Go Norway

[Chanel_no5]

http://news.yahoo.com/breivik-slam-rainbow-song-insult-too-far-norwegians-130122314.html

Breivik is angry because not everyone share his delusions. Go Norway.

[Vetinari]

Pity really that they didn't delay the trial for a few weeks more. Then he could have made his comments about the indoctrination of Norwegian children against their forefathers to a background of marching bands and children parading through the streets in national costume shouting "Norge er god. Norge er best. Derfor har vi 17. Mai fest." (Norway is good, Norway is best. Therefore we have the 17th May celebration.)

I don't think there is very much doubt that this man is deluded.

[Chanel_no5]

Yeah, Norway sure knows how to celebrate their country and be proud patriots. They just don't feel the need to patriot down other nationalities' throats.

[Vetinari]

I think the Norwegians are justly proud. Their country is widely held to be one of the best places in the world to live.

Of course Breivik has already admitted to admiration of Osama Bin Laden. I don't think he is really interested in the reality of life in Norway, only in some kind of noble fight that he has convinced himself is necessary. I suspect a lot of terrorism begins like that.

[March Hare]

I just wish everybody would stop paying attention to that man. Trial behind closed doors and minimal press coverage. All this publicity is playing into his hands.

The nation of Norway has a right to get rid of him. Go Norway!

[count tiszula]

Wait a moment; ain't there no Human Rights Act in Norway? And that "Norway is best " is perilously close to nationalism, which young people don't like; has anyone alerted Unite Against Fascism?

I must admit I am confused by the various arguments about this man; are the prosecution arguing that he is stark staring bonkers?

[Vetinari]

I must admit I am confused by the various arguments about this man; are the prosecution arguing that he is stark staring bonkers?

The whole situation seems odd to me. Obviously they aren't discussing whether he did it or not, but they seem to be spending a lot of time probing as to his contacts and whether he had any help. I get the impression they are also trying to assess his sanity... and of course even the experts have given conflicting accounts so how they can assess that in open court is open to question. It doesn't seem to resemble what I would imagine goes on in a British courtroom, but of course I don't know much about that either.

And yes, the Norwegians are nationalistic and not afraid of it, which was really my point. The idea that Norwegian culture is being significantly threatened by multiculturalism seems very odd to me.

[doggo]

Call me a loonie leftist multiculturalist pinko hippie tree-hugger (you know I like it! ) but I find this mans "insanity" very symptomatic of our times. There's been a rise of political parties with strong racist overtones in both Finland and Sweden. The internet is making it possible to share fast and with a wide audience opinions and rhetorics that are really quite extreme. People with similar mindsets are forming their communities and it's increasingly easy to slide into a bubble where unfounded fears and lack of respect for human dignity are the norm... the anonymity helps with this too. While glancing through a newspaper a couple of days ago - a terrorist trial like this in Norway, and a scandal involving a Finnish politician's assistant writing publicly proposing sleeve badges for foreigners - I couldn't help thinking that "Damn, didn't folks try this shit 70 years ago, and it didn't work!". So in that sense I am all for the trial being combed through in the media. I think it's important to know what we're dealing with, as I don't see this man's delusions an individual case.

[March Hare]

No European culture would even exist if it hadn't been for the influence from other cultures. I am staggered by the wilful ignorance of the anti-multiculturalists.

Furthermore, it does not matter whether he knew what he was doing or not. He did it. Period. He will probably do it again if given half a chance, which makes him too dangerous to the community to be allowed his freedom.

[Vetinari]

which makes him too dangerous to the community to be allowed his freedom.

I don't think there is the slightest chance of him ever being set free. It's just a question of where he will be held.

[count tiszula]

With the Yorkshire Ripper for example, in defiance of all psychiatric opinion the Crown insisted he was sane and he was convicted as such [lasting a short while in prison before he had to be moved to a bin]. But here the Crown is concentrating on his apparent fantasies of being a mediaeval knight , part of a great organisation.

But the Norwegian media seem to believe this. There was an extraordinary interview with an English bloke they decided was a top fascist. They asked if he knew Breivik and he said no. "And why should we believe you?" they thundered.

[Vetinari]

Did they really thunder? From what I have read, there seems to be a lot of doubt about whether Breivik actually met anyone. Then again, why should anyone believe this person? Are we really to suppose that if he had helped Breivik with organisation that he would just hold up his hands and admit that he was guilty? Although obviously being an Englishman, he must by definition be completely honourable.

[count tiszula]

It just strikes me as the stuff of nightmares. Suppose a team from the News of the World had turned up on my doorstep and asked me whether I had slept with Lady Gaga. And when I said no, asked why they should believe me. To start off with, what possible reply could I have made. But as you say. If I had had a passionate affair with the edibly=clad songstress, why would I admit to it? Except for biscuits, of course.....