Proud Freedom Defending Traditions among Danish liberalist Politicians
Number three from the left on this photo is the Danish minister of health and vicechairman of the governing party Venstre. In 1988 he visited the Mujahedeen freedom fighters in Afghanistan to deliver to them 100.000 $ that had been collected in Denmark. There were no terror lists at that time, so it was not illegal to make such a donation - which it would probably be today. Anyway, these Mujahedeen are the Osama folks that you're certainly not supposed to cooperate with today. At that time it was different, because they fought the Soviets. So all freedom loving and idealistic liberalists and conservatives who were ready for a good fight for Western values helped the Mujahedeen in their fight against the atheistic communists. The photo was published in a Danish popular magazine with the caption: "Lars Lokke as Mujahedeen in Afghanistan. He is giving one of the guerillas' Kalashnikovs a try and at the same time collecting money for Osama bin Laden".
At that time Lars Lokke was only 25 and chairman of Venstre's youth organisation. Today he is number 2 in the Danish political hierarchy, right below Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, and considered official "crown prince" in the party. It is the Danish paper the Information that ran the story.
- It really warms your heart to see this amount of idealism in such a young man!
posted by Cosmic Duck at 7:58 AM
8 Comments:
WOW. Is there any chance I can find the article of the Information in English? Thank you.
I don't think so. But you can find it in Danish here Venstre support for terrorism
:( I don't speak Danish... Anyway, GREAT POST!
Elle.
Thank you! It is amazing to see such a straight mainstream politician standing there in Mujahedeen clothing with a Kalashnikov. You could imagine it being Gordon Brown og Tony Blair. From an ethical point of view, it's serious, however. There're some double standards here.
I think the only standards are the fluidity of games in the arena of international politics. Having studied political science for 4 years, I have to say, I have stopped being illusional about the idea of 'fair play'. Game theory does not even begin to explain the underlying actors and actions that determine any political event at any given time in history. All that is left for people that are interested in current affairs is one-to-one or many-to-many deliberation. Sometimes, this is offered by the Internet. And sometimes, it just undermines the already undermined rights of freedom of speech.
If it were only a game it would be hard for me to be interested in it. I know it may sound naive, but for me there must be some ethical dimension. Otherwise I do not find it interesting.
Sometimes you can get the impression it's just a game, and that may make you cynical. If human relationships are just games there is not much human dimension left.
International politics are also made by humans. It is not only a game. But I can understand if you got that impression after studying political science for 4 years. At some universities it is taught in such a way that all humanity, the whole ethical dimension is rooted out. That's a pity.
Don't get me wrong. I certainly do not overlook how sensitive lives are in the midst of 'games'. All I was trying to communicate across was that in the light of the dirt of the field of international politics, our role is one that is strongly endangered by the curtailing of the freedoms of speech and opinion. That is all I said. The cynisism my post might have conveyed was simply related to the grounds of basic peoples' rights. The right of communication. Because while high political authorities form decisions that we are not benefited (sometimes even threatened by), we are only left with our voice, the voice of protest. And that voice is often silenced. In authoritarian/ totalitarian regimes what we are doing right now, which is basically exchanging opinions or simply talking about such matters, would possibly lead to our arrests and what follows them.
As I lay asleep in Italy
There came a voice from over the Sea,
And with great power it forth led me
To walk in the visions of Poesy
I can see what you mean. I perhaps saw you as cynical. I've visited your blog, and I can see that you're far from that. Good work. Good poetry. Keep up the good work.
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