@ Yitzak

I must observe that you did not attempt to answer any of the three specific questions I asked you.   The conclusion is therefore obvious.  You throw around easily wild charges, but cannot back them up with serious arguments.  This discussion is therefore pointless.

For your information, I have no 'beef' with Mr Dore.  On the contrary, if anything I am quite sympathetic to his general goals, and certainly share his concerns to preserve Israeli democracy, the only one in the Middle East.  At the same time I am smart enough to know that he is an Israeli 'advocate', and that he fights against Arab influence in the US, and particularly wants to undermine that influence as it pertains to American politicians.   I am quite aware of the "friendly relations" between the House of Saud and some Bush family members.   I repeat, you must try to be realistic about such matters.  Virtually all countries attempt to have friendly relations with the House of Saud.  The Bushies are no great exception in this respect.  The reality is, however, that both countries share a number of very important 'interests'.  This does not prevent the US government from making an accurate assessment about the 'nature' of the Saudi regime and political system, as various State Department 'reports' regularly attest.   

P.S. I advise you to take a good look at pictures of the Saudi King 'kissing' Chirac, versus him kissing GWBush, and see which one of these 3 persons looks the most 'awkward' in connection with all this fake 'closeness'.

@ Yitzak

I fail to see the relevance of your superfluous 'ad hominem' attack in the context of the subjects previously discussed under this thread.   Maybe, you can rescue a bit of your moral standing by attempting serious answers to the following 3 questions. 

1) Can you be a bit more specific about my purported "fantasy world"?   Throwing wild empty charges about is always easy; backing them up with specific arguments and facts, is another matter.

2) Can you be a bit more specific about my purported "state of denial"?  What is it that you think that I am denying?  Throwing wild empty charges....etc... 

3)  What do you mean by "Connections between House of Saoud and House of Bush....are not 'just friendly', etc..."?   Could you be a bit less cryptic and a bit more specific? 

For your information, I do not blame "media" for "every ill".  But, one must hope that you are aware of the tremendous influence "media" have on the public's imagination and on public discourse.  I certainly do believe in most 'facts' reported by most western media, but I take the 'spin' and commentary that typically accompanies such reporting with a deep grain of salt.  I advise you to be more sceptical too.   For example, when the BBC reports that a bomb exploded today in Bangkok, Thailand, I believe that "a bomb exploded in Bangkok".  But, when I listen to the commentary given by its 'typical' correspondent in connection with such a fact, I usually find that it is often seriously distorted due to severe ideological bias.  There are many subjects where I can not immediately make a serious judgement about any specific media bias, but there are also specific subjects (including countries) on which I consider myself well-informed, and when I observe how biased certain major media reports on those specific subjects are, I know that we all must learn to make a distinction between 'facts' and 'opinions'.   People, like Iqbal and yourself, who still have much difficulty with making that kind of distinction, should make a big effort in learning how to do that....in your own interest!   The biggest obstacle in that respect is often the failure to remain intellectually-honest, or honest to oneself.    

@ Iqbal

1) As a general rule, it is not wise to divulge much 'private' information on a public forum on the internet.  We should both take that advice.  So, I regret that I can/will not satisfy your curiosity here.

2) It is profoundly sad that your "old man", like so many others, has painted a picture to his son based on superficialities (like "stunning...girls, bars, nightclubs, etc...").  In the 1970's and still early 1980's, Baghdad might have been a "modern" city in a number of superficial physical respects, but it was also the center of a society based on great injustice, extreme cruelty and all-pervasive fear.  To survive in that environment, one had to constantly close one's eyes, certainly one's mouth, and hope not to draw the attention of anyone important in the ruling fascist Tikriti 'nomenclatura', in order to avoid falling victim to its whims and vicious arbitrariness.  

3) One shudders to think about what much of the media (and education system) today is doing to young western minds, like yours.   And the terrible price that society will have to pay for this in the future.  (Hint: the House of Saoud is just as "friendly" with Chirac, Blair, Musharraf, Mubarak, etc...as they are with "Bush and his - presumed - zio con oil buddies".  Although they did realise who could effectively save them from Saddam in his heyday.  As always, they are very concerned about whoever rules Persia, and they are quietly reaching out to China today in case America falters in 'restraining' the ayathollahs.)  

http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/general-metal-discussion/
228036-heavy-metal-vs-christianity-heavy-metal-vs-islam.html

(had to split the URL into 2 lines)

Its a little off topic but very interesting. Some of the replies of the metal heads give are just pathetic. They claim to be free thinking "raging against the so called bullshit in society" but at the end of the day they are just spineless cowards with no perception of a genuine threat. Its kind of ironic that metal is huge in scandanavia where self-loathing has reached fever pitch.
 

@ Iqbal

I am well aware of both "the wealth and education" of some Irakis (having been professionally involved with the country in the mid-1980's, and luckily escaping from both Iranian bombs as well as from then internal opposionists, either shia or kurd, at the time in Baghdad).    

The fact still remains that the 'typical' Iraqi refugee to Sweden is not in any position to bring "wealth and jobs" to Sweden.  And, it is certainly not 'news' if they would work and participate in economic life.  I am sure there are exceptions, but - being exceptions - they only confirm the 'rule'.   No need to put your head in the sand about that, nor about anything else.

And no, contrived 'positive' stories about immigrants, from the pen of naive-left journalists with an ideological agenda, are certainly not "fantasy" nor "exceptions".  Indeed, the western media are full of them.  Most of them show a lack of 'perspective' and of a sense of 'proportionality'.

Finally, I am not anti-immigration as such.  I am against illegal immigration and against 'imposed' immigration, either from above (western ruling elites) or from abroad.   Just like you determine who you invite to your house, the Swedish people should be able to determine who comes to theirs. 

@ Armor

The citation you used was mine, not pvdh's.  He repeated it (with the proper quotation marks) without any comment.  That is the sort of cryptic behavior that can lead to conspiracy theories, to misunderstandings, even to world wars.   

Britain’s ‘Hats off to Crime’ campaign [which has now been extended nationwide] means that people are routinely asked to remove any headgear which shields their face from CCTV cameras in commercial premises - including an increasing number of buses. As you can see from the copy of the campaign poster shown here burqas are seemingly exempt.

pvdh: "The difference between closed minds and open minds is that the former only see what they want to see and the latter will 'call it as they see it' . "

If you think Iraqis are bringing wealth to Sweden, you must be out of your mind. You are the one ignoring reality, like leftists do. It means you are blind, not open-minded.
The media won't even publish the rape and murder statistics by race. In the same way, they will systematically suppress honest information about the impact of immigration on the economy, while complacently publishing tribunes by the likes of Rami Abdelrahman ("Iraqis bring wealth - and jobs - to Sweden").
If you want to know more about the real world, you'll need to trust your own eyes and rely on your personal judgment (it is going to be a problem in your case) and on information and analysis provided by people who are not subsidized by western governments, and usually not allowed in the media.

 Total Ban on Immigration from all non-European countries
is only solution

@ Iqbal

1) Without 'honesty' there can be no serious discussion.  Conscious distortion of 'facts' and events is dishonest.  The case of the Dutch presumed "cannibal" is not a case of eating someone, but of biting someone.  It is a 'fluke', an exception, it is nutty.  It is not a societal problem!

2) The problem of burkas on busses, planes, etc... is increasingly becoming a real societal problem in a number of western countries, and certainly at a time of genuine terrorist threats.   While I do not know the specifics of the Malmo busdriver, the case does represent real dilemmas for businesses and public authorities.  And I certainly can feel sympathy for a busdriver who is faced with such a practical problem and gets 'punished' for exercising common sense.  On top of that, he gets punished by public authorities who themselves are directly responsible for creating this kind of 'problem' in the first place through nutty policies of immigration and 'multiculturalism'. 

3) If "Iraqi immigrants are bringing wealth and jobs to Sweden" that would not be a problem, and in that sense would not be particularly relevant to comment on.  However, it is most unlikely that the typical Iraqi refugee would be able to do such a thing.  How could he/she?   You think there are no exchange controls in Iraq today?  You think one could easily dispose of property in Iraq today and transfer the proceeds to abroad?    I think you would have to be at least closely related to Talabani, the Ayatholah Sistani, or M Al-Sadr!.   So, if there is such a genuine case of an Iraqi refugee in Sweden it will be a rare exception.  Most likely the story is a typical fantasy-story concocted by a naive-left journalist with an ideological 'agenda'.   

"The difference between closed minds and open minds is that the former only see what they want to see and the latter will 'call it as they see it' (whatever the source). "

Sam said : Now why is this article not commented on ?

Because it's a blatant lie.  Political correctness gone mad.  Immigrants to Sweden costs that country more than 100 billion SKr. per year and is almost bringing it to bancruptcy.

Iqbal's 'Pavlovian' response to the burka-story from Malmo was as predictable as the next terrorist atrocity.   The difference between closed minds and open minds is that the former only see what they want to see and the latter will 'call it as they see it' (whatever the source). 

It is indeed unconscionable that busdrivers would have to transport people that are not identifiable (and therefore can not be held accountable 'ex post' for possible misdeeds).  At least it ought to be so in a civilised society, particularly one that is openly being threathened by a merciless enemy.    

And if there are any "Dutch cannibals" left, they should be equally condemned for uncivilized behavior. 

Iqbal's behavior, i.e. invoking one form of uncivilized behavior as an 'excuse' for another form of uncivilized behavior, surely is a kind of a pathology that needs a name.  Any takers?

'A bus driver in Malmo has been suspended...'

Click on the 'been suspended' link and halfway down there is another story; 'Dutch cannibal eats drivers nose during tulip delivery.'

Thats a much better story than this tired old drivel.