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by forapurpose 2908 days ago
> When Obama visits Sweden, the first order of business is to honor Raoul Wallenberg

Honoring Raoul Wallenberg isn't about capitalism. Working in Hungary during WWII, he saved tens of thousands of Jewish people from the Nazis and fascists, until he was arrested and never was seen again. Later, evidence emerged that he died at the hands of the KGB.

1 comments

Obama doesn't just show up to honor people around the world. It was suggested by prime minister Fredrik Reinfeldt [0]. Yes, that is the same prime minister who was traveling to the Bilderberg meeting in Wallenberg's private jet [1], whose government caved in the weapons deal [2], wife ended up working for their health care company [3] and son has been working at Svenskt Näringslivs think-tank Timbro [4].

Apparently the person who was pushing for the arms deal to be reinstated was foreign minster, party colleague and former prime minister Carl Bildt. Another frequent visitor to the Bilderberg meetings and infamously chairman of the board at Lundin Petroleum. The Lundin brothers are cousins of Marcus Wallenberg [5]. Carl Bildt is also senior advisor to Wallenberg Foundations [6].

Wallenbergs dominance in Sweden isn't really a secret [9]. So between "it a coincidence" and "they all know each other", I am going with the second one. Sweden has a number of other people to honor whose family's jet the prime minster hasn't borrowed like Folk Bernadotte [7] (who was related to the king) or Birgitta Karlström Dorph [8].

[0] In Swedish; https://www.expressen.se/nyheter/hemliga-brevet-fran-reinfel... [1] In Swedish; https://www.svd.se/hit-fick-reinfeldt-lift-av-wallenberg [2] https://sverigesradio.se/sida/artikel.aspx?programid=2054&ar... [3] In Swedish; https://www.aleris.se/om/om-aleris/nyheter/filippa-reinfeldt... [4] https://www.thelocal.se/20120901/42954 [5] In Swedish; https://www.di.se/di/artiklar/2014/11/14/pa-djupet-med-lukas... [6] In Swedish; http://www.wfab.se/stiftelsernas-investeringskommitte/stifte... [7] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folke_Bernadotte [8] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birgitta_Karlstr%C3%B6m_Dorph [9] https://www.economist.com/business/2016/03/10/a-nordic-pyram... [9] https://www.economist.com/special-report/2006/10/12/swedens-... [9] https://www.economist.com/business/2009/01/22/the-ties-that-... [9] https://www.ft.com/content/4f407796-0a35-11e5-a6a8-00144feab... [9] https://www.nytimes.com/1982/09/15/obituaries/marcus-wallenb...

(A small correction to my previous comment. It was Jacob, not Marcus, Wallenberg who brought Reinfeldt to the meeting).