![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
luvdovz.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
talkpoliticsDo you watch or play tennis? I adore tennis. For example I'm a great fan of Caroline Wozniacki. And so is the whole of our southern neighbor Denmark. Well, except she's Polish. No problem, she's still the darling of the Danish tennis fans. This starkly contrasts with the stereotype which many East Europeans experience in the Scandinavian countries. Last week the Danish finance minister Claus Frederiksen announced that, because of the recently increased transborder crime in the country, Denmark was going to restore the border control around the crossings, placing the cabins back with cops in them so they could control the traffic and make random checks on passing vehicles. One of the main motives for this decision was the public myth that gangs of East European "dark subjects" were roaming and pillaging the cute Danish countryside.
I've hopped over to Denmark three times within the last couple of months, the second time I stayed for more than a week, and in the countryside by the way. I've spoken with various friends there and other people. Turns out the myth is exactly that - a myth. So what the hell is going on there?
This myth is surely not supported by stats either. According to the Jyllands Posten newspaper, within the 16 months since August 2009 just one out of 50 convicted thieves has been from East Europe; 44 of them were young Danes with a long criminal record. The image of hordes of organized criminals invading from East Europe, coming to Denmark to rob and rape, is mostly present in the media, and has been blown so much out of proportion that it creates the impression that the problem is much more enormous than the facts are showing.
It seems that, much like in Italy which turned the whole EU upside down because of 20 thousand Tunisians, Denmark is challenging Schengen for no reason. Of course, in order to avoid breaching the Schengen treaty the border checks will be made "randomly". For most local (Danish-looking) people that would be just a friendly nod. The border cops claim to have a "good nose for what's suspicious", as the leader of the Danish People's Party (DF), Pia Kjærsgaard says (her party is pushing for the new security measures). Further, it became evident that the government will hire new customs service staff and will install scanners which could detect drugs and hidden passengers in the crossing vehicles.
There's something rotten in Denmark, isn't there? This country which has been pointed at as the paragon of tolerance and sensible policy is becoming like France now. Sarkozy's France, at that. But of course the reasons for all that are much deeper - part of them are related to the future, part to the past, and a third part to the present. The decision is part of a package of agreements between the Danish ruling coalition consisting of the Liberal Party, the Conservative Party and DF. Meanwhile, the real concern should be focused on the future of the Danish pension system.
Let's talk about the seniors. Just like the US baby-boomers, the Danes have a "big generation" which they call "68". The 68 generation were born in the 40s and the beginning of the 50s, and their nickname comes from the fact that they were the youth of the 60s. People from that generation are a formidable working force which has been able to support the generous social gains which are at the basis of the modern Danish society. Some of those gains which Denmark is rightfully proud of, are outright extravagant even to the Scandinavian standards. The Danish high school students get a monthly stipend of about 700 Euro for a period of 5 years, plus another year in case they haven't passed all their exams. The unemployed Danish citizens get social aid amounting to 1000, sometimes 2000 Euro per month!
Because Denmark is not immune to the main European disease, low birth rate and fast ageing of the population, their only option now is a gradual shrinking of these generous budgets. The government came out with the so called plan Danmark-2020, which should spare 47 billion Danish kroner until 2020. The retirement age should be raised from 65 to 67 and the many opportunities for early retirement drastically limited.
Because their government is now a minority in Parliament, plan Danmark-2020 couldn't have started without the support of the DF. And, as any self-respecting right-wing and anti-immigration formation, they demanded a favor in return - namely, the government's support for some visible measures for limiting the influx of people from abroad - which is the reason for the reappearance of the control cabins along the border. So, before the upcoming elections later this year, DF is earning points in front of their electorate. And the immigrants became the most convenient pawn in this game.
Pia Kjærsgaard's main target group are the low-qualified professions and people from the rural regions. These are the two segments which are the most affected by the export of production abroad. And currently the biggest competition within EU comes exactly from East Europe. The Danish construction workers and engineers are often displaced by their Polish counterparts who are ready to work for much less money. Let's add the financial crisis which has resurrected the nostalgia for the "good old times" and you'll see why, even without knowing anything about the people of Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Bulgaria, many Danes are seeing them as a threat. This sometimes reaches comical proportions. A few months ago in the DF bulletin an elderly Danish lady was recalling the times when they used to serve free coffee and cookies at the doctor's cabinet. Now, with great regret she finds that this is no longer the case - the hungry foreigners are just eating too many cookies and the doctors were forced to abandon the free dessert! Can you imagine the injustice?
Of course it's hard to say if such sentiments are representative for the entire Danish nation. Consider this: after the publication of that bulletin, the DF headquarters was literally buried under mountains of cookies sent by furious Danish citizens who didn't want to be equated to racists, or be called heartless sociopaths who didn't care about anybody else but themselves. A friend from Copenhagen told me that she didn't like the government's decision because the lack of borders "shrinks Europe and draws it closer together", which is a good thing. Another friend of mine, also from Copenhagen, who's of Turkish origin, is now seriously concerned that she and her relatives could be regularly singled out during border crossing, which has been something unthinkable until now. The government claims there will be no tendentious attitude on the border, but we all know what "suspicious-looking" means in this particular context, don't we?
But all this still cannot conceal the fact that "foreigner" has now become a dirty word in Denmark, just like in most other Western countries where people have become rather nervous because of the financial crisis.
If you've been unfortunate to fall into the "foreigner" category, it usually means that you're not accepted as an integral part of society. Even people who are born in Denmark in a family of immigrants (just like my new tennis idol Caroline Wozniacki, who however is famous so she probably doesn't count), or if you're the child of someone who came in at age 10-12 , you're still considered "foreigner". And this isn't a geographical term, it's a type of mentality. This word demarcates what's called the "Danish values and way of life" from the rest. If you're willing to accept them (and you don't look too different, i.e. dark eyes, brown skin, etc), then you have a good chance to live a normal life, surrounded by friendly Danes. But if you fail to be included in that category, the suburbs of the Danish society await you. Miss Wozniacki may be the most famous Danish tennis player, but if she wasn't such, she'd probably be bearing the label "Pole" all her life, because her parents are from Poland.
Actually East Europe is just one of the "dangers" imagined by the Danes, lurking behind every corner of the broad bright world. Denmark rejected the Maastricht Agreement which has been adopted throughout most of Europe (with some special exceptions), and it refused to give up its Krone for the Euro - fair enough on the latter. The Danes are most afraid of immigrants from Africa and the Middle East (although, again, there are exceptions: Denmark's greatest athlete in recent times Wilson Kipketer the long-distance runner is Kenyan). The much coveted "Danish traditions" are often in direct clash with the predominantly liberal Danish mentality of today, especially on issues like religion, gender, work ethic. A World Economic Forum research shows that 79% of the polled Danes are seeing the Muslim world as a threat, especially after the incident with the Muhammad cartoons. Apart from the border control, the immigrants are welcomed with a test to establish their "Danishness", which is a requirement for getting citizenship. They have to learn by heart some details about the Danish history and culture, which I'm sure even most Danes would fail to get right if they were tested (but they'd of course never undergo the test, simply for being lucky to be born at this side of the border). The government also checks a newcomer's knowledge in the Danish language, which is fine. However if you don't know who was the first king of Dernmark, chances are that you're not worthy to bear the proud name "Dane". And these are tendencies that will hardly go away any time soon.
Of course, this is Denmark after all, and there are no pillaging foreign gangs around, as there aren't any rioting crowds ready to torch immigrants either. The self-perception of being a tolerant people is deeply rooted there, as it is anywhere in the Scandinavian "bloc". But behind that facade, there's the real and everyday concern of the ordinary people about what's going on around them. As they see their comfort and social advantages starting to slip away, they'll seek for ways to preserve it. That's an expected reaction. And the first and easiest action would be to try to stop sharing it with others, the newcomers. The border control will not help at all, of course. But it's the emerging lighthouse signaling of an increasingly worried Europe. And unfortunately I'm seeing jagged rocks beneath it.
I've hopped over to Denmark three times within the last couple of months, the second time I stayed for more than a week, and in the countryside by the way. I've spoken with various friends there and other people. Turns out the myth is exactly that - a myth. So what the hell is going on there?
This myth is surely not supported by stats either. According to the Jyllands Posten newspaper, within the 16 months since August 2009 just one out of 50 convicted thieves has been from East Europe; 44 of them were young Danes with a long criminal record. The image of hordes of organized criminals invading from East Europe, coming to Denmark to rob and rape, is mostly present in the media, and has been blown so much out of proportion that it creates the impression that the problem is much more enormous than the facts are showing.
It seems that, much like in Italy which turned the whole EU upside down because of 20 thousand Tunisians, Denmark is challenging Schengen for no reason. Of course, in order to avoid breaching the Schengen treaty the border checks will be made "randomly". For most local (Danish-looking) people that would be just a friendly nod. The border cops claim to have a "good nose for what's suspicious", as the leader of the Danish People's Party (DF), Pia Kjærsgaard says (her party is pushing for the new security measures). Further, it became evident that the government will hire new customs service staff and will install scanners which could detect drugs and hidden passengers in the crossing vehicles.
There's something rotten in Denmark, isn't there? This country which has been pointed at as the paragon of tolerance and sensible policy is becoming like France now. Sarkozy's France, at that. But of course the reasons for all that are much deeper - part of them are related to the future, part to the past, and a third part to the present. The decision is part of a package of agreements between the Danish ruling coalition consisting of the Liberal Party, the Conservative Party and DF. Meanwhile, the real concern should be focused on the future of the Danish pension system.
Let's talk about the seniors. Just like the US baby-boomers, the Danes have a "big generation" which they call "68". The 68 generation were born in the 40s and the beginning of the 50s, and their nickname comes from the fact that they were the youth of the 60s. People from that generation are a formidable working force which has been able to support the generous social gains which are at the basis of the modern Danish society. Some of those gains which Denmark is rightfully proud of, are outright extravagant even to the Scandinavian standards. The Danish high school students get a monthly stipend of about 700 Euro for a period of 5 years, plus another year in case they haven't passed all their exams. The unemployed Danish citizens get social aid amounting to 1000, sometimes 2000 Euro per month!
Because Denmark is not immune to the main European disease, low birth rate and fast ageing of the population, their only option now is a gradual shrinking of these generous budgets. The government came out with the so called plan Danmark-2020, which should spare 47 billion Danish kroner until 2020. The retirement age should be raised from 65 to 67 and the many opportunities for early retirement drastically limited.
Because their government is now a minority in Parliament, plan Danmark-2020 couldn't have started without the support of the DF. And, as any self-respecting right-wing and anti-immigration formation, they demanded a favor in return - namely, the government's support for some visible measures for limiting the influx of people from abroad - which is the reason for the reappearance of the control cabins along the border. So, before the upcoming elections later this year, DF is earning points in front of their electorate. And the immigrants became the most convenient pawn in this game.
Pia Kjærsgaard's main target group are the low-qualified professions and people from the rural regions. These are the two segments which are the most affected by the export of production abroad. And currently the biggest competition within EU comes exactly from East Europe. The Danish construction workers and engineers are often displaced by their Polish counterparts who are ready to work for much less money. Let's add the financial crisis which has resurrected the nostalgia for the "good old times" and you'll see why, even without knowing anything about the people of Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Bulgaria, many Danes are seeing them as a threat. This sometimes reaches comical proportions. A few months ago in the DF bulletin an elderly Danish lady was recalling the times when they used to serve free coffee and cookies at the doctor's cabinet. Now, with great regret she finds that this is no longer the case - the hungry foreigners are just eating too many cookies and the doctors were forced to abandon the free dessert! Can you imagine the injustice?
Of course it's hard to say if such sentiments are representative for the entire Danish nation. Consider this: after the publication of that bulletin, the DF headquarters was literally buried under mountains of cookies sent by furious Danish citizens who didn't want to be equated to racists, or be called heartless sociopaths who didn't care about anybody else but themselves. A friend from Copenhagen told me that she didn't like the government's decision because the lack of borders "shrinks Europe and draws it closer together", which is a good thing. Another friend of mine, also from Copenhagen, who's of Turkish origin, is now seriously concerned that she and her relatives could be regularly singled out during border crossing, which has been something unthinkable until now. The government claims there will be no tendentious attitude on the border, but we all know what "suspicious-looking" means in this particular context, don't we?
But all this still cannot conceal the fact that "foreigner" has now become a dirty word in Denmark, just like in most other Western countries where people have become rather nervous because of the financial crisis.
If you've been unfortunate to fall into the "foreigner" category, it usually means that you're not accepted as an integral part of society. Even people who are born in Denmark in a family of immigrants (just like my new tennis idol Caroline Wozniacki, who however is famous so she probably doesn't count), or if you're the child of someone who came in at age 10-12 , you're still considered "foreigner". And this isn't a geographical term, it's a type of mentality. This word demarcates what's called the "Danish values and way of life" from the rest. If you're willing to accept them (and you don't look too different, i.e. dark eyes, brown skin, etc), then you have a good chance to live a normal life, surrounded by friendly Danes. But if you fail to be included in that category, the suburbs of the Danish society await you. Miss Wozniacki may be the most famous Danish tennis player, but if she wasn't such, she'd probably be bearing the label "Pole" all her life, because her parents are from Poland.
Actually East Europe is just one of the "dangers" imagined by the Danes, lurking behind every corner of the broad bright world. Denmark rejected the Maastricht Agreement which has been adopted throughout most of Europe (with some special exceptions), and it refused to give up its Krone for the Euro - fair enough on the latter. The Danes are most afraid of immigrants from Africa and the Middle East (although, again, there are exceptions: Denmark's greatest athlete in recent times Wilson Kipketer the long-distance runner is Kenyan). The much coveted "Danish traditions" are often in direct clash with the predominantly liberal Danish mentality of today, especially on issues like religion, gender, work ethic. A World Economic Forum research shows that 79% of the polled Danes are seeing the Muslim world as a threat, especially after the incident with the Muhammad cartoons. Apart from the border control, the immigrants are welcomed with a test to establish their "Danishness", which is a requirement for getting citizenship. They have to learn by heart some details about the Danish history and culture, which I'm sure even most Danes would fail to get right if they were tested (but they'd of course never undergo the test, simply for being lucky to be born at this side of the border). The government also checks a newcomer's knowledge in the Danish language, which is fine. However if you don't know who was the first king of Dernmark, chances are that you're not worthy to bear the proud name "Dane". And these are tendencies that will hardly go away any time soon.
Of course, this is Denmark after all, and there are no pillaging foreign gangs around, as there aren't any rioting crowds ready to torch immigrants either. The self-perception of being a tolerant people is deeply rooted there, as it is anywhere in the Scandinavian "bloc". But behind that facade, there's the real and everyday concern of the ordinary people about what's going on around them. As they see their comfort and social advantages starting to slip away, they'll seek for ways to preserve it. That's an expected reaction. And the first and easiest action would be to try to stop sharing it with others, the newcomers. The border control will not help at all, of course. But it's the emerging lighthouse signaling of an increasingly worried Europe. And unfortunately I'm seeing jagged rocks beneath it.
(no subject)
Date: 30/5/11 19:38 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 30/5/11 19:46 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 30/5/11 20:10 (UTC)Perhaps it is a "manufactured" problem now, and perhaps (probably) I don't understand it correctly. However, I view it from the perspective of what happens when a benefit (cheap labor) becomes a liability (an excess of poor who take more out of the system than the system can stand).
So should reread your post which was tl;bra (but read anyway) and try to concentrate better ;) to see if in fact we are discussing past each other?
(no subject)
Date: 30/5/11 20:16 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 30/5/11 20:24 (UTC)I will reread shortly.
(no subject)
Date: 31/5/11 03:35 (UTC)The bottom line (as I see it) is that you think Schengen is a good thing and I don't.
I do think it's bad/wrong when people are not allowed to assimilate into a country they chose to immigrate to, so please don't think I'm all horrible :D
(no subject)
Date: 31/5/11 15:04 (UTC)Whether I believe that or not is irrelevant - the ting is they have no other choice at this point.
Not really (not necessarily in its present form).
I'd appreciate if people read things I say 1:1 instead of trying to prescribe me thoughts and beliefs.
(no subject)
Date: 1/6/11 00:50 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 30/5/11 20:07 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 30/5/11 20:09 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 30/5/11 20:36 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 30/5/11 20:10 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 30/5/11 21:41 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 30/5/11 20:30 (UTC)Around here, there's a lot of stolen cars. Few convictions... but all the cars turn up in a certain area.
(no subject)
Date: 30/5/11 20:52 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 30/5/11 21:21 (UTC)I think the proper statement would be that it doesn't prove it to be a fact.
(no subject)
Date: 30/5/11 21:33 (UTC)In America, when the economy tanks people increasingly concern themselves with jobs, etc. This leads to increased concern about America's borders in terms of preventing illegals from Mexico and Cuba from crossing over.
To harness the sentiment and perhaps translate it into votes, politicians sometimes fabricate stories. example: Jan Brewer fabricated stories of beheadings in Arizona at the hands of illegals (http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20010187-503544.html).
What she's describing may be a similar effect in another country.
(no subject)
Date: 30/5/11 23:00 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 31/5/11 16:34 (UTC)[Citation need]
Likewise is that on "per capita" basis and how does it break down by socio-economic status or location?
(no subject)
Date: 30/5/11 20:52 (UTC)The Danish high school students get a monthly stipend of about 700 Euro for a period of 5 years, plus another year in case they haven't passed all their exams. The unemployed Danish citizens get social aid amounting to 1000, sometimes 2000 Euro per month!
Much more than we receive in capitalist America!
(no subject)
Date: 30/5/11 21:05 (UTC)stød is a very difficult sound for most English speakers to master ;)
(no subject)
Date: 30/5/11 21:12 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 30/5/11 21:16 (UTC)lol what an image...having had mashed potatoes in my mouth so friggin hot, they'd melt lead, that's a powerful image ;)
(no subject)
Date: 30/5/11 21:45 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 30/5/11 21:38 (UTC)Interestingly, the Jyllands Posten was at the end of my street in Aarhus; we got evacuated when the Mohammadbomb cartoons came out :P
(no subject)
Date: 30/5/11 21:48 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 30/5/11 22:56 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 31/5/11 03:42 (UTC)I doing this without my glasses on, and was thinking I'd better look closer, before I read this reply.
(no subject)
Date: 31/5/11 01:29 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 31/5/11 15:01 (UTC)Yes, that's why I never made such a point.
Yes, that's why I said fair enough.
Stating a fact =/= disagreeing with said fact. Perhaps you and geezer_also have been trying too hard to read something in my post that wasn't there in the first place.
(no subject)
Date: 1/6/11 02:42 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 31/5/11 01:40 (UTC)Oh dear god NOOOOOOO!! Not Denmark! D-:
(no subject)
Date: 31/5/11 01:56 (UTC)It is alarming to see Denmark so high on that graph.