jurisprudence lifejacket ?

no smoke without fire…

The disintegration of a civilisation is first noted by the erosion of it’s legal standards. It’s not an explosion, it’s a grain at a time of ethics and honesty that are washed from the face of justice.

the once proud tradition of decency

…for whom the bell tolls

IC–GN - FR

catch 22?

in memory of DECENCY

Not ALL POLICE will obey unjust laws:

Some years ago we bought a house in Dalsland...the man who previously lived there had been an Oslo policeman tasked with rounding up Jews by the Nazis - a task he refused to do. So he got sent to a concentration camp.

You can read Karl M Haugan's own story by downloading the pdf file here

in danger of real international damage to it’s integrity

what’s in a name?

For a ‘court’ to be worthy of the name, it should:

1. be impartial

2. be independent

3. consider only evidence as valid for deliberation – not unqualified opinion,misinformation or deliberate falsehoods. Indeed, the latter should be punished as they disrespect the dignity and honour of the court.

right on!

the roar of silence

if you love Sweden…

economic refugees

a possible headline from the 18th century

(Just a gentle reminder of how many Swedes ran away from Sweden…not because of war or oppression, but for economic reasons)

can you spot the difference?

Swedens’ youth compassions

It is this kind of thinking…and compassion…that makes me proud to live in Sweden

full article here

tut.tut.Sweden….u bought into the PR from the ‘temporary government in Afghanistan’

excuse me Sweden, but you know that place you say is safe to repatriate refugess/asylum seekers

I think you should re-evaluate your assesment as it appears the Taleban (who already control 70% of the country) spring offensive

has begun

.

and in case you didn’t manage to read this, I post it for your illumination.

 

But coercing registered refugees into returning home against their will violates the international legal prohibition against refoulement -- not to forcibly return or pressure anyone into returning to a place where they would face a real risk of persecution, torture or other ill-treatment, or a threat to life.

“

“No Contracting State shall expel or return (“refouler”) a refugee in any manner whatsoever to the frontiers of territories where his life or freedom would be threatened on account of his race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion.”

if u wish to check it out in full, go here

Refoulement

“…coercing registered refugees into returning home against their will violates the international legal prohibition against refoulement --

not to forcibly return or pressure anyone into returning to a place where they would face a real risk of persecution, torture or

other ill-treatment, or a threat to life”.

 

You can read the details here

 

Just a gentle reminder to my much loved Sweden that some things…just ain’t Swedish!

Bonhoeffer

Send them back……to this?

an information courtesy to the people of Sweden to assist in understanding the asylum problem

a facade of law`?

 

I love Sweden. It is an amazing place. It is always trying to improve things.

It is, therefore, with some childlike disappointment that I must face a truth about a legal

system that is either being abused or really needs some better oversight and investigation.

 

So many times I am hearing reports of how asylum seekers, some who would rather

take suicide than return to war torn lands where genocide has been the norm for years,

for whatever seemingly politically motivated reason lose their first court case to decide if they can stay.

 

I am not here debating the rights or wrongs of immigration policy, that is a

wholly different issue.I am debating the failure to maintain the standards of the law.

 

However, so often the asylum seeker is not even notified by their Mirgatiobnsverket employed lawyer

of the date – or even decision- of an appeal court case. They are denied the right to appear, denied

the opportunity to present additional information and it would appear that such information that is

presented excludes or circumvents changes in law and government policy within the last 8 months.

 

If you are going to throw people out, OK. But please do not do it in breach of their rights as specified

within the UN Charters, the EU rules, the actual law of Sweden. Please do not do it under a facade of legal

pretence. It diminishes Sweden.

Such a kangaroo court system is deserving of the Taleban – not Sweden

a little immigration perspective

Asylum seeker cost fallacy

‘Economic migration’

The problem of ‘economic migration’

There are some who object to the tragic influx of immigrants on the basis that they are

‘economic immigrants’

So just to gain some perspective on this, let us define an ‘economic immigrant’ as someone who is

not escaping a war/terrorist zone.

How then would we feel about 1.3 million ‘economic immigrants’, persons seeking to come here

who are not escaping war/terrorism?

In context it is to be noted that, per capita of population, Sweden has taken in more immigrants

since 2001 than any other European country.

Something for which Swedes should be justifiably proud and generally are. There is just a small

percentage whose apparent grasp of history conveniently omits this:

in the 19th century 1.3 MILION  ‘economic refugess’ emigrated from Sweden to the USA. They did not leave

because of war or terrorism, nor because of violent religious oppression.

 

So, where is the logic of the argument presented by that small minority who oppose accepting refugees from war zones?

It is, after all, no more than pay-back!

photo from The Guardian and an article here

Spring is starting

Swedish facts for Fox News viewers

cilc on the pic below to go to the website

 

Violent,riot ridden Sweden? Huh?

There seems to be some myths going around about no-go areas, increased violence and riots in Sweden.

Well, I’m an Englishman with a Norwegian wife so I have no ‘nationalistic flag to wave. Nor am I involved in politics in any way, so I have

no ‘fear-mongering agenda’ in an attempt to cover my otherwise crappy policies and get near to the ‘honey pot of power’.

 

I don’t recognise this Sweden that a certain foxy pres from USA talks about (I can’t write his name because I have an app that blocks any article in the media

with his name in it from appearing in my pc. This is called ‘Freedom’.). But I do recognise, being an elderly man’ that standard blame game to deflect people’s

attention from what is really going on.

 

However, perhaps before looking at the Sweden glass house,Americans would be wise to look at their own. In Sweden we

do not have cases of cops killing 12 year olds and not even having a trial by their peers! Nor do we have cases of cops killing a 17

year old (while he is unarmed and lying on the ground – ps. this guy was whjite) for flashing the cop car to tell the officer his

lights are on main beam and dazzling road users.

 

Now, if the media wants to get excited about something, why don’t they get excited about these 2 cases which are symptomatic

of the problem the D could tackle at home, instead of trying to buy and throw s’’t at a country with far higher standards than his own!

 

And as for Jimmy A, hope he gets his green card. And if by some mistaken hallucination you think Jimmy A represents anybody’s interests but his own, then welcome to the real world! The real world is that most Swedes care about people less fortunate than themselves – and it does have it’s benefits: in my small town (about 3000) there are now 42 languages, but our high school has just been voted the 2nd best in the whole of Sweden. The influx of desperate refugees has, on balance, been beneficial in terms of employment in the area and a boost to businesses. Cultural changes, of course there are: Sweden is not the same as it was 50 years ago – but, just look at the media, look at the tv, look at the internet – all these things have had a profound effect on the Swedish culture in the last 50 years. Is Jimmy A protesting about that? Is he protesting that Gothenburg has just been voted the most sociable city…in the world!

 

sociable Gothenburg

via TheGuardian

Congratulations to the school

Our local High School, in this small town, has just been ranked 2nd best in the whole of Sweden

A fine example of what you get when you don’t research adequately…DT

via theLocal

Sweden–and Europe–is laughing

God Help America!

Monet morning

Don’t you just love it when Monet moods the morning?

Valentines Day,Vestre Silen Lake,Dalsland

gr8 breakfast

ice ice ice nice ice

 

Radio Sweden reports

transcendant humanity

It is my experience that most Swedes who are opposed to the present immigration scenario are opposed…for economic reasons.
Let me explain. It seems to most people I know that the Government is paying out vast sums of money…not to the refugees seeking asylum…but to orgs who offer support services (accomodation,etc) to these desperate people.  You see, it was decided that a certain standard of care be provided as a prelude to integration and that standard is quite high and expensive.
This is the most common complaint I hear from Swedes about this situation. It is not a complaint about skin colour. It is not a complaint about religion (although there is a media reinforced misunderstanding of the amount of say, muslims, in the land…it is actually less than 5%)..it is about the ‘lavish treatment’ the refugees ‘appear’  to be receiving. A treatment that is not, so I repeatedly hear, handed out to indigenous Swedes. In my local small town, population now a little over 3000 (2016) there are 42 different languages. Can you imagine. the problems in the schools that that can create – but even in this small town there has been an incredible effort to deal with those problems. Caring and compassion are reflected in many different ways, just like the beauty of a diamond.
That having all been ‘necessarily said’, I have the utmost respect for what the Swedish nation has managed to do in the past 2 years. For a nation that only last week reached the 10 million population milestone, the Swedish heart has been overwhelmingly open to the desperate needs of others. Here is just one more – of many,many – stories about that heart.


published in the guardian.com you can read the full story here  (please note: the trial is for helping ONE refugee)

population milestone

at 7-47 am last friday morning

Sweden ranks very high in…FREEDOM

you can read more here

Peace is a luxury we should not take for granted

I talked today with a refugee from Afghanistan. It is hard for us to imagine or recognise the incredible good life we have.
His parents had grown up in  a war torn country – the Russians went in in 1979. He, being only 17, had never known peace in his land.
Can we imagine what it actually feels like to be able to walk in the forest, or drive down a road, without being blown up?

in Aghanistan the are 10 million land mines – that is

is this the definition of a REAL SWEDE?

you can read the full story of this amazing young man here

Residence status

It is to be hoped that in the struggle to find a balance the Immigration authorities can take into account the reports from the local Swedish population as to the desirability of allowing young people refugees to remain in Sweden where such persons are considered, by their personality and character, to be a welcome asset in the community. In such difficult matters of policy it would be wise for the authorities to take this into consideration. There should be a scenario where if a substantial number of people in a community wish to have that person remain amongst them that such a scenario will weigh heavily in favour of a positive decision.

In matters of compassion a rule book is not a cover all blanket!

Fantastic evening in Karlstad

So, Friday last was a very rare event for me – I actually went to a live ‘pop performance’ given by famous folk. Rare? Yeah, probably about only the 3rd time I have ever done it in my life!!!  Had it not been for a singer guy I know, Dick Johansson who so kindly invited me along, I would have missed one of the best nights I have ever had in my life.

like many englishman, I fell in love with Abba and their melodic ‘make sense lyrics’ songs still sit close to consciousness in the memory.

It was an evening of incredible highlights and following the show the highlights just increased in luminescence – for what could be better than a good meal in good company in a place with a good ambience?  Totally by accident – or as I prefer to think by destiny – we tumbled into a place called

translated it means ‘Golden Monkey’. As well as being an award at the Swedish Hit Music Awards the monkey has an incredible tradition in the cultures and mythology around the world. One meaning/significance is found in astrology signs – where it means ‘ fun, activity,charm and an energetic nature’. The Guldapan restaurant was all of these – plus a lot more.

Amongst a varied menu we found such “mundane” items as sausage and mash and a beefburger with gruyere cheese. However,to describe what we recieved as mundane is an abuse of language. I always love it when you think you have ordered a ‘run of the mill’ thing and what you get turns out to be – well, an extraordinary feast for the mind as well at the palate.

The sausage?  Home made…and the best I have tasted anywhere in 30 years of being in Scandinavia.

The beefburger? Home made – pure lean beef, no fat (and I’m really fussy about that) very thick.

I also had --- chips (well,I am English). For me you can judge the standard of a place by the chips it makes, because chips are regarded so much as just an ordinary thing most places don’t really bother to produce good ones. NOT GULDAPAN, even the chips were amazing!

An incredible range of drinks, amazing range of beers and when I asked for a low alcohol beer the very friendly guy behind the bar rattled off a list so fast I couldn’t count them all. So I simply asked what he recommended (not always a good question to ask,huh?).With a refreshing honesty that matched the superb refreshing quality of the beer I got, he told me that he drinks Mikkeller Drink’in the Sun. So I had one, then I had another. It was a totally enjoyable taste experience.

This is a restaurant where the staff are..and I mean this…super friendly and exceedingly diligent. It has a friendly ambience….and food that ranks in my top 5 experiences for excellence in Scandinavia in the last 30 years.

 

The only problem with telling you this is…I might not be able to get a table next time I want to go!  But then, the good things in life just get ‘gooderer’ the more they are shared, huh?

Warmest New Year’s Eve on record in Stockholm

via

power to the people

via

myth busting-001

fuller story

Democratic socialism’s results in Sweden….

remember that argument about ‘socialist states’ and poor econimies. Well, eat your heart out all you critics

full article is available here at the Government Offices of Sweden website

do you get good value for your taxes? The Swedish answer

 

Since no person is an island there are costs to living in a society. So we pay taxes to maintain the kind of society we want to live in.

But are we satisfied with the services we get for our taxes?  Well, granted that it is generally the fashion to complain about government (national or local)

it’s interesting to see how folks consider the ‘satisfaction index’ of the main services. The ‘Swedish Quality Index’ gives some answers about the local level:

Water and sewage (76.7)

Preschool (75.8)

Upper secondary school (73.5)

Garbage and waste disposal (72.7)

Home services (72.5)

Health care (72.2)

Primary school (71.1)

Sports & recreational services (70.9)

Retirement homes (70.9)

Culture and leisure (68.2)

Municipalities and county councils (67.6)

Public transport (67.1)

Business services (62.2)

Security (61.1)

Environment and climate services (56.7)

Public information services (56.6)

Road maintenance (54.1)

Individual and family care (54.1)

 

and what may also surprise many is that Sweden does NOT pay the highest taxes compared to many European countries. Click below to see the details

the art of Swedish proverbs

To some it's a confused mess, to others it is an artistic masterpiece.....best to go

with the art as a reflection of who you really are

The real facts about ‘vikings’

A new museum is opening up to tell the real facts about those ‘viking marauders’.

click on the pic for more info