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misscamThings that make me grumpy today:
- Power went out yesterday and then didn't come back for over 10 hours. No electricity for that long is not fun.
- It's wet, cold and depressing outside. Also, it's almost October, the month I hate the most as it is - you guessed it! - wet, cold and depressing. Bite me, Norwegian weathergods.
- It's Monday. Mondays are evil.
- Racist fuckwit party the Sweden Democrats wins seats in the Swedish parliament for the first time. Ugh. (If you're British, think of this as Sweden's version of the BNP. It used to be called "Keep Sweden Swedish", which should tell you a fair bit about it. They also hate homosexuality and anything not within their defintion of normal, basically.)
Sometimes, I wonder if not talking about issues is what gives those hateful about it so much power, because they get to pretend they're brave bringing it up. Pro-tip, haters - it is never brave to pick the "blame someone different enough that we can make them look scary" option. That's more letting fear rule. Would hateful racist fuckwit party have gotten so many votes if someone else had talked about immigration in a more sensible and, you know, sane manner? (And not disguise racism as "concerns about immigration" and hijacking conversations a scoiety should be having. Immigration does mean a society has to consider certain things. Like how to make a multicultural society in practice, how to get enough intergration of immigrants that they can participate in society on their terms but still have their identity, how not to treat white as the norm, how to ensure education with language barriers, how to deal with racism and a whole lot of other stuff.)I wonder about that, because in Norway we have parties that aren't all that happy about immigration, but go nowhere near that level of racist fuckery. Do they soak some votes that would otherwise go to the far right? (The thought of something like Vigrid getting into Parliament in Norway makes me want to barf.) And is that just a good thing? Are more extremist parties likely to attract people speaking against them, which can be a good thing too?
Either way, Scandinavia is changing as the world is. We must learn to adapt, not hide behind the North Sea and hope the waves never reach us. They do. We are becoming multicultural, and immigration is only one part of that process of change.
Then again, words are easy and adapting to change isn't always. My life and circle of friends have started to change quite a bit, and I still have angsty Friday evenings with red wine about it all, even if I know change is probably good for me. Maybe Sweden is having some angst too.
I just wish they were drinking better alcohol, because that Sweden Democrats brew burns and give horrid hangovers.
(This all reminds me I should finish the series of posts on racism in Norway I have drafted. And the Sookie-saves-Eric's-Viking-ass fic and a report on work disturbances for 8th grade pupils and this stupid Excel combution and and and. Man, I wish I had a time-turner to get more stuff done.)
- Power went out yesterday and then didn't come back for over 10 hours. No electricity for that long is not fun.
- It's wet, cold and depressing outside. Also, it's almost October, the month I hate the most as it is - you guessed it! - wet, cold and depressing. Bite me, Norwegian weathergods.
- It's Monday. Mondays are evil.
- Racist fuckwit party the Sweden Democrats wins seats in the Swedish parliament for the first time. Ugh. (If you're British, think of this as Sweden's version of the BNP. It used to be called "Keep Sweden Swedish", which should tell you a fair bit about it. They also hate homosexuality and anything not within their defintion of normal, basically.)
Sometimes, I wonder if not talking about issues is what gives those hateful about it so much power, because they get to pretend they're brave bringing it up. Pro-tip, haters - it is never brave to pick the "blame someone different enough that we can make them look scary" option. That's more letting fear rule. Would hateful racist fuckwit party have gotten so many votes if someone else had talked about immigration in a more sensible and, you know, sane manner? (And not disguise racism as "concerns about immigration" and hijacking conversations a scoiety should be having. Immigration does mean a society has to consider certain things. Like how to make a multicultural society in practice, how to get enough intergration of immigrants that they can participate in society on their terms but still have their identity, how not to treat white as the norm, how to ensure education with language barriers, how to deal with racism and a whole lot of other stuff.)I wonder about that, because in Norway we have parties that aren't all that happy about immigration, but go nowhere near that level of racist fuckery. Do they soak some votes that would otherwise go to the far right? (The thought of something like Vigrid getting into Parliament in Norway makes me want to barf.) And is that just a good thing? Are more extremist parties likely to attract people speaking against them, which can be a good thing too?
Either way, Scandinavia is changing as the world is. We must learn to adapt, not hide behind the North Sea and hope the waves never reach us. They do. We are becoming multicultural, and immigration is only one part of that process of change.
Then again, words are easy and adapting to change isn't always. My life and circle of friends have started to change quite a bit, and I still have angsty Friday evenings with red wine about it all, even if I know change is probably good for me. Maybe Sweden is having some angst too.
I just wish they were drinking better alcohol, because that Sweden Democrats brew burns and give horrid hangovers.
(This all reminds me I should finish the series of posts on racism in Norway I have drafted. And the Sookie-saves-Eric's-Viking-ass fic and a report on work disturbances for 8th grade pupils and this stupid Excel combution and and and. Man, I wish I had a time-turner to get more stuff done.)
