Monday, October 20, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

Economist: Tariff turmoil temporary – Swedish economy remains resilient

Donald Trump's USA

Published 7 April 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Claes Hemberg does not believe that Swedes need to feel any long-term economic anxiety about the current customs chaos.
5 minute read

The announcement of Trump’s trade tariffs and the world’s response in the form of counter-tariffs have led to blood-red figures on the stock market and alarms that the world economy may be heading for a historic crash.

The fall continued on Monday, but independent economist Claes Hemberg believes that the panic is greatly exaggerated, that the crisis is temporary and that the Swedish economy as a whole is likely to do relatively well.

Hemberg compares the situation to covid and the lockdown policy five years ago and believes that we are now facing something similar where it is now tariffs instead of lockdowns that create economic uncertainty.

The economist explains that the stock market’s reaction is not due to the poor performance of individual companies, but to uncertainty about future economic developments, interest rates, household finances, international trade and politics.

– For the economy, there is probably no consequence at all, but the stock market is allowed to make a mess of things like this. It’s not strange, it happens. However, economists, politicians and business leaders must agree on how we should work going forward.

– We cannot surprise each other with different punitive tariffs or taxes, but we have to find a way to work together so that we can build relationships for the long term, because that’s how economics works. It is based on trust, not on surprises, shock therapies, false promises or false threats for that matter, he continued on state television SVT.

“A small delay”

As for the Swedish economy, Hemberg believes that the expected economic recovery is likely to be delayed due to the prevailing uncertainty, but that the effect is expected to be short-lived.

– We will probably only have a small delay. Households are waiting to start consuming, buying a new sofa or new clothes for that matter. There have been higher wages just last week, and we see that interest rates will be low going forward here.

– The tariffs are here and causing some disruption, but it’s probably a temporary issue that we’re discussing and will sort out in the near future. It shouldn’t truly affect our economy – just delay the recovery by a few weeks or maybe a month, he speculates.

“Trump is talking nonsense”

He emphasizes that the market unrest should be seen more as a reaction to the surprise element of the tariffs rather than genuine concern over the economy itself. Hemberg also believes that anyone with a 10- or 20-year investment horizon should sit tight and not panic-sell their funds or stocks, despite the steep downturn. This is because today’s developments won’t affect long-term goals.

– Sometimes there’s thunder and storms in our economy, and today is one of those days. That’s when you stay indoors, watch a movie, or maybe bake some cinnamon buns. Don’t go out now, stay home, I’d say.

Trump has also called on the US Federal Reserve to lower interest rates, something that Hemberg is very critical of.

– He’s quite consistent in claiming and pointing out things that are not a president’s business. The US has an independent central bank, just like Sweden. It’s a public authority responsible for monitoring inflation and the labor market to maintain a rate that supports society, not one influenced by White House politics

“Can’t act like this”

China has responded to Trump’s announcement by imposing its own counter-tariffs, and Hemberg believes that many are inspired by the Chinese and that the EU or Japan may make similar decisions.

– Maybe China is signaling here that they don’t support the kind of politics Trump is promoting and are responding in kind.

– That might have come as a bit of a surprise. But at some point, we also need clear signals back to the White House that you can’t act like this. If we want a society that encourages discussion, mutual trust, and the kind of global trade we so badly need, this won’t do.

“The stock market is a weather vane”

The economist believes that the stock market turmoil will continue for a couple more weeks at most and that the reason is that we simply have not been in this situation before.

– It’s not a big deal if the market jumps around a bit. It does that sometimes, and we just have to accept it. These uncertain days are often very short, intense, and uncomfortable, and they might make our stomachs churn a little.

Hemberg argues that the Swedish krona is unusually strong today and that Swedes will be able to travel more than before, that energy prices are coming down and that there are several other good economic signs.

– Just because there is a person in the White House in the United States who does not understand economics, I do not think we should be worried – even if the stock market is currently turbulent.

– Economics is something that spans over time – many generations, frankly. It’s not something we solve today or this afternoon. The stock market is just a kind of weather vane showing us where things are heading right now – and that fluctuates, and should fluctuate.

“More medicine and bandages needed”

He speculates that Trump may propose new negotiations in response to the counter-tariffs, and that there are likely to be new talks and discussions where all parties agree to back down.

– Just look at what happened five years ago when he was president. It was the same kind of tariff talk then.

– Now the tariffs are broader, tougher, and more intense, so we need more medicine, more bandages, and more talks. It’ll likely take a week or so to sort this out, but we can’t have a policy that’s so surprising or marked by such poor cooperation.

“No big surprises”

With regard to the development of inflation, Claes Hemberg believes that it simply moves in cycles and that it tends to rise at the beginning of the year, but then falls slightly in the spring.

– There are no big surprises. Energy prices are falling, gasoline prices are falling, and yes, things are looking good for our economy. The economy is hopefully gaining momentum here.

– Swedish households are quite cautious after these years of high inflation, and I understand that – that it takes time to win back their confidence again, and the Riksbank is struggling with this. That’s their main goal – to get households to come back to the shops and consume and live a normal life again, he concludes.

TNT is truly independent!

We don’t have a billionaire owner, and our unique reader-funded model keeps us free from political or corporate influence. This means we can fearlessly report the facts and shine a light on the misdeeds of those in power.

Consider a donation to keep our independent journalism running…

Bolton indicted – shared top secret information with family

Donald Trump's USA

Published 17 October 2025
– By Editorial Staff
John Bolton has consistently argued for an aggressive and hawkish American foreign policy.
3 minute read

Former US National Security Advisor John Bolton has been indicted for storing top secret documents in his home and sharing classified information with family members. Bolton’s hacked email account also gave unidentified hackers access to sensitive material.

The neoconservative figure John Bolton, who served as National Security Advisor during President Donald Trump’s first term and later became one of his sharpest critics, was indicted on Thursday for violations related to handling classified documents.

The indictment suggests that secret information was exposed when hackers – allegedly linked to the Iranian regime – broke into Bolton’s email account. A representative for Bolton informed the FBI in 2021 about the hack, according to prosecutors, but did not disclose that he had shared classified information via the account or that the hackers now had access to government secrets.

Bolton denied the charges in a defiant statement.

— Now, I have become the latest target in weaponizing the Justice Department to charge those he deems to be his enemies with charges that were declined before or distort the facts.

The indictment alleges that Bolton, between 2018 and August of this year, shared more than 1,000 pages of diary-like notes containing top secret information with two family members – identified as his wife and daughter. The material included information from meetings with US government officials, intelligence documents, and conversations with foreign leaders.

After sending one document, Bolton wrote to his relatives: “None of which we talk about!!!” In response, one of the relatives wrote: “Shhhhh”, prosecutors state.

— There is one tier of justice for all Americans. Anyone who abuses a position of power and jeopardizes our national security will be held accountable. No one is above the law, commented Attorney General Pam Bondi.

Neoconservative war hawk

Bolton’s attorney Abbe Lowell said that the underlying facts were investigated and resolved several years ago, and that the charges concern parts of Bolton’s personal diaries from his 45-year career in government.

He suggests that the case is linked to the Department of Justice’s failed attempt to block the publication of his 2020 book, “The Room Where It Happened”, which portrayed Trump as deeply ignorant about foreign policy.

— These charges are not just about his focus on me or my diaries, but his intensive effort to intimidate his opponents, to ensure that he alone determines what is said about his conduct, Bolton claimed.

Bolton has, throughout his long career in Republican foreign policy circles, become known as a neoconservative war hawk with hardline views on American military power.

He was, among other things, a strong advocate for the Iraq War and has consistently argued for an aggressive foreign policy toward Iran and North Korea. Trump once called him a “crazy” warmonger who would have led the country into “World War Six”.

When President Trump was asked about the indictment of his former National Security Advisor, he responded that he was not aware of it.

I didn’t know that. You’re telling me for the first time, but I think he’s, you know, a bad person. I think he’s a bad guy. Yeah, he’s a bad guy. Too bad. But that’s the way it goes, the president stated.

Trump plans to prioritize white refugees

Donald Trump's USA

Published 16 October 2025
– By Editorial Staff
The Trump administration is considering a radical transformation of the US refugee program.
2 minute read

The Trump administration is considering sweeping changes to the US refugee system that would give priority to English-speaking, white South Africans and regime-critical Europeans.

According to internal documents obtained by the New York Times, the program would be transformed from primarily accepting refugees from Africa, the Middle East and other parts of the world to focusing more on white refugees.

The proposals were presented to the White House in April and July by officials from the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security. President Trump has previously ordered agencies to investigate whether refugee resettlement serves US interests and paused the entire program on his first day in office.

The proposed changes emphasize whether applicants can adapt to the US, and refugees would be instructed to participate in courses on “American history and values” as well as “respect for cultural norms”.

Trump is recommended to prioritize Europeans who have “targeted for peaceful expression of views online such as opposition to mass migration or support for ‘populist’ political parties”.

Trump has already granted priority status to Afrikaners, the white population group that once ruled South Africa’s apartheid regime. Trump has claimed they face racial persecution, an assertion that South African government officials reject.

Drastic reduction

According to the documents, US refugee resettlement has made the country far too “multicultural”.

“The sharp increase in diversity has reduced the level of social trust essential for the functioning of a democratic polity”, the documents state.

Trump plans to reduce the number of refugees from 125,000 to 7,500 per year. The administration also proposes that hundreds of thousands of people already in the application process should have their applications terminated.

— It should come as no surprise that the State Department is implementing the priorities of the duly elected president of the United States, commented Thomas Pigott, spokesman for the State Department.

Anger over the plans

Reports that the US may focus more on white refugees have been met with anger and outrage from refugee activists and left-liberal figures.

Barbara L. Strack, former chief of the refugee division at US Citizenship and Immigration Services, is among many who are highly critical of the proposals:

— It reflects a preexisting notion among some in the Trump administration as to who are the true Americans, she laments, continuing:

— And they think it’s white people and they think it’s Christians.

Trump’s largest donor refused to answer the question: “Do you love the USA or Israel more?”

The Israel lobby

Published 14 October 2025
– By Editorial Staff
President Donald Trump receives a menorah from Miriam and Sheldon Adelson at the Israeli American Council National Summit 2019.
2 minute read

During his speech in Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, on Monday, Donald Trump drew attention to his largest financial backer, Israeli-American casino magnate Miriam Adelson – and simultaneously revealed a sensitive question he had asked her.

— Look at her sitting there so innocently,” he said. “I’m going to get her in trouble with this — but I actually asked her once, ‘So Miriam: I know you love Israel. What do you love more, the United States or Israel?’ She refused to answer. That means that might be an issue, I must say, Trump said to muted laughter in the parliament.

Adelson, who was sitting in the gallery, received a standing ovation when Trump praised her support for Israel and noted that she had made “more trips to the White House than anybody else”.

The 80-year-old invested $106 million in her pro-Trump super PAC Preserve America ahead of the 2024 election. Together with her late husband Sheldon, the Adelson family has donated over $600 million to Trump’s three presidential campaigns and other Republican candidates since 2015.

After her husband’s death in 2021, Miriam took over majority control of Las Vegas Sands, which operates major casinos in Singapore and Macau. She also owns one of Israel’s most widely read newspapers, Israel Hayom, and the basketball team Dallas Mavericks. Her fortune is estimated at over $60 billion.

Committed Zionist

Born in Tel Aviv in 1945 to Jewish immigrants from Poland, Adelson trained as a physician before becoming one of the Republican Party’s most important financiers. As a committed Zionist, she has long used her economic influence to shape US policy toward Israel.

The Adelson family was instrumental in getting Trump to move the US embassy to Jerusalem and to recognize Israeli control over the Golan Heights, and Trump awarded Miriam the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2018.

Her rhetoric hardened further after the attack on October 7, 2023.

“Foreign fans of Hamas are our enemies, the ideological enablers in the West of those who would go to any length to eradicate us from the Middle East. And, as such, they should be dead to us”, she wrote in her own newspaper.

At a campaign event in September, she urged Jewish voters to support Trump “in gratitude for everything he has done and trust in everything he will yet do”.

Trump signs order to label Antifa a terrorist organization

Donald Trump's USA

Published 23 September 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Antifa is linked to a long series of violent acts in the United States - including deadly ones.
2 minute read

As promised, Donald Trump has signed an order classifying Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization. The White House describes the network as “radical Left terrorists that aim to overthrow the government through violence and agitation”.

In a press release, it states that the order is part of the Trump administration’s tougher stance against what it describes as “an epidemic of radical left-wing violence”.

“This is a time that demands fearless and courageous leadership — not moral cowardice, indecision, or the lack of fortitude to call this what it is”, the White House writes in the statement.

As grounds for the decision, the administration presents a comprehensive list of what it describes as Antifa-related violence in recent years.

Trump’s administration highlights several deadly and violent incidents, including shootings against federal officials where an officer was shot in the neck at an ICE facility in Texas in July 2025, as well as the murder of a Trump supporter in Portland in 2020.

Bombings and murders

The administration also points to bomb attacks, such as when an explosive device detonated outside the Alabama Attorney General’s office in 2024, and attacks with Molotov cocktails against police at training facilities.

A recurring example is the occupation of parts of the Capitol Hill area in Seattle in 2020, where activists declared an “autonomous zone” which according to the White House led to several deaths and violent clashes with police. The administration also describes how ICE facilities have repeatedly been attacked, including an attempt in 2019 to ignite a 500-liter propane tank at a facility in Tacoma, Washington.

The White House argues that these events show a pattern of escalating violence aimed at overthrowing the government and attacking the justice system. It also lists other acts of violence linked to the “radical left”, including the assassination attempts against Trump in Pennsylvania and Florida in 2024, to underscore what it sees as a growing threat from the far left.

Difficult to implement

How the terrorist classification will be practically implemented remains unclear, not least since Antifa is a loosely organized network without central organization, making it difficult to define who belongs to the group. The violent network describes itself as anti-fascist and has no formal leadership or membership registry.

The decision will likely also face legal challenges and protests from left-wing groups who argue that such a classification could violate freedom of speech and freedom of association under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Trump promised during the election campaign to take forceful action against what he described as the left-wing violence that has long plagued the country, and today’s order is regarded by his supporters as an important step in that direction.

Our independent journalism needs your support!
We appreciate all of your donations to keep us alive and running.

Our independent journalism needs your support!
Consider a donation.

You can donate any amount of your choosing, one-time payment or even monthly.
We appreciate all of your donations to keep us alive and running.

Dont miss another article!

Sign up for our newsletter today!

Take part of uncensored news – free from industry interests and political correctness from the Polaris of Enlightenment – every week.