Tuesday, January 21, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

Ad:

“Help prevent animal homelessness: Never give animals as Christmas gifts”

If you’re thinking about giving a furry friend as a gift this Christmas, please stick to the kind found in toy shops, Mimi Bekhechi PETA vice president Europe writes.

Published 19 December 2022
A cat rarely leaves the Christmas tree alone.
This is an opinion piece. The author is responsible for the views expressed in the article.

Most of us have experienced receiving a Christmas gift that we didn’t really want. A tacky trinket from Aunt Edna, a useless piece of technology, or a pair of festive socks are easy enough to return, re-gift, or throw in the cupboard and forget about. But when someone makes the mistake of giving a living, feeling animal as a gift, the consequences can be devastating.

Caring for an animal requires time, patience, and money, all of which are in short supply during the hectic holiday season. And between hosting house guests, cooking up a storm, and travelling to see the in-laws, Christmas and New Year’s Eve can get pretty chaotic – making it tough for even a well-adjusted animal to settle into his or her new home.

Adding an animal companion to the family is an important decision that requires making a lifetime commitment to caring for and spending time with an animal. That cute kitten or puppy won’t seem like much of a “gift” after he or she scratches up the couch, decides to use the Christmas tree as a lamppost, and racks up hundreds of pounds in vet bills. Bear in mind, a dog will cost between 150 000 and 200 000 swedish crowns over his or her lifetime.

Once their novelty wears off, many animals acquired on a whim or given as presents wind up forgotten, banished to a crate, or chained outdoors alone in the cold. Or they will join the countless others taken to shelters or abandoned on the side of the road, where they are likely to starve, be hit by a car, or freeze to death.

In 2021, the numbers of animals coming into Swedish shelters rose by 40 procent. The aftermath of the festive season is likely to exacerbate the situation, as in the days, weeks, and months that follow, shelters across the country will undoubtedly be flooded with even more animals.

That’s why, if you’re thinking about giving a furry friend as a gift this Christmas, it’s vital to stick to the kind found in toy shops, not pet shops. Breeders – including those selling on online marketplaces – encourage people to regard sentient dogs, cats, and other animals as mere commodities to be purchased. Many businesses are fronts for puppy mills, where female dogs are repeatedly impregnated and forced to spend their lives in cramped cages.

Irresponsible breeding practices can also cause animals to suffer from painful, debilitating conditions, and many puppies die shortly after they’ve been sold off to an unsuspecting buyer. A recent report told the story of a puppy in the UK who died only a few days after his new guardians brought him home. Veterinary tests revealed he had parvovirus, a disease that can be spread to puppies when their mothers aren’t properly vaccinated. As unscrupulous breeders treat female dogs as nothing more than breeding machines, their most basic needs, like medical care, are often an afterthought.

So, please, never give animals as gifts. If someone you love is committed to caring for an animal for life and you want to include your future family member in the festivities, wrap toys and treats with a big red bow and add a note explaining that you will visit a local animal shelter after the festive period to adopt. That way, the recipient can decide which animal is best for them – and when. You’ll be giving more than unconditional love and companionship – you’ll also be giving the gift of life to a homeless animal.

 

Mimi Bekhechi, PETA vice president Europe

Mimi Bekhechi is vice president for UK, Europe and Australia at PETA.

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…

“After DCA: Open letter to Sweden Democrat grassroots”

The new cold war

The DCA agreement is the biggest political scandal since the Second World War, which means that foreign powers can now have military bases on Swedish soil. The Sweden Democrats has contributed to this, writes Björn Backengård.

Published 19 October 2024
Sweden Democrat leader Jimmie Åkesson.
This is an opinion piece. The author is responsible for the views expressed in the article.

If the Sweden Democrats had voted no to DCA, the issue would have been tabled, and the Swedish people would have had time to familiarize themselves with the issue. Members of the Swedish Parliament (Riksdag) were informed. On June 7, Svenska Dagbladet published the article Wait with decisions on American bases, and they received emails with tips about the article.

Here you can see how the Riksdag voted. Scroll down a bit and you will see a list of how each person voted.

What does DCA mean?

The DCA has nothing to do with NATO membership but is only a military agreement between the US and Sweden. The agreement is for ten years, which means that the US is allowed to have seventeen military bases in Sweden where they can also store military equipment. Their aircraft, ships and vehicles may move freely in the country. There are no guarantees that nuclear weapons will not be placed in Sweden.

The work on the agreement was started by the former Minister of Defense, Peter Hultqvist, and completed by the current Minister, Pål Jonson. The idea behind the DCA is that the US is planning war against Russia, and they want to be able to attack Russia from Sweden. The US can attack with aircraft or missiles. They avoid attacking from their own country, while any response from Russia impacts Sweden. This would drag Sweden into the USA’s war against Russia. This plan from the USA is diabolical, and unfortunately, there are people here in Sweden who have helped facilitate it.

Read the agreement here with some comments.

Response to an opinion poll

The Swedish Peace Council commissioned an opinion poll. The question was: Do you think that foreign powers should be allowed to place military and war material on Swedish military bases without Swedish supervision? 84% answered “No”.

The Sweden Democrats’ central office was informed of the opinion poll, and the following response was given:

Hello

… the starting point is that all activities are conducted with respect for Swedish sovereignty… [Regarding selected parts of the agreement: Economy, law, bases, nuclear weapons.]… the significantly deteriorating security situation in our region has necessitated a reevaluation of our foreign and defense policy.

Kind regards,

[First name]
Information assistant”

On Swedish sovereignty. It is abolished in point 7.3 of the agreement. Also paragraph 11.1 abolishes Swedish sovereignty: “[U.S.] aircraft, vessels, and vehicles may not be boarded or controlled without the consent of the United States.”

On deteriorating security policy developments. There is nothing in the agreement about US assistance. Instead, with American attacks from here, the security policy development will be much worse for us.

The full response from the Sweden Democrats can be read here. It was probably written by influential people at the top of the party, and it is cowardly that they do not sign their names.

On crimes against Sweden’s security

The human rights organization Accoun filed police reports on 13 December 2023 and 9 June 2024 about how DCA had come about. The reports have so far led nowhere, but they contain valuable material for further work against DCA. In the report, they drew our attention to the Criminal Code’s provisions on crimes against Sweden’s security.

DCA supporters try to bluff

The DCA supporters claim that Russia is threatening its surroundings. They mention Ukraine, Crimea and Georgia and then claim that US military bases are therefore needed in Sweden.

The war in Ukraine began in 2014 with the coup d’état in Kiev. The new regime then rearmed, and for several years bombed its own population in eastern Ukraine. In December 2021, Russia submitted proposals to the United States and NATO for agreements on security issues, but was rejected. On February 24, 2022, Russia entered Ukraine and in March there was a peace agreement that NATO blocked.

Crimea was annexed to Ukraine in 1954. In 2014, following a referendum, it applied to become part of Russia. Russia approved the application, protecting the Russian population and preventing its naval base on the Black Sea from becoming part of NATO.

The war in Georgia in August 2008 was not Russian aggression. See Swedish Wikipedia.

It is NATO that has been pushing against Russia and preparing for war in Ukraine for many years, as part of NATO’s plans to attack Russia. That’s the big picture in a nutshell.

The Sweden Democrats bylaws

We read in the Sweden Democrats bylaws, Chapter 1, General Statutes, § 1 Purpose and goals:

The Sweden Democrats are a social conservative party with a nationalist outlook … The party was formed in 1988 with the overall goal of forming a democratic, political movement that would safeguard the common national

identity … We affirm … proven well-functioning natural communities in the form of the family and the nation.”

Can a nationalist party really allow foreign powers to acquire military bases on Swedish soil?

Members’ power in the party

The Sweden Democrats grassroots can arrange for an extraordinary National Congress to be convened in order to replace the top members responsible for the party voting in favor of the DCA agreement.

Furthermore. Elections to the Riksdag will be held in the fall of 2026. The party candidates, and thus the ballots, will probably be decided in 2025 or early 2026. Then make sure that those who voted for the DCA agreement end up so far down the ballot that they do not enter the Riksdag again.

Collaboration is important

The purpose of the DCA is that the US wants to be able to attack Russia from Swedish soil, and thus the agreement is extremely dangerous for us. Therefore, we must seek cooperation in every possible way to terminate the agreement, preferably before the ten-year deadline. NATO supporters and opponents must work together. Most NATO supporters are peaceful, but unfortunately, they have not fully understood NATO’s militaristic nature. They can help against the DCA.

A renewed Sweden Democrats party should seek cooperation with the Left Party (V) and the Greens (MP) on the issue of DCA and apply something called a united front. This means that even if you are far apart politically, a particular issue may be so important that you work together on that particular issue to achieve results.

All avenues must be explored. It is possible to propose in the Riksdag that the Chancellor of Justice and the Constitutional Committee examine how the agreement was established, doing so in light of Chapter 19 of the Penal Code, and that as long as the review is ongoing, the agreement should not be valid.

Chapter 19:3 of the Penal Code states:

If a person assigned to negotiate on behalf of the realm with a foreign power, or otherwise to safeguard the interests of the realm with someone representing the interests of a foreign power, abuses their authority to represent the realm or otherwise misuses their position of trust, thereby causing significant harm to the realm, they shall be sentenced for disloyalty in negotiations with a foreign power to a fixed term of imprisonment, not less than two years and not more than eighteen years, or for life.

This is serious stuff.

Our times are dramatic, and a revitalized Sweden Democrats party can make a significant impact on Sweden.

 

Björn Backengård,
Hisings Backa, Gothenburg, Sweden

 

Translation by TNT editorial team.

The Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA) is a bilateral defense cooperation agreement between Sweden and the United States. It was approved by the Swedish Parliament on 18 June 2024.

The Sweden Democrats is the second largest party in the Swedish Riksdag. They are not part of the current "Tidö" government, but work closely with it.

“The world’s largest meeting ground is better and more vibrant than ever”

Internet censorship

Twitter is freer than ever under Elon Musk's leadership and its popularity speaks for itself - people love it! writes the signature Enlightener.

Published 3 July 2023
Twitter has become a great place to be, says the signatory Enlightener.
This is an opinion piece. The author is responsible for the views expressed in the article.

The list of improvements on Twitter since Elon Musk took over is so long that it would be messy to even include it in an letter. There are far fewer bots and fake accounts. It’s freer and more open than ever, and the new user records speak for themselves – people love it!

At the same time, Community notes and other good measures have been introduced and much of the disinformation, spam and other things that tainted the old Twitter have been eliminated. I’m one of those people who never used Twitter before, but now spend many hours a week both personally and professionally on the platform, which works better than ever before.

Thousands of Dorsey’s Stasi employees who spent all hours of the day and night silencing people have been fired and the developers are now focusing on meaningful improvements and optimizations that make the platform – the world’s biggest square – a pleasant place to be.

As Musk himself has emphasized many times, it is worth many billions in losses to ensure freedom of expression and that everyone can gather on the world’s largest open meeting ground. Not that he needs the money, but the revenue will certainly increase with the enormous user base that is being built up – especially when the recession turns, which is the main reason why the shares have fallen somewhat and affected all advertising platforms in the same way.

You can’t help but smile at those (not least the big media houses) who try to come up with the most ridiculous excuses to trash Elon Musk and the fastest growing platform in the world and the obvious motive that they can’t take the fact that the woke staff has been fired and that people whose opinions they don’t tolerate for the first time in a long time are allowed to be heard in a worldwide forum.

Long live free speech!

 

The Enlightener

“The misleading coronavirus statistics in a nutshell”

The criticized covid vaccinations

The UK's official Covid statistics clearly show the deception we have been subjected to, writes Elin Karlsson.

Published 27 April 2023
This is an opinion piece. The author is responsible for the views expressed in the article.

Since the breakout of the coronavirus crisis, authorities around the world have been spitting out various figures on cases of the disease and deaths. Week after week and year after year, press conferences and the media have reported dramatically skyrocketing death tolls, the main purpose of which can be guessed to be intimidation, which in turn makes people more likely to obey.

The official figures in the UK stated that 177 397 people died “with covid” between 30 January 2020 and 31 December 2021, a number that is higher today. However, if you ask for deaths where “where covid alone is the cause of death listed on the death certificate”, which actually someone did, you get a completely different number. That number is only 6182 people, and the vast majority of these were also elderly.

So, to be clear, the deaths included in the statistics are those of people who died with covid-19, which does not necessarily mean that they died from the disease. Everyone who tested positive within a certain period of time before their death is included in the official statistics, even if they died from another cause. Basically, you can test positive for covid one day and then have a heart attack due to a heart defect two weeks later. You would still be included in the statistics on corona deaths.

Of course, this does not mean that no one has died from covid-19 at all, or that no one will do so in the future. Nor does it mean that we should automatically dismiss the disease and disregard the fact that it can cause harm. As with other related diseases such as seasonal flu, people will tragically die.

The problem here is that the authorities, along with the media, are feeding the fear of the public. The figures printed do not show the number of deaths exclusively from covid-19, but that is what it looks like. If you don’t read the fine print, it is easy to believe that all these people died from the disease.

Many people have seen through this scam a long time ago, but we must not forget how we were deceived.

 

Elin Karlsson

Share via

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.