Statement: A dark day—but the struggle for peace continues

They've been many and in rapid succession the past year, and today is yet another dark day in Swedens modern history. Today the Riksdag is voting on Swedens ascension to Nato–a decision which amongst other things means that Nato military personal have immunity against prosecution on swedish soil and, as the Committee on Foreign Affairs themselves point out, hands over the excise of public authority to another state.

The politicians in the Riksdag that vote for the proposition are voting for Sweden to abandon more than 200 years of neutrality and peace in favor of joining the USA's waralliance Nato. An alliance which has bombed Serbia and perpetrated imperialist wars, with swedish participation, in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya.

The Committee on Foreign Affairs, which is chaired by the swedendemocrat Aron Emilsson, says that the initial bid to join Nato was launched a year ago when the then socialdemocratic government appointed a bipartisan working committee for the consideration of "the changed situation concerning security policy as a consequence of Russian agression towards Ukraine".

However, the long and committed work of the military-political establishment has been going on much longer than that. The Russian invasion of Ukraine–and the reality detached propaganda that Sweden is next in line for a Russian attack–was nothing but the catalyst for the shock doctrine that we have witnessed the past year, from the highest echelons of politics to the massmedia.

In conjunction with the large Nato military exercise Aurora 2017 the Communist party of Sweden reported the Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces Micael Bydén as well as his predecessor Sverker Göranson to the police authorities for high treason. A crime which he who acts "with the intent to put the Nation, or parts thereof, under foreign rule or influence." or he who "with foreign assistance brings about the possibility that the nation will be embroiled in war or other hostilities" is accused of.

Bydén and Göranson are–as well as a long slew of politicians and lobbyists of the arms industry, where the former defenceminister Peter Hultqvist (socialdemocrat) deserves a special mention–gulity on both accounts.

Only the military-industrial complex has something to gain from a swedish ascension to Nato and the swedish elite which is willing to sacrifece peace and security for a closer connection to the USA. For the working class the swedish ascension to Nato is a catastrophe which only guarantees Sweden to take part in a lurking war. It is a dark day but the struggle for peace and against imperialism continues.

No to Nato!