I see that the small fact that Swedish government can't legally give him any guarantee of safe passage since that is decided by the courts and not the government isn't bothering you. Actually, giving such an guarantee would be illegal in Sweden since government can't legally interfere with a court case.
You have no knowledge of the Swedish legal system. He is wanted for questioning and after that he will be charged and detained. Thus it cannot be done anywhere else than in Sweden.
Also, I know of no other case where a Swedish prosecutor have made an official questioning in another country - they might go there and question witnesses but I have never heard of what you are suggesting - please back this up with facts. Which cases are you referring to?
Last - why should Assange be treated any different than any other that is wanted for questioning by the Swedish prosecutor?
I think the answer to this lies in what your definition of spying is. I can assure you that a country of Norways size and wealth spies on both USA and Russia. Of course, they are more interested in Russia since they share a border with them and they are allied in NATO with USA but you can be sure that they spies on both.
I don't count your production of 123 TWh of 2010 as "insane". Sweden produced 143 TWh the same year. And as you know, our two electric grids are joined and the power is sold on a common market.
I thought you were an democracy. So it isn't the federal government who is to blame - it is you the people that continue to vote in people who either doesn't lower spending or raises taxes to balance the budget. Blaming it on the federal government is plainly wrong - you Americans simply wants to eat the cookie and keep it. Balancing a budget is easy - either you cut spendings or your raises taxes. Your politicians does neither and you keep voting on them so you should all take the blame.
In that case you have to redefine the conservative party (Moderaterna) as a liberal party since the liberal parties Folkpartiet and Centern is rapidly dying. Centern has only 2-3% off the votes in the polls and probably wont make it into the parliament in the next election. Folkpartiet only has around 5-6% off the votes.
So even if the big ideological gap is between liberals and social democrats then this is rapidly becoming irrelevant since the liberal is becoming irrelevant.
You should understand that the Swedish conservative party stands to the left off your democratic party in many key issues. So in comparison all American parties are right wing and all Swedish are left wing. Also, the difference between the conservative and the social democratic party is very small in Sweden - this wasn't always the case but both parties have moved towards the political center.
"Mankind" doesn't only encompass the United States of America. I am quite sure that the Chinese don't give a rats ass of the lifetime of Bolden so it might be that US won't be going back to the moon but that doesn't say that mankind wont. My guess is that China will do it within my lifetime if they progress on the current course.
This is only true of central Europe. The Scandinavian countries (with the exception of Denmark) and big parts of Eastern Europe (especially Russia) has low population density. Yet all of these countries have good train systems...
The Sahara idea is a no starter for several reasons. First, it doesn't solve the problem of electric during the night time - there is no good way to store massive amount of electric power.
Second, you have the political issue. Do you believe that we in Europe want to have all our electricy generated in an area that is controlled by people generally hostile to us? Do you think this is a good idea? Have you considered how dependent on the goodwill off the North African countries Europe would be with this solution? And even if we would make a deal with the leaders, would the people accept it? Would they shutdown our power as soon as someone post an offensive movie on Youtube?
The only way the energy supply could be guaranteed would be by some kind of EU military control of the region. My suggestion is that people that suggest this "power from Sahara" idea should be forced to serve in this army. Preferably foot patrolling the kilometer and kilometer of sensitive super conducting power lines that would be needed to be built. Since these super conducting power lines would be super expensive we would only have the money to build a few off them - so a terrorist attack on one of them would probably leave all of Europe in the dark for the weeks or months that it would take to repair them. The terrorists would be happy to get such an easy target with such huge impact.
I don't understand which parts of Europe you refer to because in most Nordic countries the plastic bag is the most common used bag. Second is the paper bag. Reusable bags is very uncommon. So apparently there isn't a norm everywhere in Europe.
Please let me assure you that almost everyone notice that you glance on your watch to.... Also, I don't see this social problem with checking our mobile - that is common where I work. And we have an high median age on our workforce.
If I ever end up in a war I will take you up on this advice and start to wear a wristwatch. However, in the meantime I will do fine with the mobile phone. There isn't a lack of clocks around you today. You have one on your computer desktop. Every meeting room that we have has an clock. So I simply don't need to even take out my mobile.
But vikings wasn't particular violent. Most vikings was traders and farmers. Apparently we also grew out of that violent "national character". The previous viking nations of Denmark, Iceland, Norway and Sweden is probably some of the most peaceful countries on earth and doesn't pose a threat to anyone any more.
Most people don't have access to the equipment needed to make these thing and they don't have the knowledge to do it. Any idiot can buy a gun - that is the difference.
A populace who wants to revolt make that no matter what. They will get the needed weapons to revolt - they don't need them before. You simply need to look at all the revolutions that have been happening lately.
Please. In some way, if the people want to revolt against their government they WILL get hold of real military grade weapon no matter what. You don't need to keep them constantly armed. I haven't seen any problems for the revolutions in Libya or Syria to arm them self.
If you are afraid of your own government, be sure to keep your police force small and don't allow them to have paid soldiers - force them to use conscripts instead. The only way an government can enforce control is through the military and the police so by don't having a big police force and no professional soldiers you reduce their power more than arming yourself.
This is a frequent misunderstanding of the European approach to weapons from your American understanding. You are simply indoctrinated by the gun lobby that Europe is wrong. There is NO shortage of weapons here in Europe. That is a blatant lie that your gun lobby tells you. However, what we don't have here is weapons aimed primarily at killing humans - like pistols and automatic weapons. You can own guns for hunting. Owning a rifle for hunting is common. You can also own a pistol for shooting in competition but you have to be a registered sportsman - you have to join a gun club and actually compete. You can even actually have a fully automatic assault rifle at home - but you have to join the voluntary armed forces. This system works and take out the crackpots. Selling pistol to anyone who wishes to have one doesn't.
Oh, please. If you live in Europe you will know that this is hogwash. The so called German nuclear shutdown is really an outsourcing to French nuclear, Austrian hydroelectric and leaching on Norway and Swedish hydroelectric and nuclear supported by an enormous coal increase in Germany. There is NOTHING green about it and it couldn't have been done if there hadn't been the possibility to leach on Germanys neighbors energy production. Buying bulk nuclear energy from France is still nuclear energy.
I am sorry to report this but the Pirate Party did a terrible election to parliament last time. Most things point to that they will loose and not repeat the success in the EU election either - the ordinary parties have learned and now never has any copyright or Internet controversial laws passed during election times.
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I see that the small fact that Swedish government can't legally give him any guarantee of safe passage since that is decided by the courts and not the government isn't bothering you. Actually, giving such an guarantee would be illegal in Sweden since government can't legally interfere with a court case.
You have no knowledge of the Swedish legal system.
He is wanted for questioning and after that he will be charged and detained. Thus it cannot be done anywhere else than in Sweden.
Also, I know of no other case where a Swedish prosecutor have made an official questioning in another country - they might go there and question witnesses but I have never heard of what you are suggesting - please back this up with facts. Which cases are you referring to?
Last - why should Assange be treated any different than any other that is wanted for questioning by the Swedish prosecutor?
I think the answer to this lies in what your definition of spying is. I can assure you that a country of Norways size and wealth spies on both USA and Russia. Of course, they are more interested in Russia since they share a border with them and they are allied in NATO with USA but you can be sure that they spies on both.
I don't count your production of 123 TWh of 2010 as "insane". Sweden produced 143 TWh the same year.
And as you know, our two electric grids are joined and the power is sold on a common market.
As you say, FRA (Swedish NSA) is best buddies with NSA. I assume that everything FRA knows is immediately shared with NSA.
Do you count holidays also?
I work in goverment, is 35 and have 25 days
How do you have 7 weeks? The norm is five weeks and employees in the public sector gets a week extra (totally six weeks) after they gets 40 years old.
I thought you were an democracy. So it isn't the federal government who is to blame - it is you the people that continue to vote in people who either doesn't lower spending or raises taxes to balance the budget.
Blaming it on the federal government is plainly wrong - you Americans simply wants to eat the cookie and keep it. Balancing a budget is easy - either you cut spendings or your raises taxes. Your politicians does neither and you keep voting on them so you should all take the blame.
In that case you have to redefine the conservative party (Moderaterna) as a liberal party since the liberal parties Folkpartiet and Centern is rapidly dying. Centern has only 2-3% off the votes in the polls and probably wont make it into the parliament in the next election. Folkpartiet only has around 5-6% off the votes.
So even if the big ideological gap is between liberals and social democrats then this is rapidly becoming irrelevant since the liberal is becoming irrelevant.
You should understand that the Swedish conservative party stands to the left off your democratic party in many key issues. So in comparison all American parties are right wing and all Swedish are left wing.
Also, the difference between the conservative and the social democratic party is very small in Sweden - this wasn't always the case but both parties have moved towards the political center.
"Mankind" doesn't only encompass the United States of America. I am quite sure that the Chinese don't give a rats ass of the lifetime of Bolden so it might be that US won't be going back to the moon but that doesn't say that mankind wont. My guess is that China will do it within my lifetime if they progress on the current course.
This is only true of central Europe. The Scandinavian countries (with the exception of Denmark) and big parts of Eastern Europe (especially Russia) has low population density. Yet all of these countries have good train systems...
The Sahara idea is a no starter for several reasons.
First, it doesn't solve the problem of electric during the night time - there is no good way to store massive amount of electric power.
Second, you have the political issue. Do you believe that we in Europe want to have all our electricy generated in an area that is controlled by people generally hostile to us? Do you think this is a good idea? Have you considered how dependent on the goodwill off the North African countries Europe would be with this solution? And even if we would make a deal with the leaders, would the people accept it? Would they shutdown our power as soon as someone post an offensive movie on Youtube?
The only way the energy supply could be guaranteed would be by some kind of EU military control of the region. My suggestion is that people that suggest this "power from Sahara" idea should be forced to serve in this army. Preferably foot patrolling the kilometer and kilometer of sensitive super conducting power lines that would be needed to be built. Since these super conducting power lines would be super expensive we would only have the money to build a few off them - so a terrorist attack on one of them would probably leave all of Europe in the dark for the weeks or months that it would take to repair them. The terrorists would be happy to get such an easy target with such huge impact.
I don't understand which parts of Europe you refer to because in most Nordic countries the plastic bag is the most common used bag. Second is the paper bag. Reusable bags is very uncommon. So apparently there isn't a norm everywhere in Europe.
Please let me assure you that almost everyone notice that you glance on your watch to....
Also, I don't see this social problem with checking our mobile - that is common where I work. And we have an high median age on our workforce.
If I ever end up in a war I will take you up on this advice and start to wear a wristwatch. However, in the meantime I will do fine with the mobile phone. There isn't a lack of clocks around you today. You have one on your computer desktop. Every meeting room that we have has an clock. So I simply don't need to even take out my mobile.
But vikings wasn't particular violent. Most vikings was traders and farmers.
Apparently we also grew out of that violent "national character". The previous viking nations of Denmark, Iceland, Norway and Sweden is probably some of the most peaceful countries on earth and doesn't pose a threat to anyone any more.
Most people don't have access to the equipment needed to make these thing and they don't have the knowledge to do it.
Any idiot can buy a gun - that is the difference.
A populace who wants to revolt make that no matter what. They will get the needed weapons to revolt - they don't need them before. You simply need to look at all the revolutions that have been happening lately.
Please.
In some way, if the people want to revolt against their government they WILL get hold of real military grade weapon no matter what. You don't need to keep them constantly armed. I haven't seen any problems for the revolutions in Libya or Syria to arm them self.
If you are afraid of your own government, be sure to keep your police force small and don't allow them to have paid soldiers - force them to use conscripts instead. The only way an government can enforce control is through the military and the police so by don't having a big police force and no professional soldiers you reduce their power more than arming yourself.
This is a frequent misunderstanding of the European approach to weapons from your American understanding. You are simply indoctrinated by the gun lobby that Europe is wrong. There is NO shortage of weapons here in Europe. That is a blatant lie that your gun lobby tells you.
However, what we don't have here is weapons aimed primarily at killing humans - like pistols and automatic weapons. You can own guns for hunting. Owning a rifle for hunting is common. You can also own a pistol for shooting in competition but you have to be a registered sportsman - you have to join a gun club and actually compete.
You can even actually have a fully automatic assault rifle at home - but you have to join the voluntary armed forces.
This system works and take out the crackpots. Selling pistol to anyone who wishes to have one doesn't.
Oh, please. If you live in Europe you will know that this is hogwash. The so called German nuclear shutdown is really an outsourcing to French nuclear, Austrian hydroelectric and leaching on Norway and Swedish hydroelectric and nuclear supported by an enormous coal increase in Germany.
There is NOTHING green about it and it couldn't have been done if there hadn't been the possibility to leach on Germanys neighbors energy production.
Buying bulk nuclear energy from France is still nuclear energy.
They can file how much they want to - only a handful of countries are stupid enough to approve software patents.
What an US centric view to call Tintin "second-tier" - in Europe he is certainly a first-tier.
I am sorry to report this but the Pirate Party did a terrible election to parliament last time. Most things point to that they will loose and not repeat the success in the EU election either - the ordinary parties have learned and now never has any copyright or Internet controversial laws passed during election times.