I wanted to share some really insightful feedback from a BNF supporter in Stockholm. Enjoy!
Hi Emily,
The papers reported that only 17 percent of the Swedes agree with giving Obama the Nobel peace prize after announcing escalation of the war in Afghanistan. Only the people of Saudi Arabia and some Muslim countries are more distrustful to this years Nobel price. (It should not be pronounced – or perceived – as “noble”. It is No-bell… and it was founded on profits from dynamite and oil wars).
Sweden is a neutral and nonaligned country much due to historic reasons. Our nation was almost annihilated by war and plague in the 18th century. We had our wars, but unfortunately there are always shortsighted people who want to revive the bad traditions.
Swedes present government has acted as a US agent in the EU, encouraging sending more troops, for which it yesterday was thanked by the US Ambassador to Stockholm in Swedes public service radio.
This from all points of view is morally wrong. The Swedish people has great difficulties to accept that Sweden should participate with 500 soldiers in a US/NATO war (39 percent against, 37 for). So we are in not position and have no right to persuade others in that direction.
I read that the honourable Mr. Tom Hayden, who visited Sweden in October to coordinate actions against the war with our former minister of defense Thage G Peterson and Swedish former ambassador to UN Anders Ferm, took off the Obama sticker from his car.
I understand him and it is tragic. So much hope going down the gutter.
The US is spending four times Afghanistan’s GDP every year on waging war in Afghanistan. That is lunacy (the distance to the moon reached a minimum as Mr. Obama came on stage in West Point).
As we did during the Vietnam war, we should join hands across the Atlantic and across the Pacific to stop this war.
I have personally traveled by foot in Afghanistan three times during the war against the Soviets. I laid my life in the hands of the same “crazy”, “fanatic”, “fundamentalist” bearded and absolutely impoverished Afghans that the US are bombing daily now. To me, it was an experience of time traveling, back to biblical times.
Anybody coming without weapons and with a friendly face to Afghanistan can count on any door to open for her or him. For one night or for a lifetime.
Yours sincerely,
Stefan L., Stockholm
