Every once in a while, a law appears that you have no idea how to relate to. You’re not sure how to tell the world about it: you will not just appear alarmist, but quite stark raving mad. Roswell Chemtrail Bilderberg Brainlaser van Roaming Loonie. And yet, there it is.
A new law was just proposed in Sweden, that would create a cross-referenced database over some of the most sensitive personal information of Swedish people: health issues, medical records, ethnic background, and trade union membership. That may not sound too bad, until you realize it’s a database over transgendered and medically weak (health issues / medical records), jews and gypsies* (ethnic background) and, well, trade union membership. It’s going to be about much more as well, surely, which doesn’t make it better in the slightest.
The law in question was just sent to the Legislative Council (lagrådet) for constitutional approval, before it is sent to Parliament for ratification. There have already been several op-eds speaking out about it – from youth wings of the political parties, not from the political parties themselves. The Swedish Data Inspection Board (Datainspektionen), which is the privacy watchdog authority, has been very critical: it says that it cannot approve such a database without the law even specifying any reason for the privacy violation, nor sees it as desirable to build it in the first place (which is very harsh words from an authority).
Unfortunately, the Swedish Data Inspection Board is routinely ignored in matters concerning privacy (which is its primary watchdog function).
I find it flabbergasting to see the naïveté with which such a law is proposed. The law and database is supposed to assist in employment policy research, but it’s not like any single database – once in place – has ever been confined to its original intention. Which reminds me – tomorrow, I’ll have an article about how every citizen of Sweden born after 1975 is in the world’s largest DNA register. The entire civilian population below 37 years of age.
When I see a law like this being proposed, I tend to just glance at history, shake my head in disbelief, and think “do we really have to go through all of this again?“.
*I do know the contemporary correct term for gypsies would probably be Roma or Romani, but pretty much nobody understands that word.
I just hope nobody from the former STASI asks me about this if I stand on the streets for the pirates.
I don’t know how to handle old people suddently breaking into tears.
I just had a long ponder about these things, and I have decided to refuse any treatment at my local medical centre, unless I am very obviously gravely ill. This includes refusing blood pressure monitoring and other basic services. I am diabetic. I do not want my medical data scattered anywhere and everywhere. I feel I am in quite enogh databases already.
Swedish authorities have a tradition of handing data over to anyone with a wallet without consulting the citizens concerned. I will no longer agree to being registered and documented.
It’s MY health, and from now on I take care of it myself.
The PC word for gypsies (in the UK at least) is Travelers, this encompasses travelers of both Irish and Romany descent 🙂
I don’t want to live on this planet anymore.
Yamiko its all we have. together we will build a better world. Hang on! Victory will be sweet.
That.
But last time they decided to create a database of any specific group was around 1940 (the Jewish). While Rick didn’t mention directly I’m quite sure this crossed his mind. And it’s concerning to see the directions the power (Governments) is heading completely against the will of the population.
And on a side not, I don’t particularly understand all the fuss around jews and gypsies. I mean, will they as a group, unite, enslave humanity and sell everybody to rich aliens? Leave.them.alone.
Its curious because with the personnummer you already are treading a fine line.
At the same time, the PN system is extremely ineffective in government hands from my experience.
Where it should help citizens, it doesnt, but where companies and recruitment agencies are concerned it actually hinders.
Well as an immigrant i cant do anything about this law anyways so i can just grab the popcorn and start stocking money for the trip home.
Isn’t sweden already treading a fine line with the whole Personnummer business?
Wouldn’t this database also go against the European? Data Protection Regulation?
Good article about important news. Rick, would you please include this Avaaz petition against the register in your post? I think a lot of the folks here would be interested of it. https://secure.avaaz.org/en/petition/Stop_the_Swedish_IFAU_Register/
Thanks for the link. I have signed.
The government is sick, and they think others are sick, too.
I don’t think it goes far enough. Just being on the list is not enough, why, any of the individuals could be ~any~ of the criteria.
What we need, Rick, is a visual way of identifying the people in question. Like some sort of coloured geometric symbol or something that they could wear around an appendage or something…
I think what are you looking for is a tattoo on the forehead or an RFID brain implant.
David X.
I think he was just being tongue-in-cheek about the Star of David that Jews were forced to wear in Nazi occupied countries, or, less likely, making a reference to the Scarlet Letter, both fit rather well.
Lol, I see what you did there. Well played sir.
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Looking forward on your article of the global DNA database. I have heard rumors about it , but have never confirmed it. I will not be surprised by the confirmation of it. Anyway , great job , keep up the good work and the good fight!
One problem with this new racial law is that it doesn’t make an impact on ethnic white Swedish straight men.
Most of the people in power in Sweden are ethnic white Swedish men, and as said from prime minister Reinfeldt, unemployment is not a problem amongst ethnic swedes. So nobody in power expects this law to be about them.
And if nobody in power cares, neither does the media.
And here we are, not even a century parts us from the swedish idea of racial biologi, the idea that influenced Nazi’s to do the “final solution”.
I guess nobody learned from that.
“And if nobody in power cares, neither does the media.”
Here you say something important! The state’s media in Sweden (SR, SVT) is supposed to not take sides in any way. But they do. Every day. Never Ever do they mention anything related to privacy, unless it is very big. Then it can get a short article as a fact, but never a discussion or debate.
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I find it scary. So many small steps in this direction in the past decade, and so few seems to notice or care… 🙁
Is there a way to have to have your medical record destroyed in Sweden ?
I was born in Sweden and now soon dead in protest of all this sick nazimetods,they dont care about anyone and my sister haged here self in protest and now I am sson gone I hope (took 250strong painrelivers and will put a plasticbag over my haed so I am sure not to wake up.Damned fashiststate worese than soviet and any other esisting dictatura´s!They have maked many to be forced to commit suicide or be murdered of beeing hanged out as ts,is and all peopels.Damned naxzistate i het you and red´fuse to live and will follw my poor littel sister who hanged here self in protest of what they do to others itis ytotally v´coorupted and no where to have any rghts.I was forced dna toping too without done anything!I hate you damed swedish aiúthorities and ther eis 2millions of them in country with 9million slaves totally controles,rfid a´has everyone in pas,drivinlicens,creditcards adn scanned by mobile,internet everywhere!Big brother fuck you!
Well trolled, well trolled.
If not troll, I hope you survived. Because they don’t care the least about human life. All they care about is power and money. They say “I don’t care if a hundred thousand die, as long as I’m in charge and getting my millions”.
Killing oneself in protest is not effective at all, because they don’t care and not many would know. Mainstream media would at most call it a suicide, but never publish the reason for it.
That’s disturbing. They are asking information about Trade Unionship amongst vulnerable minorities. Or they really wanted to know about Trade Union membership and saw this as their chance. Amazing they don’t have that information already on their data base. Oh, a chink in their armor.