population has in fact decreased even more rapidly than the statistics suggest.

This means that in addition to the aging of Finland’s population, its genetic composition is also changing rapidly — a development that will affect the nation’s culture insofar as heredity and the parents’ own cultural heritage shape people’s behavior, values, and attitudes.

Unfortunately, much of this — especially the parts related to genetics — has long been a forbidden topic in human research. As a result, we lack up-to-date, researched information that would allow us to reliably anticipate the future of Finland and Finnishness.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Eviction of Inhabitants for Incoming Immigrants Sparks Controversy
Eurovision Song Contest Funding Faces Pushback Due to Woke Ideology
A National Rally election victory does not mean that France will become like Finland under the Finns Party

Library Scrubs Queer Creator’s Character from Moomin Exhibit

"Wokeism" does not appear to have ended in the United States yet, according to a news report from Hufvudstadsbladet relayed by MTV3. A picture of the character Stinky was removed from an exhibition dedicated to the inhabitants of Moominvalley and their creator Tove Jansson, held at the Brooklyn Public Library in New York, due to allegations of racism. According to a spokesperson for the library, the aim was to create an environment where everyone feels welcome.

In reality, Stinky has nothing to do with racism. He is simply a somewhat annoying character from the stories, created at a time when there was no discussion of racism in Finland—Tove Jansson’s homeland—because the population was racially homogeneous. Stinky’s black color does not allude to any skin tone; it was simply a color the artist felt suited the character.

Well, what can one say to that? Perhaps that the Brooklyn library doesn’t seem to be showing much respect for the artistic work of Tove Jansson — the creator of Stinky, and herself a member of both a sexual and linguistic minority. But surely they couldn’t actually be homophobic... could they?

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Finnish Trans Woman Speaks Out on Transgender Rights in Sports
An African and an Iranian Immigrant Educated a Woke-Blinded Deputy Mayor
A Finnish Deputy Mayor Wanted to Ban an Old Board Game from Children

Russian Strategy to Take Control Over the USA and the World Has Succeeded Shockingly Well So Far

Two days ago, Walmart, the world’s largest retailer, rolled back its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, joining a growing list of major corporations that have done the same after facing criticism from conservative activists. Even before this, companies such as Ford, Harley-Davidson, Lowe’s, and Tractor Supply had already taken similar steps.

This reminded me of a strategy described in the recent book by Finnish top communication professionals Markku Mantila and Jouni Mölsä, which the Russians have allegedly used to influence Western nations. According to them, a Russian defector, Yuri Bezmenov, revealed back in 1984 that the Soviet Union’s goal was to alter the perception of reality in the United States to the extent that its population would no longer be able to draw rational conclusions about the reality surrounding them.

The first stage of this strategy was demoralization, which involved steering students toward Marxist-Leninist thinking. According to Bezmenov, this phase was already complete 40 years ago. 

In the next stage, lasting about 20 years and referred to as destabilization, the Russians’ aim was (in Bezmenov's time, "would be") to increase disagreements between different groups in the United States. As examples of destabilizing themes, he mentioned homosexuality as well as women’s and children’s rights—translated into today’s language, themes that have gained traction in recent years through DEI policies.

The third stage in the Russian strategy is the crisis phase, in which citizens look for saviors by demanding strong leaders and governments, while expressing their discontent with societal chaos.

According to Bezmenov's ideas from 40 years ago, the Russians’ ultimate goal is "normalization", which refers to a situation similar to what happened after the Prague Spring in 1968, when Czechoslovakia was ruled by a puppet government installed by the Soviet Union, subordinate to Moscow and receiving its instructions from there.

All of this is detailed in Mantila and Mölsä’s book. From my perspective, it seems that the Russians have shockingly succeeded in achieving the goals of the first two phases. However, it remains to be seen what the collapse of corporations and, subsequently, DEI policies will lead to.

In this matter, ordinary Americans play a decisive role. Will the resistance faced by DEI deepen societal polarization, eventually leading to the crisis Bezmenov described? Or is this merely part of an ideological shift, one that is leaving DEI policies behind and, in doing so, discarding Russia’s long-term objectives into the trash bin of history?

Finally, I conclude that it would be beneficial for American (and Western) politicians to equip their citizens with the means to counter Russian hybrid influence. In this regard, it is particularly important to ensure a strong foundation of basic knowledge through quality education, the reliability of the political system, the adherence of information channels to facts rather than fostering political discord, and the media literacy of citizens. 

Strengthening social cohesion and fostering a sense of community could also play a vital role in making societies more resilient to external manipulation. And cooperation between Western nations is equally crucial, as countering hybrid threats often requires a unified response and shared strategies.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Putin Set a Goal — Failure Would Be an Embarrassment
Swedish TV Did Not Learn Anything From the Riots in the UK
Defending National Security: Finland's Response to Hybrid Warfare

Eurovision Song Contest Funding Faces Pushback Due to Woke Ideology

Some Swiss people have grown tired of the Eurovision Song Contest, which they believe has become an event that mocks Christian values, promotes anti-Semitism, and advocates for the interests of sexual minorities. As a result, in the canton of Basel-Stadt, which hosted last year’s winning country, a referendum will be held to decide whether the canton should contribute to financing the event.

The competition is planned to take place in the same canton, which would also be expected to participate in its funding, even though the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) bears the primary responsibility. If the people of Basel vote to withdraw financial support, the ten-day competition will be scaled down to a single-day event.

This case might not seem particularly significant, but it highlights how far-left ideologies that have spread globally from the United States in recent years are beginning to irritate ordinary people, who often feel targeted by them. The same phenomenon is evident in politics, where politically conservative parties are currently enjoying success.

It remains to be seen whether the Basel referendum will reinforce this trend. The issue is somewhat ambiguous, as the Eurovision Song Contest is a long-standing tradition, but its content has increasingly embraced a "woke" spirit. Thus, there are both conservative and value-liberal reasons to support or oppose it.

As for me, I haven’t followed the Eurovision Song Contest in a long time and won’t be doing so this year either—regardless of what the people of Basel decide. That said, I’ll conclude by linking the only Finnish entry to ever win the competition.

Aiempia ajatuksia samasta aihepiiristä:
The Lenin Museum Will No Longer Serve as a Reminder of the Dangers of Political Correctness
During the Eurovision song spectacle, the incompetence of EU officials was revealed
A white family does not represent real Londoners

A Homosexual Rape Underscores the Need for Change in Immigration Policy

A strange case occurred in Finland, for which the Court sentenced Muhammad Yusri Bin Jaafar, 34, to three years in prison for rape and unlawful threats. The crime took place at the end of November 2023 in Helsinki.

The victim, a man, had been partying exuberantly with his friend at a nightclub and met someone there whom he assumed to be a woman. This person lured the victim to their home, where both undressed.

At that point, the victim realized that the "woman" was actually a trans man and stated that he was not interested in having sex with him. Despite this, Bin Jaafar pulled him into the bedroom and forced him to perform sexual acts.

The victim was distressed, groaned, and begged the perpetrator to let him leave. Eventually, he managed to push the rapist off and ran back to the nightclub to tell his friend about the incident.

The rapist had also demanded 200 euros from his victim, threatened him with sexual acts and violence, and said he would call attackers if he did not receive the money. The newspaper article reporting the incident did not specify at what point this threat was made.

* * *

I wrote about this case because it shows that immigrants pose a sexual threat not only to women but also to men. After all, there are naturally homosexual individuals among them, just as there are in other population groups.

And based on this case, they do not seem to behave any differently from their heterosexual counterparts, whose - immigrants' - share of rapes in Finland in 2021 was as high as 30.6%, while their share of the population at the time was around eight percent.

For this reason, it is great that 17 EU countries have demanded a change in the Union’s immigration policy, so that those who have unjustly applied for asylum can be effectively deported back to their home countries. Finland has signed the initiative.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
The Role of Ukraine Aid in the Elections of Thuringia and Saxony, Germany
Sweden's Rapid Demographic Shift Causes Challenges
A Finnish police officer is afraid to speak about the problems of immigration

Will Finland have the first openly homosexual president?

In Finland, a new president will be elected in the beginning of next year. One of the main candidates is Pekka Haavisto (Greens), who, while serving as the Minister of Foreign Affairs, even broke Finnish laws to bring terrorists from the Al-Hol camps to Finland.

It remains to be seen whether this fact will affect his success in the election. And if it does, then in which direction.

Haavisto has a strong support base among the political left and the sexual minorities. Thanks to this, he gained over 37 percent of the support in the 2012 presidential elections, in which the outgoing president Sauli Niinistö was elected as the head of state of Finland.

In the upcoming elections, Haavisto is currently the frontrunner, but it remains to be seen whether the situation changes once the election campaigns pick up pace. If he gets elected, he would become Finland's first openly homosexual head of state. 

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Veronmaksajan lasku on 20 000 euroa per islamisti + muut kulut (In Finnish, but readable by e.g. Google translator: The taxpayer's bill is 20,000 euros per Islamist + additional expenses)
Haaviston lain vastaisesti vaihtama virkamies otti vastuun terrorismista - mutta se kuuluu silti Marinin kabinetille (In Finnish, but readable by e.g. Google translator: The official changed by Haavisto against the law took responsibility for terrorism - yet it still falls under Marin's cabinet)

Are we going to allow ISIS women to ride on their children?