Protecting Finnish Culture in a Changing Europe

What Makes Finland, Finland

Finland needs to remain Finnish. With all its unique quirks, its reserved nature, its odd but charming social norms — the things that make this country what it is. I’m not talking about race here. Yes, most Finns are white — and that’s perfectly okay. That’s not the point.

What I’m talking about is culture.

Culture is the foundation of any society. It’s the invisible glue that holds everything together. If Finland wants to protect what makes it safe, functional, and peaceful, then it must protect its culture. The same goes for any country that wishes to retain its identity.

There is so much beauty in that diversity. True diversity. If I go to Japan, I want it to feel like Japan. If I go to Botswana, I want it to feel like Botswana.

The Immigration Question

Immigration should be built on a simple idea: bring in high-quality people — people who love the country, who respect its way of life, who are willing to contribute and integrate. And I’ve seen firsthand that Finland is overwhelmingly accepting of people like that. Myself included.

But if European countries don’t get this right, they risk walking into disaster. And it’s not a vague threat — we’re already seeing some of this happen.

Sweden’s Cautionary Tale

Sweden went from one of the safest countries in the world… to one plagued by gang violence, grenade attacks, and rising inequality. There are now more explosions in Sweden than in any non-war zone. Criminal gangs recruit children because they know the legal system treats minors more leniently.

It’s absolutely unhinged.

How did that happen? What kind of governance allows a country to unravel like that?

Now they’re stuck with a problem they can’t easily fix — if they can fix it at all. No-go zones. Parallel societies. Entire neighbourhoods where Swedish values have been replaced by imported ones. And this despite the opportunities Sweden offers its citizens.

The UK: A Warning From History

And then there’s the UK — a country with a rich history and centuries of tradition. What happened there?

How do you go from that… to a country where people chant “Death to the IDF” at Glastonbury, a music festival?

How does a society allow a scandal involving the mass grooming and abuse of thousands of young girls by mostly Pakistani men — and then ignore it?

It’s coming out now that both police and politicians knew. But they were afraid. Afraid to act. Afraid of being called racist.

So they said nothing.

These girls — many from poor, working-class neighbourhoods — cried out for help. But their cries weren’t heard.

Only now, after years of silence, is the UK launching a national inquiry — and only because Keir Starmer, who previously opposed it, is feeling political pressure. On Twitter he’s suddenly making statements that are 180 degrees from his previous statements just a few months ago. It’s almost comical. The people are frustrated.

How do you allow your own people to be sacrificed at the altar of multiculturalism and inclusion?

The Rise of Suicidal Empathy

This is what I call suicidal empathy — and it’s spreading.

It’s a condition of the modern Western world. From Sweden, to the UK, to France — and yes, even here in Finland.

It’s the inability to see the world clearly. The refusal to understand that not all cultures are equal.

I know that’s a triggering statement for some people. But think about it.

Would you want to live in a country where child marriage is legal? Where women are banned from getting an education? Where dissent is punished, where blasphemy laws end lives?

No, you wouldn’t.

Yet there are some people who will defend this kind of cultural relativism even in the face of overwhelming evidence that it doesn’t work or would be terrible to live under. Just because they want to be seen as “inclusive.”

This is not me saying that democracy, our values or capitalism doesn’t have its problems. They sure do. Many of them. But in my eyes, it’s way more preferable than any other system. By a mile.

The Instagram Exchange

I remember posting something on Instagram — saying that I didn’t want Finland to go down the same path as Sweden. A girl responded, insisting that those neighbourhoods I mentioned were “inclusive” and “multicultural.” When I pointed out the gang violence, she admitted it was bad — but quickly blamed it on inequality.

She was ready to blame everyone and everything except the actual criminals, and the failed integration.

This kind of thinking is dangerous. The inability to see things as they are will lead this country — and others — down a road that no one will enjoy. And it’s not hypothetical. We are watching it unfold in real time.

Coming from South Africa, I never had the luxury of being naive. Reality always punched you in the face. Hard.

Universal Values Are Not Universal

It’s important to remember that the world is not as simple as many would like to believe. Ideas like freedom of speech, women’s rights, democracy — these are not universal values. They’re not respected or even understood in large parts of the world.

We’ve convinced ourselves that other cultures want what we want. That deep down, they are all the same.

But that’s a fantasy.

Try preaching women’s empowerment in Afghanistan. See how far you get. Women there are banned from education. They’re silenced.

The same people who go on and on about apartheid in Israel — conveniently ignore the actual gender apartheid all across the Middle East. Women simply don’t have the same rights as men. Try holding a Pride parade in Saudi Arabia. Try getting drunk in public in Dubai. You’ll be arrested — or worse.

And you know what? They have the right to enforce their laws and protect their culture. Because it’s their country. If I ever went to visit, I wouldn’t go there to change anything.

So why is it that we — in the West — seem so ashamed of doing the same?

Why do we hesitate to say:

“This is our culture. This is how we live. If you come here, you need to respect that. If you don’t, you can leave.”

We should be able to say that with our chest.

Culture ≠ Race

Here’s the part where people get uncomfortable. They hear “culture” and they think I’m talking about race.

That’s absurd.

Culture is not the colour of your skin. Culture is history, language, religion, art, education, values, and yes — sometimes ethnicity. In the same way your personal memories shape who you are, shared culture shapes a people. It creates social cohesion and trust.

The key difference is: Culture can be learned. It can be adopted. Race is fixed. Culture is flexible.

I’m Black. That’s not going to change. And I wouldn’t want it to.

But I’ve also embraced many aspects of Finnish culture. I’ve learned from it. I respect the social norms.

What’s at Stake

If Finland — or the UK — wants to remain what it is, then it needs to make sure that the people coming in hold views that are compatible with its way of life.

That’s not xenophobic. That’s just logical.

There’s a reason I don’t fear being stabbed when I walk through Helsinki.

There’s a reason I’ve lost my wallet or laptop in public and still believed — with some confidence — that I might get it back. And often, I do.

That’s not magic, or luck. That’s culture.

Finnish people are raised with values that make things like petty theft rare — not impossible, but rare. Yes, bikes still get stolen. And yes, someone broke into my apartment storage once and stole some stuff. But the point is, it’s not normalized.

Compare that to South Africa, where the chance of recovering anything you’ve lost is next to zero. If you’re not careful, you will be pickpocketed. Your phone will disappear. Walk in the wrong area and you might be robbed — or worse.

It’s a completely different world. And most people living in peaceful countries have no idea just how fragile peace really is. They have no idea how scary it is for someone like me to see them defend bad behaviour from a place of naivety.

Integration Over Multiculturalism

Immigration has always been a part of the human story. People move. Cultures mix. New things are created. That’s good.

But societies have the right to choose what they absorb — and what they reject.

Integration matters. Especially for European countries who are relatively new to mass migration.

If someone’s religion, customs, or ideology contradicts the core values of the society they’re entering — then it’s that person’s job to adapt. Not the society’s job to bend. After enough bends, that country changes forever.

You can thrive in Finland. People are welcoming. But they expect you to respect their values.

Multiculturalism for the sake of it — without shared values, without integration — leads to tension. Social tension. Social mistrust. And eventually, societal breakdown. This isn’t me being an alarmist. This is me being realistic.

The people who will get angry at what I’m saying are the same people who will defend their world view even if things got bad. Like that woman on Instagram.

Let Finland Be Finland

Finland is a unique place. Its history is inspiring. The Winter War still gives me chills.

Centuries under the Swedish Empire. A century under Russian rule. And yet — Finns remained Finns.

They rejected Russification. They refused to be conquered. And they built a country that is safe, prosperous, and proud.

Their motto at the time said it all:

“The Swedish we are not. The Russians we do not want to be. So let us be Finns.”

I may not be a Finn. But I sure do love this country like one.

Thanks for reading.