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I dag bliver “lømmelpakken” vedtaget af folketinget. Lovpakken går i sin enkelthed ud på at sætte straffen op for civil ulydighed ved demonstrationer. Det er intet tilflælde at denne pakke bliver vedtaget umiddelbart inden klimatopmødet COP15, og det vil da heller ikke være en helt ufarlig handling deltage i demonstrationer i Danmark efterfølgende. Du kan nu straffes med 40 dages fængsel og bødestraf, f.eks. for bare at danne en kæde med andre demonstranter i en lovligt anmeldt demonstration. Pakken er blevet lynbehandlet og har modtaget massiv kritik fra bla. Amnesty International, Kriminalforsorgsforeningen og Landsforeningen af Forsvarsadvokater. “Lovsjusk”, “brud på menneskerettighederne” og “politistatsmetoder” er nogle af de ord der er blevet hægtet på forslaget. Med de varslede stramninger af udlændingeloven i starten af næste år, bliver vores lovgivning et effektivt middel til at få smidt ikke-statsborgere ud for petitesser.

Med hver lovpakke der bliver vedtaget – “terrorpakken”, “bandepakken” og nu lømmelpakken” – bliver vores fundementale rettigheder, som borgere i Danmark, fjernet. Vi er, af demagoger og populister, langsomt men sikkert blevet forført ind i en politistat. Illusionen om det åbne og socialt sikrede Danmark kan ikke længere skjule at alt er bundråddent og at det skyldes vores egen uduelighed som sociale væsener. Man får den regering man fortjener.

Velkommen til politistaten Danmark.

“Enhver modstand mod folketinget – enhver modstand mod regeringsmagten – skal bare spules i havet.” – Morten Messerchmidt, MF for Dansk Folkeparti i debatprogram på P1

International readers: This post is about the rapid deconstruction of our fundamental rights in Denmark, due to new laws and regulations.

I am beginning to think that my government is using the current gun violence situation, as an excuse to instigate harder punishments against immigrants. A new gang bill has been proposed by the Danish Minister of justice. If it is passed, people without citizenship (which is hard to get these days) will be deported by default, if they are convicted of either or all of these charges:

Violence
Illegal possession of a weapon
Encouragement to commit a crime

I don’t like senseless violence, guns or people pressuring others to commit crimes, but this is too far reaching. It basically means that people who are born here can be deported for – on a larger scale – minor felonies. Now I believe in consequence, but this is out of proportions, and is targeting only a specific group of people – the immigrants.

Peter Skaarup of the Danish National Party called the situation on Nørrebro a display of “middle eastern violence culture” which should not be tolerated. I can’t believe he is getting away with saying things like that. This has nothing to do with ethnic origin, but a lot to do with frustration over people like Peter Skaarup himself, who refuse to see any good in anyone who’s not from around here.

Brian Mikkelsen, our Minister of Justice, said today that “It’s obvious that the current situation is not tolerable, and therefore calls for extraordinary measures.” And so he proposed the new gang bill which is most likely to be passed. The extreme-times-call-for-extreme-measures-rhetoric has always been a convenient excuse for oppression, discrimination and if taken far enough genocide. It’s a slippery slope, for sure.

We already have far reaching terror legislation which is in violation with the human rights. I hope – though I know it is not happening – that this new bill will not be passed. If we keep fighting fire with fire, we’ll burn down the country.

Jeg bor på Nørrebro. Det vil sige, jeg bor faktisk lige nøjagtig i nordvest, lige ved Nørrebro Station, midt mellem Mjølnerparken, parallelt med Svanevej hvor Hells Angels klubhus ligger, midt i orkanen med min gravide kæreste i en toværelses lejlighed. Jeg har boet her i snart tre år og er egentlig ret glad for et kvarter som er fuld af liv og mange, meget forskellige mennesker. Der er en sjov dynamik og det virker som om der generelt bliver sat pris på forskelligheden i mit kvarter. I perioder er der clashes mellem meninger og kulturer og der bliver råbt højt og der bliver smidt med ting, men sådan er det vel i alle sammensatte familier.

På det sidste er det hele kogt over og der har været utallige skudepisoder på gaden og i lige nærheden. Jeg oplever at jeg tit er nervøs for min kæreste og mit ufødte barns helbred, nervøs for at de skal blive ramt af en stray bullet, eller endnu værre; én der virkelig var tiltænkt dem. For der findes mennesker i verden, og også i mit kvarter som ikke tænker mere. Folk som har mistet noget af dem selv og noget af deres menneskelighed og derfor kan finde på at skyde tilfældige mennesker, i tilfældige biler, på tilfældige gader.

Min familie er nervøs for os og ringer dagligt med gode råd om muligheder for at flytte og at “nu skal i altså finde et andet sted at bo”. Det er rigtigt at problemerne ville stoppe – for os – hvis vi flyttede, men hvis vi flytter er der så ikke bare lidt mere plads at lave krig på? Desuden er der overvejelsen om vi overhovedet har råd – økonomisk og åndeligt – til at flytte. En SU og en musikerløn er ikke meget og vi kan ikke nødvendigvis bare flytte fra det hele. Jeg tror mange herude er i samme situation.

Jeg ved ikke helt hvad det her blogindlæg går ud på andet end frustrations outlet. Jeg har ikke magt til at stoppe alt det her guns and violence, hvor meget jeg end gerne ville. Det kan jeg ikke. Jeg må tro på at de involverede parter, rockerne, banderne, supporterne, drengene der gerne vil ses og pludselig har våben, alle sammen er mennesker der forstår fornuft. Jeg bor her og i bor her. Don’t shit where you eat.

International readers: This is a piece in the increase in gun violence in a certain area of Copenhagen called Nørrebro. I live in that area. I have to let out some steam, and it has to be in my native tongue. Sorry.

Now is the time for the worlds politicians to put pressure on Israel. The senseless slaughtering of civil palestinians must come to an end. The “carte blanche of bloody civil carnage” – as John Stewart called it yesterday on his show – must be revoked now.

The attacks that are currently carried out in Gaza is out of proportions, and once again no prominent politicians are doing anything noticeable to stop this current conflict.

Since last saturday around 600 palestinians have been killed. Most of them are civilians, women and children and the group that is supposedly the target of these attacks – the militant Hamas – seems to be unharmed and are still sending the occasional missile into Israel. According to the danish newspaper Politiken, the UN are pulling out of Gaza after one of their aid workers were killed by Israeli soldiers earlier today though driving a clearly marked car. This incident alone should be enough to put some serious pressure on Israel to stop the aggressive bulldozer attacks, and start worrying about civilian losses. The arrogant and inhumane attitude of believing that civilian casualties are justifiable in any way, is making me sick to the stomach.

The Hamas government are not saints and do not deserve to be treated like so. They are manipulating demagogs who put the lives of the people, they claim to serve, on the line for the sake of ideology. They are doing nothing to be diplomatic and nothing to end the violent opposition against Israel. Instead they are fueling the palestinian peoples desperation and thereby fueling their anger against Israel.

On the other side is Israel – governed by self-righteous politicians, who will use any excuse to execute brute force for the sake of winning votes. Elections are only a month away in Israel, and the residing government is not a popular one. This display of “determination” to fight the “terrorists” is a sure deal-breaker and might just turn the curve for the unpopular Kadima lead government. Let’s not forget what happened in the United States after 9/11 – how a very unpopular president made use of a tragedy to gain support for two headless invasions and win the next election. This is no different.

There are no good guys and bad guys in this type of conflict. There is only a conflict and no will from the authorities of the two parts, nor the rest of world, to make a collective effort and end the conflict once and for all.

If you’re interested in more about the current conflict in Gaza read these articles.

Information – ‘Og vi spørger os selv, hvorfor de hader Vesten’ (Danish)
BBC – ‘Israelis back Gaza action – for now’ (English)

Background articles:
BBC – Who are Hamas?
BBC – Middle East conflict: History in maps

Jacob Holdt and Rune Engelbreth Larsen have produced this open letter to the president elect, Barack Obama, regarding their concerns about the tone of the immigration debate in Denmark. I couldn’t agree more with the content of the letter, but maybe the music is a little on the dramatic side. So turn down your speakers and please take this message seriously.

Read the letter here

We, the residing Danish government has figured a way out of all of our social woes. Behold, there is a solution to kids skipping school, becoming criminals and/or doing drugs! There is a golden path of enlightenment that can turn the most bewildered young soul, into a good and productive citizen. Yes, there is a stern but fair way to force kids to act as we, the society, demands it. “What is it, oh oracle politician?” you ask. Well, my dear sheep, straying confused on the green meadow of hope and naivety, the answer is simple: Economic sanctions towards their parents, of course!

As part of the new state budget negotiations, the talking monkeys in parliament, have decided to give the socially challenged a good old kick in the balls. The local authorities, are now obligated by law, to sanction the parents of kids who are skipping school, getting involved in crime or otherwise act up. Peter Skaarup of DF (Danish Peoples Party – a real charmer that one) argued to danish newspaper Politiken: “If you want people to change their behavior, you have to hit them where it hurts: their wallet. It is crucial that the parents feel there is a consequence, when their kids are not behaving”.

First of all, Peter “Cro-Magnon man” Skaarup, if you want people to change their behavior, don’t start by fining them or punishing them harder than you did the last time. Things like prevention campaigns, social work and more money for our stagnating school system might work. Mixed with a little bit of trust in the good in people and you just might see a positive result in a few years time. But I guess that is to long for a politician like yourself. Solutions, and solutions fast, seems to be the mantra nowadays.

Second of all, I think that most people with kids involved in crime or other dubious behavior, are suffering the consequences already. There is no need to kick a helpless parent while down, is there? How about a helping hand from the social authorities to try and sort out their problems and maybe getting to the root of the problem, instead of sanction upon sanction. An educated man like Skaarup must be able to look beneath the surface, and see that the real problem could be anything from alcoholism, depression, abuse or just simple lack of parenting skills. No fine or punishment, no matter how big, will make the problem go away. Quite the contrary.

The last eight years of politics in Denmark has been saturated with this kind of thinking, and it is not helping anybody. Please vote wisely the next time you vote.

Gorillaz – Kids With Guns (Hot Chip Remix)

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I am a big fan of The Daily Show and John Stewart. In a corrupted media like television, it’s refreshing to have someone do political satire with so much insight.

In the episode from yesterday, november 5th, it seems that the thrill of Barack Obama just being elected, has taken over completely for John Stewart. I have never seen him so keen and fast in his snappy comebacks, as in this episode. The fact that his guest for the night is Chris Wallace, Fox News anchorman is just fuel to the fire.

The episode, and others can be watched for free here.

Now what I don’t get is that there are no political satire on danish television. We don’t have any John Stewarts or Stephen Colberts to be the hillarious watchdogs of danish politics. It think the closest we’ve come is maybe Mikael Bertelsen’s “De Uaktuelle Nyheder“, but that was still very vague political satire compared to the stuff that Stewart and Colbert does, though he sometimes hit the nail on the head (see video below).

More of this in danish television please! Maybe our beloved pubic-service-obligated network DR could pay for it by using just a few percent of what they spend on mind-numbing shows like “Talent” and “X-factor”. Just a thought.

I couldn’t keep my eyes open to watch the american election coverage on danish television through to the end, so I was pleased to wake up to the news that Barack Obama had won the race for certain. A lot of polls were indicating this, but as you should know, you can’t be sure of anything in american politics.

I sure hope that this means some change we can believe in to America and thus to us, as we are so closely tied to the big country ‘cross the Atlantic, in almost every sense; political, economical and cultural.