Published in Covid-19 collection·Mar 13Sweden, COVID19 and Invisible ImmigrantsChristian Christensen, Stockholm University Introduction The first death from COVID-19 in Sweden was reported on 11 March 2020. As of the writing of this chapter — just over one year after that first death — over 14,500 residents have lost their lives with the disease. In reports published by the…Sweden26 min read
Jul 22, 2021Lessons From The Day A Right-Wing Norwegian Terrorist Killed 77? We’re Actively Unlearning Them.A decade has passed since Anders Breivik killed 77 in Norway, and we have learned nothing. Actually, scratch that. Not only have we learned nothing, we are actively attempting to unlearn and forget what little we did know before the man whose hatred of multiculturalism, feminism, Islam and leftist politics…Terrorism4 min read
Jan 10, 2021Trump, Social Media and “Orwellian” BullshitDonald Trump being banned from a cross-section of social media and digital platforms has generated outrage from right-wingers in the United States and Europe, with claims that these decisions are tantamount to censorship, a violation of Trump’s free-speech rights and blatant political targeting on the part of companies described as…Trump4 min read
Nov 16, 2020Election 2020: Myths About (Liberal) US Media Still Strong…And DangerousIt is an enduring belief that the vast majority of US media are ”liberal” or ”leftist.” This is a powerful myth, used by the political right to convince citizens that a secular, urban elite pushes a leftist agenda on the nation via television, newspapers and Internet. This notion wasn’t invented…USA5 min read
May 8, 2020“It Could Be Something We Didn’t See On The Tape” — Ahmaud Arbery and the Eternal Guilt of Black Victims“I will say that looks like a really good young guy. It’s a really disturbing situation to me (…) it could be something we didn’t see on tape.” When Donald Trump made this comment about the murder of US jogger Ahmaud Arbery by a group of white men who stalked…Racism3 min read
Apr 24, 2020Want to Discuss Sweden and COVID19? Start By Looking Backward.“A vast social experiment…” “Committing suicide…” “Self-inflicted nightmare…” “Tragedy…” We have heard a lot about Sweden and its now-infamous “hands off” COVID19 strategy, and there is widespread international disbelief at a policy many consider to be tantamount to Sweden playing Russian roulette with the welfare of its citizens. …Covid 195 min read
Sep 22, 2019The US Just Killed 30 Innocent People in Afghanistan. Let’s Pretend It Was London.A US official in the UK has indicated that he is “working with local authorities” and “examining the intelligence” that led to a drone strike late last week that took the lives of 30 customers at a restaurant in central London. It appears that the intended target of the strike…Terrorism3 min read
Jun 24, 2019How Immigration Changed A Small-Town Sweden That Never ExistedHow far can you stretch nostalgia before warm, harmless exaggeration transforms into weaponized dishonesty? This question is at the heart of a great deal of discussion on immigration in Europe, where the presence of new residents is often pitched by those opposed to immigration as ultimately undermining (and even eradicating)…Immigration4 min read
Feb 8, 2019The Right-Wing Press and Violence Against Women: Terrible When Abroad, Ignored When at HomeWhen the U.K.’s Daily Mail ran a story about the rape of a woman in the southern Swedish town of Ljungby in April 2018, it spoke volumes about how the newspaper sees victims of assault, not to mention being one of the more grotesque examples of journalistic schadenfreude one could…Journalism5 min read
Jan 16, 2017Meryl Streep’s Cosmopolitan Vision Masks Hollywood’s Structural Racism, SexismWhen faced with the reality of a Trump presidency, the temptation is strong to embrace (without hesitation) a speech like the one given by Meryl Streep at the recent Golden Globe awards. Streep’s winning the Cecil B. DeMille award for lifetime achievement allowed her the opportunity to give a short…Movies5 min read
