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I moved to Finland believing it was a progressive dream. It hasn't turned out that way | Mike Watson
Long hospital waiting lists, extortionate food bills and rising homelessness. Welcome to life under the most rightwing Finnish government in generations, says author Mike Watson
Oulu is five hours north from Helsinki by train and a good deal colder and darker each winter than the Finnish capital. From November to March its 220,000 residents are lucky to see daylight for a couple of hours a day and temperatures can reach the minus 30s. However, this is not the reason I sense a darkening of the Finnish dream that brought me here six years ago.
In 2018, moving to Finland seemed like a no-brainer. One year earlier I had met my Finnish partner while working away in Oulu. My adopted home of Italy, where I had lived for 10 years, had recently elected a coalition government with the far-right Matteo Salvini as interior minister, while my native UK had voted for Brexit. Given Finland’s status as a beacon of progressive values, I boarded a plane, leaving my lecturing job and friends behind.
The current government, formed by Orpo’s National Coalition party (NCP) last year in coalition with the far-right Finns party, the Swedish People’s party of Finland and the Christian Democrats, has been described as “the most rightwing” Finland has ever seen – a position it appears to relish.
Deputy prime minister and finance minister Riikka Purra – the Finns’ party leader – has been linked to racist and sometimes violent comments made online back in 2008. The party’s xenophobia is clearly influencing policymaking and affecting migrants. As a foreigner, I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to feeling a certain chill as anti-immigrant rhetoric ramps up.
History will judge the ICC's inaction. Judges must act now or step aside
Every hour that passes sees more lives lost and defenceless children falling victim to atrocities that, according to the ICC prosecutor, meet the threshold for war crimes
The International Criminal Court (ICC) faces an unprecedented moment in its history, one that could shape its legacy and impact the lives of thousands. Prosecutor Karim Khan and his team have risen to their mandate, applying for arrest warrants in the face of enormous risk and pressure.
Yet, the ICC as a whole is faltering. The delay in the judges' decision-making is a catastrophic failure to uphold the court's own mission. The judges' task at this stage is straightforward: Consider the application for arrest warrants.
There is no volume of documentation or legal complexity that can justify this delay in deciding whether the prosecutor has met the evidential test for issuing arrest warrants.
I am convinced that external factors are at play, causing the judges to stall.
The failure to issue - or even deny - arrest warrants is a colossal breakdown of the ICC’s purpose. Criminal accountability institutions like the ICC exist not just to hold perpetrators to account but to deter and prevent further crimes.
Jewish Chronicle scandal: Why was there no uproar over past pro-Israel disinformation?
Despite a deeply problematic track record, the paper's fake news is making waves only now, after it printed claims based on forged Hamas documents
Britain’s best-known Jewish newspaper has found itself thrust into the centre of an embarrassing and long-overdue storm over its involvement with the shadowy manoeuvrings of pro-Israel lobby groups. According to the research of journalist and academic Brian Cathcart, in the five years to 2023, the paper broke the code an astonishing 41 times. The Chronicle has also lost, or been forced to settle, at least four libel cases.
Notably, many of the JC’s press-code violations and libel settlements related to its false allegations against either Palestinian solidarity organisations or members of the Labour left. The Chronicle served as the chief attack dog on Corbyn and his allies, stoking fears among prominent sections of the Jewish community. It began that campaign early on, when Corbyn first emerged as a candidate for the leadership.
In 2019, Stephen Pollard, Wallis Simons’s predecessor as editor of the JC, was open about his paper’s crucial role against Corbyn: “There’s certainly been a huge need for the journalism that the JC does in especially looking at the antisemitism in the Labour Party and elsewhere.”
The four columnists who quit the JC on the weekend all actively contributed to fomenting a political climate in which Corbyn’s leadership could be depicted as an existential threat to British Jews. There is already plenty of evidence that, during Corbyn’s time as Labour leader, Israeli officials were actively meddling in British politics to stop him from reaching power.
As a Former Hostage of the Palestinian Resistance, I Refuse to Support Genocide
Reckoning and dealing with Israel's culpability, not vengeance, is the only path to ending this recurring nightmare.
> Reckoning and dealing with Israel's culpability, not vengeance, is the only path to ending this recurring nightmare.
Archived version: https://web.archive.org/web/20240918193207/https://truthout.org/articles/as-a-former-hostage-of-the-palestinian-resistance-i-refuse-to-support-genocide/
SpinScore: https://spinscore.io/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftruthout.org%2Farticles%2Fas-a-former-hostage-of-the-palestinian-resistance-i-refuse-to-support-genocide%2F
Why is Israel afraid to allow foreign journalists in Gaza? What's it hiding?
Eleven months into the war, it's possible to say that the circumstances Israel used to justify barring the media from Gaza are no longer valid, and that it must allow the entry of foreign journalists so they can cover the war properly.
As a result of Israel's control of the border crossings, which has become even tighter since the capture of Rafah, no foreign journalist can set foot in the Strip without the state's approval. The blanket ban on entry to foreign journalists without an IDF Spokesperson's Unit escort greatly damages the ability to report independently as well as the right of the public in Israel and around the world to know what is happening in Gaza.
The main suspect in the Sde Teiman gang rape case is now a media star in Israel
Soldier Meir Ben-Shitrit has revealed himself as the main suspect in the infamous gang rape of Palestinians at the Sde Teiman detention facility. Rather than making him an outcast, his story has turned him into Israel’s latest media darling.
Soldier Meir Ben-Shitrit has revealed himself as the main suspect in the infamous gang rape of Palestinians at the Sde Teiman detention facility. Rather than making him an outcast, his story has turned him into Israel’s latest media darling.
Three weeks ago, the Israeli right-leaning Channel 14 aired a 10-minute interview with one of the suspects in the Sde Teiman gang rape case. He was masked, in uniform, and had a gun slung across his shoulder. He received a number of standing ovations from the studio audience as he told his story of being the unfairly treated victim of the Sde Teiman affair.
Just two days later, he went public and revealed his identity in a video. The suspect, now known to be Meir Ben-Shitrit, started by taking his mask off and saying, “Shabbat shalom to all the people of Israel, this is Meir from Force 100.” He then proceeded to read the bible episode of the week, from Deuteronomy 1, 16-18
Ben-Shitrit and his companions may not win this case in the court. After all, this one case is based upon about 100 separate testimonies, as reported by Ha’aretz. But they are trying very hard to win it in the court of public opinion. And here, Channel 14, which has repeatedly aired snuff videos of the systemic torture in these camps, has been instrumental in promoting the narrative that these gang rape suspects are actually victims.
Inciting rioters in Britain was a test run for Elon Musk. Just see what he plans for America
The presidential election is three months away. What if the billionaire contests the result? What if he decides democracy is overrated?
> The presidential election is three months away. What if the billionaire contests the result? What if he decides democracy is overrated?
Archived version: https://archive.ph/BiZMV
SpinScore: https://spinscore.io/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fcommentisfree%2Farticle%2F2024%2Faug%2F18%2Finciting-rioters-in-britain-was-a-test-run-for-elon-musk-just-see-what-he-plans-for-america
Israeli Soldiers Flaunt War Crimes on Social Media. Why Aren’t They Held Accountable?
In video after video, soldiers document their atrocities, marking a new era of impunity.
> In video after video, soldiers document their atrocities, marking a new era of impunity.
Archived version: https://archive.ph/60XRz
Make No Mistake: Destroying Hospitals Is Part of the Kremlin’s Strategy --
Opinion | The news from Kyiv on July 8 about another attack on Ukrainian cities, with missiles hitting medical infrastructure – including Ukraine's largest children's hospital – is shocking.
cross-posted from: https://feddit.org/post/644459
> Archived link > > The news from Kyiv on July 8 about another attack on Ukrainian cities, with missiles hitting medical infrastructure – including Ukraine's largest children's hospital – is shocking. Alas, these events come as no surprise when we look at how attacking hospitals is not unintentional, but part of a strategy Russia has deployed before. > > We saw this in Syria following Moscow’s 2015 intervention. If the trend in Ukraine continues, it is plausible that the Russian army will continue to use its toolbox that we have already seen in Syrian cities. > > Russia sent military forces to support President Bashar al-Assad's regime at a time when Syrian rebels were mere miles away from the presidential palace in Damascus. Taking advantage of the civil war, Moscow expanded its existing positions and built new bases for its forces deep inside Syrian territory, which are still active today. These bases played an important role in stabilizing the Syrian regime and pushing rebels out of many areas of the country. > > The firm foothold in Syria that the Russian army, together with Iran, built over three years came the cost of civilian casualties and destruction. This alliance with Tehran is active once again in Ukraine, as Iranian-origin drones targeted civilian infrastructure in Ukrainian cities. > > [...] > > The Kremlin provided diplomatic cover to the Assad regime after Damascus used chemical weapons against its own citizens. Furthermore, Russia targeted hospitals and other critical infrastructure, including those whose coordinates were shared with the Russian command by the UN, to undermine the morale of rebel forces and force them to disperse. > > Russia is trying to do the same in Ukraine today, acting with special brutality when its war is not going to plan. The Russian army is attacking civilian areas to disperse the resources of the Ukrainian forces currently concentrated along the front. Moscow knows that Ukraine needs additional air defense systems to defend its cities and skies, and it is exploiting this weakness with devastating consequences. > > [...] > > Attacks on hospitals and other infrastructure will not stop even if there are negotiations. The purpose of the invasion of Ukraine was to seize, occupy, and exploit territory that Russia believes is its own, not to sit around a table talking. > > Attacks like the one on the children's hospital in Kyiv and the medical center in Dnipro are just part of this strategy and should remind Ukraine's allies – some of whom have wavered – that Kyiv urgently needs military support and guarantees that it will be able to defend its skies. Reality is not just knocking at the door – it is blowing up cities.
Biden Must Resign
If the president wants to protect American democracy, he should hand over his office to Kamala Harris.
cross-posted from: https://lemmy.one/post/16476649
> For the good of the republic and to demonstrate new leadership before the election.
Lays out an argument about how to navigate the difficulties ahead, addressing the challenges that would result.
Greece Just Became the First European Country to Impose a 6-Day Workweek
Years of brutal neoliberal capitalism combined with the left’s betrayal have led to widespread political demoralization.
> Years of brutal neoliberal capitalism combined with the left’s betrayal have led to widespread political demoralization.
Archived version: https://archive.ph/G9HS9
Tech Firms Prey on Poor Under Guise of Expanding Access to Financial Services
Finance, technology and social media companies often position themselves as solutions to problems they helped create.
> Finance, technology and social media companies often position themselves as solutions to problems they helped create.
Archived version: https://archive.ph/0WXgW
Campus Crackdowns Have Exposed Authoritarian Rot at the Heart of Universities
The greatest threat to democracy on many campuses has turned out to be the schools’ own trustees and administrators.
> The greatest threat to democracy on many campuses has turned out to be the schools’ own trustees and administrators.
Archived version: https://archive.ph/m3Gm7
Biden Continues to Provide Israel Billions for War Crimes
Biden’s administration is violating US law by continuing to send military aid to Israel despite its war crimes in Gaza.
> Biden’s administration is violating US law by continuing to send military aid to Israel despite its war crimes in Gaza.
Archived version: https://archive.ph/nQFiO
The Pentagon Continues to Exonerate Itself of Harming Noncombatants
It has set aside just 0.00035 percent of its $849.8 billion projected budget to pay for civilian casualty claims.
> It has set aside just 0.00035 percent of its $849.8 billion projected budget to pay for civilian casualty claims.
Archived version: https://archive.ph/StPYT
Biden’s Response to Israel’s ICC Prosecution Is an Attack on International Law
This marks the first time in US history that a sitting president has openly sided with suspected war criminals.
> This marks the first time in US history that a sitting president has openly sided with suspected war criminals.
Archived version: https://archive.ph/mwj9s
Why is the west defending Israel after the ICC's request for Netanyahu’s arrest warrant? | Kenneth Roth
It is disappointing, if not surprising, that the west’s response to the ICC accusations was to defend Israel despite its war crimes
> It is disappointing, if not surprising, that the west’s response to the ICC accusations was to defend Israel despite its war crimes
Archived version: https://archive.ph/Br7gq
I’ve never felt more disillusioned as a Palestinian | Ahmad Ibsais
My classmates and school at large, like most of the west, see the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians as a far-removed problem
> My classmates and school at large, like most of the west, see the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians as a far-removed problem
Archived version: https://archive.ph/ieP29
University Leaders Are in the Wrong. Students and Faculty Won’t Back Down.
Campus activism for Palestinian liberation won’t be halted by university administrators' lawless crackdowns.
> Campus activism for Palestinian liberation won’t be halted by university administrators' lawless crackdowns.
Archived version: https://archive.ph/GxwQ5
Campus Protests Are Fighting Militarism and Corporatization at Home and Abroad
Student protesters know the fight for Palestinian freedom requires resisting militarization and fascism at home.
> Student protesters know the fight for Palestinian freedom requires resisting militarization and fascism at home.
Archived version: https://archive.ph/z1Fbc