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[Helgoland]

Sorry, I'll stop. You know how it is, I don't like scriver, scriver doesn't like me, trolling a bit is fun...

[Sergarr]

Prussians are those military-obsessed people, basically modern-age Spartans, weren't they?

[smjjames]

Prussians are those military-obsessed people, basically modern-age Spartans, weren't they?

The Old Prussians (the Baltic people) or the Germans that just called themselves Prussians (and might have been descendents of the origional, some of them anyway)? No idea if they (the Germans that called themselves Prussians) were any more military obsessed than anybody else at the time, but they were certainly well known militarily and were considered the elite German troops of their day I believe.

[Sheb]

Prussians are those military-obsessed people, basically modern-age Spartans, weren't they?

The Old Prussians (the Baltic people) or the Germans that just called themselves Prussians (and might have been descendents of the origional, some of them anyway)? No idea if they (the Germans that called themselves Prussians) were any more military obsessed than anybody else at the time, but they were certainly well known militarily and were considered the elite German troops of their day I believe.

Well, Prussia (the modern era kingdom) was known for its militarism. Before that, the area of Old Prussia was largely conquered and occupied by the Teutonic Knight (and the Livonian Swordbrothers), which were a military order (And later gave birth to the Duchy of Prussia when the Grandmaster decided he wanted to be a duke instead).

[Loud Whispers]

Prussians are those military-obsessed people, basically modern-age Spartans, weren't they?

The Old Prussians (the Baltic people) or the Germans that just called themselves Prussians (and might have been descendents of the origional, some of them anyway)? No idea if they (the Germans that called themselves Prussians) were any more military obsessed than anybody else at the time, but they were certainly well known militarily and were considered the elite German troops of their day I believe.

There's not been a people like the Spartans since. Closest thing I can think of are Rhodesians, but Rhodesians weren't as hardcore as Spartans either. Prussians weren't as hardcore as Spartans either, but they were an exceptionally well-drilled and well-disciplined force and we all owe them a lot, because we've lifted a lot of our officer and school systems from them. They also had a habit of bullying France and Austria.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

So kinda cool but also kinda cunty, Prussia is Prussia

And I'm suuuuuure you can show me that this genociding was still taking place at the start of the 20th century, no? Else by the same standard London is not an English city.

London is not an English city

It also depends on your usage of adjectives like 'German'. For example, it would hardly be a stretch to call a village within the country of Belgium populated by German-speaking people 'German'. Especially in an increasingly post-national Europe I think there is great value in paying attention to the nuances of these matters, as it increases our awareness of our shared, intertwined history.
'Historically German' would be the preferred phrasing here, I think. To say that Danzig has nothing to do with Germany at all certainly is wrong.

I think Europe is not as post-national as you might be thinking

[Helgoland]

Soon, my friend. Soon.

[smjjames]

Soon, my friend. Soon.

Even 'soon' might be a really long time.

[Sheb]

Soon, my friend. Soon.

Speaking of German-speaking village, did I ever told you about Moresnet-Neutre? A tiny strip of land disputed between Prussia and the NEtherlands, then Prussia and Germany and Belgium that was as such part of neither from 1830 until 1914? Pretty cool history, I'll rant about it over a beer this week-end.

[Loud Whispers]

Soon, my friend. Soon.

Even 'soon' might be a really long time.

I suppose the nations of Europe collapsing would technically be post-national Europe
_{Hopefully not soon}

[TempAcc]

In other news, the head of the swedish "ambulance union" is asking that body armor and helmets be provided for paramedics because they're often exposed to violence (up to and including fucking hand grenades) and that no-go zones are very much a reality for them.

[smjjames]

In other news, the head of the swedish "ambulance union" is asking that body armor and helmets be provided for paramedics because they're often exposed to violence (up to and including fucking hand grenades) and that no-go zones are very much a reality for them.

O.o

To quote Trump, what the hell is going on over there?

[Dorsidwarf]

Does anyone have an English source for that? I can't find anything whatsoever on DGS-tv or Patrik Engellau in English, which means I can't look it up in more detail which I hate.

[Sheb]

Yeah, can our Swedish forumist confirm?

[Dorsidwarf]

DGS is apparently 'Det Goda Samhället', or The Good Society.

Spoiler: Here is their homepage, brutally mangled by the opressive regime at Googletranslate HQ (click to show/hide)

The good society is an advocacy site that consists of different voices that investigates, exposes and drills in the burning social issues. This creates contemporary self-understanding.

How are you in Sweden?

Many people ask themselves that question and perceive an increasingly polarized debate - political as well as opinion-forming. People experiencing an unsatisfactory media landscape, as more and more come to be characterized by valuation journalism than journalism as broad and non-evaluative answers the questions where, when, how, who - and why - and perform an in-depth analysis.

It has also emerged a shame and guilt culture in Sweden, but also in other parts of the Western world. People should be ashamed if they do not live up to being the most irreproachable good and ashamed of the West's history and societies.

The guilt and shame culture is not conducive to a healthy public discourse or to build trust and stability in society and between people.

The good society believes in the reality of the people and that critical social issues must be discussed and not filtered through the predetermined grid.

The writers on the site, the good society have different political affiliation but united by:

One of mankind: That people are decent and has an internal moral compass.

A view of society: An affirmation of libertarian values.

One method: Critique.

A philosophy: the belief that there is truth.

The good society would scratch the society "truths" and keeps nothing sacred.

DGS-TV is a 10-part series of programs "where Patrik Engellau along with several of the country's brightest opinion leaders to discuss our most important issues."

Spoiler: Engellau's brutally-mangled swedish wikipedia page (click to show/hide)

927/5000
Johan Patrik Engellau, born January 29, 1945, is a Swedish writer, chairman of think tank The New Welfare Foundation and CEO of AktieTorget. He has worked for the UN, SIDA and the Foreign Ministry, including as head of SIDA's support office in Guinea-Bissau. [1] After a period as a researcher at the Institute for Future Studies, he started a number of companies and has written a number of books on economics, entrepreneurship, society and politics, but also about the history and literature. Engellau has for many years been actively involved in the political debate, including the blogger. Since 2015 he is responsible for the website debate the good society, whose motto reads "It creates contemporary self-understanding."

Patrik Engellau has written thirty books, most published self-published, among others, by the mill (1980), In Search of Mother Svea's soul (1987), Carta Nova (1993), the pillar of cloud (1994) and God's third strategy (2008) .

Homepage of the interviewee's organisation. (Gordon Grattidge is the chairman)

[Silverthrone]

Oh, pissflaps, I was about to start arranging my dinner. It will be a while before I can give anything particularly in-depth. For now, I can reveal that I have not heard of it until now, no. I have heard of the threats and the odd attack on the emergency service crews, however. I am not particularly surprised. It sounds like a very reasonable request. Indeed, I thought they already had at least some helmets and riot-shields available.

The translation in the video provided checks out very well, so it is a good source. I do not know much of DGS TV as a whole, but it appears perfectly harmless; an opinion blog and Youtube series that goes somewhat outside the fold, but does so quite well. It is not particularly political, other than in its scepticism to some established orthodoxies that they believe need probing.

I can confirm Dorsidwarf's translations above. That is effectively what they are trying to do; be a journalistic counter-force to value-journalism and current identity politics. It is harmless; it is certainly no Breitbart-esque, as it where.
It is rather interesting. I shall pick it through and see what more I can find. It is a very small site, with a small footprint, hence the lack of general dirt, I imagine. It is more of an archive of opinion pieces that up until recently would not be particularly well-seen in most papers.

This is why when you accept a bunch of immigrants/refugees, cordoning them off into their own little communities is the worst way to handle integration.

That has, more or less, happened by itself. The immigration and integration is in the hopeless state it is because of in-action, I would say. It has been a very hands-off affair; it has been far less interesting than recieving and cashing the prestige and the feelings of generousity of having a 'humane migration policy'. It has all been dreadfully irresponsible. I urge you, do not try this at home.

This has been Meatball News^TM, we will return shortly with more coverage on this story later. [Jingle, fade-out]