Friday, August 27, 2010

Election Season in Sweden

In the past, Swedish postal workers — both public and private — have refused to deliver the party newspaper for Sverigedemokraterna (the Sweden Democrats), because they considered the contents “racist”. With elections coming up on September 19, and Sverigedemokraterna projected to get more than enough votes to enter parliament, the Swedish establishment is turning the screws on the party again. This time it is the TV4 broadcasting outlet, which has refused to run an SD campaign commercial, on the grounds that it is “hate speech”.

For those who are interested, a video of the banned commercial is available (in Swedish) at Högerkänga.

According to The Local:

TV4 Refuses to Air Sweden Democrat Ads

TV4 has decided not to air ads from the Sweden Democrats (SD) before the election because it believes the clip promotes hate speech, CEO Jan Scherman said on Friday.

“The film is contrary to the democracy clause in the Radio and Television Act and also against democracy clauses which the Sweden Democrats among others have adopted for the equality of all people, regardless of whether it is the European Convention or the UN Charter,” said Scherman.

“The film is also against the constitution act on freedom of speech that prohibits hate speech,” he added.

According to SD press secretary Erik Almqvist, the ad does not violate Swedish law. The party has screened the clip for lawyers, who said that it does not break the law against inciting racial hatred.

[…]

The video shows a 20-second race consisting of an elderly Swedish woman with a walker being chased by a group of burqa-clad women with baby carriages while an alarm-like sound plays in the background.

“All politics are about priorities — now you have a choice,” says a voiceover.

“The conflict we see as a result of mass immigration is not related to the person’s origin, but rather a conflict of values, as far as we can see,” said Almqvist in reference to the burqa-clad women in the video.

It’s an open question whether Swedish elections nowadays can be considered “free and fair”, based on the public selection of a party sheet at many polling places (which lets election monitors know which party the voter is choosing) and the clampdown by the media.

However, not everybody agrees with TV4 and the rest of Sweden’s politically correct elites. Take, for example, this amusing photograph, which was also posted on Högerkänga:
- - - - - - - - -
Sweden — seven-leaf clover

I’m a politician from
the “seven-leaf-clover” party*
we have sold out Sweden
and embezzled the welfare
this is my punishment

* Collective jocular term for all pre-election parties in the Swedish Parliament

Many thanks to our Swedish correspondent LN for translating and footnoting the sign, to Fjordman for the article tip, and to Henrik Ræder Clausen for answers to numerous questions about Sweden.

9 comments:

S said...

Swedish people hardly have any children. Their replacements are arriving.

Have kids - or perish your country.

Homophobic Horse said...

I swear most of the people who go on about birth-rate here are dateless wonders.

freedomfighter said...

some comments on Sweden are real stupid, many Muslims support Israel especial those who have been in Sweden a long time and are part of the society, the problem is tha the left works with violent elements that they let in and come from war torn countries , the left wing and communists use them for their own political purpose, there is a strang situation where the right in Europe recognises that only Israel is fighting Jihadi muslims, My muslim friends are scared of the left and thier jihadi friends, just think that you came to Sweden to get away from the jihadist and get attacked on the street because a fanatical muslim doesn't like your choice of cloths, that happens to Swedish and Finish Muslim women and the left support this violation of human rights,

Félicie said...

"Swedish people hardly have any children. Their replacements are arriving.

Have kids - or perish your country."

This is not true. Most (Swedish) couples around me have 3 children. And even 4-children families are becoming less uncommon. Friends of ours, who live in suburbia, have several 4-children families as their immediate neighbors. I have also started seeing couples with 4 children, where it's obvious that all 4 are common biological children. I am obwerving a change around me. 15-20 years ago the standard was 2 children. I have asked friends about it, and they all have a very similar perception. Native Swedes are having more children.

EscapeVelocity said...

The Baby Boomer Generation was a disaster for Western Civilization. Selfish and irresponsible.

Zenster said...

EscapeVelocity: The Baby Boomer Generation was a disaster for Western Civilization. Selfish and irresponsible.

In bestowing your blanket condemnation of an entire American generation, you neglect to apportion any blame for the unprecedented influence of Communist indoctrinated infiltrators (infiltraitors?) upon them.

I suggest that you recalculate just what sort of responsibility should be borne by Soviet Communists for how they poisoned minds here in America and all around the world in their attempts to triangulate against well-deserved American hegemony.

Lurking Apple said...

"which lets election monitors know which party the voter is choosing"
-
This had better be a joke. How the hell does that happen?

EscapeVelocity said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
EscapeVelocity said...

Lurking Apple,

Do we really have to defend the Secret Ballot in Europe in 2010?

Is that how far down the road to tyranny the Left has taken us?