Knocking my head against the wall - The unrest on Sweden

For the past few days there have been serious riots in Sweden's capital Stockholm in neighborhoods where much of the inhabitants are immigrants. The riots have been bad and there has been much unrest. People are very uneasy over this and it is a cause of concern. The riots are believed to be partly a rise against and objecting the increasing gap between the rich and the poor and lack of proper education and vocational possibilities for Swedish immigrants, particularly those of Middle-Eastern and African origin. These events have led to a serious discussion in Sweden about immigration, the changing Swedish identity, how immigrants have assimilated into society and what must change in order for events like this not to occur again.

That is what is going on here. 

The reason I am hitting my head against the wall is because of how the media handles things. 

-US and UK have issued travel warnings. Can I ask why? It is not like the whole of Sweden is in a state of turmoil and the country is still very much a safe place to visit. It is much bigger than its capital Stockholm and it is a safe and beautiful country that offers much to travelers.. 

-NBC news reported that the riots in Sweden very challenging its happy image. Did I miss something? The last time I checked, Sweden was not especially marketed as the happy place. And it is not. Sweden is in many ways a wonderful country but it is not perfect. It has problems just like any other country.

NBC-News 

-And again rises the constant, ever troubling conversation about socialism. Because obviously the roots of the problem lie in the fact that Sweden is a welfare state like all other Nordic countries. Because, taking care of people apparently causes riots. I have been raised in a welfare country my entire life and it is something I firmly believe in. People here are safe and well taken care of if something happens. Living in a welfare country does not mean that people do not work hard or expect everything to be handed to them. It means that the state provides them with necessary services they might need that are paid for both with tax money and by the state. It means a better health system, good public schools, safe environment, people can get all sorts of live-saving benefit payments and they can rest assured in the fact that if something happens they will not be on their own. It means that people take care of each other! I am proud to belong to a part of the world that offers this and pay my taxes gladly because I know it benefits me and those around me. It is a strong part of the culture of every Scandinavian country to work hard and do your job and help others. Scandinavia has some of the highest standards of living in the world and its welfare society is amazing.  It is one the best places to live.
-And of course the conversation about Muslim immigration always rears its ugly head at times like this. People actually blame the riots on Muslims and I read countless comments stating that if only the Muslims hadn't been allowed to emigrate then we wouldn't be facing this problem. The last time I checked, white and Christian Scandinavian had no trouble attacking each other and causing ruckus. Breivik is a clear example of that. Muslim immigration has to the largest extent been peaceful and most people have integrated successfully. The presence of Muslims here has added much to the culture and its depth and made society more colorful. It has been pretty much nothing but a good thing. There are many Muslims living where I live and I can safely say that not once has their presence affected my life negatively in any way or been a threat to me. And I know that most other people would say the same. I enjoy the fact that the Scandinavian identity is changing so much, our society and culture are becoming more colorful and that we are able to have successful immigration.

I love Scandinavia. I truly do. But the way we behave sometimes and how we react to events can make me want to scream. There are definite problems we are facing and need to address but it is still a good place, a wonderful place. We will get through it. So I'd appreciate it if the media could calm down and if USA and UK could stop trying to create hysteria. Because it does not help anyone.

Favorite news outlets

I am interested in news. I grew up in a home where the radio was constantly on and I got used to hearing the news all day long. News hour and listening to news became a part of life. I like being on top of things and knowing what's going on (in part due to the fact that nothing ever happens in my area). But at the same time, I've had to develop media literacy and savvy and realize what's behind the news and how subjective news outlets can be (FOX news f.ex). I got a pretty rough crash course in media literacy a few years back and it's stuck with me ever since and did before.

So when I listen to and get caught up on news I try to go for the reporters and the news outlets I trust the most and feel that convey the most balanced view on the subject. I don't have the luxury of being able to do so when it comes to radio stations since my area only has a few Scandinavian news outlets and they're not so good as well as BBC. But when it comes to TV and online I go for the news outlets I trust the most.

And my favorite English news outlets are:
NBC - I started following NBC news online only a few months back and so far I have been impressed with the way they follow news. I am particularly impressed with how detailed their news are and well researched but also the fact they take a balanced view point to things and report objectively on them. I also love the daily photo section on their website.

Al Jazeera - This is one of the best news outlets in the world in my opinion. They report unflinchingly on both the good and the bad that goes on in the world and are unafraid to show the underbelly of various things which other news outlets might not show. I enjoy the focus they have on Middle-Eastern news and what goes on there. I am particularly impressed with how they report things in an open and true manner and they focus on things that really matter. I am always impressed when I watch their news hours and I enjoy reading the blog section on their website as it is always interesting and has valuable and thoughtful topics.

BBC - I grew up listening to the BBC and it has been my favorite news outlet for years. It is a British news outlet but in my opinion they never fail to report openly and unflinchingly on matters and I am always impressed with them. If I need a live feed on some event I go on BBC. I trust them to deliver the best news and with the rightest information. My particular favorite BBC news program is the American news hour. I tune into BBC every time I turn the television and I regularly listen to it on radio as well. My family and friends all trust the BBC most as a news outlet and will continue to do so.

And one day I will write about the intolerable insanity of Scandinavian news outlets.