Comments about the Yle television series on far-right young women, Suomineidot (Finnish Maidens), went viral, and for a good reason. Apart from revealing how much in the dark Yle is about racism and the far right, it also exposes white privilege in Finland.
In a nutshell, the series is about three young women:
- Meri Kartta is a far-right ethnonationalist who hangs out with neo-Nazis.
- Jasmin Ollikainen is an avid follower of Pentti Linkola, an ecofascist.
- Liisa Siira is a member of the Islamophobic Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party.
One of the best arguments against the program is that it lacks context. The journalists who did the series acted as obedient stenographers instead of critical reporters.
Despite the criticism of the program, Yle defended the program in a tweet below:
“Improving our understanding of each other and the world is one of Yle’s aims. By confronting different points of view, we increase our understanding and empathy and challenging confrontation. If we understand the reasons behind a particular point of view, we may feel that it isn’t so threatening.”
Source: Yle
White privilege in Finland #84
Factors like institutional racism and whitewashing history are other factors that Suomineidot promotes.
A good example of the latter is a picture of Marshal Carl Gustaf Mannerheim and Heinrich Himmler. I have asked some friends and the board of Mikkeli Klubi where the picture stands on the wall together with many Nazi German generals like Alfred Jodl and Nikolaus von Falkenhorst.
Here is the historical context missing from the picture: What about mentioning the Holocaust for starters? When both men held schnapps glasses in the picture, Operation Heydrich was in full swing in 1942.
Operation Heydrich, the elimination of all Jews and the Roma was in full swing.
The answer I get from those I ask about Mannerheim and Himmler and other Nazi generals is that the pictures are ok since they “are history.”
Like in the Suomineidot series, no context leaves much room for whitewashing and admiration.
Few of our acquaintances and friends will admit that they are openly racist, neo-Nazis, or “understand” Nazi Germany. But seeing programs and reading about such social ills reinforce their worldview.
A picture of Mannerheim and Himmler on the wall in 2022 without context is a way to whitewash a lot of historical pain and shame.
See also:
- Defining white Finnish privilege #1: I have it and you don’t
- Defining white Finnish privilege #2: Third culture children versus “pupil with immigrant background”
- Defining white Finnish privilege #3 No history, no doctrine, no heroes and no martyrs
- Defining white Finnish privilege #4 Holding the short end of the stick
- Defining white Finnish privilege #5 It’s ok to be a racist
- Defining white Finnish privilege #6 Not having a voice and the media
- Defining white Finnish privilege #7 A definitive guide
- Defining white Finnish privilege #8 Underrated and less intelligent
- Defining white Finnish privilege #9 Mohammad Ali’s insight
- Defining white Finnish privilege #10 I can victimize and make up any story I like about migrants because I’m white
- Defining white Finnish privilege #11: Case Teuvo Hakkarainen
- Defining white Finnish privilege #12: Case Tom Packalén
- Defining white Finnish privilege #13: Case Matti Putkonen
- Defining white Finnish privilege #14: Losing sight of the real issue
- Defining white Finnish privilege #15: Case Halla-ago on the PS
- Defining white Finnish privilege #16: Rosa Emilia Clay and my history versus yours
- Defining white Finnish privilege #17: The Perussuomalaiset and our civil rights
- Defining white Finnish privilege #18: Labeling others according to your prejudice
- Defining white Finnish privilege #19: My rape statistics about your group
- Defining white Finnish privilege #20: Labeling Others to strengthen “us” and “them.”
- Defining white Finnish privilege #21: Who can be a Finn?
- Defining white Finnish privilege #22: From racist, fascist to a politician without memory
- Defining white Finnish privilege #23: Greater police powers to monitor migrants and minorities
- Defining white Finnish privilege #24: Becoming a heartless accomplice in wars and people’s suffering
- Defining white Finnish privilege #25: This land is my land, this isn’t your land
- Defining white Finnish privilege #26: Are you an ethnic Finn?
- Defining white Finnish privilege #27: White versus Other media
- Defining white Finnish privilege #28: Are you an ethnic Finn (Part 2)?
- Defining white Finnish privilege #29: Your family is worth less than mine
- White Finnish privilege #30: Whitewashing and racializing the news
- White Finnish privilege #31: The Soldiers of Odin and the Finnish media
- White Finnish privilege #32: The white Finnish police and “them”
- White Finnish privilege #33: Appropriating our narrative to maintain the status quo, amass more power and privilege
- White Finnish privilege #34: Building a political career on privilege and nativist nationalism
- White Finnish privilege #35: Case Sampo Terho and the ministry of (dis)culture
- White Finnish privilege #36: Hate speech and censorship
- White Finnish privilege #37: The master of near-everything
- Defining white Finnish privilege #38: Cultural appropriation and racism are quaint discussion topics between white Finns
- Exposing white Finnish privilege #39: The Hollywood ending of racism that will never happen in Finland
- Exposing white Finnish privilege #40: To whitewash or to disenfranchise
- Exposing white Finnish privilege #41: An Islamophobic politician and gender equality
- Exposing white Finnish privilege #42: Labeling and shaming
- Exposing white Finnish privilege #43: White versus dark skin
- Exposing white Finnish privilege #44: Defending Nazis’ rights to march is ok as long we agree on the common enemy
- Exposing white Finnish privilege #45: Do blondes have more fun?
- Exposing white Finnish privilege #46: Teuvo Hakkarainen = white racism and sexism
- Exposing white Finnish privilege #47: President Sauli Niinistö’s “culture inside four walls”
- Exposing white Finnish privilege #48: Allow me to smear your religion so mine can shine
- Exposing white Finnish privilege #49: When white privilege backfires
- Exposing white Finnish privilege #50: Caving in to white narratives
- Exposing white Finnish privilege #51: The police are the defenders of white power and privilege
- Exposing white Finnish privilege #52: Having no privilege is dangerous
- White Finnish privilege #53: Plan Finland’s unplanned pregnancy campaign #ProtectBlackGirlsToo #Whatofme
- White Finnish privilege #54: Disguising your racism, bigotry, and prejudices effectively
- White Finnish privilege #55: It’s that time of the year – Christmas!
- White Finnish privilege #56: How Islamophobic is Finland?
- White Finnish privilege #57: Finland’s “hostile environment” against migrants
- White Finnish privilege #58: How the police, media and politicians fuel Finland’s hostile environment against Muslims and migrants
- White Finnish privilege #59: In this country, you are guilty before proven innocent
- White Finnish privilege #60: Oulu, OULU! Awaken and sniff the racist coffee.
- Exposing Finnish white privilege #61: #NoRacismInUniversity #WeAreNotSkinColour
- Exposing Finnish white privilege #62: On free speech and scared white men
- Exposing Finnish white privilege #63: Silence and acting dumb are the swords of institutional racism
- Exposing Finnish white privilege #64: The cancer of institutional racism in Finland
- Exposing Finnish white privilege #65: Racism exists because our society profits from it
- Exposing Finnish white privilege #66: Abdirahim Husu Hussein and dealing with racist passengers in a racist environment
- Exposing Finnish white privilege #67: Pirkka-Pekka Petelius’ apology exposes deep-rooted white Finnish supremacy
- Exposing white Finnish privilege #68: The party that injects Finland’s Islamophobia with steroids and other hate-enhancing drugs
- Exposing white Finnish privilege #69: At the dentist – do you speak Finnish?
- Exposing white Finnish privilege #70: At the dentist’s and where are you from?
- Exposing white Finnish privilege #71: Hate speech is an example of white supremacist privilege
- Exposing white Finnish privilege #72: False police reporting is an example of violence and open hostility
- Exposing white Finnish privilege #73: Stoking and exploiting white suspicion
- Exposing white Finnish privilege #74: The anti-Semitic beast inside Jussi Halla-aho
- Exposing white Finnish privilege #75: Obsession with race, ethnicity, and us versus them
- Exposing white Finnish privilege #76: Two news stories that expose entitlement
- Exposing white Finnish privilege #77: The PS are Finnish white supremacists
- Exposing white Finnish privilege #78: the spread and acceptance of white nationalism
- Exposing white Finnish privilege #79: Spreading lies at our economic peril
- Exposing white Finnish privilege #80: Violence against you counts but mine doesn’t
- Exposing white Finnish privilege #81: Racializing crime, perpetuating stereotypes and racism
- Exposing white Finnish privilege #82: Good “refugees” are white and Christian, “bad” ones are Muslims
- Exposing white Finnish privilege #83: War doesn’t give a hoot if you are white or black
