The most positive news for a long time

The Danish students are failing "Operation days work".

Operation days work is a leftover from from the ages of the cold war. Students with likely commnunist connection arranged a charity where students in High School became truant for a day and worked in various businesses and send the money they earned to specific projects in the third world.

First some of the project chosen by the group behind this event has been critised for being a cover of terrorism. Most of the teenagers today know very little about Nicaragua where left wing terrorist did overthrow the happy government, which had ruled the country for many years starting a period with killings and riots. Recently they supported regions of Mexico where drug lords also operate and the police are trying to bring order to the society by introducing a zero-tolorance policy. I could write for long about several other reasons for not supporting this project, but I will leave it to others representing both the right and left side in our parliament.

The most important question is: Why support third world contries at all?

I have to ask this question because:

1) We have a lot of problems in Denmark which should be solved. We have no early retirement more. It was this single welfare benefit, which was the keystone in our welfare society. Without it, it is almost impossible to claim that we still are a welfare society. Why not start to help those in our society, who suffers every day?

2) Aid to third world countries do often damage more that they help. When people gets things for free, why should they go out in the field and work? People becomes lazy when they are helped all the time. Some third world countries have realized that. India are trying to send people to the moon. It cost a lot, while people die from hunger. When the tsumani hit back in 2004 India was ready to provide aid to other countries while their own population suffered. They were smart because they realized that the torment would enable their own population to work hard to regain their former status and put them in front in the global outsource business where they already are a huge player. They do not redistribuate their goods like most western countries do. They let the poor starve and even die, so the population are forced to work and be competitive.

3) Corruption takes their part. Corruption is normally a good thing which enables the businesses to pull themselves up and try to understand the mecanismes in the market they enter. Employees in a Danish firm was cleared in relationship with their export adventure in Germany because the court acknowledged that corruption was a tool in the market down there. If they hadn't done it, they could have stayed at home from the very start. The verdict enabled a lot of Danish firms to enter this market.

Thats why the recent news about the danish students failing supporting this project and use the day for sleeping out binge drinking from the evening before or simply work for their own good is a good news.

It shows insight when it comes to global issues and it promises good times in the years to come, when we at some point decide to solve the problems our society suffers from.

I am so proud of the new generation of Danes.

Mere end et spørgsmål om nogle få familiesammenføringer

This post is in the Danish language because it concerns only Danes:

Længe har den kørt - sagen om familiesammenføringer og integrationsministerens påståede fortieelse af at et hul i EU-lovgivningen tillader nogle mennesker at få deres ægtefælle til Danmark ved hjælp af nogle krumspring.

Nu ser det ud til at befolkningen anser selve ministeren får æren af befolkningen for at være skyld i sagen.

Men er landets befolkning virkelig så naiv?

Tilsyneladende er de ved at overse at vi står overfor selve nationalstatens endeligt. Lidt efter lidt har EU udhulet vores status som selvstændig nation, så vi snart har mere karakter af at være en af de snart hedengangne amter.

Hvad forsvandt med EF-domstolens afgørelse var ikke 24 års reglen. Det var de sidste rester af vores grænsekontrol.

Hvad værre er at man længe før at der var tænkt på den nuværende integrationsminister tilsyneladende har kørt et rænkespil som har gået ud på at smule små fodnoter ind i forskellige tekster så Dansk Folkeparti kunne få lov til at stå tilbage som martyr. Man har simpelthen regnet med at de ikke besad kapaciteter som kunne gennemskue tilføjelserne med de små bogstaver og man fik ret.

Så nu er alt hvad vi kender, de værdier vores land står for, under pres og måske tabt for altid.

Sådan gik det på trods af at vi i et stolt øjeblik havde samtlige EU-lande nede for at slikke vores fødder da vi dikterede dem vores 4 forbehold. Sådan gik det efter vi via tegningekrisen havde genrejst vores stolthed som nation.

Og stadigvæk så går mange rundt og tror på at det blot var en egenrådig integrationsministers handlinger og at statsministeren kan ordne alt over en kop kaffe.

Det er alt for naivt.

På trods af mit etniske ophav så ønsker jeg at man gerne må kræve noget af mennesker, som vil bo her i landet. Danmark byder på så mange goder, som kan friste dovne sjæle, der ikke vil byde ind med noget som helst, men blot nyde.

Vi ser en massiv strøm af udenlandske studerende, der tilsyneladende vil studere, men enten møder de aldrig op eller så bliver der kun bøvl med dem, når der kræves for meget af dem udover det strengt faglige. Vi er til mere end at læse en bog og så udfylde afkrydsningsskemaer på basis af hvad vi har læst. Vi forholder os kritisk til den information, som ligger foran os. Det er den kritiske holdning og konstante tendens til at sætte spørgsmåltegn med hvad der umiddelbart ser ud til at være fakta, som sikrer innovation i vores virksomheder.

Innovation som sikrer velfærd og som senest har kåret Danmark som verdens lykkeligste land.

Vores uddannelsessystem er second-to-none selv om netop vores kritiske holdning til alt medfører at den ofte er kritiseret ligefra de yngste klasser i folkeskolen.

Og selvfølgelig vil udenlandske studerende forsøge sig men da man ikke kan lave en formel 1 bil ud af en lastvogn, så falder de fleste hurtigt til jorden, når de for alvor skal vejes på basis af deres viden. Det gælder sjovt nok også nabolande, som helt har satset på at vi skal vedligeholde deres sundhedssystem med personale, så de selv slipper for at uddanne dem.

Men alligevel vil de gerne være her. Noget andet er 24 års reglen, som blev indført for at redde menneskeliv. Alt for mange unge er blevet presset til at gifte sig med en anden som de dårligt kender fra et fjernt land for at deres kommende ægtefælle kan nyde alle landets goder. Mange af disse ægteskaber ender i vold og i mange tilfælde endda med drab.

Så selvfølgelig måtte man have denne regel. Menneskeliv er kostbare og vi er ikke det eneste land, som vil redde menneskeliv. Her må man konstatere at EU's regler som de er konstrueret nede i den elitære kaffeklub modarbejder selve livet for disse unge mennesker og at ikke alene Dansk Folkeparti er blevet narret, men hele den danske befolkning.

Det ser sort ud for vores nation med en over 1000 årig historie. Vil Danmark være historie for vores børn eller børne-børn? Det er ikke længere et spørgsmål om, men hvornår.

Pain

I am tormented by pain.

My teeth are hurting and that is bad.

Denmark is a welfare country. At least the politicians claim that our country still maintain that status regardless the fact that the early retirement, which was the foundation in our system have been targeted for several serious cuts.

In a welfare society vital treatment are offered for free. Regardless what kind of illness I could be having - even problems with the heart are cured for free.

But the teeth are seen as purely cosmetic treatment, so that why so many Danes like me have to suffer in silence.

You can always decide whether a Dane is rich or poor by looking at his or her teeth. In some case you can smell it. People who for one reason go bankrupt can only get help to the dentist from the authorities if they are able to prove that they have been paying customers for at least 10 years before their mishap occurred.

Danish dentists are also among the most expensive in Europe. People who have been able to bring a translator abroad to assist them explaining the problem to the foreign dentist can save up to 50 percent.

Unfortunately I don't have this option. Sweden would have been the natural choice, no sub-standard like in the Eastern Europe, where they are recovering from 50 years of communist rule. Sweden has the same standard as here in Denmark. However there is a problem. Even Swedish people are hard to understand and until recently the Danish language was forbidden.

So risking getting the wrong tooth treated is not worth it.

So like more than a million Danes I have to suffer in quietness.

It hurts a lot. Two old filling made by the an old over-the-hill school dentist who everyone knew on held that position due to his connections to the city hall are to be replaced.

A root-channel job on the right side did not turn out as my dentist anticipated. A gold crown broke off in the left side. So my pain comes from all over my mouth. I can only eat and drink very little.

That how it is for a poor Dane.

But if you ask me if it is worth having the pain just to remain in Denmark, I have to answer yes.

We have so many other things to be happy off.

My children can drink alcohol in public once they have been confirmed and they can buy it on their own, once they turn 16. If they stay together with other youth doing the same, they are not like all too many people on this planet in risk of being blown up by a suicide bomber.

My children don’t have to care about grades. There is no pressure on them if they choose to underachieve. They belong to the working class like me. We have given up battling the social heritage. The result has been a peaceful society where the lack of competition results in lesser crime and more peace.

Is that not worth if the price is severe pain every single day?

Yes: At any time!

The trip

Our daughter was supposed to stay 3 weeks in United Kingdom as a part of a language course. She has been talking about this trip for almost a year. She had no doubt in her mind. If anyone had, it was we parents.

We have taught our children to be Danes. Regardless of our background as foreigners, we have always felt that it was our duty to educate our children as Danes. We have proof that our children have been successful. They have attended numerous bag-parties and are very well socialized.

But one thing is to live and be successful in Denmark another is to attempt a transmission of these skills into another and I have to state not so developed culture.

So as any other parent to well-adjusted youths in a time where patriotism is the very answer to the survival of a small nation in the European elite project called the European Union, we had reasonable doubt about how our daughter would deal with her first trip alone outside Denmark and we decided to plan an “Exit plan”.

She went. Well arrived she faced the first obstacle – the students on the school had to wear uniform. It was only a T-shirt, but wearing uniform is a sign of failure in Denmark. Uniforms are reserved for people in low-paid jobs, who ended up in a McJob career taking a path nowhere.

She cried when she phoned home. It was clear that she was broken, but we urged her to give the stay a second chance and try to socialize with some of the other students. But then she met a second and insurmountable obstacle. The normal way for a young Dane to socialize with other youth – over a couple of beers – was not allowed. Faced with weeks of isolation, we talked with her and decided to make use of the “Exit Plan”. We pulled her according to the advice experts have given for stays by Danish youth in foreign countries.

She has now returned to Denmark and we love to have her home. She seems by all aspect unharmed, which we contribute to the fact that we pulled her before the 14-days limit.

However, the trip was not a waste.

First it made her value her home, her parents more. It brought us closer as a family.

Second but not least it removed any doubt in her mind about her identity as a Dane. Some claims that it take generations to be fully adjusted into the Danish society and I have to agree that some foreigners like me are not prepared to sacrifice the traditions from their origins, which is a absolute must if you truly wants to be called a Dane.

Our daughter became a integrated Dane. She learned to value her dearest and all it took was a little stay in another country.

Do not state that nothing can be learned abroad.

Cheated of early retirement

I thought that I had planned my life, but now I am facing an uncertain future.

Back in the 1970 the present prime minister Anker Joergensen finished 80 years of hard work establishing the Danish welfare society by introducing early retirement for people, who have been worn down by hard labor.

So the cleaning lady or worker in factory could retire early when they became 60 years of age.

It is often claimed the introducing of early retirement both finished the welfare society in Denmark and is the compoment that keeps it together. Without early retirement there would not be basis for Denmark being called a nation with a welfare society.

I have planned my life as a hard worker on retirement at that age.

But lately the last two governments in office have found out that the cost of conducting our war in Afghanistan (Our 11th. crusade some knows as the war against terrorism) and our effort of fulfilling the Official Development Assistance have proven to be so costly.

They have to find the money somewhere and because the term of describing retired people in Denmark is "the burden of the elderly" the early retirement was targeted.

Now I like most of the people of my age would be punished if we retire before the age of 62. Hard working like it is expected of people with my background from a working class family without the possibility of a higher education, my health is already failing and I am not even 50.

Two years may seem like a little time for most, but for people with a history in the family of hearth diseases and cancer, it is forever.

My life has fallen apart. Now I live from one day to another without the ability to plan ahead. I have lost all faith in an retirement at some point.

And I am not the only one. Our nation are also under pressure. Stories about diapers being turned and used twice for number 1 in retirement homes are not uncommon. Our society is under pressure and I am thinking of finding another place to live my final years.

It is just hard.

Why it is hard to adjust being an immigrant

I moved to this country, now best known for their cartoons 10 years ago.

I learned their language. I allowed my family to adjust to their strange costums.

Now I feel beaten somehow.

First example:

I have a lot of kids - alot. It have never been a problem before, but suddenly new seatbeltsrules came into action. The government demanded that every child in the car should have their own seat belt.

I need three cars to transport my children!

I know that ethnic Danes only have about 2 children. I regards this new law as a racist invention to target the mobility of us immigrants.

Second example:

I choosed Denmark because of their high standard of education. First of all danish students have a team spirit like I have never seen anywhere before and I have travelled the world.

They use a term called "hygge" where they sit together and drink a few beer - even children down to 12-13 year of age as I have seen them sitting in parks and along beaches. In fact it is an old tradition for the parents to introduce their child to alcohol at an age of 14 when the child is confirmed. (With Gods approval so to say).

So the youth drink and socialize. They start to care for each other. In a drunken state they confide to each other, so when they put a team together they know what both the strength and weakness are for each team-member, but the boss also know what the employees think about him and it doesn't need to be positive. Even a negative view can be useful because then there are not time wasted on cover-ups and lies.

So I allowed my son to socialize with the Danish youth and he showed good results. So good in fact that I gave up a job offer in the States, because they couldn't offer schools with similar standard.

The the disaster happened. My son "borrowed" my car and the social worker decided (due to my status as a foreigner) that my son should attend a school in the other end of the country. (Denmark have very few juvenile facilities. The authorities use the so-called "continuation school" for punishment instead of jail and it works because Danes regards everyone being born more than 20 kilometers away as "strangers", which all the community should be looking for. Some of the parents of my colleagues have moved to another part of Denmark and even their children are regarded as strangers (It is for some reason worse if you move from East to West. Sealand is called the "Devil Island" by people in Jutland.)

So my son ended up in Jutland and he suffered, but as I told him "Do the crime, do the time". I don't know if 10 months away from home for driving without licence is a harsh punishment in other countries, but all I would have gotten as adult was a fine.

All that brought our familiy closer together. He is very lonely because our lawyer recommended that he sould avoid as much contact as possible because in criminal enviroment they exchange knowledge, which can result in a life of crime. Now a new problem has arised. He is a smoker and it is legal because Denmark have a 16 year limit on tobacco purchase.

But the government are thinking of changing this to 18 years and the school don't want to have tobacco on their property, he is suffering. We have been meeting with the authorities about a pardon, so he can return home where we can buy him tobacco and our hopes are up. But somehow I feel betrayed.

Legal access to alcohol and tobacco for my kids was something I moved to Denmark for. They had so much success with this approach.

In fact in Denmark it is normal that the kids committing crimes are the kids, who don't drink.

I thought that I had found a free country. Now I am in doubt.