Tag: xenophobia

Post-April 17 Finland: A protest vote against whom?

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Enrique Tessieri

One reads and hears less these days about the reasons why the Perussuomalaiset (PS) scored such a big election victory in April. While casting a protest vote is a positive signs that our democracy functions, what did the voters actually contend? Political corruption? Immigration? Refugees? Mandatory Swedish? Ever-growing income gaps and social inequality?  

Since politicians and political parties have the most to gain from an election and the voters the least, some campaigns are carried out like aggressive used-car salesmen. The newer the party the more exaggerated its promises, while the more traditional ones give different sales pitches.

The PS, which is the new kid on the big party block, did a good job because it instilled fear and awoke passions so you’d buy its used car.

What the PS salesman won’t tell you are the real problems of the vehicle you purchased. Some of these are that the car has had ten owners, the mileage meter has been tampered, sawdust has been mixed with the oil and that he is charging you 80% more than the real price of the car.

Apart from the anti-EU, anti-immigration and anti-Islam sales pitch of many PS MP candidates, some voters are already noticing that they purchased a lemon.

One does not have to be a political scientist to understand that Finland will never find effective solutions to its challenges in Timo Soini’s simplistic sound bites and by polarizing our society between “true Finns” and “untrue Finns.”

Like a person that attracts bad company, the most unfortunate and questionable side of Soini’s PS has been its far-right wing led by MPs who are members of Suomen Sisu. Almost every week there is a worrisome revelation by the media about Jussi Halla-aho, who we now know disliked human rights in 2001 because they encouraged tolerance between black and white people.

The worst lemons of the PS are Halla-aho and his PS MP followers like James Hirvisaari, Olli Immonen, Juho Erola and others. They are selling you a car that runs on the ideology of Nazi war criminal Alfred Rosenberg, David Duke, former head of the Klu Klux Klan, and Michael Levin. All this, of course, in an early twenty-first century Finnish context.

If Soini’s party was incapable of capitalizing on such a big election victory by entering government it is doubtful that they’ll be given a second chance by the voters.

Voters do protest but they want results as well.

Xenophobia and racism are the poverty of Finland today

Posted on by Migrant Tales

By Enrique Tessieri

Some claim that ever-growing poverty and social inequality in Finland were the reasons why the Perussuomalaiset scored such a big election victory in April. We read in the media about ever-growing bread lines and how it has become more difficult for some people to make it through the month economically.  Even so, does this justify growing xenophobia and racism in our society?

Some cast their only vote in April in the belief that our most pressing problems would be solved by voting for an anti-immigration candidate of the PS.

Voting for such a candidate, however,  is like calling a pyromaniac to turn off a raging fire. You need qualified firemen to deal with that kind of threat in the same way that Finland needs today leaders and politicians who have political experience and a strong background in economics, globalization and sociology.

Poverty is unacceptable in any society. In some parts of the world it means living off $1 a day, or even less. It means making hard decisions: I will not eat today in order to feed my children.

I remember a documentary I saw in university a long time ago about a poor family in the US Appalachia Mountains. “IN the same way that some rich folks may be proud of being rich,” the young father said standing next to his wife, “I’m also proud of being poor.”

The couple didn’t apparently have enough money to buy milk so they fed their baby gravy from a bottle.

I am certain that when Finnish politicians and policy-makers speak of poverty they don’t mean living off $1 a day or having to feed your baby gravy (läskisoosi).

Poverty means different things in affluent countries like Finland and in the developing world. Poverty teaches some of us two important lessons:  our insignificance in society and that nothing is permanent. If there is some wisdom we can learn, probably it is treating people nicely even during bad times because we never know when we’ll need their help.

The rise of racism and right-wing populism in Finland and Europe are proof that these lessons are not even being acknowledged by some. Moreover, the arrogance of some politicians is like adding salt to the open wound of Finland’s polarized society.

The more we boast our racism and suspicion of minorities in public and in private, the more our society will continue to slip into a more devastating type of poverty. We will not throw extra weight overboard to slow our downward spiral but instead our most inalienable values like social equality for all.

Xenophobia and racism are the real poverty facing Finland today.

guardian.co.uk: While the European left dithers, the right marches menacingly on

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Comment: There are many factors that are fueling the rise of nativist right-wing populist parties in Europe. One of these is the global economic recession after September 2008, which was triggered by the bankruptcy of US banking group Lehman Brothers. Another factor has been the lack of any effective opposition to a message that aims to polarize society further.

The rise of xenophobia in Finland, for example, has been fueled by the Perussuomalaiset and little to no opposition by the media to their xenophobic message, according to a doctoral dissertation by Camila Haavisto.

Wilt Hutton’s column below attempts to answer the main challenges facing Europe on the right-wing populist front. He writes: “The trouble is that the longer the left’s response is confused, the more the populist right has begun to make anti-immigrant attitudes culturally acceptable (in Europe).”

Probably the first question we should ask is why the message of right-wing populist parties, which the PS is a part of, are unacceptable in today’s Europe?

Like much of the ongoing debate, your view depends on where you stand: Are you a target or the one attacking immigrants? Are you white or black? Muslim or Christian?

How do you think Europeans should address the right-wing populist message and challenge?

_____________

Wilt Hutton

Immigration: The longer the left’s response is confused, the more the populist right begins to make xenophobia acceptable.  It is hard not to be very uneasy. Every month, there is another milestone passed in the ever onward march of Europe’s populist, anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim, nativist right.

Read whole story.

Here is a comprehensive story by HBL (in Swedish) on the rise of right-wing populism in Europe.

HS: Seitsemän kysymystä rasismista

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Comment: Researcher Vesa Puronen is interviewed by Helsingin Sanomat  and asked what is racism. It seems a bit odd that in a country like Finland too many of us do not yet know in 2011 what racism is.

Puronen says that to be critical of immigration policy doesn’t mean one is a racist. However, racism is a system whereby some people are treated differently in society due to their ethnic background.

The big mistake that bigots make in Finland is that they believe they can sell such a social ill as a “normal” state of our society. The truth is, and what will eventually come to light in this country more than ever, is that racism is a pathological state.

One group that is pushing this view is PS MP Jussi Halla-aho. Puronen states that his ideas are very similar to what the Nazis had of the Jews in the 1930s. The Jew of 2011 for some PS members is Islam.

A society that breeds on racist ideology cannot expect a rosy future. The Nazis tried it but it led to Germany’s and Europe’s  near-total destruction.  Similar racist policies were tried in the former Yugoslavia with disastrous results.

The only way racism can succeed and justify its existence is through violence and war.

We should take advantage of the moment since racism and bigotry have raised their head big time in Finland.  I personally believe that one matter that people like Jussi Halla-aho and his followers never counted on is the mounting opposition and outrage to their views.

The message should be a clear one: Finland will not tolerate racism or hidden ideologies that support such views.

This country belongs to everyone and everyone should be treated equally.

__________________

Tuomas Peltomäki

Joskus ihmiset sanovat, etteivät ole rasisteja vaan maahanmuuttokriitikoita. Miten rasismi eroaa maahanmuuttokritiikistä?

Read whole story.

Finland after April 17: Awakening phantoms of the past

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By Enrique Tessieri

What would Finland see if it took a long and deep look at itself in the mirror after April 17? Would it see the ogre of racism? Xenophobia? The rise of right-wing populism? Would it say in sotto voce: “Mirror, mirror on the wall whose societal values are the fairest of them all?”

Optimism is an indispensable resource that humans have to pull through difficult times. When we use, however, such optimism to create wishful thinking that is when we tread into dangerous territory.

After last month’s election victory by the Perussuomalaiset,  which gained 19% of the votes and 39 MPs, what would Finland see today if it looked at itself in the mirror?

For one we’d see a slightly different country where our values of social equality and tolerance for all enshrined in the Constitution are being threatened by nationalist populist rhetoric.

Alan Bruce put it eloquently:  “Europe is being stalked by organized and pernicious forces of hatred – many of which have simply been lying low since 1945.”

Anyone who wants a glimpse of the mindset of some PS MPs, especially those that belong to the far-right Suomen Sisu association,  should acquaint themselves with the work of Alfred Rosenberg and David Duke.  The ideology of racism, anti-Semitism and White, or in the case of Rosenberg Aryan supremacy, unites both authors.

PS MP Jussi Halla-aho, one of four Suomen Sisu members who were elected to parliament, has refused publicly to condemned Rosenberg’s and Duke’s writings.

He does not because the Finnish twenty-first century context of Rosenberg and Duke are Suomen Sisu and the Nuiva manifesto.

It is widely known that Suomen Sisu is against Finns marrying foreigners. The racist views of these people, very present in Rosenberg’s and Duke’s writings, is based on the fear that white Finland will be overtaken by immigrants and Islam. Their opposition to multiculturalism can be compared, in today’s context, to the loathing  that the Nazis had of the Jews and other minorities.

Rosenberg and Duke are the antithesis of multiculturalism, which means generally accepting and living in a culturally diverse society.

The main argument of Rosenberg’s The myth of the twentieth century is that the “Aryan race” became corrupted and lost its power due to the Jews. In order to become the “master race,”  Germany had to expel the Jews from the country.

Alfred Rosenberg was tried in Nuremburg for crimes against humanity. He went to the gallows on October 16, 1946. Source: collections.yadvashem.org

Former Klu Klux Klan leader David Duke shaking hands with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Duke believes that his goal is “the advancement” of races by segregating white and black people. Is this what Somen Sisu seeks in Finland?

The same ideology, in a Finnish twenty-first century context, is being allowed through the backdoor by parties like the PS through MPs like Halla-aho and others.

It is not only unfortunate but shameful that some Finnish politicians’ lack the leadership to condemn an ideology based on far-right nationalism, xenophobia and racial myths spread by the likes of Rosenberg and Duke. Politics does make strange bedfellows but there are certain lines one cannot cross in a democracy.

Do Kokoomus, the Social Democrats and other parties believe that the Finland we are now seeing in the mirror will vanish magically with the help of wishful thinking?

Is Finland’s future being left to chance?

El País: El ocaso de la tolerancia nórdica

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Comment: Here is story published Sunday by El País of Madrid on how the Nordic countries of Denmark, Sweden and Finland have given ground to “far-right and populist” parties. The article, authored by Ana Carbajosa and Adrián Soto, who has lived in Finland for over thirty-five years, shows special concern over the last election in Finland.

Writes El País: “The last big (election) victory and which was probably more surprising was that of the Perussuomalaiset (the article translates the Finnish name of the party to Auténticos Finlandeses, or authentic Finns) who got two weeks ago 19% of the votes, or seven times more than in the last election (of 2007). Some analysts attribute the victory to the charismatic leader of the party, EuroMP Timo Soini.”

Could parties like the Perussuomalaiset, Danish People’s Party and Sweden Democrats mentioned in the El País story be knee-jerk reactions by some sectors of society to the rapid changes taking place in these countries due to globalization?

What is lamentable about these parties is that their responses are angry reactions with the usual round of anti-EU, anti-immigration and anti-Islam sentiment. Their hostility and nationalism only aggravates the problem.

Do you agree?

____________

Adrián Soto y Ana Carbajosa

La victoria electoral de los Auténticos Finlandeses ha supuesto una pequeña revolución en el país nórdico, pero sobre todo ha hecho saltar todas las alarmas en una región en la que hasta hace bien poco era casi impensable escuchar argumentos tan extremistas como los que ahora circulan por los Parlamentos nacionales de la zona. Los partidos de extrema derecha y populistas nórdicos ya no pueden ser ignorados porque les respalda una parte del electorado nada despreciable. En Finlandia y en Dinamarca han sido la tercera fuerza más votada. En Suecia han aflorado de la semioscuridad y han entrado en la cámara parlamentaria.

Pinche aquí para seguir leyendo.

Thank you PS MP Teuvo Hakkarainen of Finland for exposing yourself!

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By Enrique Tessieri

If we had to draw the face of racism that has lurked in Finnish society for decades, I would start by drawing Perussuomalaiset MP Teuvo Hakkarainen’s face.  He may look like a nice country boy from Viitasaari in Central Finland, but if you scratch the surface you will find the racism and ignorance that lives in some Finns. If you think that Hakkarainen is the only PS MP who has strong opinions on immigrants and refugees, you better think twice.

Racism and xenophobia come in different flavors in the PS.

It appears that we have for now four types in this dubious league: the Hakkarainens, serious Halla-ahos, serious little gray matter Halla-ahos and the ones that can hide it craftly. In order to be fair, I am certain that some of the 39 PS MPs that were elected are not challenged on this front. Isn’t it high time that they should come out and condemn racism to save theirs and the PS’ face?

Justice Demon sent us a few video clips of the first group, the Hakkarainens. The first one is the original interview by Helsingin Sanomat of MP Hakkarainen with English subtitles. The second and third are parodies of the original interview without English subtitles.

Taking into account Hakkarainen’s whirlwind start in parliament, his official web page leaves us even more perplexed. Apart from promising to “build together a better Finland,” Hakkarainen wrties that he has done consulting work in North and Central America as well as in Israel.

Haka-Wood is a sawmill company owned by Hakkarainen’s family. The company gets half a million euros in subsidies from the EU even though MP Hakkarainen is anti-EU.

Meanwhile, I asked a while back if anyone knew who was the elected MP for the PS that the Financial Times referred to as the  “ice cream salesman.”

His name is Kaj Turunen and he’s from the same electoral district as I (Etelä-Savo)! There is nothing wrong with selling ice cream in summer or being a businessman. The question goes deeper:  How qualified must you be to represent voters in a serious place like parliament?

Turunen writes in his blog that it is only a question of time when Finland leaves the EU.

I wonder what is going to happen to all those juicy farm subsidies and how much it will affect Turunen’s ice cream sales in the Savonlinna market place.

The kiss of death of Finnish right-wing populism

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The election victory by the Perussuomalaiset could be attributed to a number of factors and bears all the signs of the same illness spreading throughout Europe these days: right-wing populism that is anti-EU, anti-immigration and above all anti-Islam. The PS could have never dreamed of such success in the last election without the help of Kokoomus, Social Democratic Party and Center Party.

The PS should offer gratitude to their usual victims: immigrants, refugees and minorities.

But all of this would not have been possible for the PS without the help of the ogre of xenophobia that has lurked relatively hidden in Finnish society. Politicians in this country have known about this social ill for decades but have rarely challenged it.

If you speak to some who have been long-serving MPs, they know about that monster but have preferred to distance themselves from it because they know it could destroy their political careers.

All those parties that were openly pro-EU or faintly outspoken on racism suffered. The Greens are a good example never mind the Center Party, the biggest loser in the election. Could  former Prime Minister Mari Kiviniemi’s Center Party have suffered such a heavy defeat if it weren’t for her pro-EU and outspoken stance against racism?

Another factor that spurred the PS to new heights was a watershed statement in March 2010 by Kokoomus chairman Jyrki Katainen, who stated that being critical and debating immigrant issues in this country didn’t make you a racist. After that green light to racism was given, the Social Democratic leadership gave the PS another pat on the back with their infamous saying, maassa maan tavalla.

Like all major parties in Finland, each have their fair share of anti-immigration critics. No party, however, like the PS, has so many.

A good lesson to be learned from the election is that if you vacillate and offer flimsy leadership on an issue like racism you will become its prize.

Another matter that the election showed is that xenophobia is a social ill inflicting Finland.

Now is a better time than ever for concerned politicians and the general public to send that ogre back to where it came from: the gutter.

YLE: Halla-aho to Chair Committee in Charge of Immigration

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Comment: Does this story need any further explanation except probably an old Argentinean saying: “No evil lasts for a hundred years.” The saying states that a human cannot carry out evil deeds indefinitely because he doesn’t live a hundred years.

Certainly the PS are not an evil party but their aim to carve divisions within society and capitalize and stoke the fires of xenophobia are unacceptable.

Becoming more estranged and hostile to the outside world will have dire consequences not only for our society but hit our economy. Skilled workers will be reluctant to move here never mind foreign investment. Sensible and open-minded Finns with a future will seek employment in friendlier countries.

__________

True Finns have nominated candidates for chairing the parliamentary committees they have received leadership over. Jussi Halla-aho, who has sternly criticised immigration in his blog, is to become chairman of the Administration Committee, the responsibilities of which include immigration policies.

Read whole story.

True Finns: The first and last act of a tragic-comic play

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By Enrique Tessieri

Even if Finland has changed politically after Sunday’s election, there has been a greater about-turn among some True Finns. One particular group that form part of the anti-immigration Nuiva manifesto group, now attempt to appear like respectable elected MPs conveniently brushing under the rug those terrible things they said about immigrants.

The six who signed the Nuiva election manifesto and whom I am specifically referring to are: Jussi Halla-aho, James Hirvisaari, Vesa-Matti Saarakkala, Juho Erola, Olli Immonen and Maria Lohela.

One of these that I would like to pick out from the group is railway engineer James Hirvisaari. He is a member of the far-right Suomen Sisu association. Hirvisaari believes that  Finns should not marry foreigners.

After bashing and insulting Muslims and immigrants with gusto, he now attempts to portray himself as the most reasonable man in the world. If you have read his blog entries you will notice his obsession with adjectives. He sort of tries to do a Gabriel García Marquez by writing long sentences but ends up stuck in a paper bag.

In one of his recent blog entries, Minkälaisessa Suomessa haluan asua? (What kind of Finland would I want to live in?),  we see him turn into a Dr. Jekyll from a Mr. Hyde.

Hirvisaari writes that he is in favor of maintaining the welfare state (Does he mean Finns can only use these services?), freedom of speech (he can insult other groups and thereby  score political brownie points) and behold: equality, human rights and democracy.

Is the newly elected MP pulling our leg or does he think we have a short memory? If he were fair, he should mention that all people living in Finland enjoy these rights.

So stay tuned and step right up folks! The next four years are going to be the first and hopefully last act of this tragic-comic play.