Nobody wants to be called a racist
No one wants to be called a racist, for it is considered particularly degrading to engage in ethnic sorting of people for bad traits; and being subjected to this magical epithet is now associated with an →
Ideology
Look at me, love me – and give me money!
Is it reasonable that everyone should love transsexuals, queers, overweight people, people with full tattoos, etc, etc? Today we see more and more strange groups demanding acceptance and equality. They want to be recognised and maybe →
Demography and population exchanges in turn-of-the-century Europe, a brief historical comment
In 1916 there were about 2.2 million inhabitants in Vienna, almost half of whom came from Bohemia, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, etc. In 1939 the population was down to just under 1.8 million. And in 1990 →
Best in the world at democracy
The concept of democracy is an interesting one to revisit periodically. What is considered important in a democratic society has changed throughout history. When modern democracies emerged after the American Revolutionary War, the focus was on →
Is local self-government a threat to nations and empires?
Are self-governing regions and municipalities a threat to the idea of nation and empire building? Of course, this objection can be made. The US is an empire, as are the EU and China, states made up →
Building a functioning nation out of a multicultural society of chaos
Historically, of course, the idea of governing a diverse society with many different ethnicities is nothing new. Romans, Greeks, Ottomans and Habsburgs have tried, and indeed succeeded, in keeping it stable for hundreds of years. It →
Twilight over Ukraine – thoughts on the origins of the conflict and where the war is going
Many of us wonder why the war is dragging on, both those who side with Ukraine and Russia. We see a protracted conflict with no major territorial gains, between partially equal armies, where the Russians have →
Swedish hubris – the rise and fall of the record-setting country
Many Swedes have never been attracted to a high-tax society or multiculturalism. They feel cheated and trampled on. And more and more people have changed their minds along the way, moving from being radical to more →
The Constitution – an increasingly weak defender of citizens and their rights
When you ask people about the most important elements of democracy, most of them mention the parliament. This is where laws are made, or at least approved, and where political debates are held. Parliament comes from →
