The aftermath

This year's election was truly a choice between the bubonic plague and cholera. After four years of suffering we already knew how cholera felt, and the public seemed to think suffering from this disease was better than exchanging it for the bubonic plague. Interestingly enough even the right-wing party Sverigedemokraterna (SD) made it into the Riksdag, probably due to public frustration and great PR by the other parties as well as the media.

The election result gives us a situation where the cholera non-socialist Alliance is forced to cooperate with parties from the bubonic plague socialist coalition or indeed SD, out there on the far right of politics, which the Alliance has already denied.

To be honest I'm not sure I understand why the Alliance is so hesitant to cooperate with SD. Sure there are differences, mostly ideological, but if the last four years have showed us anything it's that the Alliance are experts in leaving their ideology at home before going to work. So, in practical politics the Alliance and SD aren't really that far apart. Sure, whereas SD nurture a fear and loathing of non-European immigrants, the Alliance nurture the same fear and loathing of all Swedish citizens. Equality, although a perverted one. Still, there are plenty of areas where I'm sure these two can cooperate: The views on crime, on human rights...

Looking forward to another four years in the dark ages.

Some refreshing political reading

If you're like me, sick and tired of ridiculous election banners and flyers that make absolutely no sense, and instead you want to read some serious politics, let me recommend "Det sovande folket" by Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt. Apparently not too easy to get hold of in your local book store, but luckily there's always the Great Library in Alexandria The Pirate Bay. You can download the book here.

Lies, lies, nothing but damn lies.

IDG.se, the IT business equivalent to Se & Hör, has an article today on how some of the political parties stand on various IT related issues. The problem is they've just sent out a bunch of questions and asked the parties to answer. Well, you get what you ask for, I guess.

Let's go through some of the Q&A's, ok?

2. IPRED. Vill ni upphäva Ipred-lagen (som gör det lättare att hindra olaglig fildelning)?

JA: Vänsterpartiet, Miljöpartiet, Centerpartiet.
NJA: Socialdemokraterna.
NEJ:Folkpartiet, Kristdemokraterna, Moderaterna.

Centerpartiet voted for the IPRED law only a year and a half ago. Why would anyone believe that they've suddenly changed their mind? And why a "nja" for Socialdemokraterna? They too voted for the IPRED law, even on an EU level. These two political parties have absolutely no integrity in this matter and are obviously just on a desperate hunt for votes.

3. FRA. Vill ni upphäva FRA-lagen (som gör det lättare att övervaka internet och telefon)?

JA: Vänsterpartiet, Socialdemokraterna, Miljöpartiet.
NEJ: Centerpartiet, Folkpartiet, Krisdemokraterna, Moderaterna.

So, Socialdemokraterna who actually came up with the entire FRA-law back in 2005, and handed it over to the subsequent government are suddenly opposing it? Yeah, right. What they fail to mention is that they simply want to create a slightly different FRA law. Same shit, new wrapping. Socialdemokraterna don't have a shred of credibility in this matter.

4. LOGGNINGSLAGEN. Tänker ni rösta ja till att införa datalagringsdirektivet (som tvingar internet- och teleoperatörerna att spara uppgifter om hur deras kunder kommunicerar).


JA: Folkpartiet, Kristdemokraterna, Moderaterna
NJA: Socialdemokraterna, Miljöpartiet.
NEJ: Vänsterpartiet, Centerpartiet.

Wait, what? Centerpartiet have already decided for the data retention directive, back in 2009. Again, why would anyone believe they've suddenly changed their mind? And a "nja" from Socialdemokraterna again? What the hell? They are the only party in the red/green coalition who are still strongly in favor of the data retention directive. Nja my ass.

It would be refreshing if IDG, instead of just printing these answers would follow them up with these parties, asking them why they're answering "yes" when in real life politics they are clearly "no", and vice versa. That would be much more interesting.

Burqa in school: Who the hell aced that exam last week?

There is a debate in Swedish media these days on whether to ban the use of burqa in school, for both teachers and pupils. The latter one seems to be the most infected.

Those opposing the ban point out that it violates the personal integrity of the pupils. Fair enough, I'm all for personal integrity as you may know. However what I want to know is, if anyone can hide their face at school, how are teachers expected to know who was hiding behind the veil on last weeks math exam? Was it Lisa, who belongs in this class or perhaps her older math-genious sister Vera?

Photo: jolipunk.com

Poor British bastards

Apparently the Brits will be getting "their own Reinfeldt" according to Swedish prime minister Fredrik Reinfeldt himself.

What have those poor bastards done to deserve even more surveillance and oppression?

You want some plague to go with that cholera?

The upcoming general election in Sweden is already turning into quite a bizarre spectacle, with 5 months left of campaigning.

The socialist coalition are working incredibly hard on ruining people's economy, making what kan only be defined as threats to increase taxed across the board should they be elected:

• Increased income tax (as if 56,7 percent isn't enough...)
• Increase fuel taxes (because clearly, in an effort to make it less profitable to work only raising the income tax isn't enough, the actual travel to work should also be punished!)
• Increase the payroll tax (you didn't think only the employee should be punished for working, did you?)
• Increase alcohol and tobacco taxes (God forbid you should be allowed to enjoy a drink after a hard day's labour)
• Restore the hopelessly outdated wealth tax (making sure companies as well as people move their wealth abroad - we don't want those rich bastards living in socialist Sweden!)
• Restore the arbitary and unfair housing tax (also known as the "Stockholm tax", because obviously it should be considered a crime to live in or near such an expensive city and spend all your money on that several million kronor mortgage)
• Introduce a new "energy" tax on the horribly polluting hydropower (well, actually the reasoning seems to be that the energy companies have a healthy profit, and the socialist coalition feels its only natural to introduce special taxes to get a bigger share of that profit - I guess a phone company tax, a lawyer tax or a property broker tax is next, and we all know who will get the bill in the end - the consumers)

Meanwhile the non-socialist coalition, "Alliansen", are hell-bent on finding new ways to strip the public of the last shreds of personal integrity and freedom:

• Random drug tests in school (clearly giving the police mandate to perform drug tests on kids without parent's permission wasn't enough)
• Publishing pictures of suspected criminals (because apparently the stigmata of sending purple letters to the families of suspected sex buyers wasn't enough...)

Not to mention all the disgusting laws that have been passed already during the last 4 years.

Of course, the socialists aren't friends of freedom and integrity either, supporting the new and oppressive laws that have been passed during the non-socialist government, the FRA-law, the data retention directive and the Ipred-law. They've even suggested every kid in school should get a "personal police officer" watching over them, making sure they don't do any mistakes (you know, being out partying on a Saturday night), and accepting any incriminating information they might have on other kids, in effect creating a society based on fear and squealing.

So the question is really, would you like some plague to go with that cholera, or is cholera enough? I'd like neither, thank you so much.

I noticed blogger Ravenna shares my views on some of this insanity. A post well worth reading.

No spam, please!

What part of my "Ej reklam, tack" sign doesn't my stupid mailman understand? I don't want any unsolicited junk in my mailbox, and that includes spam from various political parties who have already started the election campaign for this year's elections. Only yesterday two unsolicited and utterly pointless brochures, from Kristdemokraterna and Socialdemokraterna, ended up in my mail. If you insist on ruining the rain forest printing this shit that's your business, but keep me out of it, please!

New Moore is No More

Believe it or not India and Bangladesh have been fighting over a lousy piece of rock (3 by 3,5 km in size) situated in the Bay of Bengal for nearly 30 years. There were no people living on this tiny island, no structures of any kind, no valuable natural resources, just a remote piece of rock in the ocean, called New Moore Island.

Finally God got fed up with the utterly pointless bickering and sunk this pitiful little island into the ocean.

I think oceanographer Sugata Hazra summed it all up pretty nice:

"What these two countries could not achieve from years of talking, has been resolved by global warming".

Oh the stupidity of the world.


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Miljöpartiet wants your money

Miljöpartiet (Mp) needs money to finance their highly hypothetical national budget. They've already promised their miserable, masochist voters higher income taxes, but obviously that's not enough. Now they want to increase the fuel taxes as well, which will add another 2 kronor on the petrol price.

My only question is why? It sure as hell isn't to save the environment. Today the first generation of "environment cars", miljöbilar, are already up to an impressive 37 percent market share, up 20 percent from last year. These cars are boring as hell, with tiny diesel engines (Volvo DRIVe) or poor handling (Toyota Prius), but people are still buying them - to contribute to the environment and to save money on fuel, on toll charges and on the company car taxation.

When plug-in hybrids hit the market around 2012 or so I suspect the environmental car market share will increase significantly. Seeing as these cars will cover most of their daily driving without burning as much as a liter of fuel not only will they make the fuel price less relevant, they will also contribute to less local pollution. Let us not forget that this second generation of environmentally friendly cars will also be bigger, perform better, and be more suited for a broader public.

And after the plug-in hybrid era perhaps we've got pure electric cars waiting around the corner? Powered by some new battery technology or by hydrogen? All I know is that the research is moving away from the traditional fossil fuel combustion engines fast, and that there is absolutely no sense in pestering the regular car owners with an increased fuel tax at this point. We're simply waiting for an environmentally friendly car that can suit our needs, ok? If anything go bother the car manufacturers to increase their R&D speed.

My guess is that Miljöpartiet is suggesting this moronic tax increase to satisfy their bitter, car-hating core voters. There simply is no other explanation.

Socialists don't work

Only 43% of socialist voters in Sweden feel the current politics are to their advantage, which leads me to the conclusion that most socialist voters don't like to work, they prefer to sit on their ass and cash in that social security check every month.

Of course it's upsetting for them to see people who actually make their own money getting to keep a bit more of their paycheck, while their own welfare benefits are shrinking and they are increasingly forced to get out into that cold, estranged world of work.

"Join the dark side"

In a surprising twist of events it seems the French embassy is now doing the dirty work of the entertainment mafia lobby, trying to pressure single parliament members to change their view on integrity, freedom and human rights:

- De kom till riksdagen och de började prata om min syn på internet och
telekompaketet och varför jag hade en så naiv syn så att man inte skulle kunna
stänga av sidor.

"How can you be so naive and believe in freedom and integrity? Do you really think those human rights are worth more than the profit of the entertainment industry? Come, come, join the dark side. We promise we'll make it worth your while."

This behaviour by the French embassy is something previously unheard of in this part of the world, and just adds proof that the so-called civilized world is degenerating fast. It all makes sense though, considering that the pathetic fool ruling this poor excuse of a country is literally sleeping with the entertainment mafia. Makes you wonder what those crazy frogs will do next.

Refuse / Resist - part 2

Speaking of grim dystopias, there seems to be no end to what lengths governments in previously civilized countries will go in order to control the population. Have a look at this depressing piece of reading on how Holland's citizens are on a highway to hell, quite literally. And what's really sad is that the road tolls in Stockholm are looked upon as a role model for all these new, oppressive regimes. Obviously a role model on how to monitor each citizens every move in order to maximize the tax revenues. Seriously, you stupid-ass politicians, this is nothing to be proud of.

It's for your own safety. And tax purposes.

Refuse / Resist

Yes, mangling the free Internet was just the beginning. Because, after all, people don't spend all there time on the web. They sometimes travel by car as well, and obviously they need to be closely monitored while doing so.

Det kallas Pay as you drive. Systemet registrerar hur fort du kör, var du kör, vilken tid på dygnet, och så vidare. Baserat på den informationen sätts sedan din försäkringspremie.

(...)

Och precis som med säkerhetsbältet en gång i tiden blir registreringen med tiden lagstiftad och obligatoriskt för alla, uppger Rode vidare i en längre intervju i tidningen På Väg.

Read the grim dystopia that would have George Orwell turn in his grave here. Haven't politicians seen from various dictatorships that have crumbled over the last couple of centuries that complete and total control over citizens is neither desirable nor possible?

I'll just take a deep breath and listen to this old Sepultura classic. These guys knew what they were talking about.

Let (s)he who is without sin...

Swedish tabloid newspaper Expressen has revealed a political "scandal": One of Piratpartiet's members, Henrik Alexandersson, worked as a cameraman shooting porn for a couple of months back in the 1990's. Oh my God, he was a cameraman - whatever should we do?

Of course, members from the more established parties take the opportunity to score some cheap points by crying out their outrage. Seeing Mona Sahlin standing first in line and saying that she "feels disgust" makes me think of the biblical "let he (or in this case she) who is without sin cast the first stone" incident. Not often has it been more appropriate.

So, in the 1990's, Henrik Alexandersson - far from being a full-time politician - worked briefly in a line of business frowned upon by most. He blew the whistle on this business after discovering unsettling conditions. He did an ethical choice. Mona Sahlin, on the other hand, was at this time a full-time politician, and busy stealing taxpayer's money (as if her salary wasn't enough!) - 53 174 SEK, to be exact, after which she took off on a family vacation to Mauritius, sponsored by - you guessed it - the taxpayers. She was also busy hiring black labour to take care of her children (1990), "forgetting" to pay her public service fee (1993), and "forgetting" to pay her parking tickets -98 in total (1998). Oh yeah, and it continues all the way into this millennium: In 2000 she "forgot" to pay 30.000 SEK in tax arrears, and in 2001 she "forgot" to pay her bills, including the annual car tax. To mention a few.

Sometimes it's just best to keep your mouth shut and stop pointing your finger at others.

Democracy the EU way

Found this little clip on Youtube that shows how the EU democracy works: "The voters are stupid and don't know their own good. That's why we'll completly disregard them and do whatever we want anyway. There's too much political prestige in this to respect the democracy". Way to tell them, Wallström!

The red-green coalition kick off their election campaign

The three parties forming the red-green coalition, Socialdemokraterna, Vänsterpartiet and Miljöpartiet, kicked off their election campaign today by announcing that if they win the election next year, they promose to - in good socialist manner - re-introduce the ridiculously unfair housing tax, and thus seeing to it that only the filthy rich will be allowed to inhabit a house with a taxable value of over 4,5 million SEK (which means quite a lot of the properties in the Stockholm region...). Good on them. I mean, who cares about the old grandmother who's lived in that big old house in Lidingö her whole life? About bloody time she sold it and moved to a nursing home, isn't it?

Funnily enough the tax on apartments is suggested to be lowered. So the big picture here is that those who don't make a fortune shouldn't live in houses, they should sell it and settle for an apartment. Preferably a small, grey, boring one in a depressing suburb. Nice, socialist way of thinking.

Brilliant work, guys. You're sure to gain votes on this one!

The fine art of prioritizing

DI.se and Aftonbladet.se, SVD.se and DN.se all report that the Swedish police will hire 15 policemen who will work exclusively on trying to track down those illegal and dangerous...wait for it...copyright infringers. Those vicious, lethal bastards who threaten to tear apart our society by performing acts of, yes you got it, copyright infringement...

Upon reading the articles it becomes clear that these 15 policemen will not be new hires, but will instead be transferred from other police departments where they have hopefully been busy doing important work up until now. Well, not anymore, they won't! Instead they'll be busy upholding laws created by the entertainment industry to protect their obsolete business models instead of developing like the rest of the world, and to help them maximize their profit. What a brilliant way to spend my tax money. I mean, who really cares about rapes, murders, kidnappings, arson, robberies and random acts of violence when you've got the massive threat of kids (and grownups for that matter) who simply enjoy sharing art, entertainment and information with each other?

This is why

If anyone is still wondering why Piratpartiet, The Pirate Party, got 7,1 percent of the votes in this weekend's EU elections, and why they are so desperately needed in the EU, here's your answer. And here.

The well established political parties are simply too stupid, ignorant and/or well paid by the entertainment industry (who spend 900 million SEK a year "lobbying" and suing dead grandmothers and bullying minors instead of developing new and sustainable business models) to care about the fact that the bills they're passing are colliding heads on with basic rights that we're used to in this part of the world, at least after the fall of the Deutsche Demokratische Republik, and that many, thank God, refuse to give up without a fight.

My guess is that England and France will have their own pirate parties, or civil liberty parties if you will, taking several seats in the EU parliament after the next election, and working for the basic rights and liberties that the old parties are dismantling in an absolutely unbelievable attempt to increase the profit of an industry unwilling to adapt to the modern times.

Look to China!

Swedish politicians should see great potential in this new software developed in China with the aim to block websites containing unwanted material. Apparently China's aim is that this piece of censorship software must be installed in every new computer sold from the first of July.

This could be a logical next step after IPRED2 has been implemented. If anything, it could help further boosting The Pirate Party's ratings just in time for the next EU elections.

Come on, Reinfeld & co., look to China once again!

No democracy for you

I've written about the fact that I'm not allowed to vote in the EU elections in a blog post called "No democracy for me". Turns out the question of democracy is just as relevant for EU citizens who are entitled to vote, following what appears to be a large scale election fraud in Sweden, where election tickets for The Pirate Party have been hidden or thrown away by the officials at the polling stations!

How this grave attack on the democracy has not caused more attention in the media is beyond me. In fact none of the larger newspapers in Sweden seem to have written about it. I can only imagine the commotion if the Socialist Democratic Party was the victim, and not The Pirate Party.