New blog for underground musick and art!

Gird and I wanted to give the many amazing artists in the underground a little attention.
In this blog all the things we find interesting will be given a review. Be it musick, art work, books, films....and so on.

Please stop by Kaliglimmer, and come back often.

Contact us if you have something you want us to review.
Please note that the material has to be underground, and that you will be given an honest opinion.

We have no deadlines, we work in our own tempo. This blog has to be combined with jobs, and at times a rather unstable mental health.

We both used to review for the legendary, now late, Heathen Harvest, and have a large network of contacts.
Do enjoy, and feel free to leave comments if you see something you like.
Help us spread the link far and wide.

Thank you.

Gird&Bat

MV Mavi Marvara - Sailing sea of blood.

My partner and I sat up that night watching the live streaming from MV Mavi Marmara. We could see the faces of the activist live, as they grew more and more fearful of what was to come.
After spending quite some time watching all these people and closely monitoring the ships' whereabouts via GPS, as well as getting updates via Twitter from people in direct contact with the people on board, we had this unsettling feeling. We are used to seeing horrible videos of people getting shot by police so horrific war crimes are not new to us. My partner and I have friends from parts of the world where oppression and violence is part of daily life. Even though I grew up in Norway and have never seen violence outside the numerous demonstrations we have attended, I certainly know more than most of what is going on in the world around me. Like I have said before my freedom gives me not only the possibility to speak up for those who can't, it actually means I am obligated to do so. And I do, every single day, any way I can.
We watched as this tiny young female journalist had trouble with the technical equipment, while trying to broadcast what was happening. The lights went on and off, and for every time the lights came back on, we saw their faces turning more and more terrified. Up until this point the people had been smiling, giving each other comforting pats on the shoulders, and hugs. I felt rather in awe over their calm and compassion for each other. We never saw anger or weapons. We only saw smiling eyes being filled with fear. Some 700 people from 37 different nations.
And then the live stream got cut off... Seconds before we could se the people on board looking up, turning round, listening and people that saying helicopters were right above the ship.
Then nothing. We tried to get updates from our contacts via Twitter, but there was no news, nobody knew what was happening.
We were so tired, it was just after 02:00 in the morning, CET. We sat discussing if we should wait for another hour, but decided that we should go to bed. There was no news to be found anywhere. We did talk about what the outcome would be, Israeli soldiers boarding the boat most definitely, probably some violence during the takeover and arrest for sure. My partner was more calm because he had been following the boat on the map and the ship was miles away from Israeli waters. The people on the boats were safe, they had pulled back further into international waters so that people could sleep on shifts before morning. I felt assured by this, but still had this unsettling feeling as I was about to fall asleep.

When I woke up the next morning, the first thing I did was to check the internet. It took me a few minutes before it really hit me. My partner could tell something was up as he asked me from the bedroom what was happening. People had been killed by Israeli soldiers just minutes after that live stream got cut off. As I was falling asleep, people were brutally killed.
It made me physically ill, more so than ever before and I literally felt like throwing up. I felt really sick. My mind and body was prepared for waking up to headlines about arrests, maybe some violence, but never even anything close to a massacre of unarmed peace activists in international waters.

The rest of that day was spent online, gathering information form our contacts and trying to find out what had happened.
That was not a very easy task as Israeli press was the only one able to tell it's story. But slowly news got out. 9 people had been killed - shot dead. 5 shot in the head, one at very close range (2-14 cm), Most of them shot in the back: "The results revealed that a 60-year-old man, Ibrahim Bilgen, was shot four times in the temple, chest, hip and back. A 19-year-old, named as Fulkan Dogan, who also has US citizenship, was shot five times from less that 45cm, in the face, in the back of the head, twice in the leg and once in the back. Two other men were shot four times, and five of the victims were shot either in the back of the head or in the back, said Yalcin Buyuk, vice-chairman of the council of forensic medicine." The Guardian.
Evidently they were running away seconds before they died...

People from 37 nations were onboard the 6 ships and over 600 people had been brutally arrested. None of these were allowed any contact with their families, lawyers or their embasies. It took 2 days before people were released from Israeli custody and all cell phones, all cameras and all lap tops had been confiscated or thrown overboard by Israeli soldiers. 60 journalists was robbed of their equipment.
The question still remains: Why? If the Israeli soldiers had nothing to hide it seems illogical.

The international community was enraged. Condemning these grave crimes against unarmed activists in international waters. And at the same time the Israeli propaganda machinery was fully operational. Edited videos of activists defending themselves against rapelling Israeli soldiers were posted and shown all over the internet and on every TV station. Soon the pictures came too, the proof of weapons on board: Sticks, metal pipes, kitchen knifes and so on. The Israeli message was clear: the activists attacked first, they were in fact trained terrorists that chose to use sticks and metal pipes to attack trained elite Israeli soldiers, instead of live fire, in order to come across as "more humane". The Israeli solders were so surprised by the brutal force of the attack, they claim they had no idea they would be met by such anger and violence, so they panicked and acted in self defence. Shooting and killing 9 wooden stick bearing activists and wounding some 60 others. First firing rubber bullets, then a couple of minutes after that - live fire. Combined with gas and concussion grenades.

Mavi Marmara was in international waters. Once the Israeli army closed in the first time, Mavi Marmari went even further into international waters, so that people could sleep in shifts.
The ship had been followed by Israeli army for hours, and the people on board were tired, and needed rest.
At 04:00 in the morning, local time, many of the muslim men were gathered for prayer, as is customary. The Israeli army knew that the muslim men would be in prayer at this specific time. And that is why they chose to attack at this specific time. The Israeli army had no intention of boarding the ship in a calm and peaceful manner. They chose to board the ship during night, while men were in prayer and others were sleeping, rapelling down from muffled helicopters, and attacking from all sides in zodiacs. The solders were in full battle gear. This was not meant to be peaceful in any way shape or form.

The Israeli government demanded the ships inspected, unloaded, and the goods delivered via Israeli channels.
The ships' cargo was thoroughly inspected in turkey by neutral institutions, because the activists knew Israeli government would accuse them of carrying weapons and demand an inspection.
Now, some people say that if the ships had no weapons, they had nothing to hide and should willingly oblige the Israeli governments demands for inspections.
The answer to that is no, there is no reason why Israeli government should inspect the already inspected cargo, nor should the cargo be delivered via Israeli channels as Israel would deny cement into Gaza, as they claim it will be used to build tunnels, controlled by the terrorists in Hamas, not homes. Cement is banned in Gaza by Israel.
In the aftermath, Israel did send some of the confiscated aid to Gaza, but like the activists foresaw, Israel withheld 8.000 tons of building material. Hamas refused to allow the humanitarian aid into Gaza until Israeli authorities released all flotilla detainees and allowed building materials.

I want to address the Israeli soldiers' claims that they were scared for their lives and acted in self defence.
Israeli soldiers are known as one of the worlds best. This are not amateurs without training or experience. These are elite navy soldiers, most have seen combat and have years of training and experience on how to deal with violence, stress and chaotic situations. That is their job. Claiming a small group of young men with sticks and metal pipes, justifies killing 9 and wounding 60 more, is nothing short of a disgrace.
It's a lie, it's propaganda and we all know it. These are soldiers trained to react according to their training. They don't panic over wooden stick or metal pipes. They are trained to deal with lethal weapons and dangerous situations. This situation should have been easy to handle.
If that was what they wanted.
Why the Israel army wants to portray themselves as weak, inexperienced pussies is beyond me. But that is the story they are going for: elite soldiers, in full combat gear, with helmets, bulletproof vests, gas and concussion grenades, were scared.

There were no weapons on board besides kitchen knifes, angle grinders, wooden sticks, metal bars, and other supplies you would find on any large vessel.
The Swedish author Henning Mankell told the media his shaving razor was located in his room and confiscated as a weapon.
His shaving razor.

The Israeli government has released a video of activist throwing concussion grenades at them. Norwegian activists told at the press conference that the soldiers threw these grenades onto the ship, and the activists threw them back over board. Bear in mind that these Norwegians just got off the plane and had not seen any pictures, and videos or read any papers. They were in fact very surprised over how much media attention this had gained. Pleasantly surprised, as they now felt secure the massacre would not be left untold.

The israeli government put a close lid on all information. Meaning the names and nationalities of the dead and wounded was not revealed for days.
Leaving families all over the world terrified and feeling helpless. The embassies were refused information as well, causing anger in all the states involved in the peaceful action. 3 Norwegians were on board Mavi Marmara and the day before yesterday they were finally released and could tell us about their horrific ordeal.

At the press conference they were exhausted, as they had been subjected to sleep deprivation, little or no food and water. They had been subjected to brutal treatment, and told the media that the Israeli soldiers had a racist agenda. The people with Palestinian background were badly beaten. They told about Israeli soldiers with laser sights pointing at the head of those who tried to speak. They gave accounts about writing SOS messages in Hebrew on paper notes to the soldiers at the ship, during the boarding, requesting aid for the wounded and dieing. Aid was however refused They spoke about stairs covered in blood, about people being shot in the head right before their eyes and about walking over dead bodies. They told us about long interrogations, about being disoriented not knowing date and time. In short, torture. Norwegian Nidal Hejazi told us about an Irish American who got hit in the back of the head with a night stick, his face immediately covered in blood as he fell to the floor. This was not during the boarding mind you, this was as the activists were getting ready to be deported. He did not join the other activsts on the plane out.
Another got his arm and leg broken and when he screamed, the Israeli soldier actually put his foot into his mouth. At this point Hejazi was in tears and couldn't go on talking about his experience. I can't blame him.

I want to write a little about the psychology behind fear.
I mentioned this in an earlier debate as well. In my line of work there is a lot of violence. I have been to numerous courses instructing me on methods of preventing and handling violence. We have been drilled in these techniques, and I know by heart what to do. I have to, because if I fail I put myself, the other users, and my colleagues at risk. The moment a situation arises, I react instinctively. I know what to do and I do it fast. Usually a situation is over in 5-10 minutes. I am trained on not reacting with the instinctive fear once someone strikes out at me, I am trained to go into the situation and do what has to be done.
And I am no soldier.

Another thing I want to point out is what we call the threat of potential violence. This means that the threath begins before entering my work place, knowing that during my shift I will most likely be hit, yelled at, kicked and sometimes subjected to grave violence. We are trained to deal with this feeling, venting it, and being aware of it. This is very difficult, but I can tell you that the people who don't have my kind of training, feel more fear, react much more violently, the situation lasts much longer, and their reactions are much stronger.So these elite soldiers with years of training could deal with this in an efficient and humane way - if that was their will and intent.
The activists reacted with the same kind of fear and stress as the people I work with who have no training. The activists were quite obviously not trained in handling fear, and they defended themself. That is the psychology of what happened.

Now onto the legal aspects:
Israel has not signed United nations convention on the law of the sea (UNCLOS).
While they have not signed not ratified the convention counts as international law as it has achieved 60 ratifications and thereby becomes law for all UN members. This means that Israel was in fact violating international law. (Specifically paragraphs 92, 94 and 96) Ergo making the argument that the Israeli soldiers were attacked false.
The activists were in international water, with no weapons on board. They were attacked by Israeli soldiers. The ones who used wooden sticks and metal bars, acted in _self defence_.
They were not in violation of any international law.

Another argument is that their intent was to break a blockade. While this argument is valid, the blockade is legally questionable and has come under heavy criticism for failing to meet international standards for legal blockade.
In 1909 an attempt was made to regulate the legality of blockades in the London declaration concerning the laws of naval war. How ever the law failed as it did not receive enough signatures to be made international law. Still it has been used and cited as the standard for blockades.
the law states clearly that a blockade needs to provide sufficient medical aid and food for the blockaded area. It also states that in order to intercept anyone breaching the blockade, they must be _actively_ doing so. Proven, or simply stated _intent_ is not enough. However since this law never became international law, blockades are regulated under chapter 7 of the United Nations charter, article 42. Witch states that the legality of a blockade must be founded on the security council. The Israeli blockade fails to met these standards, both according to the 1909 declaration and article 42. In fact the security council has called for the immediate cease of the blockade.

Who were the organisers of the Free Gaza flotilla?
(Free Gaza Movement has been arranging similar actions since 2008.)
Free Gaza Movement in collaboration with several other NGO's such as Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) , the Perdana Global Peace Organization from Malaysia, the European Campaign to End the Siege of Gaza, and a Swedish and Greek Boat. 6 boats in total.
All with one common goal: To aid the 1.5 million suffering people in Gaza.
The cargo consists of paper for school books, wheel chairs, cement, medication, toys, food, water purifiers and so on.
Not weapons, nor terrorists.

Some claim, particularily the Israeli government, that IHH has links to Al qaeda and islamism. While these links have been present, they are not as strong or developed as one might suspect. After reading a a Danish report on IHH it is evident that the IHH has made some bad judgements in the past, and that for a period during the nineties the organization was in fact infiltrated by terrorist groups. However the organization itself is _not_an islamist group nor engaged in terror activities. Most of the evidence against them is clearly circumstantial and speculative. For instance the fact that IHH has participated in demonstrations against the American invasion of Iraq is counted as islamist behaviour. Many of my friends, including myself, demonstrated against the invasion of Iraq - and we are certainly not islamist.

I strongly want to point out that this action was not a terrorist action. And when people link IHH to a vague and outdated past, they fail to realize that this has nothing to do with Hamas, the Jewish people or politics. This was humanitarian - period.
I also want to state that being opposed to the Israeli government and it's politics, is not the same as being opposed to the Jewish people.
Supporting the suffering Palestinians is not the same as supporting Hamas' politics and bombings. I do however recognise Hamas as the legally elected civilian authority.

I want to state that Mister Obama, Mister Nobel Peace Prize, should be ashamed. I hope his nights are filled with nightmares. So much for "change" and "hope", so much for reaching out an open hand to the muslim world.
Take a long hard look at my open hand, Mister Obama, as I flip you the bird.
You let everyone down, and the great people before you, are turning in their graves.

People:
This was not about religion, politics or ethnicity.
This is about right and wrong.
And the Israeli government has to stop their suppression of the Palestinian people, and lift the blockade.The time has come, and the world is watching. The eyes of the world are on MV Rachel Corrie that got boarded by IDF today.
Named after the young American woman killed by a bulldozer in 2003, attempting to prevent IDF forces from demolishing the home of Palestinian Samir Nasrallah.

I was just told that a jewish ship will sail for Gaza mid July.
What now, Israel?

Free Palestine.Lift the blockade.

Video for Those Without Skin.

Just some self promotion:

Made a new video for my track Those Without Skin.
Feel free to follow this link.

Hijab - Unveiling feminism

This blog entry has been in the back of my mind for quite some time.
The need to write down my thoughts has steadily increased side by side with the tabloid media and politicians catering to norwegian right wing interests.
I want you to read these earlier entries as well, to inform you on where I stand in regards of respecting religion and on women's liberation.
This blog will deal with the matter of freedom, and the freedom of choice.

The debate has gone on for years now in Norway: "The oppression of women in the name of Islam"Several countries have banned various forms of Islamic headwear. All in the name of "women's liberation". Women are fined for wearing a burka in public. Women are forbidden from wearing their headwear of choice to school, in the pool, while driving a car, at work.
In the west a liberated woman wears what she wants, whereever she wants. The radical feminists preach that a woman should, by principle, walk down dark alleyways wearing skimpy clothing, to prove her strength and to stand her ground: I, woman, can do anything, go anywhere.
The same feminists argue that women working in the porn industry, prostitutes or strippers, are not liberated. The same feminists argue that the hijab is the very core of female oppression. These radical feminists and the politicians, seem to have this idea that their subjective emotions should be universal.

Feminists are afraid of public sexuality, it's a fear founded in Victorian morals and the protestant view on sin. The hijab is a recognition of female sexuality. Women start to wear a hijab once they hit puberty, marking a sexual awakening. The feminists can't deal with the fact that pornography and hijab are both part of a sexual iconography. Pornography is all about exposing sexuality, and hijab is about not flaunting sexuality, but reserving it for the proper context. Despite their different intentions they are both symbols of sexual self awareness.
The feminists want to de-sexualize the female body, as in : Don't look at my breasts, look at my eyes, respect me. The hijab focuses on and frames the eyes - ergo causing respect.
A woman who wants to cover her body - the very antithesis of the women's liberation movement in the west.

The liberation of women seems to be an idea that all women must work collectively to reach a common goal. Freedom to me is the complete opposite: individual freedom - the right to decide what is right for you and only you. If I were to limit my freedom to a collective sisterhood, I would limit myself way beyond freedom and venture deep inside a restricted world of rules. If I am to accept that the state is the right power to decide what is the definition of freedom, I would willingly and openly be accepting a totalitarian state.

Most of the people so passionate about refusing women their personal freedom, don't understand that their resistance is founded in xenophobia,and in many cases even racism. Many of these people would never accept an islamic woman. No matter how integrated she might be in our society. The islamic woman could have a Ph.D., she could work full time, speak fluent Norwegian, be a 3rd generation immigrant, but as long as she wears a hijab, they want her excluded from society. A woman wearing the hijab, can never be a liberated Norwegian woman. And many of these people would not accept her even if she took off her hijab. She is still a Muslim. She is still different. The veil is actually used as cover up for discrimination.
Reveal yourself.

Norwegian women who are not radical feminists, have a slightly different view on the matter.
Why would a woman _want_ to cover her hair? Western women spend millions on their hair. It's their crown of glory. A dyed, cut, bleached crown of glory. Flowing hair has historically been seen as erotic, and a signal of sexual power. Letting the hair flow freely down the back has been seen as a symbol of the untamed woman such as Lilith and Mary Magdalen, and you can read more about that here.
In films, when the woman is about to engage in sex, we often see her with a sultry look as she unleashes her long hair, shaking her crown of glory, stating: I am ready, I am willing. I am your succubus. There is something dangerous about a sexually liberated woman.
When women cut their hair short in the 1920s as a fashion statement, it was also a liberating act: I, woman, can wear my hair as I please.

When ever the hair fashion change, there is a feminist agenda behind it. Albeit subconsciously. Everything a western woman does and doesn't, is an extension of the woman's liberation movement. Don't you dare try tell a western woman she cant. Because she can, with a vengeance.
So to these women covering up the very symbol of sexual liberation, seems dogmatic. To these women the liberation lies in the revealing of the body. The right to wear short skirts, the right to wear a deep cleavage and at the same time get infuriated at men staring at their breasts. They see sexual liberation as throwing their sex in every ones face, and they are not willing to understand the reactions: How dare you treat me as a sexual object!

And then we have the children. Some politicians go as far as claiming that children wearing the hijab are sexualized by their parents. Reasoning that young children should not be covering up their hair, because they are not sexual beings. These people seem to have the idea that their own western view on sexuality and its symbols are the same all over the world. Parents who dress their children in the hijab, are raising them according to their religion. The veil is the symbol that separated man from God: wearing it is perhaps a liminal state, signifying the difference between the profane and the profound spheres of life. As in the mosaic temple the Jews carried through the desert after leaving Egypt.
Muslim parents are not forcing sexuality onto their children, the western world however is.
Muslim parents, as most parents, want their children to look proper.

When I grew up I was not allowed to wear what I wanted, my parents had strict rules. No short skirts, no bare belly, no tight pants, no deep cleavage. And my neighbours and friends of the family would call my mother and tell her if I wore something that was not acceptable. Most parents want their children to look decent. And most parents gets frustrated and ashamed when their children refuse to do do. I see my mother pulling up my 14 year old niece's neckline when it's too low cut. Muslim parents and western parents are not as different as you might think.
Forcing children is wrong, whether it's forcing them to go to church, or to wear a hijab. That is a whole different subject. Not to be mistaken with love, affection and most importantly: good intentions

The media portrays muslim women wearing a hijab as weak, with scared eyes. Always with a black hijab, eyes pleading for help from the western readers. Never once have I've seen a picture in a Norwegian newspaper of a smiling muslim woman wearing a colorful hijab. Like the ones I do see every day In Oslo. They are beautiful, some are simply stunning. I bought my own hijab last year because I think it looks so pretty. I have not worn it in public, but I've made numerous promises both online and in RL that I will wear the hijab, a burka or a niqab if a ban ever is to be implemented in Norway. And the police, politicians, feminists and racists would have a very hard time explaining why I, a liberated western woman wearing this garment of my own free will, was fined for being out in public. A very hard time indeed.

We in the west have alot to learn about respect. And far too many of us need to learn that today integration has a meaning similar to assimilation.The women's liberation movement, the french revolution, the black power movement all led to the rights we in the west have today.

It never ceases to amaze me how unwilling we are to grant these hard earned rights to newcomers.



Check out this blog for more amazing hijab styles.

Just a short blog - To make you all smile

Pentagon murder-coverup

Short blog on important matter:

Please follow the links and spread the information any way you can.
If you want to use money for something important, donate to Wikileaks.
That way you are investing in truth.
I donated today - Best thing I've invested in so far this year.

Today Wikileaks published the video we have been waiting to see for so long.
It is brutal, heartbreaking and disgusting.
It shows the true face of war, and US soldiers acting as if they are playing Counter Strike.
Killing several civilians, 2 Reuters journalists and seriously wounding 2 children.
The Pentagon has been trying to cover up this since 2007.
The truth is out.
The ppl behind Wikileaks had some disturbing tweets last week, explaining its ppl has been "followed, photographed, and one of its members was even detained overnight and questioned".

Thank you Wikileaks.

All the info you need are found in the links below.
I add links as more info comes in.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sYXppiOteM

http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2010/04/09

http://collateralmurder.com/file/imgiraq/rec_doaha_us_sc.jpg.html

http://www.salon.com/news/us_military/index.html?story=/news/2010/04/06/us_us_iraq_video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGQmhzRTIkM#t=103

http://blogs.aljazeera.net/americas/2010/04/05/wikileaks-vs-pentagon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rXPrfnU3G0&feature=player_embedded

http://wikileaks.org/

http://collateralmurder.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BflAj2txMVQ

http://wikileaks.org/#Change_you_can_believe_in

http://collateralmurder.com/en/timeline.html

http://collateralmurder.com/en/transcript.html

http://collateralmurder.com/en/photos.html

http://file.wikileaks.org/file/us-intel-wikileaks.pdf

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/07/world/middleeast/07baghdad.html

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSL05399965

Norwegian download

Norwegian download over at Because God
Told Me To Do It. With grand artists such a Continental Fruit, Gird_09,
Her Ethic, Gyron V, Andreas Brandal, Hip Priest, Pogrom Synod,
Epilektrician and Batcheeba! Get it while it's hot!

This is a collection of bands we feel represent some of the underground scene in Norway as of right now. Some bands are well known others are more obscure.
That said - there is a pulsating scene for a wide range of other genres as well.
But this comp is a little taste of the darker side.
Enjoy it, and again a huge thank to my dear, dear friend and daddy Brad.


And do leave comments.
BradMiller is working so hard to keep music alive and free. He use all his free time to support both old and new. So give your support.

http://theebradmiller.blogspot.com/2010/04/because-god-told-me-to-do-it-norway.html

Freedom means choice - not compulsion

There is a fire burning in Norway.
2 days in a row as many as 3000 muslims have been out in the streets, peacefully protesting against the harassment of muslims and the meaningless, repeated publication of the Muhammed charicatures, last published by Dagbladet 2 weeks ago.
There are numerous blogs about these charicatures. As you should know by now: My blog views subjects from a very different point of view.

First off, let me state that I am against printing of these charicatures.
Let me explain why:

1: Dagbladet's motivation:
Dagbladet is strugling financially, letting people go, and experiencing dwindling sales numbers.
Dagbladet decided to publish a severly offencive drawing of the prophet as a pig, writing in the Quran. This drawing was first posted on the PST facebook page (police inteligence and security service) by a group member. PST had originally censored several other posts, but let this one pass for 2 days, thereby lending it some official credence. Even though several muslims protested and expressed regret over PST's decicion. Let me point out that several muslims feel persecuted by PST in the context of the ongoing "war on terror". Additionally the second largest political party is the radical right populist FrP, with overt islamophobe tendencies, as well as a growing general racism in the public. All this adds to the situation.

So why did Dagbladet decide to publish this drawing? Because they wanted to cover the news story on the PST situation, as the publication itself states."The time was right," Could they have covered this story without using the drawing? Yes. Would that cause as much attention and high sales numbers? No. Could the timing had been worse? No. Dagbladet published the drawing based on capitalist motivations, under a false pretense of defending "free speech". Unwittingly Dagbladet allowed itself to become a tool in a right wing populist agenda.

2: The intentions of those who are pro the publications:
This is a very complex matter, and can only be understood if the reader, as me, understands democracy as a institution nourishing lazy, spoiled and apathetic people.
If you however, the reader, are a great believer in the state, police and democracy as the ultimate way of life, the following will most likely sound like crazy talk.
Democracy is nothing but a word, with little or no meaning to most norwegians. Until their personal way of life is threathened in any way by alien influence, causing fear of change they won't react. To them democracy means voting once every 4th year, then leaning back and flipping the bird to the rest of the world. To them democracy means no understanding, no respect and no willingness to perceive that our illusion of democracy is perhaps not the only alternative to dictatorship. Democracy to most norwegians means "my way or the highway". Do as we do, or we will bomb you, hate you and alienate you.
To most norwegians democray means no understanding for the damage imperialism caused, no understanding for what excluding the developing countries from trade has done to their economies. To them democracy means not understanding the realities of war, PTSD, cultural differences, poverty and social stigma.
To me, on the other side, democracy means responsibility. I have the responsibilty to talk for those who can't speak, act for those who can't act, and always staying alert and aware when it comes to the world around me. Freedom does not mean you can lean back and stop caring. Freedom means you MUST CARE.

And I care about the feelings of 1.5 billion muslims all over the world who feel intensely hurt by these drawings. I question the intentions of the people who are in favor the publications. They have no conscious intentions. They simply strike out against people they dont like, again under a misguided pretense of "freedom of speech". Their intention is not to help, or to cause islamic religion to progress, their intention is to state their dislike of islam. The continued publication of these drawing is not by any means a bridge builder, it's exclusively bombing the bridge.

Freedom of speech is the main argument used by the media and people in general, who are in favor of publication. Yes, the media may publish the drawings, but is it neccesary? And if so, why? The argument is if they don't publish the drawing, our nation is in grave danger. Of what? Being controlled by Islam? The line of argument is that freedom of speech itself is threathened. By whom? And how? Not printing these drawings would not cause approximately 200 years of democracy to collaps into a black hole. It would not cause Norway to regress into the dark ages. '

Because democracy is not static, it is a constant evolution. This is not a matter of no democracy versus democracy. This is a matter of adding, not subtracting, as a consequense of a pluralist society. There was no original threat to norwegian democracy from the islamic world, there was no outspoken, written message saying "we deny you your right to publish drawings of the prophet in the media, and if you do so, we will, by some magical and unexplainable means, brainwash 4.8 million norwegians to forget and dismiss 200 years of democratic evolution". Norwegians fear Islam, and thus as a threat, published the drawings to say "We fear you, we are flexing muscles to prove a point. We want to hurt you as much as we possible can, to prove our wonderful gift of freedom of speech, and not understand, or be willing to face, the consequences."

3: This brings me to consequences:
What are the conseqences of publishing? In Norway this means increased segregation, it reinforces the "us against them" mentality, and it strenghtens allready rising nationalist sentiments. It affects our ecconomy and unemployment rates. The publication and its consequenses, will slow down development of democracy, and decrease the inclusiveness so neccesary to maintain and build a functioning stable democracy. From being a nation who strives for inclusion in a quest of strengthening our freedom, we will now exclude and lose important and much needed international good will.

Internationally it will make it more difficult for Norway to use diplomacy with regards to muslim states, it can motivate increased recruiting of radical islamists and right wing extremists to their respective militant groups. To respect a persons religious belief, does not mean agreeing with what that religion represents and contains. Respect is the foundation of all comunication, and with no respect there can be no understanding. Personally I am an atheist, and I am still able to discuss religion with christians, muslims, jews, hindus and more. The publications propogates a false truth in the media, and this false truth will be a threshold and hindrance to integration. Why ask a muslim about his religion, when you are being fed racist propaganda by the media and politicians?

4:Freedom of speech.
This means you are free to state what you want, write what you want. This means the media could publish gruesome photographs of the two young girls killed and raped in Baneheia in 2000. They could, with freedom of speech on their side. But they didn't. Because it would cause the family tremendous pain, and it would cause the rest of Norway to have nightmares. And there would have been massive reactions, and demonstrations and threats would have been made to the editorial staff responsible. All in the name of democracy, and rightfully so.
Having the privilege of free speech, means freedom. Freedom means choice. Freedom does not mean compulsion - meaning "you have to, or else!"
Freedom of speech does not mean being an asshole, it does not mean you lose you ability to understand and respect others. Respecting others does not mean your democracy is in danger.

Hate and fear can threaten democracy.

Allers - pissing me off.

Another short post, people - Just need to vent this:

The Norwegian magazine Allers.no refuses to post females with dark skin on the cover, or in any ads inside the mag. Claiming that it would cause their readers to get offended. Claiming it would not fit their "traditional image".

To those of you who read Norwegian:
http://www.nrk.no/nyheter/kultur/1.6930007

"Dette er et blad som har vært lest gjennom tre generasjoner nordmenn og regnes som et av de norskeste bladene i sitt genre. Majoriteten av norske kvinner er ganske lyse i huden og blonde."

I can't even begin to state how disgusting this is.
It's been 30 years since the first immigrants came to Norway. Not to mention all the children who are adopted, or people with multiple ethnicity.
Norway is no longer "white"
And anyone claiming this, or trying to maintain such discriminating politics, is contributing to the growing racism in Norway.

I wrote an angry email, telling them I will point my finger at them any way possible.
And I am not the only one.

You can write them and tell them what you think here: redaksjonen@allers.no

Allers: A big, fat fuck you! Wake the fuck up!

Kill the killer

27 wolves are to be killed in Sweden. 16 wolves has been killed so far, many wounded, and litters of cubs will die.
I am so angry and so frustrated and so helpless.
This senseless slaughter has been ordered by the Swedish goverment, and has been met with a great deal of critisism.

The wolf is soon extinct.
Man is killer.

In the words of Gird_09: I wish nature would would fight back.