Things get cold when a foreigner walks in to /r/Finland (np.reddit.com)
SubredditDrama
68 ups - 0 downs = 68 votes
104 comments submitted at 15:49:31 on Nov 26, 2014 by bhopscript
Things get cold when a foreigner walks in to /r/Finland (np.reddit.com)
SubredditDrama
68 ups - 0 downs = 68 votes
104 comments submitted at 15:49:31 on Nov 26, 2014 by bhopscript
Okay, as the OP of that thread, what did I say that was so bad? Do you honestly think that racism in Finland ISN'T a huge issue? Again, I'm hardy pro-American, but I can recognize that we treat ethnic minorities much better than in Finland.
I can only talk anecdotally from when I dated a Finnish girl for a few years, visited (mostly Helsinki) more than a dozen times for up to 6 weeks, and even went on group holidays with my friends (one of whom is black) with no issue other than stares because he such a huge minority.
I'd heard that some people really disliked the Somalian and gypsy community for xyz reasons, and patriotism was pretty big. Sounded the same as England to me except rarer because minorities are rarer.
Of course they're not going to be experienced with race issues being so very vastly white, but I don't think it's a huge issue.
For starters Finland isn't even a Scandinavian country and the fact that you said this > I just can't fathom even visiting a country which treat its non-white population like dirt.
Is not exactly the best way to get your point across... You just came across as ignorant, condescending and a bit rude. And if you honestly think that racism is worse in Finland than it is in America then your deluded.
Racism is worse in Finland than it is in America. I can't even fathom how someone could think Finland is less racist than America. Tell me how it is to be Asian, Black, or Arab in Finland. It's not pretty.
I think people are wanting you to source these remarks one way or another since you admittedly haven't visited Finland and allude to "hearing stories".
http://www.zuzeeko.com/2013/06/finland-discrimination-accounts-for.html
http://www.zuzeeko.com/2011/10/ugly-face-of-racism-at-bus-stop-in.html
There are some examples of Finnish racism.
Edit: God fucking dammit. I provide examples of racism in Finland and I get DOWNVOTED?!?!
While these sources are not the best sources out there, they're sources nevertheless. You have done what was asked of you.
I'd like to address, though, that you have evidence of two things, essentially: immigrants from poor countries have a hard time finding work, and random hoodlums like to write politically incorrect shit on bus stops.
That's hardly hardcore racism. The employment can be largely explained with lacking education. Not always, but often. And hoodlums drawing graffiti on bus stops, come on now: where does that not happen. There are always morons out there.
Now, I'm not saying racism doesn't exist in Finland - that's just not true - but from what I have observed here, and what I have heard of America, it can't possibly be worse here than there: I'm not seeing black people getting shot by cops because they are black. I don't see gangs of whites vs. blacks fighting in the streets. I don't see underrepresentation of ethnic people in the Finnish Parliament. I don't see black people being refused of service for their skin color. America can hardly say the same. At least not in every state.
I'm not jumping into this to argue for one side or the other, just trying to clarify why you're getting the responses to these assertions that you seem frustrated with.
You did deliver sources, so good on you. While the blog author you cited seems like a good dude who names his own sources, even he makes a point to qualify his statements with In my opinion and In my view when providing evidence of Finnish racism. You failed not only to provide any evidence in any of your posts up until now (and even so in the form of a personal blog), but spoke almost exclusively in absolute statements!
It's problematic to say "I can't even fathom how someone could think Finland is less racist than America" as if it's common knowledge taught in gradeschool. That might explain some of the downvotes.
> It's problematic to say "I can't even fathom how someone could think Finland is less racist than America" as if it's common knowledge taught in gradeschool.
Where I live, there's a Somalian community nearby. They've integrated greatly so far with very little problems. Could you even NAME a city in Finland where Somalians, Iraqis, Iranians, or Albanians have integrated well into Finnish society? See, that's what I mean. America has plenty of cities with minorities from all around the world who add so much to the culture. But in Finland, your society rejects people who are different from the norm. Maybe I'm being hyperbolic, I'll even admit that right now. But, I say it's about time people view the Nordic countries for what they are: very flawed and broken countries.
You are being so hyperbolic that there are literally no words in any language known by man for the level of hyperbole you exhibit.
Wow
What a shitty reply. I guess this is what you get when you bash a Nordic country. If you seriously want to claim Finland is less racist than America, then you need to take a look in the mirror. Finland has a far-right, xenophobic, borderline Neo-Nazi party as its 3rd most popular party(True Finns). Who the hell cares about Finland's welfare benefits when in around 5 years, they're going to be gone because Finns keep voting in stupid right-wing parties.
> borderline Neo-Nazi party
lol
Do go on.
> Finland has a far-right, xenophobic, borderline Neo-Nazi party as its 3rd most popular party(True Finns).
And this is the terrifying Neo-Nazi leader of that party. The modern day Hitler of Finland. The man who will tear down Finland's welfare system despite actually being very much for it as they are not an American style fiscal conservative right wingers but that's an easy mistake to make when you admittedly don't know jack squat about Finland or its politics. They're more of an anti-immigration populist party.
Just as an example in their election program they call for less taxation of families with children, more taxation of companies and demand that there be no further cuts to the care of the elderly nor to the care of children nor to healthcare. But yes they'll destroy welfare in Finland.
Fucking idiots the True Finns may be in many ways but calling them Neo-Nazis is so unbelievably stupid that my stupid meter shot itself to the moon trying to measure you. Maybe you should shut up about things you don't know anything about before you come across as a complete idiot.
saying that all 'Europeans' are secretly racist has a massive currency on the metasubs
Perhaps not but you are being really presumptuous just towards a people as a whole. I'm Swedish and I'll be the first to say that there is racism in our country. Hell, a party with it's roots in neo-nazi and racist movements has only grown in the last eight years. But the racism is there for different reasons than in america. There is more of a "Go back to yours!" since our countries have since they were formed in the 1500s have been extremely homogenous. It's only recently that people have started to immigrate on the historical timeline. Which has lead to a lot of ignorant bigotry and fear of the unknown.
In Finland there is perhaps more than here in Sweden because IIRC their ruling party is much more conservative and averse to immigration than ours. Our policy on imigration is lax to say the least which is why I think the racist party in our government has grown so much.
See, and I thank you for being honest about Sweden's issues. Sweden gets so much praise on Reddit when it reality, it's really not that great. Racism is rising, poverty is increasing, reactionary attitudes are growing, the far-right is gaining huge support, your government is getting more authoritarian, and the social programs Sweden used to be known for are getting gutted. Again, I mean no disrespect. Sweden has its bright spots, but in my opinion, Sweden is slowly becoming the worst country in the Western world.
>Sweden has its bright spots, but in my opinion, Sweden is slowly becoming the worst country in the Western world.
Care to quantify this statement? Last time I checked there weren't armies of Neo-Nazis goose stepping through Stockholm. There are racist elements in Sweden(as is the case in quite a lot of countries), and that's unfortunate, but can you explain to me exactly how it is becoming the worst country in the Western world? That's a pretty ridiculous statement.
>Sweden is slowly becoming the worst country in the Western world.
Do you see shootings every week in Sweden? I don't think so.
Would like to continue to tell us hard mindblowing facts about these countries you have never visited and only know through the internet? Opinions on Estonia, Norway?
Where do you get this info from? Sweden is still a good country and always have been and that's coming from a Dane...
How many times have you visited Finland and where have you been?
I haven't been to Finland. However, I've heard plenty of stories about racism in Finland. I simply refuse to visit a country that has such strong racial issues. The other Scandinavian countries sadly aren't much better.
> I simply refuse to visit a country that has such strong racial issues.
I'm sorry, what?
he means he wants to get out of planet earth.
So you live on the moon then?
>The other Scandinavian countries sadly aren't much better.
Not sure how many times you need to be corrected on this, but Finland isn't Denmark, Sweden or Norway.
Probably best to make your own mind up about a place though, you know, after experiencing it.
E: You'd love to see my newsfeed and the front pages of our tabloids at the moment. Apparently there's a huge race related problem in America right now. Riots and all sorts, you might have missed the coverage. Luckily the majority of us realise that isn't representative of America as a whole.
As somebody who experienced it, Denmark is hella racist. Don't go there. Don't do it, you'll just be cold, poor, and stuck with clueless people.
Been there a couple of times. My girlfriend's Swedish. Guess like anywhere, it depends where you go.
> Denmark is hella racist.
And what do base that on? Two guys in Jutland called you something?
No, I'm Danish and there is a glaring racial problem in Denmark even if people prefer to think of themselves as above it. You can see it public discourse, which is weird at best really, or how somehow DPP continues to snatch close to 1/5 of the total votes.
I wouldn't call Dansk Folkeparti outright racist, xenophobic yes, but not racists.
Also what are you basing your public discourse argument on? Yes, there is a tendency to vote more right-wing in Denmark right now, but that's (in my opinion) because of EU and those high numbers you see DF getting in the votes is probably going to be lower once campaigning for election starts. And again, I wouldn't call voting right wing racist unless the voter voted for DNSB or that party which has almost the same name as Nationalpartiet (I really can't recall their name, they are kinda like UKIP but worse).
It's an obvious tactical decision on DF's part, it's how you become a household name after all. Gotta' say, I really don't think people vote for DF cos they're so nice to animals.
You'd have to wait for something to come up, it's not like TV2 is running a constant campaign to keep Denmark Danish. But one can wonder why there was such a big hullaballoo about building a mosque in Copenhagen. Or Christmas tree-gate from a couple of years ago; should people be forced to celebrate Danish Christmas despite not being Christian? The media discusses. Hanne "Perle" Beck Hansen. Those things. Sometimes it's a subtle backdrop to a story because maybe people forget to think critically about these things.
> I simply refuse to visit a country that has such strong racial issues. The other Scandinavian countries sadly aren't much better.
Does this mean you won't visit Denmark, Sweden and Norway either? If yes, then I couldn't be happier.
Yes I mean just look at Ferguson, everything there is going top fucking notch now isn't it?
Oh wait but I can't base my experience on one example?
There's literally a race riot happening in your country right now.