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[Azzuro]

Indeed, expect a wave of reactionary hate crimes against Muslims and Middle Easterners soon. Tolerance marches are a good way for the public to show solidarity in the face of terror, and stop them from achieving their aims.

[scriver]

I'd prefer an anti-progressiphobia match by Muslims and a show of solidarity with Sweden.

[Shub-Nullgurath]

Deleted due to risk of banning.

Message me if you want it!

[Silverthrone]

I saw a few things floating around saying there's going to be an anti-Islamophobia march in Stockholm today just a short distance away from the site of the most recent terror attack, but I couldn't find anything when Googling. Is it a load of bollocks, or is it actually a thing? I'm mainly asking our based Bay12 Swedes.

I believe so. There were several different marches in Stockholm, including for a football match. Indeed, there have not really been any elevated hesistance to go into town and get outside throughout the country, despite the attack. It has been a fairly ordinary early spring week-end.

EDIT: As a personal note, I made my damndest to make it a lovely spring week-end. I bought some Norrlands Guld, the beer brand advertised on the lorry, out of solidarity. There were policemen all over the city, and all flags had been hoisted half mast, but it was still a remarkably pleasant day. The country keeps ticking over, people are still out and about, and summer is coming. It is difficult to describe, but it does feel like a victory, of sorts. Or rather, an assurance. What we have, what we have built and tended, is far greater than something that a few cowardly little nappy-heads can hope to topple like this.

As for the march, I do now know precisely who is marching where and when, but I imagine that it is a fairly broad spectrum of participants.

I fear that there will be some reflex kebab hugging (for want of a better word), as well. It has, however, been far less hideous than I would have feared. I believe they might be laying low, at present. Further, this time, there is simply no way for the most revolting usual suspects to imply that it is the fault of the victims that they were killed.

I'd prefer an anti-progressiphobia match by Muslims and a show of solidarity with Sweden.

Agreed. A show of loyalty to the kingdom would not go amiss.

[Silverthrone]

Well, yes, it was not unexpected, and I could not bear giving the enemy the satisfaction of knowing that I would give up the first days of spring for their sake. I believe that the public thought and felt the same, over-all.

As for flags, I do agree. It is true that they are, indeed, just coloured fabric, but it is what they represent that matters. It is more than just mere fabric, it is a symbol. As such, it should be held in respect. I believe it is the same for all flags. I have, for instance, seen Irish flags used for table-cloths for St. Patrick's Day. While the intention is pleasant (a good party, and to celebrate the saint and Ireland as a whole), I believe it is a frightful faux pas.
I can understand why some people do link nation flags to racism and jingoism. But, it is an assumtion, an underdeveloped path of logic that ought to be challenged. It is the symbol of the nation. To then project the impression on to it that it is a symbol of racism and oppression and hate-crime, just at the mere sight of it, is just the same action as that of those who project the impression that it means racial purity, dominance and the freedom to repress and destroy all those who does not fit within it. Developing a healthy relationship to one's native land is very important, for it means more than merely the colour of the passport jacket. Neglecting this, and developing an unreasonable phobia to its colours, is as damaging as developing a twisted relationship to it that is built on violence, hatred and dreams of an impossible purity.

The flag-phobia seems to have begun to lessen, however. No doubt due to a change in the public zeitgeist. When tried and tested, I do believe that the idea of the nation-state stands firmer than it appeared, and it and its symbols might return in from the cold.
There is, of course, always the option to reject it. However, it would appear that a large portion of those who would reject the nation-state, its symbols and its duties, are very eager to make use of its benefits...

[Helgoland]

Though, I don't think it's unique to just our country - there's that infamous clip of Merkel being presented with a German flag and ditching it as quickly as possible.

You gotta remember that the German flag is quite unlike the others. Her waving a flag after winning the election sends a much different signal than another heaad of government doing the same with his flag.

[smjjames]

Though, I don't think it's unique to just our country - there's that infamous clip of Merkel being presented with a German flag and ditching it as quickly as possible.

You gotta remember that the German flag is quite unlike the others. Her waving a flag after winning the election sends a much different signal than another heaad of government doing the same with his flag.

That's just because the last time German Nationalism was a thing, well.....

Though nobody complains when German athletes wave their flag at the Olympics parade of nations.

[Helgoland]

That's because all the other flags are there, too. We've got no problem being a nation among equals - it's standing out that makes us feel iffy. 'Perpetual embarassment about the Great Unpleasantness Vol. II'  is a fairly precise sketch of our national character.

[Sergarr]

Mélenchon, the communist, have picked up the pace and is now sitting at third place with 18-19% of the votes. Allegedly, it was because of his good showing at the debates, but the real reason becomes clear pretty soon:

Mélenchon’s radical programme includes a new €100bn (£91bn) stimulus plan and a reduction in the working week to 32 hours, as well as proposals to overhaul the EU and pull France out of Nato.

Putin is playing pretty hard there - it's his third candidate in France. Currently, pro-Russian candidates have both the first/second (Le Pen, tied with anti-Putinist/pro-EU Macron), the third (Mélenchon) and the fourth (Fillon) places in the French elections.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

I don't think you need to speculate Putin's influence for a hard left Frenchman to be against NATO, they sort of spent half the 20th century with that as their thing.

[Sergarr]

I'm speculating Putin's influence in making him more popular.

[martinuzz]

Meanwhile in Italy, the parliament has been furiously debating a new law, that will give women the right to 'paid menstruation leave'.
The law is intended for those women that suffer extra painful menstruation, and would allow them to take a day (or more) off from work, while still getting paid.

Similar laws are already in effect in some Asian countries, with Japan being the first to implement it, in 1947.


I'd say that's a pretty bad plan. That's not gonna help women find a job. What employer would hire someone that works 23 days a month, but gets paid for 25, when they can hire someone that works 25 and gets paid 25.

The Dutch Society for Obstetrics and Gynaecology also dissaproves of the idea. They say that "the Italian law requires women to hand over a written note from their doctor once a year, stating they have painful periods. That is too easy, and vulnerable to abuse. There is a real medical condition though, which afflicts about 10-15% of all women, called endometriosis. This disease mostly expresses itself as extreme menstruational pain, but can also cause infertility and the sticking together of organs. The disease is often only found after many years, because many women, doctors, and even gynaecologists still believe that pain is always simply inherent to menstruation. For a proper diagnosis however, an echo, MRI, or exploratory surgery is required.
So what we would advise, instead of making a law that damages all women's perspective of career, and increases discrimination on the job, is that employers, women, doctors and gynaecologists are better informed. If a women cannot work because of extreme menstruation pain, she should find out the source of those complaints, instead of sitting at home, with or without pay".

[MetalSlimeHunt]

Aren't virtually all forms of menstruation pain also solvable by taking hormonal contraceptives?

[Sergarr]

Almost 300 German soldiers investigated over Nazi salutes and attacks on asylum seekers

this is why we wanted the Germans to disarm

[martinuzz]

Heh, crazy as it sounds, with that Italian law, it would be a feminist thing to do, to argue that men should earn more than women, to prevent discrimination on the career market (it actually already is, and not just in Italy, if you consider pregnancy leave).