Boycott Sweden 3.jpg

Swedish Flag from Brussels Journal and courtesy of Hmmh… Blogspot

In an absolutely outrageous decision for any democratic Western country, the government of Sweden has shut down a website that was showing the Mohammad cartoons.

Sweden views itself, as leftist governments usually do, as progressive, tolerant, and flame-holders for personal liberty. With this act, they expose the ultimate nature of socialism and leftists–the willingness to smash freedom of expression and personal liberty in the name of ‘security.’

While Sweden is the first Western nation to officially censor (Islamic nations have done so, but fascism and Islamic theocracies go hand in hand), let us hope it is the last. But this does not bode well when it comes to whether or not the West has the wherewithall to stand up for itself and its values. What could crush western European values now is the same thing that crushed it in the first half of the last century–when leftist socialism infects government, fascism is not far behind. Fascist control of media is the first act, always in the name of ‘safety’ or ‘for the best of everyone,’ or to ostensibly maintain ‘social control.’

Swedes everywhere should be appalled and up in arms. So far, though, we’ve heard virtually nothing from the people of that ‘progressive’ country as it essentially abandons its neighbors Denmark and Norway, and the basic tenets and values that keep the Western world free.

The values of freedom are lovely and nice when one does not have to defend them.When we are challenged is when we find out who we really are. The Germans learned what was at their core in the last century. Sweden, are you to be the first Western nation in the 21st century to surrender to fascism?

Related Links:

Brussels Journal: Send a Message to the Swedish

Monsters and Critics: Swedish website shut down over Prophet caricatures

UPDATE 2/13:

From von Schlichtningen in Comments, the creator of the flag above and passionate blogger on this subject and others with notes and links worthy of the main Tammy Blog. He describes himself as “a self employed Scandinavian turned European and living in sunny Portugal.” Visit his blog when you can:

Actually I made the flag. See my original article:
http://hmmh.blogspot.com/2006/02/war-on-freedom.html
(It is a little bit excessive in hindsight, but I was upset.)

But you and anybody else is more than welcome to it.

Tammy, I really like your posting on this subject!

Dave J, see my answer to that argument here:
http://hmmh.blogspot.com/2006/02/one-track-mind.html

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12 Comments | Leave a comment
  1. ShesTheOne says:

    “The values of freedom are lovely and nice when one does not have to defend them.When we are challenged is when we find out who we really are.” – Never more true, and very well stated! I hope it resonates in everyone everywhere who loves and values freedom! Thanks, Tammy!

  2. Dave J says:

    Sweden, unlike Denmark and Norway, has not been at war since the early 19th century (their king is descended from one of Napoleon’s marshals). I’m not sure whether that’s a cause or an effect of this kind of craven pathetic self-righteous cowardice.

  3. Prah Qwan says:

    If you read the article, you find out that the Swedish government didn’t actually shut down the site, but consulted with the owners, who then decided to take the site off-line themselves and remove the cartoons out of concern for Swedes living in Islamic countries.
    The site is back online at this time minus the cartoons.

    Not being a dictatorship, I doubt that the Swedish government has the authority to shut down a website without citing a law.

  4. St. Thor says:

    The server’s CEO, Turkel Nyberg is quoted as saying: “It seemed like it could be bad for us and for others to have the site up. The problem was the content, which was these Muhammad pictures”. This was after being “consulted” by the Swedish Government, whose foreign minister, Laila Firsvalds, said: “I will defend freedom of the press no matter what the circumstances, but I strongly condemn the provacation by SD-Kuriren (the Web Site). It displays a complete lack of respect.”
    Aside from the obvious standard that those matters which display a lack of respect are most in need of defense as freedom fo the press, the comments by the Swedish Government after could have come right out of the mouths of the Chinese government, as could the servile comments of the server’s CEO after he was leaned on by the Government. Apparently in Sweden, 2 + 2 = 5.

  5. tammynut says:

    Well, if you think about it, who benefits from the repeated publication of these cartoons? The Islamic radicals that’s who. They’ve incited the mobs and want to keep these cartoons in the forefront so they can continue to fan the flames.They even faked some to be even more inflamatory. They’ve used these cartoons to drive Westerners out of the Middle East. Isn’t that their goal?
    Now that you’ve looked at it from this angle does it surprise anyone that the Europress is assisting the Islamofascists once again?
    So what’s a Freedom loving country to do? Printing these cartoons erodes our efforts to bring Western style democracy to the region. Just speculating, but I believe the WOT may last a little longer and claim more lives because of this wreckless use of freedom of expression. I’m not suggesting we limit our freedoms but we should at least condemn the wrecklessness of the papers that gratuitously print these cartoons.
    I’m reminded of the video tape of the Rodney King beating. The media played it over and over again. It probably holds the record for most often aired video on L.A. television. Here this freedom of the press incited a riot that killed 52 and hospitalized over 1000.

  6. Doxiegirl says:

    If you think that’s bad have heard about the popular brand of jeans in Sweden with an anti-Christian sentiment. They even got a skull with an upside down cross on the label. Just goes to show you that the swedish are sensitive when it comes to Jews and Muslims but with Chirstians it’s open season.

  7. Regardless of how heavily the Swedish govt leaned on the group to remove the photos, it amounts to caving to blackmail over implicit threats to Swedes living abroad. Sweden also has outrageously illiberal hate crime laws which specifically exclude Swedish nationals from their purview, & further coddle Islamofascists. Had the group (typically labelled ‘right-wing’ in the press) not caved, I have no doubt the Swedish govt could have pulled the site under hate crime legislation.

    Flashback: Sweden was a de facto Nazi ally in WWII, claiming neutrality (!) while allowing the Nazis access to its rail & transit systems to crush the more recalcitrant Norwegians. Guess they’re ‘neutral’ in this one too…

  8. Artist for truth says:

    Before we set out to demonize Sweden, I think it is important to realize these cartoons are a convenient distraction from America’s own deterioration with respect to our Constitution.

    Freedom to peaceably assemble has been restricted to “First Amendment Zones”, Habeas corpus has been tossed to the side, gross irregularities permeate the electorate, and thought-provoking challenge to the Posse Comitatus Act rests unnoticed and ignored.

  9. chase says:

    It’s probably not a good practice to mock anyone’s religion, especially when you must depend on fleeing any potential situation(s) in a Saab. Sorry, just kidding. Sweden is protecting her citizens.

  10. Warthog says:

    What will be next? Outlaw pork? Start looking for prayer rugs you cowards! “A nation which can prefer disgrace to danger is prepared for a master, and deserves one”. Alexander Hamilton

  11. Actually I made the flag. See my original article:
    http://hmmh.blogspot.com/2006/02/war-on-freedom.html
    (It is a little bit excessive in hindsight, but I was upset.)

    But you and anybody else is more than welcome to it.

    Tammy, I really like your posting on this subject!

    Dave J, see my answer to that argument here:
    http://hmmh.blogspot.com/2006/02/one-track-mind.html

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