Posted on 11/21/2009 9:42:14 AM PST by WesternCulture
When I look at the world of today, I am appalled.
Luckily enough, I'm also a Lutheran and know what cure there is.
I'll tell you about it.
My grandfather was rather "well off".
Rich enough to hire people to take care of his summer houses in different parts of the country (Sweden), but instead he chose to work on those estates whenever having a little of time off, not out of a miser's love for money, but because the love of how it feels to be truly independent.
Church attendence in my part of the world isn't something you'd boast about to Americans, I'm well aware of that.
On the other hand, Sweden of today is indeed a country a guy like ML would've appreciated.
We are a sole 9 million and we have some of the most advanced industries and scientific institutes of the world whether we're talking bio-tech, IT or the ability to spew out fighter planes and advanced tanks (and no, we don't overestimate ourselves here up North, it's the Russians who do so - study what happened when Finland was attacked by them in WWII).
Martin Luther was a great, self-made man. My part of the World owe him everything.
Compare the performance of the most Lutheran nations on Earth (Iceland, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark) to that of the least ones.
- Norway has more dollar millionaires than any other nation.
-(Despite Muslim boycotts) Danes enjoy the highest salaries on Earth
- Two of the 20 richest men on this planet are Swedes and the Volvo V70 is the best selling car in my country
Where I live, you go to work but you don't just go to work, you are addicted to work, you strive to overachive youself and your soul belongs to a true TEAM of fellow workers. Yes, it feels good too - and you don't feel the urge to visit a pointless penny arcade or a karaoke bar afterwards like Japanese employees do.
Therefore, our society is prosperous, moral and secure and I drive around in a car like the Volvo V70.
Martin Luther was RIGHT!
Kolokotronis is right. The Swedes only began to become disagreeable to the Nazis in 1943 when it became obvious the allies would crush them if they kept being such willing servants of the Nazis.
You wrote:
“Sweden traded with the Nazis, yes, we also traded with Britain etc.”
You traded with anyone willing to pay in other words. Your nation was like a prostitute. As long as the gold was good...well except for that huge amount of stolen Belgian gold your country had to cough up after the war.
“Would you starve your own nation to death, if, God forbid, you became the leader of it?”
So Sweden would have starved if they weren’t such willing lovers of the Nazis? R-I-G-H-T.
“What you’re really telling me is you discard history books and take pride in posting nonsense on the Internet.”
History says that while others died in the fight against Nazism, the Swedes took advantage of the situation and made money selling vital war materiels. WC, that’s what history books say. Calling the wartime venality of the Swedes nonsense does nothing for your credibility.
“Would you starve your own nation to death, if, God forbid, you became the leader of it?”
Over 1,000,000,000 Greeks died in WWII and the Civil War. How many Swedes?
I thought Norway was rich because of it’s oil.
its not it’s.
“Which Synod?”
- You seem clever enough to turn Lutheran.
Some propaganda aiming right at you:
Name a Catholic country looking like this upon scrutiny:
(Swedish workers assembling indestructable Volvos in the year of 1993)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0CtvtZFW-4
“I thought Norway was rich because of it’s oil.”
- Norway is extremely rich because of North Sea oil.
Without it, they would be like Denmark.
Denmark is one of the richest countries here on Earth, but the standard of living is not especially high in fact.
I love Denmark, but Helsingör (Northernmost suburb of Copenhagen) and Helsingborg (twin city across the “Sund”/”Sound” of Helsingör) are worlds apart.
In Helsingör, the average car is a VW Golf/Rabbit and few own really nice homes, in Helsingborg the norm is at least one Volvo V70 (hate us for it!) and people own wonderful apartments and houses.
But ok, Denmark is richer than Sweden on paper.
Around 35 000 Greeks died in WWII.
Don’t get me wrong. They were patriots and I salute them.
Get this:
Sweden and Finland are unique among small nations in the way they didn’t allow themselves to be scared off by Russia.
Instead, we chose to take Russia on and give it hell.
The only way to go if you ask me..
“So Sweden would have starved if they weren’t such willing lovers of the Nazis? R-I-G-H-T.”
- You’re not fooling anyone around here.
You’re trying to dodge the question.
I put this question to you in my former post;
“Would you starve your own nation to death, if, God forbid, you became the leader of it?”
Now, would you?
You wrote:
“- You’re not fooling anyone around here.”
I’m not trying. That’s why you’re the one coming up with lovely insinuations like Sweden would starve if they didn’t climb into bed with the Nazis.
“You’re trying to dodge the question.”
What question? You’re dodging the fact that Sweden sucked up to the Nazis WILLINGLY.
“I put this question to you in my former post;“Would you starve your own nation to death, if, God forbid, you became the leader of it?””
You never put that question to me. You put it to Kolokotronis.
“Now, would you?”
Did Sweden starve when they no longer had the Nazis to sell their steel to?
Ask Kolokotronis the question, but you can figure out my answer. Sweden didn’t starve when the Nazi empire COMPLETELY STOPPED buying their goods (because Germany was in RUINS!) so your question is pointless and looks like a dodge.
“Around 35 000 Greeks died in WWII.”
Don’t get me wrong... over 800,000!
Also, are you going to be developing a new, special liturgy for same-sex unions (just approved by the Swedish Lutherans on Oct 22)?
Yes. I read or viewed news items on Norway and Denmark.
However, from what I gather it is somewhat scandalous to report problems if there is any attachment to Islam.
Of course, we have that very same problem here in the US; look no further than Ft. Hood.
But I feel confident that there are millions more Greeks, Serbs and Russians who are proud to be members of such nations, and the material prosperity of characterless nations will not impress them. "What shall it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul?"
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