Alright, the Hitler comparison is a bit of an exaggeration, however, those little snippets that you see over the shameful blue background? They are true. True to the dot. Some people read horror stories, I read the news on Perussuomalaiset*, daily, and it gives me the jitters.
Don’t get me wrong! There are many Nationalistic, Fascist, Racist and pure obstinately evil political groups around the world. Lets look at the first world, “modern era”, advanced nations, shall we?
We’ve got ;
- National Democratic Party of Germany, Aryan League, Pamyat, National Socialist Front, British National Party, American Freedom Party, Identity Bloc, and then there is Perussuomalaiset, translated into English as True Finn’s.
Why, you may wonder, is everyone talking so much about them? Why, you may ask, are Anti-Racism groups, human rights watchdogs and immigrant groups getting their knickers in a bunch over this political party?
Well, remember that list of examples I just showed you about various Nationalistic, fascist or racist political parties?, well, here is the catch. What’s unique to Perussuomalaiset, is that the party as a whole “DENIES” responsibility over its individual members statements. Normally you will see something like this,
……….for you English speaking folks, it says ” Sademiehen’s (one of the parties cronies) comments are his own opinion and do not reflect the opinion of the Perussuomalaiset parties”.
yet,
Here is an updated list from 2015, related to the parties new immigration program.
- Lowering the refugee quota
- Opposition to the planned burden-sharing mechanisms of the Common European Asylum Policy
- Opposition to using public funds to advance multiculturalism
- Tightening the conditions of family unification by migrants
- Allowing the immigration of workers from outside the EU and EEA countries only if they are found to be necessary in a given field in a means test by the Finnish Labour Office
- Making sure that migrants living on welfare benefits are not concentrated in the same areas
- Outlawing begging on a public place
- Ending positive discrimination
“Opposition to using public funds to advance multiculturalism!”, you scream? Yuppers. Exactly that. Ditto.
So, lost in thought I am, wondering where this road will lead to, wondering how a cradle of humanity, one of the first to give women the right to vote, one of the smallest countries to take on an enemy 10 times its size, and defeat them with more than 100,000 causalities on the loosing end. A country that invented one of the strongest, long lasting phones, created the first studded winter tire’s, managed to get itself a AAA credit rating, has a much loved ice hockey team, is (was) considered to be the birth place of Death metal, can stoop so low as to accept and tolerate constant badgering towards anything that moves or breathes “foreign”, coming from public figures, who’s sole responsibility is to keep society together, create harmony and build bridges to success for everyone, regardless of color, caste or creed.
I guess we will find out, shan’t we?
– musing’s by Marshall Niles
Yes, comparison to Hitler should be avoided, because it is associated with one type of ad hominem attack:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reductio_ad_Hitlerum
“What’s unique to Perussuomalaiset, is that the party as a whole “DENIES” responsibility over its individual members statements.”
I don’t think this is that unique. And they SHOULD deny responsibility, when the members say something, which is against the party’s line.
I wouldn’t say PS is a racist party, but because the party is critical towards immigration, the party attracts racists and some are able to sneak into the party and do damage. I think Soini underestimated these risks, when he decided to join with Halla-aho.
Because there are these anti-immigration sentiments in Finland and in Europe, it is unavoidable, that some political party wouldn’t take this to their agenda. In a way this shows, that democratic processes work. If it wouldn’t have been PS, it would have been some other party. In the end I believe PS is just a symptom. I also believe this could have gone worse. I trust Soini is a smart man, he is a populist and takes advantage of the anti-immigration climate, but don’t give these forces power. We have seen this already, if you look at the new governments immigration policy.
“Opposition to using public funds to advance multiculturalism!”
Do you know, what this means? To what use does the funds go in this case? I’ve understood that this doesn’t mean for instance finnish language lessons.
“…can stoop so low as to accept and tolerate constant badgering towards anything that moves or breathes “foreign””
Don’t say that. Finland doesn’t accept and tolerate that.
Hey Marshall
What do you think PS should had done? Poutsalo tweeted what you posted here that what this racist said was not opinion of the party. Also they tweeted that comments of this racist were not acceptable and party expects him to formally explain his actions. I don’t know how kicking someone out of the party works but I doubt anyone would be kicked before they are given chance to formally give their side of the story (like it would help in this case though…).
Why should he explain his actions, explain his words, after all they are extremely clear. under any circumstances the words this moron uttered are racist and ignorant and unjustifiable. He should be persecuted. It says it all about the Persut that they do not put him immediately out of the party. Full stop.
The only thing Steve and Yossie are doing here is defending hate speech