Trump’s remark about terrible incident in Sweden baffles nation
Riots break out in Stockholm suburb, drawing attention to Trump’s remarks
How wrong was Trump about Sweden?
"When it comes to Sweden, Trump is sticking with his impression, formed from watching TV, that immigration is spreading violence and extremism in that country. ‘‘I make the statement, everyone goes crazy,’’ Trump said in the Time interview. ‘‘The next day they have a massive riot, and death, and problems.’’ Actually, two days later, a riot broke out after police arrested a drug crime suspect. Cars were set on fire and shops looted, but no one was hurt. Attacks in the country related to extremism remain rare...."
And my pre$$ is coming down on him?
"A paid hour a week for sex? Swedish town considers it"by Dan Bilefsky New York Times February 23, 2017
NEW YORK — Sweden is already celebrated for its generous welfare state, including 480 days of paid parental leave, universal health care, and a common ritual of coffee and pastry, known as fika, which is considered sacrosanct.
Per-Erik Muskos, a 42-year-old councilman from the northern town of Overtornea, wants to add to those benefits by offering the municipality’s 550 employees the right to subsidized sex. In introducing his proposal this week, he told fellow members of the town council that it would give a nudge to the dwindling local population add spice to aging marriages and improve employee morale.
The idea quickly got attention all over Sweden, where for at least some, it was a welcome distraction from President Trump’s vague reference to problems the country was having with immigration, which were strongly denied by baffled Swedes.
??????
Noting that “sex is also a great form of exercise and has documented positive effects on well-being,” Muskos suggested that municipal employees could use an hour of the workweek already allotted for fitness activities to go home and have sex with their spouses or partners instead. The motion, which is expected to be voted on in the spring, needs a majority to be passed by the 31-member council. As of now, opinion on the council is divided.
“We should encourage procreation. I believe that sex is often in short supply. Everyday life is stressful and the children are at home,” Muskos explained in his motion in Overtornea, a town of about 4,500 in the picturesque and remote Torne Valley. “This could be an opportunity for couples to have their own time, only for each other.”
His proposal has generated praise and ridicule. Some critics fear single workers could while away their working hours on the dating app Tinder trying to find a date for their weekly interlude.
When Muskos introduced the motion Monday, some council members giggled while others said they were not amused. But befitting a progressive country that has long been perceived as a beacon of sexual enlightenment — including blissfully kitsch performances at the Eurovision Song Contest — the proposal was taken in stride.
I don't know what is the situation in Sweden, and I will leave it up to you to figure out. Assange was at their mercy, and you see what happened.
It made headlines across Sweden and beyond. “Suggestion: Let the staff have sex during working hours,” a headline in the newspaper Expressen declared, under a photograph showing a couple in bed.
Muskos told colleagues the proposal was no joke, though he acknowledged practical problems like enforcement. It would be difficult to tell, for example, if an employee eschewed sex in favor of a walk in the country.
Actually, it is. A dirty joke.
Sweden has among the highest fertility rates in the European Union, according to Eurostat, the bloc’s statistic agency, in part because of the country’s generous parental leave systems and immigration. But the fertility rate has nevertheless been decreasing recently.
Malin Hansson, 41, a sexologist and specialist in reproductive health in Gothenburg, applauded the initiative, arguing that sex reduced stress, improved sleep, and strengthened immunity, while enriching intimacy between couples.
“If it was up to me, I would introduce this across the country,” she said, adding: “In Sweden, sex is considered just another activity.”
Others were less persuaded.
Tomas Vedestig, 42, a left-leaning councilman in Overtornea, said that when Muskos made his pitch, his colleagues were so taken aback that they thought they had misheard him. Vedestig said the proposal was intrusive and threatened to embarrass people who do not have sexual partners; do not want to have sex; or had medical conditions that precluded sex.
Ah, you get an hour off.
“I don’t think it’s the employer’s business to say ‘go home for an hour and make babies,’” he said. And some proponents worried the proposal was too stingy: “I spoke to a couple of older gentlemen who said, ‘One hour? That is not enough time.’”
Yeah, ha-ha.
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Look at that lobster, huh?
What is not funny:
After getting rid of the draft, some EU countries ponder bringing it back
Look who is out front:
"Sweden institutes military draft for men and women" by JAN M. OLSEN Associated Press March 03, 2017
COPENHAGEN — Sweden’s left-leaning government instituted a military draft for both men and women Thursday because of what its defense minister called a deteriorating security environment in Europe and around Sweden.
That is considered "progressive?"
Sweden abolished compulsory military service for men in 2010 because there were enough volunteers to meet its military needs. It has never had a draft for women.
The government said ‘‘the all-volunteer recruitment hasn’t provided the armed forces with enough trained personnel. The reactivating of conscription is needed for military readiness.’’
What they mean is they will soon be at war with Russia.
In September, Sweden, which isn’t a member of NATO, stationed permanent troops on the Baltic Sea island of Gotland. Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist described the move as sending a signal after Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea and its ‘‘increasing pressure’’ on the neighboring Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
Okay, they didn't annex and that lie is told time after time after time.
There have also been reports of airspace violations by Russia’s military aircraft in the Baltics and a military buildup in the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, which sits across the Baltic Sea from Sweden.
About 20,000 people now work for the Swedish armed forces, 84 percent of them men and 16 percent women, according to the forces’ website. But the armed forces lack 1,000 active troops as well as 7,000 reservists, according to Sweden’s coalition government of Social Democrats and Greens.
Under the plan approved Thursday, at least 4,000 18-year-olds could be called up each year. Swedes will still be able to volunteer for military service.
The Swedish government, which often has described itself as ‘‘feminist,’’ said ‘‘modern conscription is gender neutral and will include both women and men.’’
That isn't going to help birth babies, you know. Something all those migrants are pretty good at given the cultural and social differences.
How is turning women into warriors helping feminism, btw?
Hultqvist said he had been inspired by neighboring Norway, which in 2013 introduced a law applying military conscription to both sexes. That made Norway the first NATO member to draft both men and women, joining a tiny group of countries around the world.
Conscription was introduced in Sweden in 1901, but had gradually wound down and was formally canceled 109 years later. During the Cold War era, nearly 85 percent of Swedish men were drafted into the army because of the nearby threat of the Soviet Union. The average term of service was about 11 months.
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No word from Finland.
Maybe the Russians have already cut them off?
Will have to go the long way then, through Norway:
"Norwegians now can change genders legally with a mouse click" by Mark Lewis Associated Press September 27, 2016
HAUGESUND, Norway — Norway, a wealthy, progressive nation of 5 million people, recently became the fifth country in the world to allow adults to legally change genders without a doctor’s agreement or intervention. Argentina, Ireland, and Denmark have similar laws. But only Malta and Norway have extended the liberalized rules to children.
Provided they have parental consent, Norwegian children as young as 6 can now self-identify as male or female, effectively overruling the gender assigned to them at birth.
WTF? A bunch of perverts in the schools like over here??!
Though Norwegian lawmakers concede that some of the questions surrounding transgender children remain unsettled, the law generated little controversy when it was introduced. Parliament members from left to right approved the legislation in June on a 79-13 vote.
After completing an online form that generates a mailed response from tax authorities, applicants must only return a letter confirming their intention to change genders.
Once their applications are approved, they receive a new national identification number that unlocks the ability to update all forms of identification, from passports and driver’s licenses to birth certificates and credit cards. The tax ID numbers in Norway are gender-specific.
Until July, Norway was one of 32 European countries that required people to undergo long periods of counseling, hormone replacement, and ultimately sex reassignment surgery before their gender changes would be legally recognized.
The provision effectively prevented children from transitioning legally and put off many adults who either couldn’t afford or didn’t want the surgery.
Some supporters, including Transgender Europe senior policy officer Richard Kohler, said they think Norway should go even further and remove the remaining restrictions on official gender changes for children under 6.
That's where the print ended, thank God.
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No, don't go through Norway.
Full reversal!
