The True Finns Ideology and Finnish Immigration Policy

During last weeks the True Finns Party have been much in publicity in Finland due to the party's victory in the recent communal elections on September 26th, in which the party got 5,4% of the votes (up from 0,7% in the last communal elections in 2004). Unlike in many European countries when a claimed-to-be right-wing populist party succeeds, in Finland the public attention has been quite positive, although we have experienced some of the usual accusations of racism and/or xenophobia.

Therefore I think it's more than proper to clarify what is the ideological base of the True Finns Party, and give a point of view concerning which ideological pathway the party is about to adopt in the future. Since I'm a member of True Finns Youth Working Group for future principles, I think I'm qualified to do so.

Since our opinions about immigration and multiculturalism have been in the public eye, there's a need to give a profound presentation of our attitude and political stand concerning them (The most important concepts that help to understand the True Finns' ideology and political guidelines are in cursive).

True Finns are a Nationalist party which values are based on Christian Social ideas. We defend Democracy, Equality and Social Welfare. By Christian Social values we mean the Christianity-influenced social ethics developed in our Western Civilization; Loving your neighbour, standing up for the weaker ones, defending the human value and strive towards justice and equality. However unlike the Finnish Christian Democratic Party, we do not keep the Christian values in the front line, but behind it. To us the Christian heritage in our Finnish culture, which we wish to cherish, is not a religious but a cultural question. That's why we even have many non-religious and/or Atheists as members in our party. We are a culturally conservative party, which drives socially progressive policies. Sounds clashing to a non used ear, but since True Finns are a Third Way party, which rejects the traditional narrow left-right division, it doesn't make a controversy to us.

Our Nationalism appears in our attempt to defend and cherish Finnish culture, society and economy under the pressure of globalization and multiculturalism. We love our Fatherland, her language and culture, but that doesn't mean we'd think that Finland or Finns would be objectively above the other countries and nations, but alongside the other nations. Nationalism is based on love for your own country, not on hate towards others. Loving your own mother doesn't mean you'd hate other peoples mothers.

Therefore we have lifted up the frase; "When in Rome, do as the romans do" as one of our principles. We resist putting one ethnically different group in an unequal status or position in society against another one in the name of 'positive' discrimination. Everyone must have the same rules and be equal in front of law and officials. Unfortunately it isn't so nowadays because Finnish government is forcing a multicultural agenda in Finland. We do not tolerate putting ethnic majorities in an inferior situation and/or status as compared to ethnic minorities, because we think this is apartheid racism.

Unlike often claimed in public, we are not against immigration, but we are against the current immigration policy. This is why we are profiled as an immigration critical party. Immigrants are not guilty for the problems caused by the current immigration policy, but our government and some of our officials who deal with the immigration policy by looking at it through rose-coloured eye glasses of multiculturalism. Immigrants are equal to us. They are welcome in Finland to live here, as long as they follow the Finnish law, work, and pay taxes as we all do. The same rules must apply for everyone. Refugees must be helped out of a crisis and to thus save their lives, and primarily they should be helped already in their home countries, or in a country that is culturally as close as possible to their own, so that their adaptation would be as easy as possible. The most important priority is that they survive and are safe. However we don't welcome welfare tourists and oppose begging and some other actions which are against democratic principles, freedom of speech and Nordic culture of equality. These are mainly because of different cultural background, religion and world view, which are the main reasons to majority of problems caused by immigration.

The primary goal of cultural and immigration policy should be the adaptation of immigrants into the Finnish culture, so that their descendants grow to be Finns by their language and at heart. We support and cherish Common Culture, the traditional idea of a more unified way of culture and society instead of multiculturalism and a multi-ethnic society. To be a Finn is a matter of language, culture and the heart, not of skin colour.

Since Finland is a small nation, we can not take in huge amounts of immigrants at the same time. European examples show that social problems caused by immigration begin to show when immigrants form more than 4% of population and begin to reach a critical point when they are more than 8% of population, as has happened in Western Europe; France, Germany, Netherlands, Britain and Sweden. Excessive immigration leads to the point where society's resources are not anymore sufficient enough to take care of peoples treatment, education and welfare in an equal and just way, which leads to marginalization, social fragmentation and ethnic conflict on the streets and in suburbs. This all will cripple our welfare system, and destroy social peace and freedom.

This is why we think that immigration policy should be changed so that both the amount and educational quality of immigrants would be controlled. This is for the common good of both Finns, as well as immigrants as the future Finns.

The scandinavian welfare society prerequisites relatively high taxation, which needs a society of national community ('Volksgemeinschaft' in German), the spirit of togetherness, a feeling of natural solidarity among the people, that everyone is ready to work for common good, and accept to pay taxes "for the good of all of us". National community a.k.a national solidarity is a phenomenon of human social instinct that rises from our backbone. It is natural for a human being to deal other people into two categories; "us and others". Towards all those who he considers as members of the same herd as himself, he feels solidarity, and towards those who he considers as strangers he is reserved. Primary aspects of the forming of this feeling of togetherness are language, basic values and culture, not the skin colour or genetic heritage (although the latter does affect in forming a family). The national community and the idea of a Nation State (a.k.a Nationalism) are social, political and ideological applications of this human solidarity and social behaviour.

When national community breaks down, whether it was because of excessive growth of differences in economic income which leads to clashing social classes, or clashing of different ethnic groups against each other, it also brings end to the climate of social ethic, the moral of society that upkeeps the welfare system. The rich are no more willing to pay high taxes to fund the social services for the poor, and the poor don't want to support universal social benefits (public education, libraries, etc.) that are also available for the rich. Also the will of ethnic majority to pay taxes to fund social welfare and services for ethnic minorities diminishes. So the today's multicultural policy is accelerating the current downfall of our welfare society and takes us towards a multi-ethnic class society. If that happens, we can say goodbye not only to our welfare system but also to functional democracy and social equality.

After World War II nationalism in Europe has been widely considered a bad thing since the acts of the nazis' casted a dark shadow of war, genocide and horrible suffering upon it. This has given a good propaganda set for the liberal left against all nationalism and nationalist movements. Leftist and internationalists want to forget that German ethnoracist nationalism was and is only a dark sidepath of nationalism. The main stream of nationalism in Europe goes still together with democracy, and sticks to the core values of the French Revolution; Freedom, Equality and Brotherhood. Regardless of the European Union's imperialist project, the majority of European countries are still nation states, where nationalism lives solidly on the healthy and moral base of democracy and humanity. So it also is in Finland and in the True Finns Party.

The End of the American Century

After last Christmas 13 banks have fallen down in America. The Systemic Crisis has wiped off all the once-so-great Investment Banks. Last two, Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs submitted to FED's control and turned to normal Business Banks two weeks ago, and Bank of America bought off the falling Merrill Lynch. America is trying to tie down loose cannons before the storm strikes at full power.

Still the merging of two giant banks was like tying two loose cannons together in a situation where sailors haven't yet even seen the biggest waves. US Government tries to bailout the falling financial system by loading the dead weight of worthless loans to saving boat. It doesn't work.

The core of the Crisis are chronic structural problems of macro-economy. US Economy begun to sail towards disaster already three decades ago. United States is no longer a productive economy, as it was in 60's when two thirds of GNP came from industrial production; making and importing of goods.

Nowadays two thirds of GNP comes from consumption instead of production, and this Great Spending has been financed by loans. US Economy has been buffed up and overweight at the same time when her proportion and share of the World's Economy is reducing. The bottom of the ship has been rotten for a long time, and no one has really done anything to fix it.

US Economy shall crash and it can not be avoided anymore. After government take-over of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the public debt grew above 20 000 billion (20 trillion) dollars. No state can stand under such weight when sum of interests of this huge debt is more than 600 billion in year, and annual national balance of economy is -800 billion (The World's military spending is 'only' c. 1 200 billion in year). So, in current speed, the US debt grows 1 400 billion every year.

If entire US annual GNP would be put together to pay this huge debt, there would still be 20 500 dollars of debt left to be paid by each American person (Including young children, sick, and disabled). Let's imagine that United States would go bankrupt, and there would be only one third of the current GNP left (the real productive value of US Economy) and it all would be put to pay the debt. In such case every single American would still have 51 000 dollars debt left to be paid, plus their private debts. The Financial Crisis we see today has launched a trap, that destroys people's consumption power; Soon the trust is gone and you can not have any credit. The Great Spending Feast that has lasted for three decades is about to end.

European economic research institute LEAP estimates that after the fall of American Economy, there will be at least 7 - 10 year long depression in entire North America before the regional economy finds back to the way of growth. Similar statements have said many experts, e.g. Warren Buffet. It takes a long time before a New Economic System can be build up of the broken pieces of current American Economy. When that happens, the Dollar will be gone in the history and is replaced by common North American currency.

The fall of America is inavoidable. US has a massive challenge ahead; She has to submit to new situation, where World Economy is no more run from Washington and USA will no longer be the World's leading Superpower or military might. The American Century is about to end.

USA made an ad hoc deal with Iran to lower the Oil prices before the Presidential elections

According to Israeli intelligence sources USA had secret negotiations with Iran some two weeks ago in order to make a temporary deal concerning the lowering of the oil price and easening the political tensions in Middle East before the US Presidential Elections.

"These talks between the US and Iranian delegations, representing President George W. Bush and Iranian supreme ruler Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, have yielded ad hoc understandings on controversial issues. One is an agreement not to allow the price of oil to rocket past $150 the barrel."

The ongoing diplomatic play in order to ease tensions between US and Iran are one of the results of the agreement. The deal is still temporary and it does not bind neither US nor Iran in long run.

The lowering of oil prices during last week is another result of US-Iranian agreement. According to the deal Iran does not allow the price of oil to climb above 150$ per barrel prior to elections. But in long run the situation is far from easy, since an Iranian OPEC delegate told recently that a war in Middle East could raise the price of oil barrel over 500$.

"Iranian OPEC-delegate says that the price of oil could raise up to 500$ per barrel if war in Middle East begins. […]

’–If the inflation of dollar keeps going on and the political crisis enworsens, the price could rise up till 500 dollars’, says Mohammad Ali Khatibi in Iranian Shahrvand-e-Emrooz magazine.

The question was about predictions that oil price could rise up to 200 dollars per barrel in two years. Crude oil price has dropped more than 24 dollars in two weeks.. […]

According to Khatibin the exportation of Iranian oil is endangered if the nuclear energy programme launches a military attack against Iran. [...]

’-In that case (of war) the price of oil doesn't rise but explodes’, he says.

Approximately 40 percent of the oil transportation of Persian Gulf go through the Strait of Hormuz on the southern coast of Iran. In case of war Tehran has threatened to begin to limit the traffic in the strait."

In other words the situation behind the scene is still the same. US Republican government has managed to ease economic pressure prior to the elections in order to help republican senator McCain to win.

A similar view had the White House spokesman Sean McCormack, who thinks that easening of the pressure put on Iran is a mere change in diplomatic tactic rather than in US strategy. Barack Obamas recent statement that he would like to begin straight bilateral negotiation with Iran could also affect, since the change in tactic can be seen as a republican answer to Obamas challenge.

The "Axis of Evil" has expanded - When does the US recognize this situation?

During last few years Russia and China have actively build a global strategic cooperative network and Economic and Military Alliance for themselves.

(Imge: CSTO logo)

Western media has more or less kept silence of the fact that NATO already has an opposing eastern military alliance; Collective Security Treaty Organization, CSTO. It was founded already in 2003 to become a new military dimension of former Soviet countries, and it was lead by Russia. In 2006 the alliance expanded and deepened when Russia, China and other Asian countries founded the Shanghai Cooperative Organization, a common Eurasian strategic economic and military cooperation union, which also includes Iran, Pakistan and India as observing members. Ever since the CSTO has operated in close military cooperation with SCO, which practically means China. It is assumed that Iran and Pakistan might join the SCO as full members in near future.

The main purpose of SCO is to make sure that the hands of USA and her allies can be kept off Central Asia's energy resources. Alliance's economic cooperation treaties have mainly been made between Russia, China, Iran and Central Asian countries and treaties mainly concern on cooperation in development and sharing of natural resources, especially oil and gas.

In year 2006 SCO/CSTO organized a huge military drill in Ural, Far East and Central Asia. It was the first time when Chinese troops had military practice in large scale outside the borders of People's Republic since 1945. The operations brought together tens of thousands of soldiers from China, Russia Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Armenia. SCO has similar common military communication, cooperative and command structure as NATO, and if needed they are ready to be used. As I write this article, CSTO is having their annual military exercise in Armenia. It's a CSTO's and Moscow's answer to US-Georgian military exercise organized at the same time. The message is clear; Two military alliances display their military might in Caucasus.

SCO has expanded their power also to other continents by Russia and China. During last years Iran, Venezuela Russia and Belarus have tighten their economic and military cooperation. Russian and Belarus oil companies have made cooperation deals with Iran and Venezuela concerning the development, pumping and transporting of their oil and gas resources. They have also made large scale military deals, since Russia and Belarus have become the main military suppliers for Iran and Venezuela. And as recently noticed, Russia is expanding her influence in Northern Africa.

China and Iran on other hand have strengthen their foothold in East and South Africa. China has become the most important economic and political supporter of Sudan and Zimbabwe, which means that inside SCO Russia and China seem to have divided Africa into their own interest areas; Russian oil & gas companies operate in North Africa and Chinese in East and South Africa while Iran supports her allies both in North and East Africa.

If we watch this situation from the American point of view, the name "Axis of Evil" could be used of this Russo-Chinese Alliance and their cooperatives. The fact is that the West is facing a new "Warsaw Pact", the SCO/CSTO and it has already expanded their power into South America and Africa. When will the western media and politicians realize and openly recognize this situation?

Economy goes down as usual

The downfall of the World Economy continues as usual. During last two days the shares of World's Banks have fallen drastically. Almost a half of the Exchange value of Banking industry on both sides of Atlantic has disappeared during last twelwe monts. The headlines of Taloussanomat tells of very negative expectations among Exchange Traders:

"The markets have punishded banking shares heavier than in last ten years. The lousy exchange rate tells of fears of Economic Doomsday on the both sides of Atlantic.

In last two days European and American banking shares have been beated down exceptionally heavily. Investors have thrown shares on sale as fast as possible.. [...]

European banking shares have lost more than half of their value in one year. DJ Stoxx 600 Banks index has fallen 51,4 percent in 12 months. The European banking index has fallen almost 46,6 percent in the same time."

The situation is alltogether so dark that FED director Ben Bernanke has had to say it loud that it doesn't look good at all:

"Bernanke: USA has a dark future"

"According to Ben Bernanke There are 'remarkable risks' in US Economy towards somewhat weaker growth. On other hand the risks of higher inflation have also risen."

The bad situation of the American housing lenders that crumble in the core of the crisis is also reflecting to Finland since Finnish banks have also invested on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans: Link.

The worst direct threat for Finnish economy is the looming crash of Swedish housing markets:

"Proffessor Hans Lind thinks that the prices in Swedish housing market may crash down heavily. He says that e.g. the prices of residence-right flats may drop 30-40 percent. Finnish real estate experts though don't believe such drop could happen in Finland. [...]

..question in Sweden is no more if the prices of housing are going to come down, but rather we should think that how low they are going to drop."

The expectation that the Swedish housing price crash would not infect Finland is an illusion. There's no reason to hide your head in bushes. In last fall it was estimated that there's approximately a -30 -70 percent bubble in Finnish Real Estate prices, depending on location and type size of flat. I'd say that when the housing prices drop down in Sweden, the crash will spread to Finland too.

The threat of Iran - America's impossible challenge?

Link:

"The threat of Iran weakens Dollar

French news agency AFP told that Iran has tested a new Shehab-3 missile that could reach Israel. [...]

– The news of Iran's missile test have weakened the Dollar. [...] It's hard to find out Iran's aims concerning their nuclear programme, and it is a remarkable geopolitical risk, says Masahito Sato"


One reason for speeding inflation of Euro, among the rising price of oil and costs, is the ECB's decision to try to keep Euro-Dollar exchange rate approximately in current level. While dollar sinks ECB has had to print more money in order to prevent the rise of the gap in Euro-Dollar exchange rate. If Dollar would become too cheap in Euros, it would seriously slow down European economy. This has caused the acceleration in rising inflation of Euro when value of the European currency has allowed to be reduce with dollar.

One of the main guilties for weak dollar (among US's sucking monetary policy) is the fact that Iran is selling oil and gas also in other currencies, not only in Dollars. The Multi-Currency Oil and Gas Exchange was opened in last Spring. After that the downfall of USD has speed up.

Last fall a rumour was spread that OPEC would have make up a secret deal that oil producers will slowly dump Dollars. This might be true due to the fact that in year 2006 the dollar reserves of OPEC countries reduced 14 percent, as much the value of Dollar in Euros reduced during the same year which is not a coincidence.

The real reason for why USA invaded Iraq was that Saddam gave up the Dollar in 2001. Luckily for US the UN had put sanctions and restricted Iraqi oil exportation, so the value of Dollar did not suffer too much until US managed to invade Iraq and got control over her oil resources. It helped the economic pressure on Dollar a bit, but US has got stuck in Iraq which takes a lot of money and ties up US political and military resources.

For long time the value of American currency hasn't based on the condition of her economy, as normally should, but on the fact that Dollar is the reserve currency of the oil trade. The value of Dollar is based on oil, and the value of oil backs up the Dollar. Unless US finds more oil resources (among Iraq) to rob, the current economic way leads the country to a total economic crush. The other option is to force Iran to give up the selling of oil in other currencies than Dollars.

A military option for current oil crisis is much harder for US to accomplish, because unlike the invasion of Iraq, Iran is not a piece of cake. Iran has a well trained and equipped large army and it has prepared for war much better than Iraq was before the first Gulf War. Iran is also technologically more advanced, and her weapons are more modern than in Iraq. Still a solely military victory in Iran would not be a problem for USA, since they could bomb the country back to Stone Age. However there are a few matters to solve:

- At first US is stuck in Iraq. Almost entire free capacity of US Forces is stuck in Iraqi crisis and can not leave the country because it would lead Iraq to flee in chaos. US would need another half million men more to invade Iran. After the reductions in manpower of US Army since the end of Cold War US has no manpower for invasion. Just bombing Iran to Stone Age without invasion and taking control over Iran's oil resources would ruin US economy, because if Iran's oil does not flow to markets, the price of oil would rise permanently above 400$ per barrel, which would ruin the entire World's economy.

- Secondly; In order to grow the numbers of US ground forces with the needed half million men, America would have to call the conscription again, which would be politically impossible and so expensive that if would ruin US economy.

- Third; US should be able to beat and occupy Iran in less than three months in order to survive economically. During the war the price of oil would rise temporarily above 400$ per baller, and US government would have to control and limit the price and availability of gasoline in home market with their oil reserves, which are enough only for three months. A longer war would crush the US economy. Iran is a three times bigger country than Iraq and her beating and invading would take much longer than only three months.

- Fourth; Starting war with Iran would make the entire Middle East to flee in war, which would spread in Iraq, Syria, Israel, Lebanon and entire Gulf region. It would stop the oil trade in the Gulf area and rise the price of oil in astronomical numbers. The World has no means or reserves to keep the price of oil down during that kind of crisis. The World's economy would collapse and cause so much more wars, huge hunger and civil crises that you could almost call it the World War III.

USA, the soon to be ex-Superpower is in a situation where it can't afford to attack Iran, but on other hand it could not afford not to attack. the question is:

1. Does Americans have the ability to accept the unavoidable loosing of their political and economic World leadership and let their economy to recess without the war and thus save the rest of the World from disaster?

or:

2. Do the Yankees want to greedily keep up in their power and try to save their empire by attacking Iran and thus play a game where chance of Victory is minimal and the World would flee into a great war and economic disaster?

There's something to ponder