Clouded Transparency

A fundamental part of the Swedish democratic structure is the rule that everything is public unless expressly declared to be classified by certain strict criteria. Most other nations have the opposite rule, where everything is secret unless expressly declared as public. 

These rules have been considered so important in Sweden that the laws surrounding them have been made into constitutional laws since 1766. According to the rules every document received, dispatched or drawn up by a public authority are to be made available without delay or cost to the public. The documents should be recorded in a diary without delay showing
a) the date the document was received, dispatched or drawn up by the authority,
b) the serial number or other designation that has been given to the document,
c) from whom the document has been received or to whom it has been dispatched and
d) a brief summary of what the document pertains.

Today it was revealed that the Cabinet Office has been fiddling with the rules in an attempt to cover up a scandal that erupted earlier this year concerning a weapons factory collaboration between Sweden and the Saudi Arabian dictatorship. An email from 2010 has been removed from the Cabinet Office´s diary contrary to all rules. The email contained sensitive information showing that the Swedish government was well aware of the illegal and irregular setup of the collaboration, long before the time when the government have previously admitted to any knowledge of the scheme.
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The fact that it has been revealed that the highest public officials in the country have been involved in such unconstitutional acts that have undermined well established rules of the Swedish democracy is certain to have serious ramifications.

The Ecuadorian Farce

Rafael Correa, President of the Republic of Ecuador

The concepts of "political asylum" and "political refugee" are relatively well defined in International Law and precedence. The concepts are to be used for persons needing protection from persecution due to race, nationality, religion, political opinions and membership and/or participation in any particular social group or social activities. Sexual persecution has also come to be accepted in some countries as a legitimate category for asylum claims, when the person can prove that the state of origin is unable or unwilling to provide protection.

The Ecuadorian interpretation making Julian Assange, suspected of rape and other sexual crimes in Sweden, a human rights activist and offering him political asylum on the grounds that he would be wrongfully persecuted if he were sent to Sweden for inquiry and possible trial for his crimes is an abuse of the concepts.

It is not at all strange that this decision has now caused a diplomatic farce between Ecuador, on one hand, and Sweden, United Kingdom and Australia, on the other.

So with this decision Assange now prolongs his voluntary house arrest another few years, possibly even longer than the prison time he would have gotten if he had been tried and convicted by a Swedish court in a timely manner without all the obstructions.

Lesson in Geography

Sweden and Finland highlighted

When I was talking with my brother in-law Dejerrity yesterday we somehow slipped into the unusual subject of geography.

Dej told me he new where Finland was because "the country looks like a penis".

I had to correct him of course, and informed him that the penis is in fact Sweden while Finland is the ball sack, or as the Urban Dictionary describes it "the hairy, hangy; unusual, disfigured sack that hangs precariously from a penis". I also told him that in first life I live way down south at the tip of the penis "where the external urethral orifice is normally placed" or words to that effect.

When teaching someone anything it is always an excellent idea to use images you and they are familiar with. Dej and I both know penises well.

Hostile Takeover Bid for Apple Inc?

The financial markets all over the world today went rampant with rumors that the SecondLife-based BMcM Corporation may be launching a hostile takeover bid for Apple Inc. This news followed the recent news that Apple Inc is now worth more than Microsoft and Google combined or the GDP of the Kingdom of Sweden for one year.

The Much Honored Bock McMillan, laird of Southern Charm, prince of Cascade Falls and filthy rich owner of BMcM, smiled enigmatically and declined to comment on this rumor when he was confronted in the company of a stunningly beautiful man in a sordid backstreet bar in the ill-reputed  Zindra Region.

Prince Wild Zepp, the official spokesman for the McMillan household, only snorted "Ridiculous!" and then turned his back to this reporter and refused to comment further.

This "tactic of silence" from the McMillan household is well known from similar business deals in the past. We will of course keep you updated as this story as it evolves.

(...and if you did not guess it already, it´s a joke...)

Sweden - Closed Due to Summer

When I was at Elfay´s show this weekend I was chatting a bit with my friend Diana as usual. Somehow we got to the subject of vacations and I understood that she was puzzled by the fact that I - being a lawyer - could take a five week vacation.

The easiest way to explain this is to point to the fact that Sweden for a large part of it´s modern history (1936-1976, 1982-1991 and 1994-2006) has been ruled by the Social Democratic Party of Sweden.

One of the main pillars of the party´s ideology has been "the welfare of the people" in all aspects of life. They are thus rightfully considered the main designers of what once was "The Welfare State" where the citizens were always under the benevolent protection of the state, from the cradle to the grave.

This welfare state began crumbling in the 1990´s and is since then slowly being dismantled, piece by piece, to expose the surprised Swedes to the market forces.

However one of the benefits created that has not yet been removed is the Holidays Act. According to this law all employees are entitled to a holiday whether employed by the hour or the CEO of a company. (No employed person is excluded, even the Swedish Prime Minister takes a vacation.) Everyone who is employed is entitled to a minimum of five weeks vacation, four of these weeks they are entitled to receive continuously during the period June-August.

During a period of about six weeks (July - mid August) Sweden comes close to a complete standstill. Only the most essential services are maintained and the workforce of any given company is reduced to half - or less - it´s usual size, some companies even choose to shut down completely for a month.

I think one of the main reasons we Swedes accept these conditions is that we ourselves wouldn't want to lose our summer vacation.

Summer is important to us Swedes, just saying!