{"id":214039,"date":"2022-05-30T12:00:23","date_gmt":"2022-05-30T11:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/?p=214039"},"modified":"2022-05-29T04:18:21","modified_gmt":"2022-05-29T03:18:21","slug":"sweden-poised-to-join-nato-as-part-of-western-mobilization-against-russia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/2022\/05\/sweden-poised-to-join-nato-as-part-of-western-mobilization-against-russia\/","title":{"rendered":"Sweden Poised to Join NATO as Part of Western Mobilization against Russia"},"content":{"rendered":"

28 May 2022 – Debates in the Country Follow Narrow Lines Defined by Government As Dissenting Voices Are Silenced<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"\"<\/a>

[Source: azernews.az]<\/p><\/div>\n

With great fanfare, Sweden has now (May 15) officially announced it seeks to apply for formal NATO membership.<\/p>\n

The Ukraine War has provided the pretext for this announcement which has long been in the making and has been widely supported in the Swedish mainstream.<\/p>\n

The kind of rhetoric associated with the decision was epitomized by that of a leading political commentator and a former government minister who said it is \u201cmiraculous how the world\u2019s democracies magnetically gather around the values of the free world,\u201d namely, \u201cdemocracy and the respect for national sovereignty\u201d\u2014Yemenis and Palestinians not included, plainly. Finally we can rejoice in the \u201calliance of world democracies\u201d with \u201cgiants such as the U.S.\u201d leading us toward \u201cfreedom, democracy and peace.\u201d[1]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

\u201cIn Sweden, the unanimity is so compact that one is almost moved,\u201d as one of the most respected literary figures, Alex Schulman, cheered in his trance.[2]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

\n
\"\"
Alex Schulman [Source: wikipedia.org<\/a>]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

The most respected liberal paper explained that \u201cWestern democracy stands against Putin\u2019s neo-Stalinism,\u201d and \u201cthere is no middle way, no compromise between these two worldviews.\u201d[3]<\/a><\/sup> Or the leading business analyst, Peter Nilsson, who is revered by everyone: \u201cThe production in the American, British, French and Swedish weapons industries need to continue booming\u201d since \u201cthere is now no middle way. The world is\u2026black-and-white\u201d\u2014just to quote some of the more moderate ones.[4]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

\n
\"Peter
[Source: eqtgroup.com<\/a>]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

About two weeks later, after a propaganda campaign which probably would have made even Stalin cringe, the moment to bring up the question of joining NATO was ripe; after all, NATO \u201cdoesn\u2019t seek more territory\u2026doesn\u2019t seek territorial disputes [and] doesn\u2019t threaten the territorial sovereignty of other states\u2026and is supremely resourceful when trying to avoid conflicts,\u201d as one of the leading liberal commentators schooled \u201cthe most useful of useful idiots for peace\u201d\u2014namely, most of the general population before the war, and half of it now. \u201cThe West and NATO are willing to fold over three times in order to avoid fighting over any territory, except its own,\u201d he further explained, which is \u201ca fact so obvious that it needs no proof\u201d\u2014such as Libya, Yemen, Afghanistan, Iraq and so on.[5]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

Or to quote perhaps the leading voice of the social democratic \u201cleft,\u201d Anders Lindberg, who is constantly criticized for being a leftist extremist: Since Putin is \u201ca contemporary Hitler\u201d\u2014as well as since Russians hate \u201cour ideas about freedom\u201d\u2014it is beyond question that we immediately \u201cneed to join NATO.\u201d[6]<\/a><\/sup> Again: I am quoting the dovish end, and so the tune goes virtually without exception.<\/p>\n

\"A
(Right) Anders Lindberg, editor-in-chief of Aftonbladet, Sweden\u2019s daily newspaper. [Source: tellerreport.com<\/a>]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Funneling arms to the \u201cdefense\u201d sector and formally joining NATO became indisputable gospel, needing no credible argument whatsoever, and making any independent criticism psychologically impossible (especially for the critics\u2014who in fact unanimously accept the government propaganda lines, as I will explain below). These \u201crequirements are enormous.\u201d \u201cIt is important that this process is not prolonged by vain attempts at estimating its costs,\u201d and the \u201cGovernment and Parliament [should] accept the judgment without any objections,\u201d as two of the country\u2019s most respected security analysts noted, knowing that would in fact be more or less the case.[7]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

With at least 70% of the corporations being for NATO membership, and barely 50% of the population (DI<\/em>, April 19), it was as indisputable as a mathematical proof that Swedish membership in NATO was \u201cof existential nature for our country\u2019s freedom and sovereignty.\u201d[8]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

All of this, needless to say, systematically suppresses the fact that there have been diplomatic proposals put forth by Russia for years, which have been unilaterally rejected by the Western governments, and that this has overwhelmingly caused this conflict. Or that NATO provocations and incursions into Russian territory are constantly taking place, which by far outnumber anything carried out by the Russians toward us. (These last two sentences may surprise you. And if so, just look at the deluge of detailed studies presented constantly in the technical diplomatic press, which provide ample evidence reaching a burden of proof expected only in chemistry or physics, however, never presented to the general public for obvious reasons.)[9]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

Or the fact that even those most loyal to the Party line, including the awed and constantly cited Lt. Col. Joakim Paasikivi\u2014who practically sets the entire military analytic agenda in the country\u2014regularly concede that the Russian military \u201ccapability is not at all impressive,\u201d failing to take control over cities just across its own border.[10]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

\"A
Lt. Col. Joakim Paasikivi [Source: nord.news<\/a>]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

That is unsurprising, since we are dealing with a country whose GDP ranks far below countries like Italy. Or the fact that the Estonian Foreign Minister, Eva-Maria Liimets, openly stated that the Baltics \u201csee no direct [Russian] military threat.\u201d[11]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

But somehow the far more powerful Sweden and its \u201cexistential nature\u201d is under Russian threat. That is an impressive achievement, even for the \u201cfree\u201d press. Why Russia would invade Sweden, and us needing to formally join NATO, has not once been argued (except through the constant reference to \u201cthe changing security climate in the world,\u201d a phrase repeated with the same fervor and lack of meaning as \u201cGod is great\u201d). No proof reaching the minimal level of credibility or honesty is ever presented, nor needed, which is standard when you specialize in regurgitating official Party dogma.<\/p>\n

However, I do not mean to say that everybody in the media and academia is happy with the near 100% consensus, and do not critique it. One of the most well known and respected journalists complained that those who \u201copposed\u201d NATO\u2014while still remaining well within the ideological framework established by government propaganda\u2014and who are now \u201cbeing very late\u201d in joining the chorus for the offensive alliance, \u201cdon\u2019t seem to be punished for it.\u201d<\/p>\n

In typical Communist Party style, he went on to lament that the pro-NATO side is unfortunately cheering \u201cwithout enthusiasm\u201d\u2014a total lie, but a neat one when enforcing the required Party discipline.[12]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

Reviewing the literally thousands of articles which strictly abide by the required doctrinal Truth is not so interesting. The commentary is more or less totally predictable and expected. Rather, in looking at what the dovish extreme ends of dissent say (they are so small in numbers that you can practically count them), we will find where the outermost limits of acceptable thought go, and thus we will behold the spectacular feat of the propaganda system.<\/p>\n

First, the critic will argue that NATO membership could compromise our prospects for \u201cautonomous foreign policy,\u201d and that sufficient discussion and \u201cserious thought\u201d has not gone into all of this, making this a too hasty decision, to quote the \u201cextremist\u201d Mattias Gardell, who has been accused of being the slave of Hamas and Jihadists, an extreme hater of the West and so on.[13]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

\"Dr.
Professor Mattias Gardell, Uppsala Universitet. [Source: norfas.net<\/a>]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Maybe NATO is not all that good an idea since \u201c37 Danish NATO soldiers died in Afghanistan under the first years of the 2000s,\u201d wrote Arne Larsson, who went as far out as you can go when chastising the lack of counter-arguments put forth by the press.[14]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

\"A
Coffins of two Danish soldiers killed in Afghanistan. [Source: shutterstock.com<\/a>]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sven-Eric Liedman, the most respected intellectual historian in the country, repeats the revered staples of anti-arguments, citing the possibility of a Trump presidency and NATO\u2019s undemocratic members\u2014which never cause a problem to our sensibilities otherwise, of course. \u201cOne of NATO\u2019s most powerful members is Turkey,\u201d and the next \u201cDonald Trump as president\u201d thinks \u201cthat NATO is useless\u201d\u2014which is total nonsense when you look at irrelevant things such as facts, but anything goes as long as you defend the Holy State from serious critique.[15]<\/a><\/sup> Or: we will become \u201cless safe,\u201d as our \u201cdissident\u201d Left party put it.<\/p>\n

\"Sven-Eric
Sven-Eric Liedman [Source: wikipedia.org<\/a>]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Our own National radical, G\u00f6ran Greider, noted, \u201cSwedish membership in NATO would mean larger investments in the military, when the climate and the public sector\u201d needs the money.[16]<\/a><\/sup> It is completely uniform among \u201cdissidents\u201d to stick to the above, since these points are considered to be the \u201cmost powerful arguments,\u201d to use the phrase of a journalist who has been the target of constant attack for his \u201cpro-Russian\u201d stance.[17]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

\"G\u00f6ran
G\u00f6ran Greider [Source: wikipedia.org<\/a>]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

All of this could be perfectly true, and in fact mostly is. But it is all beside the point. No one in the press could think of something different, which happens to be ten times more obvious. Namely, that NATO has been carrying out aggression against Russia (constantly, up until the very present), and has been unilaterally rejecting a peace settlement .[18]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

\"Image\"
[Source: twitter.com<\/a>]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

And in the same sense, a true Belarusian dissident would not use the counter-argument that it would be costly for Belarus, dangerous or divert its resources, when arguing against Belarus joining a military pact with Russia; rather, that it would mean joining an aggressive criminal organization\u2014that is the problem. But naturally, stating this will elicit a stream of attacks and accusations in the West, and the argument itself causes only mental short circuit; it is psychologically impossible to comprehend, which is why the banal truism cannot be uttered even by the most radical critics. This is the ultimate achievement of thought control. I guess some just keep quiet, too, which all makes a good deal of sense. When the Party even hints at it, all must obey and join in the parades, or remain silent. Anything else is not worth it, or is simply too dangerous.<\/p>\n

Others have other things to say, however. The CEO of Sweden\u2019s largest polling company triumphed that \u201cThe discussion about the pros and cons of Membership has been lively.\u201d True, there has been a lively debate, but all within Party doctrine.<\/p>\n

\n
\"\u00d6sten
\u00d6sten Und\u00e9n [Source: wikipedia.org<\/a>]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

It is also obvious that the whole question of formal NATO membership is more or less a PR-charade, but which is zealously debated, giving the required democratic guise of passionate and open discussion. The real world relationship between Swedish neutrality and the U.S.\/NATO was eloquently described by one of our most influential diplomats, \u00d6sten Und\u00e9n, just two months before the creation of NATO in 1949: namely, he described \u201cneutrality as a flawed and pass\u00e9 policy.\u201d Furthermore, he went on to describe in a confidential meeting in September 1949 that this secret relation between Sweden and NATO \u201ccan\u2019t be allowed to be expressed in public.\u201d[19]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

These \u201cdirect contacts\u2026with the heart of the Pentagon\u201d (as one of the top military chiefs put it) were highly developed and systematic, and it was \u201ctherefore important that the knowledge about this partnership would be kept known only to a group as small as possible,\u201d to quote one of the chiefs in the General Staff.[20]<\/a><\/sup> Naturally, all of this had to be concealed and diverted from with a \u201creligion\u201d of neutrality, as former Prime Minister Ola Ullsten put it\u2014which of course amounts to \u201ca democratic catastrophe,\u201d to use the words of political scientist Kjell Goldmann.[21]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

\"Ola
Ola Ullsten [Source: wikipedia.org<\/a>]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

That continues up to the very present, in which \u201cSweden\u2019s neutrality is more fiction than fact,\u201d as Professor Emeritus in history, Harald Gustafsson, recently put it. The fact that Sweden \u201cis more NATO than most NATO members\u201d (The Economist<\/em>, 2007), and that Sweden\u2019s ties to NATO \u201con areas of defense and security never before has been stronger\u201d as well as that \u201cSweden is a closer partner to NATO than even some of our NATO members are\u2019\u201d (as U.S. ambassador Ken Howery said over a year ago), have all had some obvious implications:[22]<\/a><\/sup> Namely, that we have served as a NATO outpost, an \u201cunsinkable aircraft carrier\u201d as an American general once put it.[23]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

Thus, Sweden has for years enthusiastically been part of the rejectionist Western camp, explicitly participating in blocking a diplomatic settlement with Russia. The same goes for the constant participation in NATO war games next to Russia\u2019s territory, receiving minimal reporting in the West\u2014which is expected, since keeping to minimal honesty would give the entire game away.<\/p>\n

\"Image
Sweden\u2019s Northern Wind Exercise in 2019. [Source: nationalinterest.org<\/a>]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I do not, however, insinuate that large-scale<\/em> incursions do not occur\u2014as opposed to the constant small-scale ones conducted with NATO attack and spy planes, or military ships, which \u201cdwarf\u201d those carried out by Russia toward the West, to quote the findings of a detailed report by ABC News<\/em>.[24]<\/a><\/sup> Just to name one example: During the summer of last year, Sweden participated in Operation Sea Breeze (one of NATO\u2019s innumerable war games for 2021) together with 35 other countries from five different continents.<\/p>\n

The warships were a couple of kilometers inside of Russian waters, and we know from leaked internal British documents that it was all planned and that they in fact expected a Russian \u201cwelcome party,\u201d as they frankly and proudly put it\u2014all while American military planes were \u201coperating in and watching everything in the Black Sea region, as we always do,\u201d which Navy Captain Wendy Snyder boasted.[25]<\/a><\/sup> In short, we were behaving as an obedient satellite before any NATO formalisms.<\/p>\n

\n
\"Sea
[Source: sldinfo.com<\/a>]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

This is the real issue: We are\u2014and have been for a while\u2014acting within an aggressive anti-diplomatic organization, and that can simply never be discussed. Now, however, the diversion of simply formalizing and ratifying previous policy, is being used as a remarkable tool of distraction and deceit, thus ignoring the central problem itself, even by those who should know better.<\/p>\n

We do, however, get a more honest picture as to why we are formalizing the role of an \u201cunsinkable aircraft carrier\u201d in the elite business press\u2014as is quite typical. Euphoric headlines read: \u201cCEO sees opportunities in NATO membership\u201d; \u201cIt is now booming\u201d for the military industry; \u201cTo be part of NATO absolutely opens up a larger market to the NATO countries\u2026where we can work together on sensitive stuff\u201d, the country\u2019s top military CEO pointed out. We should join NATO formally \u201cwith enthusiasm,\u201d \u201cenough talking,\u201d since we will have \u201cthe biggest economy, defense industry,\u201d etc., in northern Europe, as the leading national business guru cheers.[26]<\/a><\/sup> \u201cIt\u2019s time for victory\u201d for the Industry after formal membership, reads another ecstatic headline.[27]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

\"Troops
Swedish troops with Gotland regiment in training exercise. The Regiment is currently being expanded from 400 to 4,000 troops. Gotland is a strategic outpost affording control of traffic in the Baltic Sea. [Source: nytimes.com<\/a>]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The leading Finnish businessman, Mika Ihamuotila, told our business paper that \u201cenormous costs would occur for Swedish investors and corporations if Sweden would not join NATO now,\u201d and we would lose \u201chundreds of deals\u201d if we \u201cstayed outside of NATO\u201d formally. He did not want to make it all too obvious what all the fuss is actually about, why he as a safety measure added at the very end that Putin \u201cis like Hitler\u201d and so on.[28]<\/a><\/sup> To put it plainly: \u201cThere is a before and after February 24th for Swedish business.\u201d \u201cThat Sweden joins NATO is attractive for business,\u201d and not joining would mean that \u201cSweden risks losing direct investments and deals\u201d\u2014so let\u2019s seize the opportunity that we now have.[29]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

Hence the enormous propaganda.<\/p>\n

NOTES:<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Dagens Industri<\/em>, Maria Borelius, March 3. \u2191<\/a><\/li>\n
  2. Dagens Nyheter<\/em>, Alex Schulman, March 14. \u2191<\/a><\/li>\n
  3. Ibid<\/em>, Op-ed, March 17. \u2191<\/a><\/li>\n
  4. Dagens Industri<\/em>, P M Nilsson, March 25. \u2191<\/a><\/li>\n
  5. Fokus<\/em>, Johan Hakelius, March 7. \u2191<\/a><\/li>\n
  6. Aftonbladet<\/em>, Anders Lindberg, April 20;30. \u2191<\/a><\/li>\n
  7. Dagens Industri<\/em>, march 22. Quoting former ambassadeur Daine Janse and Gen. Maj. and former principal at the College of Defence, Karlis Neretnieks. \u2191<\/a><\/li>\n
  8. Aff\u00e4rsv\u00e4rlden<\/em>, nr. 15-16, p. 19. \u2191<\/a><\/li>\n
  9. As far as I\u2019m aware, I am the only one who has covered this in detail in the Swedish press, and to some degree even so in comparison to the English-speaking press \u2013 Consortium News, Antiwar, QIRS, Counterpunch<\/em>, Mint Press News<\/em> etc. The overwhelming aggression carried out by NATO towards (for a short summary, see for example T. G. Carpenter\u2019s text in Responsible Statecraft<\/em>, December 14 2020), the outright rejection of multiple Russian peace offers, up until the present, which explicitly refer to adhering to \u201cthe UN charter\u201d as well as appealing to \u201cthe UNSC\u201d and calling on the West and Russia to \u201cnot regard each other as opponents\u201d (the proposal from December 17:th last year) \u2013 all of this and other matters are discussed in detail in the texts I\u2019ve published in Globalpolitics.se<\/em>, between December last year and February this year. Also in my coming review of the current crisis. They are all written in Swedish, but I draw from English sources. \u2191<\/a><\/li>\n
  10. Svenska Dagbladet<\/em>, May 13. \u2191<\/a><\/li>\n
  11. Dagens Industri<\/em>, March 29. \u2191<\/a><\/li>\n
  12. Dagens Nyheter<\/em>, Niklas Ekdal, April 21. \u2191<\/a><\/li>\n
  13. ETC<\/em>, May 6. \u2191<\/a><\/li>\n
  14. Svenska Dagbladet<\/em>, Arne Larsson, April 14. \u2191<\/a><\/li>\n
  15. Dagens Nyheter<\/em>, S-E Liedman, April 20. For discussion, see footnote 9. \u2191<\/a><\/li>\n
  16. Dala-Demokraten<\/em>, G\u00f6ran Greider, March 5. \u2191<\/a><\/li>\n
  17. Dagens Nyheter<\/em>, Bj\u00f6rn Wiman, March 4. \u2191<\/a><\/li>\n
  18. Once again, see footnote 9. \u2191<\/a><\/li>\n
  19. Mikael Holmstr\u00f6m, Den Dolda Alliansen<\/em>, Atlantis (2011), p. 70f, 100. This 600-page book is the most authoritative scholarly work on the subject. \u2191<\/a><\/li>\n
  20. Ibid<\/em>, p. 220, 226. \u2191<\/a><\/li>\n
  21. Ibid<\/em>, p. 424, 432f. \u2191<\/a><\/li>\n
  22. Svenska Dagbladet<\/em>, Harald Gustafsson, May 4; Dagens Nyheter<\/em>, December 23 2020. \u2191<\/a><\/li>\n
  23. Holmstr\u00f6m op. cit.<\/em>, p. 447. \u2191<\/a><\/li>\n
  24. Carpenter op.cit.<\/em> \u2191<\/a><\/li>\n
  25. See for instance BBC<\/em>, June 27 2021; Antiwar<\/em>, June 30 2021 and Responsible Statecraft<\/em>, Kellet Beaucar, June 27 2021. \u2191<\/a><\/li>\n
  26. Dagens Industri<\/em>, April 25 (P M Nilsson). \u2191<\/a><\/li>\n
  27. Ibid<\/em>, Torun Nilsson, May 6. \u2191<\/a><\/li>\n
  28. Ibid<\/em>, May 9. \u2191<\/a><\/li>\n
  29. Ibid<\/em>, Henrik Westman, May 13. \u2191<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    _______________________________________________<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

    Andi Olluri lives in western Sweden. He just turned 20 and is studying dietetics. Andi has been an activist since he was a young teenager. He can be reached at andi_ronaldo@hotmail.se<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Go to Original – covertactionmagazine.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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