Earlier there were reports from Sweden about violence. Over the last week there have been news in local Danish media and to some extent Norway, that point to the direction the region is moving toward.
Below are some links and comments regarding the financial system, the problem of identity theft, the problems of criminal gangs, although compared to many other parts of the world, they are still minor, and the possible future of the educational system.
The cashless society and its consequences
In the thread "" https://cassiopaea.org/forum/index.php/topic,15583.msg727353.html#msg727353 I mentioned the news that the institution handling the Danish creditcard transactions has more power than the official national bank. It is an article written by the person who invented the local national card system: http://jyllands-posten.dk/debat/kronik/ECE9767984/nets-har-stoerre-magt-end-nationalbanken/
[...]There has been a society in which we are forced to pay - to be allowed to pay - and the next goal will be to abolish all kinds of cash, which today is the only defense of consumers against rising charges.
Politicians have never understood that the person in charge of payment has greater influence and power on cash flows in Denmark than Danmarks Nationalbank.[...]
I can imagine there eventually will be made laws about how to tax people and transactions, and how to pay for services, how to tax cryptocurrencies, etc. Also the weakened role of the politicians will probably become apparent eventually leading to some reorganisation, unless the puppets are accepted as constitutional, thus moving from a constitutional monarchy to a constitutional democracy, with everyone well aware who plays ball.
Another observation: a local street aid worker mentioned that several of the homeless women she helps, which often also have drug and alcohol issues and social problems besides having no home, have been in trouble because they have had their identities stolen, which is serious issue in a country where almost all contact with the public services and banks is digital. She often had to help them out, by taking contact to authorities and explain the situation. The problem is that if you have no house and no personal security or trusted friends, it is hard to be in control of finances or ones digital identity, and social security number.
However, not only homeless people are subject to id theft. An investigation in Sweden revealed that as many as 200,000 Swedes may have suffered id theft during the last year: _https://www.svd.se/allt-fler-svenskar-blir-id-kapade or _http://www.gp.se/nyheter/sverige/200-000-kan-ha-drabbats-av-id-kapningar-1.4510640
Another result of the changed way of paying is that more and more Scandinavians shop in China: _http://www.expressen.se/dinapengar/tech/postnord-larmar-om-kinesisk-brevskord/ as a result the local post compamy has to work overtime and as postage is cheaper in China, they probably do not get much for their efforts. I read that post nord has a big deficit in Sweden, and if they move around bringing parcels from China to remote areas of the country, then that makes sense.
Crime and law enforcement
It is, as if violence and disruption comes in waves, and although the high crests do not represent the normal, there are some trends:
Last week, there was a surprise and a shock for the politicians in the town of Kolding in Jutland, when they found out about an agreement between the local police and the local fire brigade. The deal was that in case of a fire in a particular part of town with many immigrants and refugees, the police would show up to protect the fire brigade from elements of the populations, that had got into the habit of issuing threats and throwing stones at the firemen, thus hindering the extinction of fires, often scooters and cars which they had set on fire. I think this is a parallel to the nogo zones in Sweden, which some politicians deny and many police officers will recognize.
In general there have been an increase in cases where cars have been set on fire. Here is a list: _https://danmark-i-brand.online/overview/, so far about 1000 cars in Denmark this year, and this list only counts those cases where the fire brigade has been called, so there are in reality more cases.
In Alborg, in Northern Jutland, some 320 km from Copenhagen and 160 from Gothenburg in Sweden (although both distances uses a ferry), a man was stabbed to death in a gang related case. _https://www.tv2nord.dk/artikel/nordjyllands-politi-internt-opgoer-foerte-til-drab-vi-kender-de-eftersoegte
Saturday, the police in Copenhagen issued a warning to young men moving around Nørrebro, since two random innocents had been wounded in the area last week. The police had to admit they could not prevent such happening. As a result the politicians got alarmed. _https://www.b.dk/politiko/v-ordfoerer-om-bandekonflikt-vi-fik-det-indtryk-at-rigspolitiet-ikke-havde-styr and _http://denkorteavis.dk/2017/ny-indvandrerbanderne-bade-rode-og-bla-politikere-og-politiets-ledelse-har-skylden-for-at-myndighederne-har-mistet-kontrollen/
One politician suggested the newly reinstituted border control is cancelled and the police moved back to control the cities. Well, there was recently a report from Germany, that the border control has given many cathches: _http://denkorteavis.dk/2017/tysk-politirapport-national-graensekontrol-giver-en-klar-gevinst/
Also in Oslo there have been shootings: _http://www.dagsavisen.no/oslo/politiet-etterlyser-mann-i-rod-caps-etter-oslo-skyting-1.1003955 og _http://www.dagsavisen.no/oslo/16-aring-innbrakt-etter-antatt-skyteepisode-i-oslo-1.1005427
Sunday there were serious hooligan riots at a soccer match in Copenhagen, leading politicians to talk about banning anyone involved in such riots for life. _https://www.b.dk/nationalt/politiet-forventer-at-identificere-mange-voldelige-fodboldboeller They may not go that far, but reports say that 19 police officers were hurt and six hooligans arrested. It seems the police was on the receiving end, but if the ministry of justice get tired of loosing members to sick leave, they might have to show some more force. This is not so at the moment, but a trend that is possible.
While some criminals show their head and the sentence for illigally possessing a firearm is now minimum 2 years, the prison system is under pressure, _http://www.fyens.dk/indland/Faengselsforbund-advarer-i-bandekonflikt-Glem-ikke-faengslerne/artikel/3172914 and _http://jyllands-posten.dk/indland/politiretsvaesen/ECE8998086/vold-og-trusler-faengselsbetjente-plages-af-angst-soevnproblemer-og-ptsd/ _https://www.information.dk/indland/2014/04/faengsler-skaber-rovdyr As much of the violence is related to gangs with members of immigrant background, there has been a proposal to remove the citizenship of people even belong to a gang: _http://jyllands-posten.dk/politik/ECE9767826/df-vil-tage-statsborgerskab-fra-bandemedlemmer/ However in other cases where the courts expel the people because of crime, there are lawyers who take their case and then they do not get expelled, as the countries they could be expelled to might infringe their "human rights". For some reason, probably an international law interpreted in selfdeating way, it is better they continue to wreck mayhem where they are not wanted. _http://denkorteavis.dk/2017/det-er-en-menneskeret-at-sla-ihjel-voldtage-menneskerettighedskonvention-beskytter-bandemedlemmer-og-andre-mod-udvisning/ In another piece it was noted that 50 families in a area of Tingbjerg, on the average each cost the public 600.000 USD a year _http://denkorteavis.dk/2017/187-familier-i-tingbjerg-koster-hovedstaden-826-mio-kr/ That said one should not forget the scandal in the tax department that have cost 2-3 billion Euros.
There was an article not long ago wondering why prisons in Denmark cost money while in the US they give a surplus. I don't know what the future is, but as globalization takes over and the power of the states decrease, it would not surprise if more prison management eventually is taken over by for profit prison administration companies instead of the state.
Danish foreign policy is US State Department policy
As we can see from the above, there are a few problems, and to solve them is not easy, as so many present day events are the result of policies carried out over many years, and these continue. Many problems involve immigrants, refugees, descendants of immigrants, (Or did they just prevent the ethnic Danish delinquents from getting a foot in the door, thus preventing their career?) and one has to ask how this situation came about. A part is related to the "logic" behind the various NATO enjoined interventions in Libya, Iraque, Afghanistan, Yugoslavia. For example the Danish Government still has more than 100 soldiers and technicians in Syria, and they work closely with the US command. In fact, the "US State Department in Copenhagen" seem to be functioning very well. This is the conclusion I draw from an article which was translated using Google: _http://arbejderen.dk/indland/dansk-krigsgrundlag-smuldrer-i-syrien from which I bring the last parts.
[...]
UNDERMINE INTERNATIONAL LAW
The United States-led coalition, including Denmark, has neither mandate from the United Nations Security Council nor from the Syrian Government to be present in military presence in Syria.
Therefore, Denmark's, the United States and the rest of the coalition's military intervention in Syria are undermining international law, says Jaques Hartmann.
- Syria has requested Russia for help, and Russia can therefore use armed forces in Syria. But Syria has not requested the United States or Denmark for help. This means that the United States and the other countries that are part of the alliance against ISIL can not use the same legal argument for the use of force in Iraq and Syria. Therefore, Denmark, the United States and the rest of the coalition have so far justified their right to intervene military in Syria with the United States controversial doctrine of "unwilling and unable," explains Jaques Hartmann.
The doctrine opens up for a state to use armed forces in self-defense in the territory of another state where there is a risk of an armed attack originating from that state and the territorial state endlessly lacking the will or the ability to stop the attack itself.
- Few countries support this doctrine. The problem with the doctrine is that it alone becomes up to a single country to determine whether the use of armed forces is legal or not. The doctrine therefore undermines the UN's collective security system and overrides the role originally intended for the UN Security Council, explains Jaques Hartmann.
"The epoch of the creation of the UN was that the states gave up their right to decide when they could use armed power. When the UN was established, this right was assigned to the United Nations Security Council, and the states could only use armed forces in self-defense or with the approval of the UN Security Council. The US's new doctrine opens up for abuse and can be used as a skull for unregulated power use.
The public expert does not agree that Syria does not do enough to fight IS.
"There is no doubt that Syria has the will to fight IS. And with Russia in the back it is difficult to accept the argument that they lack the ability. If a country like Syria, with one of the world's strongest military backballs, does not have the "ability" to fight ISIL, there are virtually no restrictions on where the doctrine can be used. What one always has to remember is that the doctrine not only legalizes the actions of the United States and Denmark in Syria. The doctrine can be used by all countries all over the world, and if Syria sets the lower limit for when the doctrine can be used, one might be concerned about the amount of power forbidden in the UN Pact. In addition, the United States apparently even helps to inhibit Syria's ability to fight ISIL when attacking Syrian Territory Syrian territories, says Jaques Hartmann.
SILENT MINISTERS AND RAPPORTEURS
Arbejderen.dk has tried in vain to get Foreign Minister Anders Samuelsen's response to how the coalition's attack on Syrian and Prophetic troops is in line with the government's argument that the Danish military presence in Syria is because Syria is not able to keep its borders And prevent IS attacks from Syria and into Iraq.
Arbejderen.dk has also attempted in vain to get the Foreign Minister's answer as to whether the Danish government backs up the coalition's attack on the Syrian forces and the so-called de-confliction zone, which the US has established and enforces in southern Syria.
But the Foreign Minister does not want to interview. The Ministry also does not wish to answer the Worker's questions by mail. Instead of answering, the Ministry refers to the coalition press releases about attacks on Syrian forces.
Neither in the Ministry of Defense will you comment on the coalition's attack on the Syrian forces.
However, the Ministry of Defense states that the Danish radar deployed during the war in Syria, "assists the coalition with the coordination and separation of air traffic in the airspace across Iraq and Syria". The ministry refuses to answer whether the Danish radar has assisted US aircraft in their attacks on Syrian government forces.
The Ministry of Defense also refuses to answer how the coalition bombings against prosyric and Syrian entities are in line with the Danish decision-making basis, which states that the official purpose of the Danish military presence in Syria alone is to combat IS.
QUIET MILITARY
Danish military wishes "for reasons of operational security and for our coalition partners" not to answer if Denmark contributed to the United States recent operations in the border area between Iraq and Syria.
Danish military wishes, "for reasons of operational safety and for our coalition partners", neither to answer how many times the Danish special forces have carried out operations and contributed to operations in Syria. And how.
Arbejderen.dk has also attempted in vain to obtain an opinion from the Foreign Ministers from the Left, Social Democrats and the Liberal Alliance.
"Can not help. Keeping vacation", says the brief response from Social Democrat Foreign Secretary Nick Hækkerup. Left Foreign Minister Peter Juel Jensen stated in his mail that "I am in one of the countries where it is not safe to use IT - has therefore shut down both computer and phone".
THE GOAL IS TO REMOVE ASSAD
The coalition's attack on the Syrian government forces is controversial. In the government's official decision to intervene militaryly in Syria, there is no word that the purpose of the Danish war effort is to fight the Assad regime.
But when the Folketing, in April last year, adopted the decision base and sent Denmark to war in Syria, the then Foreign Minister, Kristian Jensen, promised that the war effort is not just about removing the IS but also Syrië's elected leader, President Assad.
"In relation to Syria, our goal is to remove Assad, one of the worst dictators in the world at the moment," said Foreign Minister Kristian Jensen, when the parliament firstly discussed his proposal to send Danish bombers and hunter soldiers to Iraq and Syria, it was said by Kristian Jensen.
And when the parliament passed the basis of decision, the then foreign minister reiterated:
"We aim at Syria that ISIL must be removed - and it requires military power - and that Assad must go away so that the Syrian people can freely choose their own leader. We are working on a military track in relation to ISIL and a military track in relation to Assad.
INVITES THE UN TO STOP ATTACKS
The Syrian government calls on the UN to put pressure on the United States and the coalition to stop the attacks against the Syrian government army and its allies in the fight against IS.
Syria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Syria Ambassador to the United Nations and Bashar al-Jaafari, the Bashar al-Jaafari chief negotiator, asserts that the coalition's attack on Syrian troops is in open contradiction with UN Security Council resolutions on Syria, international law and international law. Syria calls on the UN to ensure the sovereignty of the Syrian territory and the Syrian people's unity and to stop the attacks against Syria's army who fight terrorism.
Syria calls in its letter to the UN Secretary-General and the President of the UN Security Council, the coalition's attack on the Syrian forces for "a threat to security and stability in Syria" and notes that "the recent aggression of the coalition clearly reveals that the real goals of the Alliance are not in line with Alliance's declared goal of combating terrorism. The Alliance's actual agenda is to undermine the Syrian army and its fight against terrorism."
The future of the educational system
One last observation was a conversation with a friend, who had enrolled with Cousera and studied statistics hoping to upgrade his skills, so he can get a job. Such studies have advantages over traditional university courses, he said, where one has to physically attend.
In general with the reduced public support of educational institutions and with students being asked to hurry up, I can imagine a transformation of the the whole educational system, since kids in most of Scandinavia anyway learn English from grade one, and with international schools being in place all over the country. The next step, I imagine, would be that most teaching will be taught in English. The new trend may become automation in education, which could be based on all the data being collected on teaching and instruction. The universities and schools will do it if they can save money or earn more money. The government will support it if they can save money and if they can find a politically plausible justification. One such could be that for years there has been a discussion that ethnic Danes score higher in PISA tests, and that ethnic Danes have an advantage because of the language. If English becomes the language of teaching, many more will be equal, and that is great selling point in Scandinavia, equal this and equal that. Some parties may protest; I mean who will there be to read Danish literature, which, if one goes back a 100 -150 years tells the stories of how people lived not long ago, working hard and suffering on a meagre diet? Still, the politicians can tell the disgruntled voters, that there will be more money for their healthcare, law enforcement and defence etc. That usually never fails if repeated long enough.