Do you know that very special feeling that solely derives from listening to someone saying something that’s so blatantly wrong that it renders you speechless? Normally, when you hear a claim or an argument that’s obviously built on false assumptions, contributing your knowledge of the state of reality to the discussion is the only right thing to do. I think that correcting wrongs is one of the strongest urges of the human race, actually. And thereby also one of the urges that’s most difficult to bridle.
But sometimes the wrongness of the claim or argument is of such vast proportions that it makes your urge to correct it so vehement you can almost taste it. The things you want to say are so plentiful that it’s too much for your articulacy to handle and all that comes out of your mouth is: “But…”.
And then you get your act together and you formulate your rebuttal to perfection and you’re just about to take it into practical application when your brain says: “Wait a minute! If the person in front of you has not been able to determine the level of absurdity of his or her conception by his or her own capability, what are the chances that what can be said in the amount of time you are willing to spend on this thing, will do the job?” And your brain realizes that it’s a futile endeavour and all that comes out of your mouth is: “But…”. Again.
Do you know that feeling?
I do, because I study Danes all day long.
Let me give you an example: In Denmark we have something called Efterløn, an early retirement plan that makes it possible for practically everyone who has been working for 30 years to retire at the age of 60 instead of the 67 years of age that otherwise qualifies every single Danish citizen for State Pension. When this was first introduced in 1979 it was a brilliant idea, if you ask me. The difference in physical degradation caused by different jobs was much bigger than it is today. The health of a 60-year-old lawyer was simply much better than that of a worn down 60-year-old farmer or factory worker. And on top of that the unemployment rate of young Danes was out of control at the time.
All in all, it simply made good sense to let the more fragile part of the workforce out of the pen and frolic on the green pastures of the society that they had built themselves.
Things have changed now. A report from the Labour Market Commission recently showed that the health of citizens on Efterløn is the same as those still in labour. And the number of 60-67-year-olds with jobs is only half the average of the other member countries of the OECD. The cost of this is 37 billion kroner per year in pensions and lost taxes. You could run 9 fully staffed and equipped Central Hospitals for that amount of money. Every economics expert you can think of has been begging the Danes to reform Efterløn for years.
Surveys on this subject are frequently made and published. They more or less all show that the amount of Danes who find Efterløn a life-threatening danger to Danish economy is around 80%. And the percentage of Danes who think that Efterløn should NOT be the subject of even the subtlest of adjustments is – you guessed it: 80%!
This is where the but-buts kick in.
Here’s another one for you: Danes use the word ‘integration’ a lot these days. And they always use it in sentences that somehow point out that ‘successful integration of different cultures’ means that all other cultures have conformed to the Danish one.
Small clusters of descendants of Danish immigrants are scattered all over the world, from Dannebrog, Nebraska to Tandil, Argentina. It has been obligatory for every Danish Prime Minister for the last 50 years to visit at least one of these during his reign (‘her reign’ has yet to find use in the Danish language) and just as obligatory to laud the community for its efforts to “uphold its Danish roots and values through generations”.
But… but…
The Danish version of ‘but’ is men, but don’t throw the English word into oblivion if you’re in the process of becoming Danish. Saying it out loud can help you practise one of far to many different but undistinguishable pronunciations of the letter ‘å’ as in ‘båt!’ which is Danish for the sound from the small bulb horns that circus clowns carry around.
Båt-båt…
23 Comments
22 Comments
I am beyond ‘but’, especially when the bleating about integration starts up…now I merely throw myself to the floor and twitch spasmodically.
There are whole pages on the education minister’s site dedicated to helping Danish families on longer term contracts out of Denmark, the most important thing is to keep their Danish culture strong while abroad, because of course, the Danish culture is the most Important Culture.
*falls to floor*
Honestly. It IS a waste of time isn’t it? They cannot hear, they do not want to know, and Denmark is a lost cause.
We stay out of the kindness of our hearts, and because the efterløn is good.
I just want say that I’m disgusted in Danish Culture after a terrible truth That I read about. I received an email about what young teens do in Feroe island to show that they are adults and mature. They actually brutally slaughter calderon dolphins with hooks.After reading that and seeing the gruesome images that came with it, I decided I will never visit this country. I’m appalled at how educated people can actually think this is a necessary tradition. I hope something gets done about this, because this is unacceptable… I sent that mail to friends of mine all over the world so that it can be passed on… I hope the world can see the Danish people for who they really are by this mail being circulated.
Please Help! Could anyone explain the real story about the pilot whales and/or dolphins killings in the Foroe Islands? I also received a very disturbing email with photos about this subject. Can the government give a statement? It will help… the public Image of your country it is really hurting.Thanks.
Hey guys. I’m normally upholding a pretty strict policy of sticking to the subject of the post in the comments, but this time I’ll make an exception.
I haven’t made my mind up about the subject of the pilot whale killings, actually. Perhaps I’ll blog about it later. But I do know that 22 million pigs are slaughtered every year in Denmark without anyone raising an eyebrow. And I do enjoy a good pork roast now and again. I’ve also had a taste of seal once in Greenland. It’s delicious.
I’ve contacted the editors of Blogging Denmark about your concerns and they invite you to mail them at editors@denmark.dk if you want the official opinion about this, admittedly very bloody, phenomenon.
P.
That is a lot of pigs, but at least there is a purpose behind that which is for the production of food. What they are doing in the Foroe Islands is said to be a tradition, and that morally should not nearly be seen as acceptable!
Dear Matt.
I’m pretty close to agreeing with you on this one. But I’m not completely there yet, since one of the VERY few upsides of Denmark used to be the pragmatic way we used to handle (before everything went haywire) the hardship of making respect of the traditions of ‘original cultures’ interact with the ethics and morals of modern times.
Are there any Spanish readers out there? I think your experiences of handling the question of bull fighting can be useful in this discussion.
P.
Matt,
whaling is not a part of Danish culture.
The Faroe Islands have what is called “home rule” (“hjemmestyre” in Danish) and there is very little the Danish parliament can do to intervene in this part of Faroese culture.
The pictures of the killings are disgusting but as Peter points out most Danes seem to accept that this is a tradition we cannot and should not try to stop (I hope I understood your posting correctly, Peter).
My point exactly, Henrik.
P.
Your weak opinion on this suggests that you know it is wrong. These intelligent creatures are butchered for fun, as a right of passage! If only they could fight back – I am against bull fighting but at least some of the humans die when they fight them. The dolophins will pass into extinction another victory for mankind.. then what defenseless creature will the islanders find to slaughter. By the way if pigs were slaughtered in this way there would be an outcry. Thanks for the editors email I will contact him.
So, if I understand you correctly, providing an act of mind-boggling viciousness and cruelty is traditional, it is ok?
In England we traditionally used to burn old ladies, protestants and catholics. We stopped doing so for all the blatantly obvious reasons. To defend or allow this barbaric act against mammals is (to any) civilised person beyond comprehension. Bullfighting is equally vile, and to quote an old playground saying, two wrongs do not make a right.
A similar defence of “tradition” was used by the Pitcain Islanders against the charges of child sexual abuse some time ago- presumably you would defend their right to molest children as it is also “traditional” on their island?
Denmark is clearly a place to avoid, if the youthful transistion to adulthood relies on the torture, mutilation and finally death of these beautiful creatues.
You might like to consider another tradition- educate, think and cease these vile activites, then join the civilsed world.
Currently you make me, and everyone else who has a conscience sick.
Yours, in total disgust, CLive Small.
To clive, jane et al:
I think you suffer from Disney Ethichs – if animals are cute, cuddly and suitable for sickly sweet animation you’re baying for the blood of anyone who does what people have always done: killed animals for food.
Your hysterical comments looks like just yet another coordinated ALF attack.
And for heaven’s sake: Read Henrik’s comment. The Faroe Islands are NOT Danish!!
Disney ethics?
Co-ordinated ALF attack.
You seem to have failed to answer my point about traditionalism being an excuse for totally unacceptable behaviour- Jews have traditionally been persecuted, but are you defending Germanys right to try to exterminate them?
What was tolerable in the past is no longer so.
We are now very well aware of the social integration, intelligence and beauty of these animals.
You really do need to wake up, start thinking and hopefully realise what a backward, almost retarded view you have.
If the Faroe Islands come under Denmarks teritories, then it is crass in the extreme to say they have self rule. Do you really believe that it is not possible to use polical will to force a change?
Does Denmark support these isolated barbarians financially?
The fact you even try to defend their position is deplorable.
Just a thought- if you find that so many people are anti your country for this- get it changed before you become a state that is viewed with disgust and contempt.
Clive Small.
But… But…
I have read the comments and agree that the slaughter is mindless and cruel. Whatever the rights or wrongs of the Faroe Islands being self governing, something should be done to stop this. I have contacted the IFAW, the BBC and my MEP to try to bring pressure to bear on the relevant authorities whether it be Denmark or the Faroese themselves. Lets hope they listen.
Clive Small…I couldn’t have said it better myself. This is outragous, and unbeliavably disturbing. Doplhins are such innocent, peaceful and beautiful mammals. It’s a shame they are brought to such a defensless state. This is absolutely insane and plain disgusting. We need to put a STOP to this. My heart is breaking.
Aren’t all animals innocent and beautiful?
I think that all these animal campaigners should pay a visit to any industrialised pig farm, chicken farm, cow farm in the Western world. They would be shocked and disgusted.
Then they could start focusing their campaigns on issues that affect hundreds and hundreds of millions of animals in a variety of species, instead of merely choosing the doe-eyed cutsey animals. The latter is a ridiculous waste of time.
I’m having foie gras for dinner tonight, by the way.
But…but exactly. This false attack upon Danish culture must be a retalitory strike by radical muslims originating from those damn cartoons. I suppose Denmark doesn’t export much pork to the middle east? There is no way on earth Oprah would have visited a nation of dolphin killer–regardless of how good they taste. I’m sure the phone lines from Japan to the Faroe Islands must be off the hook.
What? Are them muslims boycotting our pork?
When you slaughter an animal it bleeds. When an animal bleeds in water, the water turns red.
The people of the Faeroe Islands know this and through centuries the yearly slaughter of ‘Grinde’ has been a task in which entire communities took part, young and old. It is an honest – in your face – way of acquiring meat.
Some people prefer acquiring meat from hidden away animals that have been bred in captivity and industrially butchered.
I prefer the Faeroe way and find the campaign against the slaughter narrow-minded and an attack on Faeroe culture.
I really preffer the japanese excuse to kill whales and dolphins. As they say it is for scientifical purposes, thats ok. Ah, some cultures also love to eat living animals or to boil them alive. Spanish love toradas…well, the bull also has a chance to kill el torero, it’s true. Maybe we should retire this subject and come back to the danish retirement. I’m very interested in Denmark. Don’t need to work hard, state pays health, education etc and also can retire early? If my compatriots read this, thee will be an invasion of brazilians in dk Pete, there are few danes in Brazil, but your prime minister would be welcome for a caipirinha.
Thank you Princess Mary. I’m sure every Australian citizen is proud of what you are allowing to happen on this insignificant little island of morons.
Oof. I’m not Faroese, but I do love the little islands (and they don’t take too kindly to being called Danish) and it’s kinda sad the only time you here about them is “barbaric whale killers.” Truth is it was for centuries and still is a large part of the national diet. Besides sheep, fish, and puffins there isn’t a whole lot else. That’s right, they eat those cute little puffins too. There is an element of tradition but they’re not just killed and left to rot. They’re divided up and distributed amount the community.
They hunt pilot whales which are not endangered like some of the whales the Inuit hunt, but no one really seems to mind the greenlanders whaling. They’re just natives doing their native stuff. Whales in the faroes aren’t hunted out at sea like japan, people take the opportunity when they see them swimming close to shore and many laws have been passed to practice the hunt as humanely as possible. Fact is, anytime you cut something open, it bleeds. These whales had an open and free life till the end. What about cows and pigs and chickens?
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