Saturday, July 19, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

Finns remain the happiest people in the world

Published 21 March 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Many Finns experience a strong sense of freedom in their lives.
2 minute read

Finland has once again been named the happiest country in the world, according to a new report. The top four places in the ranking are all held by Nordic countries.

Since 2012, the World Happiness Report has measured happiness globally, based on factors such as life expectancy, corruption, GDP per capita, social support and the freedom of individuals to make their own decisions. In addition, around 1,000 participants from 140 countries rate their quality of life on a scale of 0 to 10 by answering over 100 questions.

Finland was named the happiest country in the world for the eighth consecutive year. The report gives the country an average score of 7.736.

Denmark and Iceland ranked second and third with an average score of 7.521 and 7.515 respectively. Sweden follows in fourth place with a score of 7.345, while Norway is the lowest-ranked Nordic country at seventh place.

Strong sense of freedom

Finland’s top ranking is explained by its strong economy, well-functioning social security, good family and friendship relations, high life expectancy and low corruption.

Finns generally have a high level of trust in both the authorities and each other. In addition, many feel a strong sense of freedom, especially when it comes to life choices.

– Finnish society is very flexible when it comes to life transitions. This is one of the keys to a happy life, says University of Helsinki researcher Jennifer De Paola, according to Finnish public broadcaster Yle.

“The word happiness confuses people”

She also points out that it is more about contentment than pure happiness.

– The use of the word happiness confuses people. We often wonder how Finns can be the happiest when they are not even smiling.

Among the countries ranked lowest in the report are Lebanon, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Yemen. Afghanistan is at the bottom of the list as the world’s least happy country.

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Denmark moving away from Microsoft

Digital freedom

Published 16 July 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Too much public digital infrastructure has been linked to very few foreign actors, explains Danish Digital Minister Caroline Stage about why Denmark is now moving away from Microsoft in favor of free and more cost-effective alternatives.
1 minute read

Denmark’s digital ministry has begun a transition during the summer from Microsoft’s word processor Office 365 to the free alternative LibreOffice, with a complete transition expected to be completed during the fall. They will also abandon Microsoft Windows in favor of Linux.

The change is explained by Denmark’s goal to strengthen its digital sovereignty, as well as ensuring that control over sensitive data and systems remains in national ownership.

With this move, Denmark is following in the footsteps of the neighboring German state of Schleswig-Holstein, which is in the process of converting 30,000 public computers from Microsoft to Linux-based and free solutions.

“It is not about isolation or digital nationalism. We should not turn our backs completely on global technology companies; many of them provide solutions that we benefit from. This applies both today and in the future.

But we must never make ourselves so dependent on so few that we can no longer act freely. Too much public digital infrastructure is currently tied up with very few foreign suppliers. This makes us vulnerable. Also, financially”, says Danish Digital Minister Caroline Stage on LinkedIn about the project, which is reported by Danish newspaper Politiken, among others.

Sweden: Over 900 convicted individuals evade prison sentences

Deteriorating safety

Published 15 July 2025
– By Editorial Staff
2 minute read

Today, over 900 people are wanted for refusing to serve their prison sentences. Meanwhile, the Swedish government has tightened the rules – since April this year, no one can “wait out” their sentence anymore.

A survey by news agency Siren shows that wanted criminals are found in half of Sweden’s municipalities. In total, it involves just over 900 people who actively avoid showing up when the Swedish Prison and Probation Service calls.

Since April 1 this year, the possibility of escaping punishment by hiding until the statute of limitations expires has completely disappeared. Now the sentences remain until they are enforced, regardless of how much time passes.

– It’s no longer enough to stay hidden for five or ten years, because now the sentences will remain, says Geska Mark, group manager at the Swedish Prison and Probation Service, to the news agency.

Two-thirds report voluntarily

Statistics from the Swedish Prison and Probation Service show that between 65 and 70 percent of those convicted follow the authority’s reporting decisions and appear at the designated facility when the time comes.

– When we look year by year at how many follow our reporting decisions, the proportion is between 65 and 70 percent, states Geska Mark.

Those who are not already in custody receive a letter with instructions about where and when they should report. If they fail to appear without acceptable reason, they risk being wanted, especially if they lack a known address.

Drunk driving most common among evaders

Before the rule change, approximately one hundred people annually managed to avoid prison by staying hidden until the sentence was subject to statute of limitations. Previously, there was a five-year limitation period for sentences under one year and ten years for sentences between one and four years.

Most of those who used this “way out” had been sentenced to short prison terms, often one to two months, where drunk driving was the most common crime.

– Most of the sentences that were previously subject to statute of limitations were short prison sentences, one to two months in prison, and the most common crime was drunk driving. It often involved cases where the convicted person had no address in Sweden, explains Geska Mark.

Swedish climate extremists who blocked ambulance acquitted by Supreme Court

The exaggerated climate crisis

Published 11 July 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Police remove the road blockade in August 2022.
2 minute read

A nearly three-year legal process concluded this week when all activists from Restore Wetlands (Återställ Våtmarker) were acquitted for blocking the E4 motorway in August 2022, which in addition to causing long traffic jams also delayed an ambulance on an emergency call.

According to Sweden’s Supreme Court (Högsta domstolen), the road blockade was not comparable to the threats against vital societal interests required by law for a conviction of sabotage, and therefore acquitted all participants in the climate alarmist group’s action. The Supreme Court particularly emphasized the importance of freedom of demonstration and freedom of expression in a ruling that will serve as guidance for how civil disobedience should be punished, which in practice opens the door for more motorway blockades.

The legal situation has been unclear regarding what constitutes a serious disruption or obstruction in these cases. It’s good that we now have clear guidance from the Supreme Court on how prosecutions for sabotage should be assessed in the future, says Chief Prosecutor Katarina Johansson Welin in the Supreme Court’s press release.

The group itself describes its action as an “act of love”.

Victory! Today we celebrate that the sabotage charge has been shot down for the last time. In my heart, I have always known that I acted exactly right. To sit peacefully and openly on a motorway and demand that emissions decrease is among the strongest acts of love for our children and for life that you can do, and we did exactly that, says one of those acquitted in the climate group’s press release.

Green Party economist: Good that fewer children are born in Sweden

The exaggerated climate crisis

Published 11 July 2025
– By Editorial Staff
The Green Party politician Lennart Olsen sees children as an unnecessary burden on the economy and the environment.
2 minute read

That fewer children are born in Sweden is only good for the environment, argues Green Party (Miljöpartiet) politician Lennart Olsen. Children and young people also cost more than older people, who can still work at higher ages if the pension age is raised, he adds.

Olsen writes in a debate article in the Bonnier publication Dagens Nyheter that people should view positively the fact that Swedes are not reproducing themselves.

“What’s needed here is a reversed perspective, where lower birth rates and eventually decreasing population should be welcomed to reduce the exploitation of the earth’s ecosystems“.

The Green Party member believes that the Swedish government’s investigation aimed at proposing measures to raise the very low birth rates in Sweden is “misguided”. He argues that the state can save money from fewer children being born.

“For the state’s and municipal sector’s economy, children and young people are a much greater expense than the elderly. This is because virtually all people between 0 and 20 years old cost a lot of money in the form of preschool, school, higher education, parental insurance, child allowance and more“, Olsen explains his thesis and argues that older people also won’t need as much pension if the retirement age is raised further.

Above all, the Green Party economist sees the possibility that fewer Swedish children will lead to a better climate in the long term.

“The positive effects of such a development can then also take effect and lead to reduced pressure on the earth’s ecosystems“, writes Olsen.

Olsen represents a so-called neo-Malthusian line, an ideological movement that strives for reduced population and strongly influences the climate alarmist movement.

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