Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Synchronicity: Fjordman’s Tip on Swedish Military Cuts

I posted earlier about Norm Geras’ essay on the anti-war peanut gallery…you know, the usual fare served up as new gruel - i.e., war is so 20th century that only American neocons are enthusiastic about it.

Now Fjordman sends along a link to Sweden’s decision to cut its military…umm, “strength.” If I remember correctly these are the same folks who wouldn’t participate in any war games that involved Israel. Take a look at their Armed Forces Director. Doesn’t that inspire confidence?

From the Local:

Armed Forces Director General Marie HafströmEksjö, Luleå, Karlsborg and Uppsala will soon be without any military activity, according to documentation presented by Sweden’s Armed Forces after a meeting on Wednesday.

Cost savings at military headquarters are also under consideration.

“[Headquarters] will now offer up their point of view on things that we haven’t taken into consideration, and the plan will likely be changed,” said Armed Forces Director General Marie Hafström during a press conference.

The cuts under consideration are designed to reduce the number of rotations by officials and to review where military competence can be replaced with civilians.

“We will be fewer, but better,” said Hafström.
- - - - - - - - -
She didn’t put an exact price tag on how much the military might save through the proposed cuts.
The military actually gets to “save” with these cuts? Or does the money not spent on defense go back into the pot to help with immigrant costs?

Headquarters will now work out the financial ramifications of the various proposals, but that work has not yet begun.

According to the Svenska Dagbladet newspaper, a total of ten military units may be eliminated or moved in order to slow down runaway defence costs and satisfy demands from the government to save money.

The final decision on which units will be shut down will be presented on September 15th.

Per-Ola Eriksson, a governour for Norrbotten County in the far north of Sweden, looked unfavourably on the potential closing of the F21 air wing in Luleå, calling such a move strategically unsustainable.

“I think its strategically unthinkable that Sweden’s northernmost air wing could end up being in Såtenäs,” he said to TT.

What’s your favorite bit here? Mine is “we will be fewer but better.” It has a certain Hillary ring to it…

Poor Sweden. They have to cut back. Everyone’s leaving.

13 comments:

Mikael said...

Take a look at their Armed Forces Director. Doesn’t that inspire confidence?

Oh, I don't know... There's some resemblance to Rumsfeld, isn't there?

Steen said...

I saw it on swedish news tonight.

Sweden hasnt know war since before 1814. As far as they know, neither war nor evil exists.

Having lost the memory of evil and tragedy, is the most certain way to instal....new tragedys.

Åh, Sverige.......

Paul said...

Who remembers SREBRENİTSA, Vukovar, Sarajevo? I recall the live news updates as Serb units moved into SREBRENİTSA. Later we saw photos of dead muslims on the roadside. Made good Muslims out of 'em.

These kinds of reports continued for quite awhile as European governments did what they do: nothing. Next in walks WJC to fix Europe's canker sore with American blood.

So... what if the US just said no? Why not let European geniuses like Armed Forces Director General Marie Hafström take care of their own laundry??? Sounds OK to me.

But that might be too much for a liberal white boy from Arkansas to figure out. Maybe they drew the Mason-Dixon Line a little too far north.

Conservative Swede said...

Sounds OK to me too if America stops "saving Muslims" from affirmations of European identity, and create new states like Kosovo.

When will you be withdrawing your troops from Europe?

"These kinds of reports continued for quite awhile as European governments did what they do: nothing."

Europe is here like the broken watch. At least it is right sometimes. The American "clock" is never right, since it's overall purpose is to "save Muslims". Carter, Reagan, Clinton, Bush - all of them the same policy of "saving Muslims".

In such case it's actually better to do nothing.

(And since a certain percentage will feel instead of thinking when they read, I will here spell out the obvious: better does not imply good. Anyhow, better used in such a way, gives perspective upon the deeper depths of bad.)

laine said...

The Muslim world gave the USA and NATO exactly zero credit for bombing Kosovo to save Muslims and Europeans who allowed a massacre to start in their own backyard were not faulted.

This is probably not too surprising in view of the fact that the biggest killers of Muslim civilians in the world are other Muslims. According to their beliefs, they've done the victims a favor and sent them to a better world than the miserable backwaters Muslims create on earth.

A_Nonny_Mouse said...

"We will be fewer, but better,” said Hafström."
== == == ==

You'll be fewer, but Muslim, dearie....

Zenster said...

Laine: According to their beliefs, they've done the victims a favor and sent them to a better world than the miserable backwaters Muslims create on earth.

Ah yes, the old Velvet Padded Vicious Cycle™. Muslims create helholes so that there are new candidates to be dispatched into paradise. This, in turn, frees up extra time to create more Muslim hellholes with even more candidates to dispatch. The only real problem is running out of bullets and Semtex.

randian said...

.

Skalman said...

Well, being a swede isn´t exactly fun these days.

Runaway immigration rates, runaway crimes rates, runaway tax rates.

Cutback on defense, police, health service, schools, pensions etc.

But what the heck. Anything to feel "humane" and "good", right?
Who cares about nine million swedes when there´s a suffering world out there? At least not the swedish leaders....

Practically Sweden is defenseless. Some swedish politician once(ironically) suggested, when the cutbacks started in the defense budget, that we instead of a defense had a mailbox where a potential aggressor could simply leave a note with date and time when they were planning to come.

That would save a lot of time and money, not to mention the lives, otherwise lost in a useless fight defending the country.

But on the other hand, what would you expect from leaders such as the (not hopefully) coming prime minister Sahlin who has, in public, spitted on swedish culture and heritage and were applaused for it by the medial, moral and political elite?

Never min though. Every country has an army. It´s own or someone elses.

spackle said...

I am all for female warriors (providing they cut the mustard) but this gal looks like she never even fired a BB gun. Does she have any military backround? Or is she another PC hire?

David Barry O'Connor said...

Does that mean the world will see less 'Gilbert and Sullivan' military attaches at Sweden Embassies?

Robohobo said...

ConSwede said:

"When will you be withdrawing your troops from Europe?"

&

"The American "clock" is never right,..."

Ah, so our only purpose is to save Muslims?

The same screed, Paul. We cannot take part in the conversation according to CS unless it is to agree with him. I have run into it before and I am going to have to give up commenting here since his superior Europeon intellect precludes anyone but a superior Europeon from commenting on matters of Europe.

The problem CS is that the view from the top of your nose at any American saying something is just too obvious. Doesn't it get lonely up there when the only Americans that you can agree with are those that you have personally vetted like the Baron and D?

Dymphna said...

@Robohobo --

Doesn't it get lonely up there when the only Americans that you can agree with are those that you have personally vetted like the Baron and D?

Haahahahahahahahahah...

Conservative Swede is a Society of One. We have been vetted and sometimes found to be sorely lacking. OTOH, he was very kind to me in the latest dust-up. So go figure.

That's okay. Not only did he devise that handy comment page on his own, he's an interesting person...even if he is Swedish.