Pressinfo 2001

(Den oprindelige tekst blev skrevet før bombningen af Afghanistan begyndte). Denne PressInfo giver konkrete eksempler på, hvordan den svenske regering vælger at føje sig efter USAs og EUs politik snarere end at forsvare de små staters interesser og FNs norm om fred med fredelige midler. Sveriges statsminister, Göran Persson, sendte et kondolencetelegram straks efter terrorangrebet den 11. september og Sverige deltog i EU-udtalelsen. Og så udsendte statsministeren den 22. september følgende udtalelse (i uddrag): “Terroristangrebet på USA var en brud mod den internationale fred og sikkerhed. EUs medlemsstater står forenede i deres anerkendelse af USAs ret til at forsvare sig. EU har også erklæret sin vilje til at samarbejde med USA i kampen mod terrorismen,” sagde statsminister Göran Persson i en udtalelse efter det extraordinære uformelle møde i det Europæiske Råd i Bruxelles fredag. “USAs ret til at forsvare sig, om nødvendigt med militære midler, er i overensstemmelse med FNs...

(This text was finalised before the bombing of Afghanistan began) This PressInfo offers concrete examples of how the Swedish government chooses to acquiesce in the policies of the U.S. and the European Union (EU) rather than defending the interests of small states and the UN norm of peace by peaceful means. Swedish Prime Minister Goran Persson sent a letter of condolences immediately after the September 11 terror attack and Sweden participated in the EU statement . However, it was not until September 24 that the Prime Minister stated the following (excerpts): “The terrorist attack on the United States was a crime against international peace and security. The Member States of the European Union stand united in their recognition of the right of the US to defend itself. The EU has also declared its intention to cooperate with the US in the fight against terrorism,” said the Prime Minister Goran Persson...

There is all reason to rejoice at the fact that the United Nations and Secretary-General Kofi Annan have been awarded the centenary Nobel Peace Prize. It is the right choice. Though one would wish it had happened before, the award comes at a critical moment when governments around the world need to be reminded of the fundamental importance of the UN and its norms. It is the only government organisation that truly represents “the international community.” It is the leading one symbolising humanity’s struggle to abolish war and seek peace by peaceful means. It does a lot of good and much less harm than most self-appointed peacemakers like NATO. And its budget is still about 3% of what its governments waste on weapons and wars. Kofi Annan The Nobel Committee correctly emphasises that Kofi Annan has brought new life to the organisation. He is a soft-spoken man with inner calm,...

Svensk utgåva av denna Once upon a time, there was a Sweden that was different and wanted to make a difference in the world. Over the last few years it has become an acquiescing, commonplace Sweden that has almost abandoned its creativity and independent foreign policy. Now it follows the flock and the leader(s) of the flock. A country of only 8 million people, Sweden used to base its welfare on heavy industry and science, on Scandinavian welfare thinking, equality and a strong civil society filled with active NGOs. There is even a term for that quality: “folkrörelses-Sverige,” the “peoples’ movement Sweden.” As a foreign policy actor, Sweden made a difference by vigorously promoting goals such as international solidarity, non-alignment, nuclear disarmament, common security, confidence-building and peace-keeping through a policy of active neutrality. It was a staunch believer in and supporter of the United Nations. It took a stand when...

Det fanns en gång ett Sverige som var annorlunda och som ville hjälpa till att förändra världen. Under de senaste få åren har det blivit ett passivt och fogligt alldagligt Sverige som nästan har övergivit sin kreativitet och sin oberoende utrikespolitik. Nu följer det flocken och dess ledare. Sverige, ett litet land med 8 miljoner innevånare, grundade sitt välstånd på tung industri och vetenskap, på ett skandinaviskt välfärdstänkande och ett starkt civilsamhälle, fyllt av aktiva NGOs. Det fanns t.o.m. en särskild benämning på detta: “folkrörelse-Sverige”. Som utrikespolitisk aktör hade Sverige en särskild betydelse i världen genom att verka för mål som internationell solidaritet, allianfrihet, kärnvapennedrustning, gemensam säkerhet, förtroendeskapande och fredsbevarande genom en aktiv neutralitetspolitik. Det gav ett starkt och pålitligt stöd till Förenta Nationerna. Det tog ställning när små stater angreps. Dess regering främjade folkrörelseaktiviteter som Den stora Fredsresan och Folkriksdagen för nedrustning. Den svenska utrikespolitiken grundades på folklig debatt...

 12 oktober, 2001  Der var en gang et Sverige, som var anderledes og som ønskede at gøre en forskel i verden. Igennem de sidste få år, er det blevet det tilpassede Sverige, som har afviklet sin kreativitet og sin uafhængige udenrigspolitik. Som et land med kun 8 millioner indbyggere byggede Sverige sin velfærd på tung industri, videnskab, skandinavisk velfærdstænkning, lighed og på et stærkt civilsamfund fyldt med aktive folkelige bevægelser. Man talte faktisk om “Folkrörelses-Sverige”. Som udenrigspolitisk aktør gjorde Sverige en forskel ved kraftigt at fremme mål som international solidaritet, alliancefrihed, kernevåbenafrustning, fælles sikkerhed, tillidsskabelse og fredsbevarelse gennem en aktiv neutralitetspolitik. Det var en sikker støtte for FN. Det tog et standpunkt, når små nationer blev angrebet, og regeringen fremmede folkebevægelser som Den store Fredsrejse og Folkerigsdagen for Nedrustning i 1980erne. Sveriges udenrigspolitik baseredes på offentlig debat og engagement og var således i betragtelig grad forankret i folkelig støtte. Det...

The images of the hijacked planes crashing into the World Trade Center are nightmare images of unspeakable horror that will forever be a part of our reality. Imagine, however, another nightmare — that of a mushroom cloud rising over an American city. This is a threat we can no longer ignore. Perhaps today citizens and leaders alike will better understand the seriousness of the nuclear threat. Our leaders have failed to grasp that our present nuclear weapons policies contribute to the possibility of nuclear terrorism against our country. Large nuclear arsenals do not protect us any more than a missile shield would have prevented the attacks against the World Trade Center or the Pentagon. In 1998 India and Pakistan both demonstrated their nuclear capabilities. Pakistan, which borders on Afghanistan, is now the only country in the world to recognize the Taliban regime. Should there be a US led war in...

America and Americans on September 11 experienced the full horror of what must surely be the greatest display of grotesque cunning in human history. Its essence consisted in transforming the benign, everyday technology of commercial jet aircraft into weapons of mass destruction. There has been much talk about Americans discovering the vulnerability of their heartland in a manner that far exceeds the collective trauma associated with the attack on Pearl Harbor. But the new vulnerability is radically different and far more threatening. It involves the comprehensive vulnerability of technology closely tied to our global dominance, pervading every aspect of our existence. To protect ourselves against the range of threats that could be mounted by those of fanatical persuasion is a mission impossible. The very attempt would quickly turn the United States into a prison-state. And yet who can blame the government for doing what it can in the coming months...

The terrorist attacks against the United States have shocked the world and left Americans feeling vulnerable and fearful of future attacks. The US has made a major military deployment to the Middle East and seems intent on military action against Osama bin Laden and possibly Afghanistan and other states that may harbor terrorists or be linked to these attacks. But the military is a blunt instrument that could easily increase the cycle of violence by causing the deaths of more innocent civilians. The US response to the attacks should adhere to three basic criteria: it should be legal, moral and thoughtful. a) It should be legal under both domestic and international law, sanctioned by the United Nations, and multilateral in scope. b) It should be moral in not taking more innocent lives. c) And it should be thoughtful in asking why this has happened and what can be done to...

(B) Continued from PressInfo 129 Global brainstorm on a humanity-oriented Western policy Imagine that we begin a global brainstorm where people of all walks of life can contribute their opinions freely on questions such as: how can the United States, and the West in general, make a more efficient contribution to a world in peace, justice and human development? What new forums do we need — in the fields of politics, religion, education, culture, etc — to balance the globalisation in the economic sphere? How must we re-structure the world system to promote global democracy and democratic governance (for, by and with the peoples) to benefit all and not mainly Western people? We are talking about a new global policy for us all and not just for the biggest countries. We are talking about taking the idea of a global human family seriously when making decisions at home. We are...

(B) PressInfo 129 and 130 is our contribution to questions we find essential now: Can something positive come out of the terrible events in New York and Washington on September 11? Can the innocent victims of many nationalities and walks of life be honoured by hard thinking about a more peaceful world? Can this particular violence teach us something about the civilisational necessity to reduce violence before it is too late? We shall be happy if you find any inspiration here and we invite your constructive thoughts to tff@transnational.live. Two weeks have passed. We mourn the tragedy in New York and Washington. Innocent lives were taken by mad men who could not find intelligent, non-violent ways to make their point. No civilised goals can ever be promoted by such methods. No ideology and no religion in the world can justify them. There are those who argue that, at this very...

LONDON – The American nation appears not only immensely distressed and angry about the bombings but surprised too. It cannot understand why anyone should be moved by such hatred against it and, inured from the rest of us by the isolationism of most of its political representatives and its media, it has little idea of the currents swirling against it. An event of this magnitude was not only unimagined, it was unimaginable. Yet long before George Bush became president with his forceful in-your-face, take-it-or-leave-it attitude to the world outside on issues as diverse as global warming and anti-missile defences, America has been turning in on itself, to the point of self-destructiveness. William Pfaff, the astute American commentator, wrote recently that “America is a dangerous nation while remaining a righteous one” and America’s pre-eminent foreign policy observer, George Kennan, ambassador to the Soviet Union during Stalin’s time, wrote quite a few...