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war

A potpourri. A delicious little dandelion seed

ŽIŽEK: Mad World is basically 'Pandemic-3: The Aftermath'. Slavoj Žižek wrote many chronicles, commentaries and film reviews during the covid-19 pandemic. This is his third collection of texts.

What changed Sweden's attitude towards NATO?

ESSAY: Russia's war and the scare campaign that it will be extended to other countries turns out to be just a cover for a policy that, in the long term, intends to tie Sweden more strongly to the US's military geostrategy – primarily through NATO. We take a closer look at one of the people primarily responsible for this development – ​​Defense Minister Pål Jonson.

Death – more or less real

THE REALITY: We perceive reality very differently. Let me therefore suggest three areas where reality is real, strong and direct for all of us. But also what a new translated book by Pier Paolo Pasolini says about the film's contact with reality.

The war

FRED: Linn Stalsberg identifies in his new book that accepting war as a human normal state is one of the great danger signals today. We have become accustomed to the idea that war is a necessity, and that war can be morally required on top of that. At the same time, religion is often used cynically as a tool to promote a warlike development – ​​this extends from Pope Urban to Putin and Netanyahu to Hamas.

We need a propaganda filter

RUSSOPHOBIA: The reason for ORIENTERING this time is propaganda and Russophobia

A future without armies

PEACE WORK: There is something vaguely medieval in the narrative of the media, politicians and gun fetishists today. That is why it is refreshing to read the chapter "NATO – out of date" in the book Fredskultur. Or how about Costa Rica: "We have no enemies and we don't need an army!"

A strategy for peace

KENNEDY: He said in his speech in 1963: "Where ignorance too often abounds and truth too seldom prevails, the most important subject we have is: world peace." Was it possible, as he said, "to create conditions so that weapons can finally be abolished"? According to Kennedy, the struggle for disarmament had been a matter for US governments since the 1920s. This has not been the case for very many of his successors.

Ukraine must own its own development

RECONSTRUCTION: What are the prerequisites for rebuilding better in a way that strengthens Ukraine's ownership of its own development? Is democracy both the means and the end? What can the international community contribute? We have asked six players.

Why do we need a peace party in Norway?

FOR: The left-wing parties have put aside international work, the press is a microphone stand for NATO, the peace movement has become toothless – and Norwegians are a nation of cold warriors. Therefore a new party is needed!

Sexualized violence – the war in Ukraine

RAPE: Russian soldiers today systematically use sexualized violence. And these abuses are not just due to 'bad discipline' or abuse of power. Commanders can also use sexualized violence as a kind of reward for their soldiers. Internationally, Russian officials categorically deny that soldiers have committed sexual crimes

A willful war

LIBYA: The book Strictly confidential refers to a gloomy experience for Norwegian diplomacy in Libya. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton decided to go to war against the country – against Defense Secretary Robert Gates' wishes. Clinton must have played a brutal double game against the Norwegians. The threat against the people of Benghazi was pure propaganda.

New European security architecture

UKRAINE/RUSSIA: The authors of this book believe that the European countries should loosen their ties with the United States in order to achieve constructive results in what can be considered a European security problem. Two parties can only achieve security together with the other party – not at the expense of it.

The cartoonists and the war

SATIRE: MODERN TIMES has spoken to seven Ukrainian and one Russian cartoonist, all associated with the Libex network, about how they view their work in relation to the war in Ukraine.

New decades of cold war

UKRAINE: Putin totally miscalculated. And what will be the verdict of history on President Zelenskyj?

More weapons will prolong the war

UKRAINE: There are many indications that the war in Ukraine has been provoked and desired by the USA and NATO. The mass media have turned into effective ideological institutions that perform a system-supporting propaganda function.

A mirror image of the Cuba crisis 

WEAPON SUPPORT: If the West gives more weapons to Ukraine, it only means that Russia's will continue to escalate the war. The consequence of the arms support is clear: It will not lead to Ukrainian victory, but to the destruction of Ukraine with hundreds of thousands of young Russians and Ukrainians killed.