Name-calling, demonisation, and imported outrage don’t belong in Finland’s political culture. But the signs are already here.

Like many of you, I watched the horrible video of Charlie Kirk being assassinated. At first, I didn’t believe it. It seemed crazy that someone would shoot a political commentator just for his opinions.

Even then, I thought he would recover — and one day tell an unbelievable story.
But to my absolute horror, he died.

That shook me. And it made me reflect: on what’s happening in America, what I’ve seen online, and what lessons Finland needs to take from this.

Respecting Someone You Disagree With

I once made a video debunking Charlie’s take that “Finland is very Russian.” That critique wasn’t about him personally — it was about how American commentators often misunderstand Europe, especially when it comes to Russia and Ukraine.

I had even hoped to debate him one day about that terrible take. Now, I never will.

But here’s the truth: I respected him. Not for his every opinion, but for the fact that he put his ideas out there and tested them in public. He lived a life in service of something bigger than himself — in his case, God — and believed family and responsibility matter for society. On those points, I agreed with him.

He was a conservative. Millions resonated with his message. Millions disagreed. But he wasn’t a radical.

When Death Is Celebrated — and Covered Shamefully

So imagine my shock seeing people celebrate his death online. To them, he wasn’t just wrong — he was evil. And if you believe someone is evil, then their death isn’t a tragedy… it’s a victory.

That logic is unhinged.
Because it means: if you don’t have the “right” opinions, your life doesn’t matter.

Iltalehti — one of Finland’s biggest newspaper tabloids — covered the tragic assassination in a shameful way: By drawing a comparison to the 1933 Reichstag fire in Germany which Hitler then used as pretext for gaining ‘emergency powers’.

The headline Iltalehti ran was: The Killing of Trump’s Supporter May Have Scary Consequences - Expert Highlights Hitler Connection.

Absolutely shameful.

The Same Seed in Finland

Now, Finland isn’t at American levels of division. Not yet. But I can feel the same instinct bubbling under the surface.

Disagree politely, raise an uncomfortable truth, or use the “wrong” words — suddenly you’re branded “racist,” “fascist,” or even a “Nazi.” Even if you are none of those things.

And here’s the problem: if someone truly was a Nazi or fascist, wouldn’t violence against them seem justified? Wouldn’t demonising them seem natural?

That’s why slapping those labels on everyone who holds a different view is so dangerous. It leaves no room for nuance, no space for flexibility, no possibility of good faith debate. Everything becomes black and white. Left or Right. Good or evil.

Finnish Politics Isn’t American Politics

What makes this worse is that being “Right wing” in Finland is not the same thing as being Right wing in America.

Here, even conservatives support things that Americans would call “socialism”: universal healthcare, the welfare state, high taxes to pay for it all. In fact, both the Left and Right here defend those systems. The real debates are in the nuances:

What kind of immigration should Finland prioritise?
How important is it to maintain Finnish culture, and how?
In tough economic times, are budget cuts logical, or authoritarian?

These are disagreements about policy, not about abolishing social services or treating women as second-class citizens.

That’s why it’s insane to import America’s language of demonisation into Finland. It’s not only dishonest — it’s dangerous.

A Warning Finland Must Hear

This is what I believe: Finland’s future depends on how it preserves its culture, integrates newcomers, and protects what makes this place one of the safest, most trusted societies on earth.

But if ideology starts overruling reality, if we start demonising one another like Americans do, we will face turmoil. Look at Sweden. Look at the UK. Do we want that here?

So yes — I will keep speaking, even when it makes people uncomfortable. If that earns me the label “ultra-Right wing,” then maybe the labels themselves have lost all meaning.

Because Finland doesn’t need more labels.
It needs honesty.

Thank you for reading!

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Chico Muya

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