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The Old Country Newsletter – Buses, Proxies and Trolls
Your Weekly Newsletter from Sweden
Philip Gustavsson
May 31, 2024
Good morning!
It’s Friday, May 31st. Naturally, tomorrow is June 1st, something that many would associate with the start of the summer. That is not entirely true in the southern parts of Sweden, at least if you ask a meteorologist. According to their definition, which is when the temperature of the entire day is above 10.0 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit) for five days in a row, the summer began in the middle of April. This is the earliest point in time ever recorded, which the meteorologists attribute to climate change.
A number of readers have reached out through different forums and asked to have their family story featured in the newsletter. That is more than welcome, and will make the reading much more engaging. I therefore invite you all to reach out by clicking on the button at the end of the newsletter and help me tell your story. It does not have to be long or filled with details and twists-and-turns. Every fate of someone that dared to leave the old country behind and head out to the unknown is worth sharing!
As always: have a wonderful weekend!
Philip
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Take care of your life! Take care of it! Don't waste it! Because now is your time on earth!
My personal favorite book series of all time is The Emigrants, by the Swedish author Vilhelm Moberg. Through the four books in the series, we get to follow the triumphs and tribulations of early Swedish immigrants in America. In the first book, "The Emigrants," we meet Karl Oskar, Kristina Nilsson, their three children, and eleven others who set out from Småland in 1850, seeking a better life away from poverty, religious persecution, and social injustice.
By clicking here, you can learn more about the books and order a copy for yourself. Beyond getting your hands on an incredible book, it is also a great way to show support for this newsletter, as a few cents of each sale will help support our work.
Statistics you didn’t ask for
The Global Gender Gap is a term that sometimes gets thrown around in the public debate. But what does it mean? The Global Gender Gap Report is put together every year by the World Economic Forum and it annually benchmarks the current state and evolution of gender parity across four key dimensions (Economic Participation and Opportunity, Educational Attainment, Health and Survival, and Political Empowerment).
Where does Sweden come into this? Well, in the report: not in first place. And not second or third. Those spots are held by Iceland, Norway and Finland. Sweden landed on fifth place in the report from 2023. Perhaps you notice a common denominator between the listed countries. In fact, four out of the top five spots are held by nordic countries. Interestingly enough, New Zealand – the very opposite of a nordic country given its geographical location – ranks fourth.
Iran's New Proxy War Tactic: Swedish Criminal Networks
Sweden's Security Service reveals Iran’s use of Swedish criminal networks to execute violent acts, marking Sweden as a new front in the Iran-Israel conflict. The authorities are stepping up measures to counter this emerging threat.
What’s Happening:
Sweden’s Security Service, Säpo, has confirmed that Iran is leveraging local criminal networks to carry out violent acts in Sweden and other countries. This revelation underscores Iran's willingness and capability to strike again, according to Säpo.
The Scoop:
Daniel Stenling from Säpo stated, "Säpo can confirm that criminal networks in Sweden are proxies used by Iran." This collaboration is reportedly extensive enough that Israel’s intelligence agency, Mossad, has specifically identified the Rumba and Foxtrot networks, led by Rawa Majid and Ismail Abdo, as partners with Iran.
However, Säpo and local police are tight-lipped about direct ties between Iran and specific individuals or networks. Stenling elaborates, “We see connections between individuals in these criminal networks and those linked to Iranian intelligence.”
The Bigger Picture:
Sweden has unwittingly become a battleground for the Iran-Israel conflict, with Iran targeting Israeli and Jewish interests within Swedish borders. "A regional conflict has spilled over, making Sweden an arena," Stenling added.
What’s Being Done:
While Säpo has known about Iran's activities for some time, they've only now chosen to disclose this information. Stenling hinted at having thwarted several planned attacks by Iran and emphasized ongoing cooperation with national police, military, and other agencies to counter the threat. “We will take measures to limit Iran's ability to conduct security-threatening activities in Sweden,” he assured.
Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer emphasized the seriousness of the situation, noting that the Foreign Ministry is considering appropriate actions.
Flashback:
In late January, a grenade was thrown over the fence of the Israeli embassy in Stockholm. According to Mossad, this attack was orchestrated by Iran. While police have not commented on specific incidents, Säpo has acknowledged Iran's focus on targeting the interests of other states, particularly Israel, within Sweden. "Our assessment is that Iran intends and has the capability to strike Sweden again," Stenling concluded.
In other news
Football player Kristoffer Olsson, recently celebrated as FC Midtjylland secured the league title, has spoken publicly for the first time since collapsing at home three months ago due to brain blood clots. Expressing gratitude on Instagram for the support during his recovery, he assured fans he feels great and will be able to play football again.
Police dismantled a protest tent camp at Lund University on Thursday morning, resulting in the removal and arrest of several pro-Palestinian demonstrators who resisted orders to leave. The situation escalated with reports of bottles being thrown at an ambulance – although this claim was later retracted by the police – and about 40 individuals being suspected of defying police orders.
Police in Hisingen, Gothenburg, have sent out SMS messages to around 8,200 numbers found in confiscated dealer phones in an effort to deter drug buyers. The messages inform recipients that they are not currently suspected of a crime, however, the move aims to disrupt gang activities.
Would you like to feel closer to Sweden? A perfect way to do that would be to have a look at Swedish broadcasts; either current or past. SVT Play is an online streaming service provided by Sveriges Television (SVT), the Swedish national public television broadcaster.
To watch it, one has to be in Sweden – or have access to a VPN provider that can connect to a remote server located in Sweden. Like NordVPN, which sponsors this segment of the newsletter.
By using NordVPN, you can access what SVT Play has to offer – including current news, documentaries about emigrants, live broadcasts from nature-events, and much more – by simply connecting to a server in Sweden. Follow the link here to get 74 % off for your first two years and three months (!) of usage. By doing so, you also help support the distribution of this newsletter.
Jimmie Åkesson's Trust Plummets Amid Party's Troll Account Revelations
In the latest twist of Sweden's political saga, Jimmie Åkesson, leader of the Sweden Democrats, finds himself facing a significant trust deficit following revelations about his party's troll accounts.
According to a fresh poll by Expressen/Verian, Åkesson's support takes a staggering seven-point hit, marking his lowest approval ratings in eight years. The fallout is particularly striking among supporters of the ruling coalition, posing potential concerns for prime minister Ulf Kristersson, leader of the Moderate Party. Per Söderpalm, Verian's head of public opinion, notes, "The most significant drop occurs among supporters of the government, which could spell trouble for Ulf Kristersson."
While Åkesson's refusal to back down in the face of what he terms a "gigantic influence operation" by the left-liberal establishment has stirred controversy, it has also left a dent in the political landscape. The ongoing attention and coverage surrounding the Sweden Democrats' anonymous social media accounts, which was revealed through a program on TV4, have cast a long shadow over the political scene.
In the recent Expressen/Verian survey conducted between May 20th and 23rd, the impact of these revelations becomes starkly evident. Åkesson's trust levels nosedive by a whopping seven percentage points, from 29% to 22%. Per Söderpalm remarks, "It's unusual to see such significant drops for a party leader. This clearly indicates that he's been damaged."
Trust rankings | |
|---|---|
Magdalena Andersson (S) | 46 % (+4)* |
Ulf Kristersson (M) | 32 % (-3) |
Jimmie Åkesson (SD) | 22 % (-7)* |
Nooshi Dadgostar (V) | 21 % (+4)* |
Ebba Busch (KD) | 19 % (-1) |
Amanda Lind (MP) | 14 % (-) |
Johan Pehrson (L) | 12 % (+1) |
Muharrem Demirok (C) | 7 % (+2)* |
Daniel Helldén (MP) | 6 % (+2)* |
(*Statistically significant changes since February 2024).
Word of the week
FÖRTROENDE [FUR-troh-en-deh]
How a Swedish Immigrant Changed American Travel
Do you know what Elton John, Dolly Parton, Chuck Berry and Diana Ross have in common – beyond being phenomenal musicians? These legends all crooned about the iconic Greyhound buses, America's symbols of adventure, freedom, and escape. And guess what? The mastermind behind it all, Eric Wickman, hailed from a small Swedish town called Våmhus.
Born Erik Wretman, aka “Martis Jerk” (after his family’s farm), Wickman was the son of farmers in Limbäck. At 18, he set his sights on America, and in 1905, he made the leap, traveling through Arizona to Hibbing, Minnesota, where he worked as a diamond driller in the mines. Along the way, he adopted the name Eric Wickman.
Fast forward to 1914. Wickman decided to pivot from mining to car sales. His seven-seater Hupmobile was too pricey for local buyers, so he improvised—charging miners for rides to work. This side hustle quickly became his main gig.
Wickman brought in partners and scaled his business. By 1935, The Greyhound Corporation boasted over 1,700 buses crisscrossing the nation. It revolutionized American transit, knitting states together with a cohesive network and pioneering advancements in bus technology, terminals, and maintenance facilities.
Dubbed “The Greyhound King” by Time magazine, Wickman’s legacy loomed large. Meanwhile, back in Våmhus, he was simply known as “Busskungen” (The Bus King).
In 1916, Wickman married Olga Rodin, the daughter of Swedish-American miners, and they had two children. Despite his success, Wickman remained connected to Våmhus, visiting six times.
During a visit in the early 1950s, he noticed the local church needed some TLC. Teaming up with his successful cousin Anders Diös, Wickman funded the materials, while Diös handled the work. The renovated church was dedicated on October 31, 1954, but Wickman missed the ceremony—he passed away that February in Florida at age 59.
Today, Wickman's legacy lives on in Våmhus with a bust outside the church, proudly inscribed with his name and an image of a Greyhound bus.
Long live Busskungen!