Friday, February 7, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

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Sweden on the verge of becoming technologically peripheral – think tank

Published 17 October 2024
– By Editorial Staff

Fredrik Erixon, head of the think tank ECIPE, writes in an opinion piece that Sweden is one of the major losers in the new wave of global protectionism, which he sees spreading rapidly.

He argues that “Sweden is making a downward technological class journey” and that the country is quickly becoming more “peripheral” in a range of technology-related fields.

Erixon, who has a background at the investment bank JP Morgan and the neoliberal think tank Timbro, points out that the U.S. under recent presidents has distanced itself from “the economic world order that emerged after World War II” and instead shifted toward increased protectionism—believing that the current world economic order “is not capable of handling new geopolitical conflicts”.

“That attitude also extends to climate policy: the US, like the EU now as well, no longer accepts an international climate policy framework where China can continue a fossil-fueled economic expansion while Western companies become less competitive due to rising energy costs. The world economy is moving into a protectionist spiral”, he continues.

According to the lobbyist, “Sweden is one of the major losers” in this new era of protectionism – because “we are too small an economy to play hardball when dealing with economic frictions”.

“Sweden cannot compete based on the power of large numbers: we don’t have a population size that allows us to influence other countries with dazzling consumer demand, investments, natural resources, and so on. They can manage without us. At the same time, we are enormously dependent on economic openness for our prosperity and for access to services and technologies from the rest of the world”.

“Once at the forefront”

He also raises a warning about what he sees as Sweden’s tendency to align with an “EU policy that is more inward-looking and fearful of competition”, arguing that particularly “high-tech and research-intensive sectors” in Sweden have suffered under EU policies, and that Sweden’s passivity has damaged its geoeconomic influence.

“Sweden is making a downward technological class journey. In recent years, the government has created various incentives for a larger share of investments to go to ‘mid-tech’ technologies like batteries and green steel. The GDP effect from these technologies is limited. In major transversal technologies like materials, AI and quantum technology, telecommunications and space technology, and biotechnology, Sweden is becoming increasingly peripheral—even though we were once at the forefront of these technologies and their commercialization”, he laments.

Calls for government investment

According to Erixon, the solution is for the authorities to start using their “state capacity” to improve Sweden’s geoeconomic position -through targeted political efforts and by offering businesses “better tax incentives and more attractive conditions for research-intensive activities and human capital to locate in Sweden”.

“Especially in transversal technologies – that is, technologies expected to drive much of future innovation and structural transformation in the economy”, he continues.

He concludes with a recommendation that the government’s spending on research and development should be “at least” 5 percent of GDP within ten years – and that the state should begin by allocating an additional 500 billion SEK to strategic research over the coming decade.

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The Swedish Cancer Society’s secretary general calls for mass vaccination campaign

Published today 9:34
– By Editorial Staff
Ulrika Årehed Kågström calls for more people to take the criticized drug Gardasil.

Vaccination against cervical cancer is currently free but will be subject to a fee this summer. Ulrika Årehed Kågström, Secretary General of the Swedish Cancer Society, calls in a debate article for HPV vaccinations to be increased before the fee is introduced.

In December, around 7,000 young women a week were vaccinated against HPV, a virus that in some forms can cause cervical cancer. The high figure was due to a misconception that free vaccination would end at the turn of the year. In January, the vaccination rate has since dropped significantly, writes Årehed Kågström in an opinion piece in the Schibsted newspaper Aftonbladet.

The free vaccination will last until June 30, after which it will cost around SEK 6,000 (€530). For Sweden to have a chance of reaching its goal of eradicating cervical cancer, the Secretary-General believes that at least 70% of women born in 1994-1999 should be vaccinated before the fee is introduced.

For Sweden to be the first in the world to eradicate cervical cancer, the vaccination rate must return to previous levels as soon as possible, and the regions must make it easier for women to book an appointment”, she writes.

She finds it “alarming” that vaccination rates are low and calls for increased efforts, especially in Skåne, Stockholm and Västra Götaland. To reach more people, she suggests measures such as improved accessibility, invitations, targeted marketing on social media and offering vaccinations at events, workplaces and other meeting places for young women.

Criticized vaccine

Of the three HPV vaccines approved in the EU, only Gardasil 9 is used in Sweden, according to the Public Health Agency of Sweden. The vaccine, developed by the German pharmaceutical company Merck, is approved for use from the age of nine.

Gardasil was introduced in Sweden in 2012, but following severe side effects from the swine flu vaccine Pandemrix, a safety study was also initiated for the HPV vaccine. However, the Swedish Medical Products Agency halted the study in 2015 before its completion, leading to protests from Rebecca Chandler, the agency’s then safety expert for Gardasil. As early as 2014, she had attempted to have the disease POTS classified as a suspected side effect to prompt further investigation, but without success. After submitting a written protest, she chose to resign from her position at the agency.

Gardasil has also been criticized in the past, including in a documentary by the Danish state channel TV2, which tells the story of some of the girls who were seriously injured by the HPV vaccine, and how their families had to fight against the authorities who refused to give them recognition.

Queen Silvia: “Where did the beautiful Sweden go?”

Mass shooting in Örebro

Published yesterday 12:36
– By Editorial Staff
Queen Silvia notes that Sweden is no longer recognizable.

Shootings, murders in the street and explosions have long been part of everyday life in Sweden. Recently, what is described as the worst mass shooting in Swedish history occurred in Örebro.

Queen Silvia is one of many people who are deeply concerned about where Sweden is heading, and the Queen is calling on everyone to help rebuild the badly damaged country.

The Queen and the King visited Örebro yesterday to show their support after the mass murder, and she sadly noted that she no longer recognizes the Sweden that welcomed her half a century ago.

– I have a great wish for all the Swedish people. Where did the beautiful Sweden go?

– I want to ask everyone to help rebuild it and strengthen Sweden’s good… I don’t want to say reputation, but name. Everything that it means to be Swedish. That is my wish now. A lot has happened recently, and it is my great wish, as well as the King’s, that we all come together to restore the beautiful Sweden that once was, she continued.

The King was also saddened, saying that Swedes today “live in a terrible society” and that this is a trend that must be reversed.

– We must listen to each other. We must be able to talk to each other and dare to help each other. It is something we must learn.

Outraged viewers: Swedish TV4 spreads disinformation about the mass murder

Mass shooting in Örebro

Published yesterday 11:53
– By Editorial Staff
A large number of viewers note that the person in the clip seems to be saying something completely different from what TV4's “experts” claim.

Telia-owned TV4 is now accused of spreading disinformation about the mass murder in Örebro in order to chase clicks and link the shooter to racism and “right-wing extremism”.

TV4 News claims to have analyzed an audio clip recorded in connection with the killing, and claims that the perpetrator in this is heard shouting “You’re getting out of Europe” – and implicitly then must have been driven by some kind of anti-immigration motive.

The clip is said to have been recorded by a man hiding inside a toilet during the mass shooting, and several shots can be heard being fired.

TV4 News has had sound technicians with special equipment analyze the sound and filter out noise and enhance what is said. We have let several people without prior knowledge of what is heard in the recording listen to the sound – all have come to the same conclusion. After filtering, it is possible to decipher how someone is shouting: ‘You’re getting out of Europe!’, they claim, and have also published the clip with Tv4’s interpretation added as subtitles.

Translation: Completely frivolous. So you post the clip with text to what is “said”? Of course people will hear what you want us to hear if you add text.
We will not contribute to rumor spreading, you say and publish this.

“Should be tried in court”

However, the media channel is now being accused of deliberately spreading false information to whip up hatred, with many viewers noting that it is not possible to hear what is being said at all – nor do they know who is shouting in the clip.

Don’t you realize how dangerous it is to spread this disinformation? But maybe that’s the point? This should be tried in court”, writes one outraged user.

Others point out that it appears to be someone other than the shooter who is shouting, and that TV4 simply seems to have come up with its own interpretation, which seems to be based mostly on what they themselves wish the mass murderer would have shouted.

Everyone hears that it is not possible to interpret what you claim. Think about your social responsibility. Spreading disinformation now is not very clever”, says civil engineer Fredric Morenius, who reviewed the clip himself.

The police have previously urged the public not to spread rumors and unconfirmed information from the shooting, and many point out that the establishment media should also listen to this call. It has also been noted that there is currently no indication that the perpetrator was driven by any ideological motives.

Translation: It’s not the shooter talking in the TV4 clip!
Listen to the first shot: you can clearly hear the shell bouncing on the floor several times afterwards.
The shooter is standing directly outside the toilet door and shoots. The second shell is also heard.
The voice comes from someone much further away.

China launches investigation into Google after Trump’s punitive tariffs

Published 5 February 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Google's attempts to enter the Chinese market have so far been largely unsuccessful.

China’s competition authority has launched an investigation into US tech giant Google. The investigation was announced as tensions between the US and China escalated further after President Donald Trump imposed new punitive tariffs on Chinese goods.

The Chinese State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) announced on Tuesday that it had launched an investigation into suspected competition violations by Google. Details of the investigation have not yet been made public, nor have Chinese authorities explicitly linked the action to recent US tariff announcements.

Google has a limited presence in China, where many of its services are blocked by the country’s authorities. Previous attempts to expand in the Chinese market have also failed due to government support for domestic competitors, cybersecurity issues and content moderation requirements – often described in the West as “censorship”.

In recent years, the US search giant has been the subject of widespread criticism and legal proceedings around the world. Last year, a US federal court ruled that Google is acting monopolistically and abusing its dominant position to stifle competition. In the EU, the internet giant has been fined billions of euros for antitrust violations and the UK competition authority recently launched an investigation into Google’s advertising activities.

Export restrictions on key minerals

The Chinese investigation coincides with the latest escalation in the US-China trade war. The Trump administration recently announced the imposition of additional 10% tariffs on Chinese goods. The decision was officially motivated by “emergency solutions” linked to illegal immigration and drug smuggling, but in practice was aimed at China and other trading partners.

Beijing immediately responded by imposing tariffs on US goods such as hydrocarbons, agricultural machinery and vehicles. The Chinese government has also tightened export restrictions on strategic minerals such as tungsten, tellurium, bismuth, molybdenum and indium – which are essential for advanced technology and manufacturing.

Officially, however, these measures have not been motivated by the ongoing trade dispute with the United States.