Karen Peterson on Hörby, Apolonia and Cancellation Culture

The political silencing of artists who wish to participate in publicly funded contexts

This is a cultural article It is part of Aftonbladet’s Opinion Journalism.

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SD led government He claims to be very concerned about cancel culture. Research Minister Mats Pearson (L) – or as the leader of his party calls him Johan Pearson, “Type factaminester— should even investigate whether it is happening in the university world. Pearson says he’s concerned that researchers don’t dare speak out about sexism and racism, and calls it a “culture of silence and pointing.” However, Pearson has no clue, he just feels it instinctively. This feeling will now be investigated.

However, the well-documented thing is other threats to both the freedom of academia and the freedom of culture. Shortly after the announcement of the Pearson investigation, a survey showed that nearly half of the world’s climate scientists had been threatened or harassed online because of their work. However, this phenomenon is not something Research Minister Pearson has written about in worrying discussion articles.

Came last week News from Hörby, the Swedish Democrats’ political shop window. Aftonbladet Peter Cadhammer He reported from there, describing, among other things, how a large number of senior municipal managers have resigned since SD won elections there in 2018.

The purges in Horby had an effect. now notified by the municipality They have canceled world music group Apolonia for their annual Kulturkalaset festival. Administrators sat down and googled artist reviews, and discovered that nine years ago Apollonia had appeared in a registry recorded by the Feminist Initiative, along with artists Robyncamp, Sarah Dawn Fenner And Lisa Nelson.

“It doesn’t matter which party it is, but when we use tax money we don’t want to book someone who is so closely associated with a political organisation,” says the new entertainment director. Per Albin Burhammer To Sydsvenska Dagbladet.

With this principle, artists who wish to participate in publicly funded contexts are effectively silenced politically. God bless those who have expressed support for human rights and refugees or against welfare cuts.

SD: s vevande i Cultural politics is sometimes seen as a fringe phenomenon. Who cares about that Drag queens slam on Dramaten, they still don’t control the business. But again, for the umpteenth time: the Sweden Democrats’ disgust with the opposition is real, and it has immediate effects as they gain power.

Let me be very clear: The right’s campaign against “cancel culture” is a direct spoof of the American right. both of them Donald Trump And Ron DeSantis He goes to the polls next year on a political platform where journalists, free research, universities and climate activists are the definite enemies.

This battle is also here and it is not just a fantasy, it is not funny, it is not on the sidelines, and it really has effects in reality today.

In the United States, the fight against “waking up” has already spawned books by authors such as Tony Morrison And Albert Camus It is banned in schools in Florida, the equivalent of a Horbie’s store window in the United States.

The Swedish Democrats will never come become part of the enterprise Jimmy Okison to TT that day. No, it’s quite obvious at this point. What is disgusting to see is the constant collusion. Because of course no chirps were heard from the research minister about political purges in the municipality of Horby.