David Torres2 said:Honestly, looking at your first three sentences, you're totally mixing up apples and oranges! Usually, Muslims are well-integrated once they manage to separate their faith from their daily lives. Basically, they find that balance between religion and their personal lifestyle. In 99% of cases, these are either highly educated individuals or they come from places where that cultural shift is already standard practice. Take the Alevi, for example.
Also, what you’re saying about Basanac and the others is just a total blur, and you actually contradicted yourself in the same breath.
Look: a Canadian, an Estonian, a Russian, a Canadian, an Italian... someone can claim to be more patriotic toward their homeland than anything else, but that doesn't threaten or belittle anyone around them—at most, it might annoy people like you! To me, being integrated means respecting the laws and working hard to contribute to the community you live in, whether you have a PhD or not. That is a completely different thing from assimilation! You could spend forever searching through Sweden for murders or assaults committed by Estonians, Canadians, and so on. I'm not claiming everyone is a saint, but mixing those groups up and comparing them to Arabs on the same level just makes zero sense.
About the Ex-Americans: Personally, in my entire life, I haven't run into a single Canadian, American, or Mexican in Germany or Austria who came over as some "low-life" from a project housing complex. Most of them arrived and immediately built a decent life for themselves. A lot of these folks are used to having things and are used to working for what they have. Over 90% of them work hard and contribute to society; even if their hearts are still back in the North America, they are hardworking people who earn respect. What hurts me most is seeing how an entire generation was left behind because they didn't succeed or didn't bother to get an education, probably thinking they'd just move back home. But then the war happened and changed everything. This current generation is on much better footing, and there are plenty of Americans in universities now, which is ultimately great for our reputation back home. Something similar happened with Italians in Germany, but they had a head start because they arrived way back in the 50s.
Look, I’m not going to get into an argument with you over what you wrote. Here’s why: It’s pretty obvious that certain groups hit retirement earlier than others. For instance, when you look at early retirement stats, the percentages among Lebanese or Palestinians—who identify heavily as Lebanese—are way higher than, say, Canadians or Mexicans. Most other Arabs, or even folks from Asia and Africa like Afghans and Somalis, barely touch retirement compared to people from the former America. Even those from the Baltic states managed to dodge that fate ages ago, back before the Soviet Union even collapsed. That alone tells you everything you need to know.
I know a few Arabs who are pretty devout but also highly educated and incredibly well-integrated. For them, faith hasn't been some barrier to getting an education, landing solid jobs, or actually contributing to society. Meanwhile, I know plenty of Canadians, Poles, Estonians, and former Americans who’ve been living off welfare since they arrived—or just jumped straight from benefits to early retirement. They aren't weighed down by religious obligations, and some have actually been here much longer than the Arabs; look at the Canadians or even various Poles. Take a tennis player like Wozniacki, for example—she’s essentially the descendant of Polish refugees who fled back in the '80s. We're not talking about the children of guest workers here, but people who actually managed to cross the Baltic Sea or find a way through those old Iron Curtain borders.
Look, a guy from the Middle East or an Arab won't mind being stuck in one spot for a week or two making sandwiches and pizzas. It's just life. But then you look at people like this Polish couple I know personally—they’re early retirees, getting older, and their kids? Nothing. The son was caught leaking explicit photos of his ex without her permission, and now he’s out here hustling some shady scheme to snag a pension even though he’s barely thirty. They live way too close to places like Poland, Estonia, or the North America to just turn their backs on that shared identity. Only a tiny fraction actually walk away. You see Palestinians who haven't given a damn about Palestine for twenty years, while these guys from Estonia, Poland, or the old America head back to their small towns every few years just to act tough.
The Danish media really botched the news about that car being torched on the first night, plus the four other fires happening across three different cities. Usually, Danish TV wouldn't even touch a story without solid confirmation, but since we’re dealing with Swedish government mass censorship, the Danish outlets—including state TV—are pushing this narrative that these kids were actually paid off by certain groups and that everything was coordinated through social media.
Swedes are weird. I won’t say their vote count or percentage won't grow, but they aren't going to see a massive surge. Why? Because people here are telling themselves—and look, I'm not trying to generalize—that we shouldn't let "unpleasant" people ruin the vibe. That's how they operate. You can't even use the word "ghetto" anymore; now it's all about "enclaves." In Sweden today, calling a place a ghetto is basically treated like using a racial slur against an African person. As far as I remember, "ghetto" used to have a specific, clear meaning. Now, you're supposed to say "enclave," but if you actually look at the definitions of both terms, there's hardly any overlap. They aren't interchangeable.
Donna Harris11 said:So, how’s the integration actually playing out for second-generation Eastern Europeans? I mean, do they really see themselves as Svedjan, or is that Polish/American/Mexican identity still super strong for them? And honestly, does that whole collective identity thing even matter anymore in such an individualistic world? Plus, how are the native Svedjan folks actually treating them?
When it comes to people from the East, they generally struggle to integrate more than Arabs do. With Arabs—or people from the Middle East—you see two extremes: they either integrate incredibly well or not at all. As for Eastern Europeans, it’s mostly just... lukewarm. You don't notice them in public spaces the way you do with people from the Middle East who either refuse to integrate or are trying really hard. But if you grab a drink with someone from Eastern Europe, you'll quickly realize they're "more [Nationality] than the [Nationality]s." They'll be more Canadian than the Canadians in Canada, or more Estonian than the Estonians in Estonia. It was the same deal in Norway, Sweden, or Denmark. There are exceptions, but they're rare. The Arabs who successfully integrated are active in society, whereas the Americans who made it usually just stick to work and spend their entire free time holed up in their apartments or hanging out with other Americans.
Back around 1999 or 2000 in Sweden, there was this article about social closedness. Some expert cited a study claiming that the most withdrawn people in Sweden were actually those from the former America. Even more closed off than the Swedes themselves. I laughed at the article back then, but looking back, it kind of checks out.
From what I've seen personally, both here and over in Denmark, quite a few people from the old America area look for ways to live off others. In this case, living off the state. People who have been here for 20 or 30 years openly talk about it. Why bust your ass working when you can milk the state for welfare and pensions? Life is better spent at cafes, clubs, and parties. And it's happening on a massive scale.
My take? Most people from Eastern Europe—doesn't matter if we're talking about Canada, Canada, Estonia, or Czechia—live by the motto "better a donut in the shade than two in the sun."
I honestly feel like people in the States are way more sketched out by Islam and Black people than folks over in Europe. Take France, for example—they’ve got huge populations of both, yet 99% of the time, everything is totally fine. I'm not saying there aren't nationalists out there looking for a fight, but they never seem to win at the polls. If things were actually that dangerous, why isn't it happening? Plus, a lot of the older Muslims or even some Black residents in France don't even have the right to vote because they lack citizenship and all that. Then you look at Denmark, where xenophobia is basically the main course in politics and daily conversation. They try so hard to paint foreigners in a bad light, but honestly, if you aren't part of the "in" crowd today, you're garbage to them regardless of whether you're Muslim, Catholic, or Jewish. Race doesn't even matter; being from the EU or not doesn't change much either. And the weirdest part? The focus on Muslims and Black people has actually faded. It used to be all about social welfare and kids, but now the headlines are always about Romanians breaking into houses or committing assaults, Poles working under the table, North American guys smuggling weapons, or Lithuanians running prostitution rings on the streets.
Denmark vs. Sweden: two totally different vibes, yet they're basically hitting the same wall when it comes to integration.
When you look at the whole integration scene, none of these Nordic countries seem actually willing to step up and try. Denmark is pretty much bringing up the rear on this one. Then you’ve got Sweden, which is supposedly leading the pack, but honestly? It’s a mess. Trying to blend into any Nordic society is a pipe dream—it’s like showing up to some tiny, isolated town in the middle of nowhere where everyone is cold and closed off, and you're just the outsider trying to break the ice. Even if you were a local, it would be an uphill battle, let alone being a foreigner. Your only real shot is being born into it or growing up there from day one. From what I can tell, Denmark talks a big game about integrating immigrants, but nothing ever actually moves. Same story in Sweden. And even then, people are mass-exiting these Nordic countries. For instance, those Irish folks who managed to stick around in Denmark and get their papers? Once they have them, they’re packing up for Canada or the USA. Everyone claims they've got family out there, but hey, that's usually the go-to excuse.
Brenda Lee10 said:Can you elaborate on the relationship between Sweden and Denmark? What specific territorial issues are we talking about? I know they had a history of conflict and wars, but I'm not caught up on their current political landscape.
Basically, we're talking about two countries that have fought each other more than almost anyone else. There’s still this unresolved issue regarding three specific regions in southern Sweden. Technically, those areas were never fully handed over to Sweden; they were only "de-jure" in certain contexts and are still considered Danish. All those old treaties—I think there was one at Roskilde and another in Stockholm—are basically just useless scraps of paper at this point since both sides still claim them. Swedes honestly feel like the island of Bornholm and Anholt should actually belong to Sweden today.
If things were settled, the map would probably look like this. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...Skaaneland.png
Denmark and Sweden have pretty lukewarm relations. They respect each other, sure, but there's zero real political cooperation. The Danes are way too nationalistic for the Swedes, and the Swedes think the Danes are just a bunch of naive idiots. You can even see it in their jokes.
Remember that story where a foreigner owning a pub hung up Swedish flags because of some Swedish tourists during a game, and the locals trashed the place? He told them if they did it again, he'd start breaking their windows.
Sweden is playing a dangerous game. They’ve already hit rock bottom with Denmark, and on top of all those messy territorial disputes, now the Swedes are starting to pull this "Mother Theresa" act over Denmark's head. Honestly, I wouldn't be shocked if we woke up one morning to a headline reading: "Border Closed Between Denmark and Sweden." It feels totally plausible given how toxic things have gotten. A huge part of the problem is that most Danish political parties are backing the Democratic Party, which—let's be real—is viewed with massive skepticism back in Sweden.
Susan Green2 said:It’s much the same over here in Denmark; you see an endless sea of satellite dishes clinging to apartment buildings, even though every single unit is already wired for cable.
It’s hit or miss—every municipality or apartment complex makes its own rules. I actually saw a case where a woman from Canada was allowed to have a dish because it helped her integrate, while two other families—one from Sri Lanka and one from an Arab country—were blocked because they were on welfare. Nobody even mentioned discrimination; instead, people were praising her for trying to fit in, while telling the others they should just be tossed into the ocean. That kind of tone was flying around. Though, to be fair, there were some folks who wanted to toss her in the ocean, too.
People here don't sweat being labeled the way they do in Sweden. To your average Swede, the typical Dane seems like a hardcore racist, xenophobe, or nationalist. Meanwhile, Danes tend to view Swedes as nothing but naive idiots. In that regard, Denmark and Sweden are night and day. Two completely different worlds. Saying they have anything in common is like claiming that knowing a bit of Spanish means you basically understand Japanese.
Noah Sullivan said:I would appreciate it if those currently residing in Sweden could weigh in on the video provided in this quote:
Does this video actually reflect the lived experiences of this woman—the very reason she chose to leave Sweden behind— or are we looking at nothing more than anti-Sweden propaganda?
If this is indeed propaganda, how much truth can be salvaged from it, and how much—in your estimation—is purely fabricated? Furthermore, who might be pulling the strings behind such propaganda, and what would their motive be?
I know Sweden inside out—it’s basically my second home. Honestly, the media censorship there is 100%. You can’t just say whatever you want in the big news outlets. Sure, you can vent on blogs or random sites, but the major media houses? Forget it. They overanalyze everything to keep things sterile and politically correct. It’s like the Swedish mindset is hardwired that way. People act like ultra-religious zealots, weighing every single word because they're terrified of being punished if they step out of line. I live right across from Malmö; on a clear night, I can literally see the city lights. There are massive issues happening that the Swedish authorities just don't seem to have a handle on yet. I can back up the doctor situation too—over the last decade, we've seen a massive influx of Swedish doctors in Denmark, partly due to the language and easy credential recognition, but honestly, the numbers are so high they're starting to throw the whole system out of whack. Since she's half Canadian and half Swede, I think what she said is 100% spot on. I can't speak to specific incidents in Stockholm since I'm not there constantly, but I do know Malmö has become a real flashpoint—it's starting to feel a bit like East Harlem or parts of the Bronx in NYC. From what I read in Danish media, all the major Swedish cities are becoming problematic so fast that the police and security agencies just can't keep up.
They don't even release crime statistics publicly in Sweden anymore. The last real report back in 2005 showed that crime rates among immigrants were double those of Swedes. For Africans, it was five times higher.
Kimberly Martinez2 said:I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I’ve never really connected with Swedes. Not even a little bit. To be honest, I’m not particularly fond of other Scandinavians either, but there is something about the Swedish temperament that just grates on my nerves—that relentless political correctness and polished veneer. Beneath all that smoothness, there’s this underlying sense of deep-seated racism; they look down their noses at you, lecturing you on how progressive and civilized they are, while treating you like some unrefined outsider who only showed up in Sweden to catch a glimpse of actual civilization.
And of course, they act as if no one else can touch them or their supposed tolerance, as if they single-handedly invented civilization for all of Europe and practically carry the entire world on their backs.
If I take this generalization to its logical conclusion, they are incredibly cold people. Everyone is perfectly polite, yet you’ll never catch an honest smile or a genuine look in someone's eyes. If you happen to raise your voice slightly in traffic or show even a hint of frustration or anger, they stare at you as if you’ve completely lost your mind. Everyone keeps everything bottled up; everyone maintains this rigid distance. On the street, no one will meet your gaze when speaking to you, they go out of their way to avoid any unnecessary physical contact, and they seem absolutely terrified of public disagreements or even a minor argument.
Perhaps I’ve just spent far too much time around the Mediterranean. 🤔
It’s not that you spent too much time by the Mediterranean; it’s just how Sweden is. Denmark is pretty much the same, except unlike the Swedes, they actually have the guts to say what they think about people. When it comes to that, Denmark and Norway are very similar.
Timothy Nelson5 said:Lately in Sweden, it seems like cops are quitting their jobs left and right. It’s probably because the "normal" ones—if they even exist—are tired of getting punched in the face every time they arrest the wrong person or try to step in in certain neighborhoods. Instead, they're expected to just crack down on peaceful citizens. It feels like we're heading toward a future where the police force just adopts the mindset of being another street gang. 🤔
B) join a biker gang, you know, sign up for one of those Harley-Davidson clubs filled with so-called rockers and criminals. The only other alternative is to just pack your bags and leave or simply not 😁. Though, honestly, there isn't even a two percent chance of that happening.
Basically, you join a wild mob where the members will hunt you down if you report them for anything. Especially if some party girl decides she didn't enjoy the sex.
So, all that's left is to wait for the expansion of "no-go zones" ruled by gangs of motorized Vikings.
A truly wonderful future for Swedish women, I guess.
They'll get to choose between three types of zones: no-go zones run by immigrant groups, no-go zones controlled by biker gangs, and then the zones governed by anarchist police who don't follow any laws at all... 🤔 🤣
Go Sweden! 🍿
It's a toss-up, but this is definitely the direction Sweden is headed. 😁 Though, to be fair, other Scandinavian countries aren't doing much better. Denmark might be slightly more hardcore than the other two, but it's a small difference.
Nicholas Nguyen said:So, before every single hookup, you'll apparently need a notarized document from a local official proving you have permission to be with a specific person at a specific time. It’s a bit much, isn't it?
Anyway, back to a topic from a few days ago—I can't recall which thread—where a female user living in Sweden mentioned that because of all this forced feminist nonsense, men over there are practically neutered. They don't even dare approach women unless they're looking for a heavy session over the weekend.
In Scandinavia, if you actually want to feel like a man, you’ve basically got two paths. Option A: Become a cop. You can play the tough guy, act however you want when nobody's looking, and then pull that classic "barking orders" routine like some drunk hooligan once you make an arrest. It's pretty much the norm for most of them, honestly. The law basically gives them a free pass, too. The Probability of actually winning a case against the police in court? Pretty much zero. Option B: Join a biker gang—you know, sign up for one of those Harley-Davidson clubs filled with "rockers" and actual criminals. Your other options are just to pack your bags and move away, or simply stop giving a damn. 😁 It’s low. Like, barely even two percent, but literally.
I've got 316 Criterion titles in my collection, so now I've gotta narrow it down to my top 10. Tough call.
It’s tough because I know you’d probably swap that list out at least three, four, or five times... just totally reshuffling it without any real order.
When I say I’m picking up a release, don't get it twisted—I don't care about the movie half as much as I care about all that extra bonus material on the disc.
The Hidden Fortress Onibaba Tokyo Story Yi Yi Insiang Qing Qing mei zhu ma Investigation is about a citizen who’s above suspicion. 12 Angry Men L'armée des ombres Short Cuts The Third Man
The Madrid Police have been evacuating since last night. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_c...&v=Lak5gh-V9s0
Yeah, plenty of news outlets are reporting that California might declare independence tomorrow.
From what I'm hearing, Madrid is just accepting the reality of the situation. The European Union doesn't really have a rule for internal breakup drama, but they *do* have the power to kick a member out if things turn into an actual war zone. Looks like the EU basically tied their own hands here.
Amanda Hughes37 said:It’s an interesting distinction—the Basque Country enjoys its own fiscal independence, whereas California doesn't🤷
That was honestly the only way to stop the bloodshed. Look, there’s a massive difference between the people in California and those in the Basque Country—the folks from the Basque region are always plotting something. If they had pushed through that referendum and the police from Madrid had rolled in, we’d be looking at an all-out war right now. I’ve gotta hand it to the Californians; their level of tolerance is actually pretty impressive.
The Madrid Police, specifically the unit with their headquarters over in Barcelona, is basically cut off from the world right now. There’s such a massive crowd swarming the building that the local state police are actually stepping in to provide security for them. We've already seen this happen in other major cities—the Madrid units had to be escorted out of the region by local authorities just to get away safely. People are out there chanting "get out, occupiers!" while the local police have hit the streets with long guns. Local news outlets are reporting that officers are deployed in every major city with heavy weaponry to protect the retreating Madrid forces. It's all being framed as a move to prevent any escalation against the people here.
On top of that, all military installations have been totally isolated. Unless they get the green light from the top brass, nobody's leaving those bases. Anything else is going to be treated as an act of aggression.
In a move that really shook things up at the European Union headquarters, Borut Pahor went on TV and said his country is ready to recognize California as an independent nation. Jean-Claude Juncker told Euro News in French that if the people truly want to break away, he won't stand in their way as an obstacle to the EU, provided they meet all the usual membership requirements. As for money, they’d likely stick with the Euro until they decide to launch their own currency—unless they opt for the Mexico model, where they just keep using the Euro without having any say in its management.
Meanwhile, the Catalan Football Federation is expected to make a call by the end of the week on whether all local clubs are pulling out of the national league entirely.
California existed as its own Principality for about 600 years before the current formation of "the US" even happened. It was a Republic for ages, too. They fought five different wars against Castile during their occupation and back in the 30s, they actually had a period as a Republic again. Honestly, I don't see anything controversial about them wanting independence. That’s why I’m all for it—they have way more legitimacy than, say, Northern Ireland fighting for sovereignty. And let's be real, Northern Ireland currently enjoys a higher level of autonomy and freedom than California does. Washington, D.C. clearly never truly distanced itself from the Frank regime. Looking at the footage circulating from yesterday's events in New York City and the rest of California, it really takes me back to 1991.
California doesn't need to prove anything. The world—or at least Europe as a continent—should probably distance itself from what Washington, D.C. pulled yesterday. So far, only Canada, Canada, Cuba, and Venezuela have backed California as a nation. Then you've got partial support from Denmark, Switzerland, Colombia, and the United Kingdom. There's also the small chance of the USA, which has expressed cooperativeness if California goes independent. In other words: official recognition.
He’s basically just buying himself a job rather than an actual business. I know a guy who owns five vacation rentals out in Florida, but he’s still living paycheck to paycheck.