One of the big questions about the US invasion of Venezuela is what is the next step. Does th Trump régime have a plan? Or is it the first step in the Western Hemisphere to control Greenland, Mexico, and Cuba? Is it a message to China to takeover Taiwan an Russia to overtake Ukraine and parts of Europe, like the Baltic States?
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There’s not much that could be done in the US since Trump’s Republicans control Congress and the Senate. Mid-term elections are in November.
Apart from the wreckless foreign policy, and to add insult to injury, Trump is wishing for some Noble Peace Prize for his reckless policies that will lead to no good.
The Monroe and Donroe Doctrines. Sources: Expansion and rouming.cz
If anything, Trump’s about-turn in domestic and foreign policy reveals that his administration, led by the likes of Pete Hegseth, Marco Rubio and other far-right politicians, shows how low we have fallen by giving big business, and wealth power. These will eventually receive their comeuppance in the end, if we don’t destroy before ourselves through catastrophes like war and disregard for the environment.
Apart from scaring the wits out of the US’ allies, it is clear that if the goal is money and wealth, nothing lasting can come out of it. The tiptoeing around Trump of the EU and Finland’s President Alexander Stubb is nothing short of disgraceful.
Stubb, like the European Commission, has given his blessing to the inhumane treatment of asylum seekers at our borders. He has blessed the pushback law, which give the Finnish border guards the right to turn back without due process any asylum seeker.
I wonder when Stubb will play golf with Trump again?
What the Trump administration is doing is awakening the fighting spirits of Malcolm X, Eldridge Cleaver, Angela Davis, Che Guevara, Fidel Castro, Tamara “Tania” Bunke, Nelson Mandela, Rosa Luxemburg, Eva Perón, Mahatma Gandhi, Frederick Duglass, Martin Luther King Jr., Toussaint L’Ouverture, Karl Marx, Emiliano Zapata, Frantz Fanon and many, many others.
We have wonderful examples of the wisdom and learnings on how such people pushbed back oppression and injustice.
The latter list of social fighters gives me hope in 2026.
Hävetkää, MTV! Miksi? Koska taas kerran te innokkaasti hyväksikäytätte nuorten tekemää rikollisuutta, erityisesti niin sanottujen ”maahanmuuttajataustaisten nuorten” tekemiä rikoksia. Raporttisi osoittaa, että olet enemmän kiinnostunut nuorten syyllistämisestä ja leimaamisesta kuin ratkaisujen löytämisestä.
MTV leimaa näitä nuoria yhdessä vanha tuttu Markku Heinikarin kanssa, joka on poliisin rikosyksikön johtaja. Rasistista narratiivia pönkittävät MTV:n tähdet ovat jälleen kaikki paikalla: Ivan Puopolo ja Tiia Palmén, joka ei koskaan vastannut sähköposteihini koskien MTV:n puolueellista uutisointia.
On surullista, jopa vastuutonta, että poliisi ja media leimaavat kaikki nuoret ottamatta huomioon, kuinka raskas tuo leima on näille nuorille. Heinikari kuten myös MTV sivuuttavat Suomen maahanmuuton historian: muistavatko he, kun suomalaisia epäiltiin Ruotsissa lähes kaikista rikoksista 1960- ja 1970-luvulla?
Viimeisimmässä jutussa nuorisorikollisuudesta, jonka väitetään olevan ”enemmistöltään maahanmuuttajataustaisten nuorten” tekemää, MTV kaataa jälleen lisää bensaa liekkeihin rasismillaan. Poliisit kuten Heinikari eivät tee muuta kuin vahvistavat rasistista leimaamista. Kuvitelkaa: KAIKKI ”maahanmuuttajataustaiset” nuoret nähdään rikollisina tai potentiaalisina rikollisina.
Heinikari on ollut pitkään MTV:n vakiovieras nuorisorikollisuutta koskevassa uutisoinnissa. Hän leimasi jälleen häpeilemättömästi, kuten aiemminkin, kaikki ruskeat ja mustat nuoret rikollisiksi. Poliisi toteaa yllä olevassa kuvassa: ”Maahanmuuttajatausta on selkeä yhteys nuorten ryöstöihin, maahanmuuttajatausta ja Ruotsista johdettu rikollisuus.” Hän ei kuitenkaan esitä mitään todisteita mielipiteensä tueksi, jota jotkut pitäisivät rasistisena.
Migrant Tales oli osa työryhmää, joka paljasti raportissaan, kuinka äärioikeistolaiset puolueet kuten Perussuomalaiset (PS) käyttivät nuorisojengi-”ongelmaa” äänestäjien houkuttelemiseen.
Shame on MTV, the privately owned TV station! Why? They are at it again with gusto exploiting crime by youths especially perportrated by so-called “youths of migrant backgrounds.” In one stroke of a paint brush, MTV with the help of Markku Heinikari, head of the police criminal unit. The MTV stars propping up the racist narrative are all there again: Ivan Puopolo and Tiia Palmén, who never answered my emails to her concerning MTV‘s biased reporting.
It is sad, even irresponsible, for the police and the media to label all youths taking into account how heavy the label weighs on these adolescents. Heinikar as well as MTV are ignorant of Finnish immigration history, when Finns were suspected for every crime in Sweden?
With the latest story about youth crime committed by “a majority of adolescents with migrant backgrounds,” MTV pours on again its racism. Policemen like Heinikari do nothing more than reinforce the racist labelling. Imagine, ALL youths “with migrant backgrounds” are guilty of being criminals or potential criminals.
Heinäkari is an old guest of MTV’s reporting on youth crime. He labelled shamelessly again ike in the past all brown and black youths as criminals. The police states in the picture above: “Migrant background is a clear link in youth robberies, migrant background and in led crime from Sweden.” He does not, however, offer no proof except his opinion, which some would state are racist.
Migrant Tales formed part of a team that exposed in a report how far-right parties like the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* used the youth gang “problem” to help them lure voters.
Former Helsinki Police Chief Commissioner Jari Taponen admitted in the report, “The saddest thing about the youth gang debate is that it labels all minority youths (as potential criminals).”
The fact that media like MTV would care less about their reporting is nothing new taking into account how it has framed the topic.
A story titled “The Government Plans to Tighten Integration Rules” was published by MTV, a private television company, but was taken down almost immediately. The reporter who interviewed Interior Minister Mari Rantanen was Ivan Puopolo, well-known for his anti-immigration views. European Islamophobia Report 2023
Other media like Helsingin Sanomat also reported on this phenomena. However, none like MTV, have done so with so much enthusiasm.
Shame on MTV, the privately owned TV station. Why? They are at it again with gusto exploiting crime by youths especially perpetrated by so-called “youths of migrant backgrounds.” In one stroke of a paint brush, MTV with the help of Markku Heinikari, head of the police criminal unit label youths as criminals.The MTV xenophobic stars propping up the racist narrative are the usual ones: Ivan Puopolo and Tiia Palmén, who never answered my emails to her concerning MTV‘s biased reporting.
It is sad, even irresponsible, for the police and the media to label all youths are criminals taking into account how heavy the label weighs on these adolescents. Heinikari as well as MTV are ignorant of Finnish immigration history, when Finns were suspected in the 1960s and 1970s for every crime committed in Sweden.
Does the phrase “en finne igen” [a Finn again*] ring a bell?
With the latest story about youth crime committed by “a majority of adolescents with migrant backgrounds,” MTV pours on the racism again. Policemen like Heinikari do nothing more than reinforce the racist labelling. Imagine, ALL youths “with migrant backgrounds” are guilty of being criminals or at least potential criminals.
Heinikari is an old guest of MTV’s reporting on youth crime. He labelled shamelessly again ike in the past all brown and black youths as criminals. The police states in the picture above: “Migrant background is a clear link in youth robberies, migrant background and in led crime from Sweden.” He does not, however, offer any proof except his opinion, which some would state are racist. Source: MTV
Migrant Tales formed part of a team that exposed in a report how far-right parties like the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* used the youth gang “problem” to help them lure voters. Other culprits included the police and the media.
Former Helsinki Police Chief Commissioner Jari Taponen admitted in the report, “The saddest thing about the youth gang debate is that it labels all minority youths (as potential criminals).”
The fact that media like MTV would care less about labeling youths is nothing new taking into account how it has framed the topic.
A story titled “The Government Plans to Tighten Integration Rules” was published by MTV, but was taken down almost immediately. The reporter who interviewed Interior Minister Mari Rantanen was none other than Ivan Puopolo, well-known for his anti-immigration views. European Islamophobia Report
Other media like Helsingin Sanomat also reported on this phenomena. However, none like MTV, have done so with so much enthusiasm.
Prime Minister Petteri Orpo assures that his government does not tolerate racism
I’m writing this in English because I want the international audience and media to know a little more about the state Finland is in. I’m hoping, that international awareness will help the fight against racism in our country. The second most important minister in the government, Minister of Finance Riikka Purra says that there is no racism. There are only rumors and scandal stories made up by the people and the media. Prime Minister Petteri Orpo says, that enough has been said and the discussion must end.
And yet: the Finnish government is a racist government formed by racist parties.
In a small country with only 5,7 million inhabitants, the media is also small and totally dependent on their advertisers and owners, the large companies. The companies are the financial supporters of rightwing politicians, also the far right. The main parties on this side are kokoomus, “the Coalition Party” and Perussuomalaiset, “The Finns Party” or “the Basic Finns”. In this situation it’s difficult, if not impossible, for the media to write, repeatedly or at all, honestly and truthfully about racism in Finnish politics and about the racism of the Finnish government and parliament.
Many private people are reluctant to stand up against racists, too. They are afraid of cyberbullying, of violence and even of losing their jobs or finding themselves in a suspicious position in the eyes of their bosses. That’s why racism is still discussed thoroughly and rigorously in private internet groups. That helps to ease the worried citizens, but it has little effect on the worsening situation.
I wrote a summary about the Finnish government’s racism. I will translate its main content here, adding some explanations.
The latest racism spree by Petteri Orpo’s government took a new geographical direction. Previously, public, blatant racism has been targeted at the Middle East and Africa. As “the Asian eyes” scandal spread, Orpo sent via the media an urgent message from Brussels to the Finns Party: ”This discussion must be stopped in Parliament today and it should be made clear that Finland does not accept any kind of racism and regrets what happened.”
The Prime Minister was concerned about Finland’s reputation in Asian countries. Not about the racism that is rampant in Finland – and has been for years, with added volume during this government.
After returning home, Orpo deeply apologized to the embassies of Asian countries. However, the apology was deeply false. It began: ”I deeply apologize for the recent offensive social media posts by individual members of parliament…” and the last, third paragraph begins ”The chairmen of the parliamentary groups of the governing parties have discussed the actions of individual members of parliament.”
Mr. Orpo is trying hard to propagate that just some individual MPs acted in a racist manner. That is a clear lie.
Even if the government of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo claims no racism or exclusion of migrants in Finland, the opposite is true. Finland has become an unfriendly , even hostile, country for migrants.
If there is one law that shows such disdain it is the new citizenship test that will come into force in the beginning of 2027.
In a council of state statement, anti-immigration Perussuomaliset (PS)* Interior Minister Mari Rantanen argues in favor of tightening migration laws and the citizenship test.
The government of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo turns a blind eye towards the racist policies and politics of the PS. Exaggerating youth crime, media like MTV see the tightening of integrtion laws in a violent light. Migrant Tales.
“We have already tightened the conditions for Finnish citizenship, including the required length of residence, income and integrity,” she said. “By introducing a citizenship test, we will further strengthen the principle that acquiring citizenship calls for successful integration into Finnish society and an understanding of its values.”
While it is important that new citizens understand their rights and how society’s institutions work, Rantanen’s citizenship shows suspicion, whitewashing and hypocrisy. Even if it points out that it is important to know gender and non-discrimination facts, it does nothing to expose the lies of the government on this front.
One clear case exposing hypocrisy is for the candidate to be knowledgeable of basic civil rights and human rights, which Rantanen and the government have watered down. Even if exam tests the candidates knowledge of gender and sexual minority rights, among others, it does not confront the racism in Finnish society towards minorities like Muslims spread by Rantanen’s party.
One of the most eceptionalist parts of the proposed test, in my opinion, is on custom and values.
Even if the candidate must know what are white Finnish customs and values are, there is nothing about how Finland is becoming ever-diverse. Does Rantanen falsely believe that people will eventually throw away their cultural habits and become white?
Does the test say anything about the government defending minority rights like Ramadan?
The new citizenship test and the tightening of citizenship law will further erode Finland’s and the present Finnish government’s credibility.
How can we believe in a government that is discriminating and oppressing minority rights now with citizenship tests that are a reflection of its racism and prejudice?
The old world is dying, and the new world struggles to be born: now is the time of monsters. Antonio Gramsci (1891-1937)
The quote by the Italian Marxist philosopher, writer and linguist, sheds light on the troubled times we are living in. We can witnes the wrecking ball in the United States, Gaza, and in many troubled regions of the world.
Trump’s National Security Strategy (NSS), which warns Europe of “white civilization erasure” and throws its support to far-right parties, is the best example of how the US is spreading its imperialist intentions.
Even if Finland’s far-right Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party is silent but supports in principle the NSS, the recent racism slanted-eye scandal involving two MPs and an MEP, tells us that racism is the anti-immigration party’s DNA.
An interesting question we can ask is why this particuar racism scandal, which insulted Asians got so much attention? The party normally attacks Muslims and other racialized minorities without any major consequences.
Is it because Asians are considered closer to “white” Finns than say Arabs?
Below, is a shameful picture of the PS politicians who said they “didn’t mean to insult anyone.”
From left to right: Juho Eerola, Kaisa Garedew ja Euroopan parlamentin jäsen Sebastian Tynkkynen. Photo: Facebook.
At a recent parliamentary session Thursday, Finance Minister and PS chairperson Riikka Purra gave a surreal answer when grilled by opposition politicians abour the scandal.
This picture below on the wall of the Mikkelin Klubi. located 230km north of the capital Helsinki, was one of the main reaons why I quit my membership. Everytime I inquired about the infamous picture of Heinrich Himmler with Carl Gustaf Mannerheim, I’d get a knee-jerk response: “it’s history (so it’s ok).”
Even if this may be the case, the picture is displayed without any context like why are Himmler and Mannerheim toasting together and what was the country’ relationship with what Nazi Germany? What about complicity in the “Final Solution,” the genocide committed against the Jews, Roma and other enemies of the Nazi regime?
Himmler is not the only war criminal on the wall of the club. You will also find Alfred Jodl, found guilty on all four counts (conspiracy, crimes against peace, war crimes, and crimes against humanity) and sentenced to death. In my opinion, the pictures on the wall of the club display history but it is done without context, which makes it problematic. If you wish, you can pay tribute to the sinister alliance between Finland and Germany and be a closet Nazi if you wish.
The text above reads: “Heinrichs, Airo, Himmler, Marshall, Ehrfurt (sic), Nenonen, Lundqvist and a German visitor at the Mikkeli Club in fall 1942.” In 1942, Operation Reinhard, which aimed to liquidate Polish Jewry, was in full swing.
Treblinka was one of the many extermination camps of Operation Reinhard, the deadliest phase of Nazi Germany’s intention to commit genocide against the Jewish people.
Those pictures and our justification for joining the Nazi cause in World War 2, could explain why Finland is incapable of tackling its growing racism problem. Hannah Arendt famously called it the banality of evil.
The person below is none other than Perussuomalaiset (PS)* MP Juho Eerola, who infamously said that he liked Italian fascist Benito Mussolini’s economic system because there was full employment. His list of racist rants have accompanied him through his political career. In the latest scandal (see picture below), he apologizes to Asians.
Apart from bein an MP, he used to be speaker of parliament and today chairs the legal committee. He’s even made a video where he is being shoved a dildo up his rectum.
Eerola regrets that his image has been interpreted as racist. Interpreted as racist?! It WAS and IS racist.
“In this context, I would like to say to all people of Asian descent that I apologize if this is how it came across,” he was quoted as saying in Yle. “It was by no means my intention to offend them.”
Juho Eerola didn’t mean to be racist with the picture. He is a good example of the far-right’s aim at destroying the crediblity of Finland’s institutions. Disagree? See what Donald Trump is doing n the US.Yle.
What is surprising is the reaction of the National Coalition Party like MP Pia Kauma, who has had her share of issues with racism, considered the action of MPs like Eerola as “childish and inappropriate.”
“Social media posts are childish and inappropriate,” she said in Ilta-Sanomat. “Members of Parliament are expected to behave in a dignified and respectful manner. Fooling around on social media at the expense of racism certainly does not meet these standards.”
