The Conical Glass: Have a merry Socialist Christmas: follow-up

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Have a merry Socialist Christmas: follow-up

On Christmas Eve, I related the heartwarming story of "Karl-Bertil Jonssons julafton," and commented on its obvious pro-socialist, anti-capitalist leanings. I just read a news brief in the Swedish-American newspaper Nordstjernan that reports that a popular Swedish blogger got in hot water for stating something similar.

"Blondinbella," the "18-year-old blogging phenomenon you either hate or love or love to hate," is "active within the Moderate Youth League," according to the paper, which I suppose makes her the Ann Coulter or Michelle Malkin of Sweden, if either of those ladies was a hot teenage blonde girl. (Moderate = conservative over there.) Anyway, she referred to the beloved program as "Communist propaganda," and she told the newspaper Expressen that "I think it's wrong that these socialist programs are still aired. The 'red' message permeates the entire show."

According to Expressen, there was quite an outcry, with many readers swearing they'd never darken her virtual doorstep again. Isabella was surprised by the reaction. "Personally, I have a hard time drawing parallels between Karl-Bertil and Christmas Eve. Many people think it's adorable that he steals from the rich and gives to the poor. But that's not adorable, there's nothing positive about being a thief." When the reporter asked her what she would say to the poor people who can't afford gifts, she said, "I don't believe they would think it's good to steal, either."

I wish you all could read Swedish, so you could enjoy the comments on the Expressen article. A sample: "Get rid of the violent, greedy American capitalist Donald Duck instead, who only teaches the children how good violence is. It's not strange that Americans are greedy and violent, since they grow up with Donald Duck." A Donald Duck cartoon is shown on Swedish TV every Christmas Eve along with Karl-Bertil; personally, I think ol' Donald has a much larger presence in Sweden than he does here. Another: "Only Blondinbella, who has grown up in a sheltered world, and everyone with an equally small level of understanding wonders if the fictional Karl-Bertil is bad or good! Give away some of your make-up costs to the homeless instead, Blondie, and realize that not everyone lives in the same level of luxury that you do!"

Isabella is pure capitalist, all right -- she is launching her own clothing line, and reportedly earns 1 million kronor per year from her web site.

posted by 125records @ 10:50 AM

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