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Politics

السويد ومشكلة روسيا

Jun 12, 2018 Paulina Neuding

ستوكهولم ــ مع اقتراب الانتخابات العامة في سبتمبر/أيلول، يستمع الناخبون السويديون إلى تحذيرات مفادها أن دورهم جاء الآن كهدف للتدخل الروسي في العملية الديمقراطية. ووفقا لهيئة الطوارئ المدنية في السويد، والتي تقود الجهود التي تبذلها البلاد لمكافحة عمليات النفوذ الأجنبي، فإن حدوث مثل هذا التدخل أمر محتمل بدرجة كبيرة، وينبغي للمواطنين أن ينتبهوا إلى المعلومات المضللة والأخبار الكاذبة.

ولكن هناك مشكلة واحدة: لن يكون فصل "الأكاذيب" الروسية عن الواقع السياسي المشوش في السويد بالمهمة السهلة.

في الأشهر الأخيرة، استهدف المتصيدون الروس المواطنين السويديين من خلال نشر قصص قابلة للتصديق وشائعات مشحونة سياسيا حول اضطرابات اجتماعية وانحلال أخلاقي. في إحدى الحالات، قيل إن عملاء روس غمروا وسائط التواصل الاجتماعي بأخبار كان الغرض منها التأثير على المناقشة الدائرة في السويد حول الهجرة. وذكرت هيئة الطوارئ المدنية أن هدف روسيا يتلخص في تأجيج الخلافات المحلية السويدية وتحويل الانتباه عن الأنشطة الروسية في أماكن أخرى في أوروبا.

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j. von Hettlingen Jun 20, 2018

Paulina Neuding highlights the challenge Sweden is facing ahead of the September election. She says the state of disarray in Swedish politics has given Russia “plenty of ammunition” to play mischief. In the last two years, the Kremlin has been conducting clandestine activities – information laundering, hacking, interference and propaganda – in the US and Europe. It aims to influence opinion and divide the public on issues from race to immigration etc.
While Russian meddling is real, the author says, “separating Russian ‘lies’ from Sweden’s messy political reality will not be easy.” The current government in Sweden makes up of a minority coalition of two centre-left parties – the Greens and the Social Democrats. “Barely tolerated by center-right forces,” they are united for the sake of preventing the anti-establishment, anti-immigration Sweden Democrats from gaining power. Following the 2014 general election, centre-right parties shunned this xenophobic party and reached out to the left, “fueling resentment among many voters.”
The author says the ruling coalition, eager to make Sweden a humanitarian superpower, “has downplayed the damage caused by the country’s immigration policies.” It has made the mistake by labelling its opponents “populists” and accused them of tarnishing Sweden’s image, “instead of engaging with sensible critics on the topic.” She points out how intransigent members of the ruling coalition are, and their refusing a “dialogue” has done much harm to the country’s reputation.
Crime has become one of the heatedly debated issues ahead of the general election. Gang shooting is said to be so common that it hardly makes headline. The police have been criticised for failing to combat crimes and to ensure security in the volatile suburbs of the major cities. Sweden’s population is booming, reaching 10 million last year due to a record arrival of migrants from mainly Syria and Afghanistan in recent years as well as high birth rates. The government has since then tightened immigration laws to curb the influx.
Those of us who have lived in Sweden remember that Russia has a history of deploying its submarines to the Baltic Sea, violating territorial waters of the littoral states there. Due to Russia’s annexation of Crimea, its support of separatists in Eastern Ukraine, centre-right politicians in Sweden have called for joining the NATO. Ever since Russia has stepped up its efforts using fake news, false documents and disinformation to influence public opinion. Swedish authorities say the Kremlin goes to great lengths to “preserve the geo-strategic status quo” by minimising NATO’s role in the Baltic region and keeping Sweden out of the military alliance.
The geopolitical games Putin plays are nefarious and despicable. The author urges Swedish politicians to “respond effectively, but their best strategy to fight Russia’s social-media fires is to remove the fuel.” The problem is that even if they have gotten their act together and put their house in order, Russia will still be meddling, seeking to divide and rule.
Unfortunately as long as Putin is around, he will seek to undermine the current global order and restore Russia’s former glory, which is merely an illusion. But a weakened West would certainly make Russia appear great again.
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анчутка анчутка Jun 19, 2018

the problem of Russian false propaganda is that it is very similar to the truth, and Western truth is often like a lie, stupid people fall for this trick, and they absorb the deceitful Russian propaganda, so similar to the truth.
Another Russian trick: they say: - "Nullius in verba. Take nobody's word for it, even ours". Аnd stupid people no longer believe, they doubt, take information critically, double-check in versatile sources, figure out if the "footage" can be arranged . In this situation, Western truth, so similar to a lie, no longer convinces them
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Godfree Roberts Jun 12, 2018

The article is nothing more than unsubstantiated allegations about Russia that are no more credible than those made by American propagandists.
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