I wrote last December about the gas pipeline which Russia is building along the floor of the Baltic Sea to Germany, bypassing the former Soviet Bloc countries of Central and Eastern Europe. It is designed to give the Russians a way to put the squeeze on their recalcitrant neighbors in the “near abroad”, all the while keeping their good friends in Germany and Western Europe fat and happy on cheap Russian gas.Part of the pipeline will pass close by the Swedish island of Gotland, and the accompanying platform has made Sweden somewhat apprehensive about the time-honored Russian tradition of spying on its neighbors.
Now Russia’s ambassador to Sweden has taken off the kid gloves when dealing to his Swedish hosts. The indefatigable Kepiblanc has translated this article from today’s Svenska Dagbladet:
Ambassador criticizes Swedish debate- - - - - - - - - -Russia’s ambassador to Sweden, Alexander Kadakin, rather harshly comments on the way the discussions on the planned Russian-German gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea have been conducted.
The project includes a planned support platform a few miles off the coast of Gotland, among other things.
“The debate on this platform has reached an idiotic level, yes, pure idiocy, when some people claim that the supporting platform will become some sort of spy central directed against Sweden,” he says to Swedish Broadcasting Company’s Ekoredaktion.
Kadakin says, that he doesn’t understand “what kind of idiot could claim so in his reports to his Swedish superiors.”
If Russia had any interest in gaining intelligence about Sweden — according to the ambassador — “we already have satellites which can, in realtime, read the license plates in every street of Stockholm”.
Kadakin emphasizes that Russians are not suicidal.
“We are people who think realistically. One often forgets that Russia is a Baltic state. We aren’t idiots who will poison our own ocean; we live there as well.” he says to Ekot.
If the Swedes were already nervous about Russian electronic eavesdropping, I doubt the ambassador’s words have done anything to soothe their anxieties.
Such undiplomatic phrasing — do you think he was hitting the Putinka bottle just before the interview? Or maybe it was just the local snaps…
Hat tip: Reader LN, via email.
17 comments:
“We are people who think realistically. One often forgets that Russia is a Baltic state. We aren’t idiots who will poison our own ocean; we live there as well.”
Flat out lies. The Baltic is already one of the most polluted-poisonous seas on the planet, right behind the Aral and the Caspian. All Russian (sorry, Soviet) handiwork. The Baltic is just barely beginning to clean up following the collapse of soviet industry. The major existing source of pollution currently is St Petersburg, which continues to dump untreated effluents straight into the sea.
You mean I went swimming in filth? Argh...
ln, your foreign minister may well have been acknowledging that he has no actual choice in the matter thanks to the involvement of the EU, though he could certainly have put it better. Given the way the EU operates, if Swededn decided to object and change its mind about the positioning of the pipeline now they would have to try and convince the foreign ministers of at least 11 other EU members - or which ever ministry happened to do the objecting - to take their side, then try and further convince the majority to even agree to a Council meeting on the subject. And in all likelihood the EU court of "justice" would probably overrule any decision to change things.
So, in reality, Bildt is right; Sweden has its "duty" as assigned by the EU. It sounds like he's going along with this rather too wholeheartedly though, given the way you've described his words, which is worrying... politicians find it too easy to assign responsibility for bad decisions to the EU in order to declaim that it's out of their hands.
Are Swedes Idiots?
It would seem for the most part, yes.
And morally bankrupt ones, at that.
Somehow, I knew you were going to pop up for this one...
Swedes are not idiots, they have just been trapped in an idiotic system.
I think, that when you actually start diving into the idea of socialism, it just so stupid that it difficult to imagine people actually accepting the idea in the first place.
It looks good at the surface, but when you start thinking about it, it is obvious that the system will only last max. 100 years - if you are lucky.
And the damage it does on its way... Sweden has to be extremely lucky to survive as a nation.
Asger, I bet to differ.
India is living proof that socialist thinking can permeate so deep into your society rooting out indigenous free market trading culture that failure upon failure mount on.
Although you might be exclusively talking about developed nations venturing into socialism which I guess is a different idea, but maybe not.
With regard to UNICEF, Their pronouncements remind me of the "information" spewed by Radio Moscow prior to 1987. As in most other UN bureaucracies, the political agenda defines the structure and conclusions of their "studies".
"“The debate on this platform has reached an idiotic level, yes, pure idiocy, when some people claim that the supporting platform will become some sort of spy central directed against Sweden,” he says to Swedish Broadcasting Company’s Ekoredaktion."
Well since the Swedes found a Russian spy submarine stuck high and dry on the rocks in Swedish territory about 30 years ago, maybe it isn't pure idiocy.
Ordinary Swedes want to appear as idiots because they are frightened of doing anything else than Svenson does.
Every Svenson knows exactly which actions and thoughts the other Svensons would disapprove of. And behaves accordingly.
If you does´nt do what Svenson does, the more equal Svensons will punish you in public. With words or axes.
As long as you keep it a secret, some very few Svensons will in confidence tell you, they despise all idiot things Svenson does.
I believe the Stockholm ruling class tries to manipulate and nurse the totalitarian longing in the Swedish folkgeist. The ultimate goal, I suspect, is to pave way for the democratic dictatorship (demokratur). Promoting intellectual decay in the god cause´s name, keeping evil action clandestine ,inventing Stockholm syndroms by the numbers.
In such climate the Russians can and will intimidate their archenemy. Weakened by own hand, surrounded by halfhearted neighbours and old foes. Sweden seems to be going all in on a bad hand, fighting faces in the mirrors While Putin wield Russian potence regionally the way he sees fit. Uncontested.
A conflict between the Baltic states is inevitable. No wonder the Estonians joined nato and elected an American as president.
Sweden choose so called "moral power" over real power. Fellow Scandinavians should hope the Russians humiliate Sweden. Without might, arrogance is a patetic posture.
In Denmark, 1864 and Norway, 1940 Sweden
betrayed their brotherfolks in a massive manner. Such a disgraceful piece of history even our governments put a lid on it to this day.
Svenson has to be oblivious to this and many other uncomfortable facts - everybody knows
En Svensk tiger
Hehe - the russians really has some hilarious sides, even the King does have a really funny Jelsin parodi. Saw him on the tv. Surprising that Harald V has such a good sense of humor.
When I come to think of it, winter sports might be a good parameter for measuring northern nations strength, and - we crush the Russians. Hmm - and the Americans and the Continentals aswell. A bit Chauvinistic but right.
drmiltown, thanks for not bashing Sweden in the usual okie "sweden fuc.... useless commies" style. Since you don´t have a clue anyways. You know the Swedes have something called tradition and culture. Milleniums old that is. United States has truely been enriched by it.
I have been traveling across the US and no sir. Swedes does not favor the "f... the world" attitude that I have encountered in "etnic" neighbourhoods across the the states. Nor do they live in such a state. I have seen Usanian helveteshøl. Towns where people are so fat and ugly that even an multiculturist would turn Eichmann. Yes, I have been in New Mexico. Why doesn´nt Americans walk? You know, putting one feet before the other.
What does´nt kill you, builds you Nietsche once said. And if the Swedes really wish to exterminate themselves like Etruscans their neighbours simply would´nt let them. Especially not to some medival arab.
Since you mention it, Denmark,Finnland and Norway provided hitler germany with an entire front namely the leningrad campaign. The Swedes only had a few companies in Nordland and Wiking Divisions. They fought with distinction to the bitter end like the rest of the European waffen ss. In many peoples books the Frontfighters is actually warheroes. Say, the Estonians. They fought communism long before the US came up with the idea. And they lost. Don´t come dragging in with that.
Good damn, do you americans really know that Helsinki is the capital of Sweden?
Archonix said:
Somehow, I knew you were going to pop up for this one...
I'm glad I did not disappoint you. :-)
Brikbeinr
And if the Swedes really wish to exterminate themselves like Etruscans their neighbours simply would´nt let them. Especially not to some medival arab.
That assertion is not true, as most of Sweden's neighbors (Denmark possibly excepted) seem bent on the same cultural and demographic suicide.
It is designed to give the Russians a way to put the squeeze on their recalcitrant neighbors in the “near abroad”, all the while keeping their good friends in Germany and Western Europe fat and happy on cheap Russian gas.
Recalcitrant - meaning facist, ex-Soviet, Belarus that demands ultra cheap gas to keep pathetic economy afloat so it can repress in comfort. Or pro-Western Ukraine that tore up its contract in anti-Russian tantrum, then steals gas out of the pipes it refuses to pay for.
Hey Doc - be careful with that lutefisk. Be sure to pour lots of bacon fat over those hyperdead cod remains. And order every side orders you use with that fishy fishy lutefish in Minnesota. Hello! Lut? food?
I hope our children will laugh when they talk about those useless has been things - lutefisk and islam.
Rakefisk, my man - that is the really tasty shit!
Carefully rotten fish that melts on your tounge.
Gravlaks is also a winner. I guess the Norwegian delicatessen in Minneapolis got some of that good stuff.
Zerusumgame. You are totally clueless. You don´t understand that immigration of medival muslims is a gain for us. Their hopeless ways of living shows my generation that our forefathers ways are superior to anything else on our little planet. And that our parents, the 68 generation marxism is nothing else than naive pink dreams. If things come to that we can ship out all the unwanted aliens in matters of weeks.
Hey man - you don´t know shit about whats going on in Scandinavia. You probably never have been in Europe aswell. Tsss...
Birkebeinr said...Good damn, do you americans really know that Helsinki is the capital of Sweden
No, we don't...because our country has barely the capacity to educate our youth on American history, let alone anyone else's! (former teacher talking here...seen alot!)
At least there are enough in the US still educated and trained well enough to keep the economy going...my concern is the US Democratic Leaders, seeing the swirling and decay of Socialist Europe (not the Real Europe...the one I love), is clammoring and shouting "Oo, oo! Me too! Do me too!"
Phanarath said... Russia still think they are a major player, and that the countries around them will fall in line at their command. They may have lost a lot of power, but they seem to have kept the attitude.
I loved Anders Fogh...He reminds me of Reagan's regular confrontations when Russia was still the powerful CCCP! Remember the Reykjavik defence talks? Reagan walked out on the meeting...and the USSR caved.
Our best defense against anything that violates our heritage, laws, and customs is to stand up for them...either through diplomacy (or lack thereof) or battle.
Good luck, Sweden...your past mistakes are in the past...you do what you can to repair damage, but you can't be subjugated to your shame forever.
I sincerely hope your youth are accurately seeing past policy that's damaged the Swedish people, and that they're not afraid to stand up and take pride in the true Sweden...their Sweden!
Exit with quotes:
"All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent." -Thomas Jefferson
"Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy; its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery." -Winston Churchill
No, swedes are not idiots. They are root vegetables.
Dear Birk,
"Say, the Estonians. They fought communism long before the US came up with the idea. And they lost. Don´t come dragging in with that."
Now, there's some fantastic ignorance. The Estonian army refused even to supply, let alone fight with, White General Yudenich during the push for Petrograd in fall 1919. The Tartu/Dorpat Treaty ending Estonia's non-war against communism was actually written by the Bolsheviks, who insisted on controlling Estonia's railways and having special export zones set aside for them at Reval (Tallinn), so they could ship out stolen gold, cash, diamonds, jewelry etc. Your supposed hero of the Estonian "war for independence," General Johan Laidoner, not only rolled over for the Bolsheviks but happily signed off on the laundering of the looted wealth of Imperial Russia in his post-war capacity as President of Harju Bank. His partner? Olof Aschberg, Swedish banker and financier of the October Revolution. Who melted down illegally looted gold for the Bolsheviks? The Royal Mint of Sweden. Get your facts straight before you go impugning Americans for their ignorance.
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