Posted on 08/20/2009 9:24:40 AM PDT by Nachum
(IsraelNN.com) The Swedish government distanced itself Thursday from an ambassador's condemnation of an article accusing Israeli troops of stealing Palestinian Authority Arabs' organs. The Swedish Foreign Ministry clarified that, unlike Ambassador to Israel Elisabet Borsiin Bonnier, it does not view the article as “appalling.”
In addition to calling the article “shocking and appalling,” Bonnier said, “freedom of the press and freedom of expression are freedoms which carry a certain responsibility.”
(Excerpt) Read more at israelnationalnews.com ...
For one it means the newspaper guy gets to accuse Jews of blood libel. Then it means the Jews get to beat the hell out of him and burn his presses.
Yes, freedom of speech and a free press must be a two-way street, and sometimes people will get fed up with the guy who owns the press.
A good example of this is going on today in America as print media is being abandoned as people take up writing their own news, putting their own opinions on the internet.
Shortly the traditional print media people will be walking the streets but that's a good thing.
One does presume the IDF knows what thermite does.
From the article at the OP link:
The article, printed in the Swedish paper Aftonbladet, claims that the IDF has been removing organs from PA Arab youth killed in combat or terrorist operations since the early 1990s. The author of the article, Donald Bostrom, admitted Wednesday that he did not know whether or not the story was true.
Then again, according to this blog Bolstrom may just be creating some post-defamation CYA wiggle room for himself.
Not that assassination of opponents is desirable, but it ordinarily raises little concern in Sweden unless a really big ruckus is made. It is a place that's willing to leave you alone with your opinions and your enemies if you wish ~ kind of a non-Western Civilization sort of attitude, but it happens.
East Asians view it as being "cold", although they, themselves, ordinarily show little expression ~ but they'll tell you if you ask. (Image ~ Big Swede, a regular Varangian type, walks up, grabs a Chinese guy off the street in Shanghai and says "Hey, you think I'm cold and unfeeling". The Chinese guy says "Erk!" and tries to breath.)
More than likely we have a newspaper guy who bit off a lot more than he imagined would or could happen. One does suppose he imagines finding himself on an airplane being pushed out a door or something and would like for the plane to just land first.
Frankly, the government there really doesn't care. Still, if he were an active churchgoer (and church tax payer) he could go pray or something.
Sounds like the Swedish government has gone off the deep end. Time for the Swedish people to make some corrections in the next elections. Let’s see how that plays out.
That's a shame because this isn't anti-Israeli commentary, rather antisemitism of the classic medieval variety. Shame on the Swiss government.
You mean the Swedish government, I would think.
Yes, I can think of things the Swiss could be ashamed about, but this isn’t one of them.
I’ve discovered that I might actually be a genius.
There is, in fact, certain similarities regarding how Madonna markets herself and how tabloids behave in order to get world wide attention.
Swiss cheese is good, but Swedish cheese manufacturers shure can compete:
http://www.vasterbottensost.com/English.aspx
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